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How one man is facing up to MND diagnosis
Gordon Reid had always been an active man.
He was well known for a lifestyle that included walking, hiking, shooting and motorbiking,
That was until three years ago when the first signs of motor neurone disease (MND) reared their head.
Now, 58-year-old Gordon struggles with everyday tasks such as walking and buttoning up his shirt.
But getting his head round his illness was only part of Luncarty resident Gordon’s problem.
After he first attended a doctor in 2015, he found his place of employment difficult to deal with. It took him 17 months to be diagnosed, but in that time he was offered little support to get him through.
He and wife Carol (57) have chosen to speak out about the prejudice he faced during that time to highlight the misconceptions people have about MND.
Looking back, Gordon said: “We noticed the first symptoms in September 2015 when we came back from a holiday in Crete.
“On holiday I was totally fine but a week after we came back I was out for a walk down by the river and I realised my foot was dropping.
“I thought I had just strained it, so I started doing exercises. That went on for quite a bit before I went to my GP.
“They then put me in to Ninewells Hospital, where they X-rayed my back and the specialist there kept saying that it should be my left leg that has the problem because I have a disk damaged, but it was clearly my right one.
“I went to the doctors again in 2016 and at this stage my work was shocking.
“They were investigating me and they asked to see my records.
“When my doctor wrote a letter to explain what was going on with me, my director said ‘what this woman has written is rubbish’.
“He told me that if I went to court, a good solicitor would tear apart what my doctor had written.
“Before any of this happened, Access to Work came in and did an assessment. When I gave it to my directors, one of them said to me ‘what do you want me to do with this? You sort it.’ So I put things in place and it was totally ignored.
“During this time, I was expected to cross a main road to be able to do my job effectively.
“This was expected even after having a couple of falls within the work place.”
Gordon was left depressed by the situation. He was so exhausted dealing with work, he had no energy to do anything with the family at the weekend.
Eventually he was sent back to Ninewells for more intensive tests.
“I took a week off, using my annual leave to avoid any further confrontation,” he said. “But this time I was visiting a hospital ward with people in wheelchairs and with breathing tubes.
“It was on the second day that it clicked – I know why I’m here.”
Gordon reached out to his work, a Perth-based motor retailer, for help – only for a director to tell him they didn’t want to get involved.
Eventually, in February 2017, Gordon Gordon and Carol wed in 1979 in Stanley was given the horrific news that he had the incurable and fatal disease. He said: “I was on my own when I was told.
“I thought by the time I got back to the car that I would be okay, but I wasn’t. I was broken at that point.
“I phoned Carol in the car and told her the three things it could be, leaving MND until last.
“I could hear by Carol’s reaction on the phone that she knew which of the three it was.”
It became clear it would be pointless Gordon staying at work.
A phased return lasted just a week and his appeal to go part-time was vetoed.
Eventually, Gordon’s managing director phoned to apologise, claiming Gordon and Carol at their Luncarty home he didn’t know Gordon was in hospital, even though he had received a copy of the letter conforming Gordon’s date of admittance.
“They quickly changed their tune in case I took them to court,” he said. “I still have people asking me why I didn’t take the matter further, but by that time I was too tired and had no fight left in me.
“The saddest part for me is that I was there for 34 years, 28 as a manager.
“I feel I had a successful working career and for it to end the way it did was really hurtful for me and my family.”
Gordon and Carol married in Stanley back in 1979. They have two children – Sara (34) and Clare (29) – and are grandparents to Hannah (10), Owen (8),