Mind, Body and Trike

MS and the Pure Joy of Adaptive Cycling

Jocelyne Pambrun was 32 the first time it happened. The young mother of two was working part time as an orthopedic nurse. She was consulting with a doctor when suddenly she felt her legs go completely numb. As she describes it, “It was as though someone had removed my shoes and put my feet on a block of ice.” By the evening, the loss of sensation radiated from her belly button all the way down to her toes.

That night, she made her way to the ER. The examination was quick, the diagnosis swift. She had the flu. Today, Jocelyne recognizes that very little was known about multiple sclerosis when she experienced her first symptoms in the late 1980’s. Manitoba didn’t even have MRI scanners to detect it. Funding for research was minimal and expensive medications to treat MS weren’t covered by Manitoba Health causing financial hardship to people living with MS and their families. 

But that night in the ER, Jocelyne was scared. Her gut instinct and her nurse’s intuition told her something was seriously wrong. She returned to the ER many times before someone took her seriously. When the young physician walked in, she pleaded with him to give her a complete physical examination and run some tests. “I said something’s wrong. It has been over a month. I am numb from the hip down and I want answers.” He complied. The results indicated the possibility of a tumour on the spine or MS, inconclusive results, he said, that only an MRI could clarify.

Lying in the back of the car, her body burning, unable to walk and barely able to whisper for lack of energy, Jocelyne headed out to the nearest MRI clinic in Fargo, North Dakota. There, a scan would confirm the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

When the kids were young, Jocelyne says, “just making breakfast for them would wipe me out. The first 5 years were the worst. I had spasms in my legs. A lot of meds didn’t work for me. At one point, I dragged my left leg as though I had had a stroke.” Still, with all of the energy she could muster, Jocelyne helped develop programs for the partners and children of people living with MS, shared her knowledge on how to best live with the disease, raised awareness on issues related to work and insurance, and advocated for changes that would lead to the creation of the Winnipeg MS Clinic at the Health Sciences Centre.

Much has been learned about MS in the last 20 years. Canada has one of the highest rates in the world. Manitoba is a hot spot for the disease. Why? Specialists are still trying to find the connection between our geography and its prevalence.

Jocelyne’s symptoms come and go. She is always searching for better ways of optimizing her health and well-being. She eats well, avoids stress and despite all of her limitations, exercises. Last summer she started riding a bike, something she never thought she would do again. Her daughter bought her a Van Raam adult trike with e-assist. “It’s complete freedom! When I’m outside, I lose all track of time. Sometimes I pedal without e-assist. If I get tired, I turn it on. It allows me to stay outside as long as I want and go as far as I want. I’ve discovered all sorts of trails in my neighbourhood that I didn’t even know existed. The best part is that I can pedal and get my heart pumping without hurting my body.” Nothing compares to the feeling of wind in my hair, she says. She gets the “thumbs up” wherever she goes. And unexpectedly, she’s lost weight and lowered her cholesterol level. All she needs now is a place where she can ride all winter long. She’s working on it.

*Prairie Velo is proud to carry products like Jocelyne’s Easy Rider by Van Raam.

Learn more about our Van Raam bikes and trikes.