Irish Songwriter Imagines MS as His "Lodger"
The Amsterdam-based band the John O’Gods stopped by the National MS Society’s office in Denver during a U.S. tour in May 2008 and played us a few tunes. After “The Lodger Inside of Me,” a new number by Irish-born frontman Mark Gilligan, one of our colleagues, who lives with MS, came up to say hi.
“I don’t know if you saw me in the back crying, but it’s so cool to meet people who get it,” she said.
“Next time come up to the front and laugh with us,” Mark replied.
Mark hopes “The Lodger Inside of Me” will become a sort of global anthem. The lyrics never use the words “multiple sclerosis,” but lots of people will recognize its description of the disease as something with a personality of its own. Like a tenant you wish would go away, you can fight with it all you want, but ultimately the two of you have to live together.
Click here to download “The Lodger Inside of Me” featuring Linda Storey on vocals and Michael Olson on bass, recorded in Denver on May 21, 2008. Linda and Michael also live with MS, and Mark believes this was the first recording session ever where 100% of the performers had MS.
Mark was diagnosed in 2003 and lost much of the use of his legs. The prospect of having to use a wheelchair someday didn’t scare him, but the possibility of not being able to walk hand-in-hand with his five-year-old was terrifying. So he went on Tysabri® and reports it’s been like “a wonder drug.” After five years, he can run again.
(For the record: there are no wonder drugs. There are disease-modifying drugs, including Tysabri, but each person's response to these drugs will differ. Click here to learn more about them.)
“Accepting the sickness is a hard struggle but once you achieve that, I feel you can live in perfect harmony with MS,” Mark said.
“The trick is to listen to your body, don't go over your borders. To me life is like a game of poker. Unfortunately I got a bad deal, but I'm still playing and bluffing my way through it all.”
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Tysabri is a registered trademark of Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.