But she attributed the subtle numbness in her face to simply too many pineapple cocktails.

“I was in Hawaii and I woke up one day feeling a bit like I’d been to the dentist,” Kate said.

“I put it down to having a few too many drinks the night before, but that feeling continued and the ­sensation started to travel down the right hand side of my body.

“It also started to feel tingly, a bit like pins and needles.”  

Back then Kate, 31, was bliss­fully ignorant of the road ahead. Today she is acutely aware.

“I sort of ignored it for a while, but after about three or four weeks I knew I needed to go to the doctor,” she said.

Initially, Kate’s doctor thought she might have suffered a stroke and she was sent to undergo a nerve ­condition study.

In the beginning everything seemed fine, with a pinched nerve the most likely cause of concern.

But a magnetic resonance imaging exam (MRI) revealed multiple lesions on Kate’s brain, a high ­indicator of multiple sclerosis.

“I could see the doctor’s face drop when he saw my scans,” she said.

Subsequently, the young Ashtonfield woman was referred to renowned Hunter neurologist Dr Jeanette Lechner-Scott at the MS clinic. 

“This all happened five days before Christmas and the clinic was closed for three weeks, so we were in limbo and it was tough,” she said.

“I even relapsed while I was waiting to get into the clinic.”

Eventually, in April 2014, Kate started treatment, but the numbness returned, along with the onset of sight problems.

“We just put it down to getting used to the treatment,” she said.

But six months after her diagnosis Kate – a manager in the fitness industry before her diagnosis – relapsed, and she relapsed badly.

“I had no function in my left side and no function in my right,” she said.

“I couldn’t work, I couldn’t dress myself, I couldn’t do anything that involved using two hands.

“I also had a couple of falls. I took my dog Nitro for a walk and my left leg just gave way. I was bruised black and blue. It was then I remember thinking, ‘so they did get it right’.”

An emergency MRI revealed more lesions.

“I’m now on more aggressive treatment, a monthly infusion, and so far it has been a success,” she said.

MS remains a puzzle that has perplexed medical science since it was first described by the French neurologist Charcot in 1868.

The disease affects the central nervous system and, to varying degrees, interferes with the transmission of nerve impulses throughout the brain, spinal chord and optic nerve.

Recurring episodes of MS can cause scars to appear in the central nervous system as a result of the breakdown of myelin, the insulating material of the brain that covers the nerve fibres.

An estimated 23,000 Australians have MS. And now that number includes Kate.

“My life has changed quite dramatically,” Kate said.

“I wake up each day and I’m just grateful I can move, but some days I can’t get out of bed because I’m so exhausted.

“I used to train twice a day and now I can barely get around the block once with my dog Nitro morning and afternoon. And that’s tough, because I can’t exercise the way I used to.”

Like many in her position, Kate has decided to raise money for research into the condition that threatens her independence.

“I’m a lot luckier than a lot of other people who have MS, which is why I’m fundraising to make a difference,” she said.

“And down the road, when I do get to a point where I need more help, I know I’ve done something.”

Of course Kate remains deeply affected by her diagnosis and her plans for the future are not as they once were.

“I think the biggest thing, for me, is that one day I will be, potentially, not able to walk or control myself,” she said.

“Being in a wheelchair, that scares the hell out of me and I hate the thought of mum and dad not enjoying their lives. I know this affects them.

“Most days I’m fine, but when it’s bad, it’s bad. It’s always at the back of my head ... what could happen.

“But I have to deal with this and, I know it might seem a bit naive, but I just take things one day at a time.”  

MS fundraiser Kate Roberts is rallying the troops to raise much-needed funds for MS research and care for those living with the condition.

First up is a fundraiser at The George Tavern, East Maitland, on May 24, between 1pm and 6pm.

Next, Kate and her team - VenomX supports MS - will participate in the MS Walk and Fun Run on May 31 in Sydney.

Kate’s family and friends have also created a quilt to be raffled for Mother’s Day.

For more information about any of the above email Kate at kateroberts_ms_fundraising@hotmail.com.au