A man whose colleagues ‘thought he was drunk’ because of his dizzy spells was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Rob Fairhurst, from Skelmersdale, said his symptoms ranged from bad balance to getting dizzy spells.
On a work trip abroad his symptoms got so bad that he needed to hold onto parked cars to stay on his feet.
The 55-year-old said: "At the time my balance was terrible and I was getting dizzy spells.
"I remember I was on a business trip in Germany with colleagues, and on the walk back I had to hold on to parked cars to stay upright.
"They thought I was drunk."
The diagnosis of MS came about after Rob was referred to The Walton Centre for an MRI scan.
Very quickly the trust’s Neurosciences Research Centre assessed that the 55-year-old qualified to take part in the Oratorio trial, which started in 2011.
Rob wanted to share his story, on International Clinical Trials Day, to highlight the importance of patient studies.
Speaking about his decision to start the trial, Rob said: “It wasn’t a hard decision at all.
“I wanted to take part, and the added reassurance of regular check-ups from specialists was a good enough reason before even considering the benefits of the infusion.
“If people don’t take part in trials, we don’t learn anything. You have to take part so that safe new drugs and treatments can be discovered.”
Rob has been on the drug Ocrelizumab since 2013 as part of the Oratorio trial, which has been attempting to further understand the long-term and short-term effects on patients and their Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
For the best part of a decade Rob has been having a series of infusions and check-ups to monitor his condition.
Rob added: “My friends and family think I’m brave taking part in a clinical trial, but when there’s nothing else effective enough to slow the progression of my MS, how could I not take part?
“The research team at The Walton Centre are excellent. From the very first nurse to take care of me eight years ago to now. They have been friends throughout this, ready to support me.”
Also telling their story on International Clinical Trials Day is Heather Dixon, from Southport.
Heather is the first in the North West to take part in a new drug trial for patients with chronic migraines.
The 57-year-old has lived with migraines and headaches for over 40 years and have been a patient at the Walton Centre since 2017.
After trying countless treatments, she is now taking part in a trial looking at the effectiveness and safety of Erenumab with patients who are suffering with chronic migraines, and with medication overuse headaches.
She said: "It’s been a long slog since I started experiencing migraines in my teens, but after trying different treatments it finally feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel with this trial.
"Knowing you’re on a trial specifically looking at your condition gives you such hope that it could make a real difference, not just to me but to others in my situation.
"When I met Dr Nick Silver in 2019 at The Walton Centre, I was at the end of my tether but the support and guidance he and the team at the Neuroscience Research Centre have given me has been a lifeline.
"I can’t speak highly enough of the team and the work they do. They see you not just as a patient, but as a person and are just lovely – I actually look forward to coming here every month for my injections."
