April 4, 2018 Columns by Judy Lynn 2 Great Things that Go Great Together: Calcium and Magnesium While Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are the true “two great things that go great together,” calcium and magnesium take first place for those with MS. Many proponents of special diets for MS encourage the consumption of foods high in this mineral dynamic duo (along with other vitamins needed for…
March 14, 2018 Columns by Judy Lynn Why I Climb Trees In March 2003, I found myself suddenly unable to drive or even walk a straight line through the house. MS had arrived with several active lesions in my brain, including one in the brainstem, which affected my balance and speech and created significant limitations in my usual activities. One…
February 21, 2018 Columns by Judy Lynn ‘Something On Our Minds’: A Book by and for Those with MS Frigid winter weather keeping you indoors? Laid up with the flu? If you’re looking for something to do while you power through this cold slog of February, allow me to recommend a cup of tea and a good book. The particular book that I would like to suggest…
February 7, 2018 Columns by Judy Lynn Carded at Costco I was carded while at Costco with my son just before Christmas. Normally, I’m flattered when asked for ID, but this time was different. The request wasn’t from the cashier as my vodka rolled by, snug between the peppermint cocoa and persimmons. No, the request came from a police…
January 24, 2018 Columns by Judy Lynn Hopping Down the Symptom Trail: Myofascial Release It seemed to be such a harmless rabbit hole. After last week’s column on Rolfing — and a response divided between those who thought it sounded like terrible torture and those who agreed it was torture but they liked it — I decided to explore some other ideas…
January 17, 2018 Columns by Judy Lynn Rolfing and MS: Bliss or Pain? Invisible symptoms can create an isolating experience for people with MS. I recently was reminded of the power that lies in finding community and shared experience. Last month’s column discussed the chronic tightness and pain I experience. I then explored whether fascia may play a role in this…
December 20, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Free Your Fascia! One of the most frustrating aspects of my MS is a frequent feeling of tightness and pain. The sensations may be in my arms, legs, or even in the trunk of my body in the form of the “MS hug.” Gabapentin helps to keep the pain…
November 29, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Exercise and Benefits of an Online Personal Trainer We all have heard that physical activity is important for maintaining health, strength and well-being. It may be even more important for people with MS. Exercise has been shown to improve balance, strengthen brain connections, improve sleep, reduce pain, help…
November 8, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Show Your Immune System Some Love This weekend, as I turned back the clocks, searched for my Happy Light, and stared in dismay at the first snowfall of the season, I was reminded that it is the time to give my immune system some extra love. Autumn and winter ― with their requisite cold and…
October 25, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Friendships and MS Maintaining friendships can be challenging for those with a chronic illness. It may be difficult for friends to understand the changes that take place because of MS. Some changes are quite sudden and visible, others sneak in slowly. Increased fatigue or pain, I find, are most difficult for friends…
October 11, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn MS and Employment: Asking for Reasonable Accommodations For those of us in the workforce, our MS can sometimes make a workday challenging. The Americans with Disabilities Act allows for an employee to request reasonable accommodations from their employer. Included in the act are three broad accommodation categories. One focuses on the hiring process, and…
September 20, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Sensory Overload Occurring: Please, Do Not Disturb! The past two weekends found me venturing off on my own for some mini-road trips. Two weeks ago, I volunteered at Bike MS a hundred miles away from my house. I interacted with others during the day and then returned alone and happy to a quiet, peaceful hotel room.
September 6, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Will You Try an Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Your MS? The role that diet and lifestyle have on the course of MS is a matter of debate. There is a great deal of conflicting information on the topic, and patients may need to look beyond their neurologist or primary care physician to create a dietary approach to MS.
August 30, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Is MS Pain Giving You Ants in Your Pants and Bees in Your Bonnet? It took two years and many doctors to finally receive my MS diagnosis. Frequent painful sensations, such as burning, itching, stabbing, and tingling in my arm and shoulder, led my providers and me on a wild-goose chase in search of other problems. When my speech and balance were…
August 23, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Building Toward Optimism: The ‘Tetris’ Effect In the video game “Tetris,” players fit falling puzzle pieces together in order to create the most complete picture. As the game continues, the pieces fall faster. Creating order and cohesion out of chaos is necessary, as it is a common human desire. I never liked “Tetris,” but…
August 9, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Mitigating that Pesky Canadian Particulate Matter Last week saw much of the Pacific Northwest blanketed by smoke from wildfires in British Colombia. As I pondered the gray haze Thursday, I recalled a piece from a fellow columnist in June about air pollution and MS. In addition to MS, I also have asthma. Therefore, the health…
July 26, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Cruising to Vacation Success with Adequate Preparation Earlier this month, I was fortunate to enjoy a beautiful cruise through the inside passage of Alaska. Having done my due diligence (see “Cruising Solutions“), I was prepared with an over-the-counter medication, as well as some extra baclofen. Both were recommended by my pharmacist to help curb…
July 19, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Find Your Strength and Adjust Your Mindset The second module in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s positive psychology program, “Everyday Matters,” is called “Adjusting Our Mindset,” or “the fulcrum and the lever.” In science, the law of the lever states that power into the lever equals the power out, and the ratio of output to…
June 28, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Can You Cultivate Happiness as a Habit? Last week, I shared details of Everyday Matters, a program by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This self-directed, multi-week program uses the principles of positive psychology. The readings, lessons, and exercises need not be completed in a particular order, but I am going to start my exploration of…
June 21, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Everyday Matters: A Positive Program for People with MS Many years ago, not long after my MS diagnosis, my cousin gave me a “gratitude journal.” At that time, I was all too aware of what I was not grateful for. The thought of giving thanks was daunting. But the journal suggested writing down just three things a…
June 14, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn My Bad Attitude About Lassitude, the Clunky Term for MS Fatigue Fatigue is a topic I have not wanted to write about. It’s not because the subject isn’t important. As I hemmed and hawed about this week’s column topic, fading in and out of an annoying cognitive fog brought on by increased MS fatigue, the task-minded side of me…
June 7, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Cruising Toward Solutions for the Other MS — Motion Sickness This summer I will venture out on an Alaskan cruise with my mother and older sister. The beautiful trip through the Inside Passage is on our collective bucket list and we’ve been planning it for a few years. I am looking forward to the ease of travel afforded…
May 31, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Saving Money, Disabled Style: A Response to Invisible Costs A few weeks ago, I wrote about some of the invisible costs of living with MS. Writing that column really got my mind thinking about all the ways that my MS costs me money. In fact, I couldn’t stop thinking about it! In the days that followed, I…
May 17, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Taming Grumpy Gut Many people with MS experience symptoms related to digestion. According to the Pittsburgh Institute for MS Care and Research, “Nearly two-thirds of MS patients have at least one GI symptom that persists for 6 months or more.” Some of the most common problems are dysphagia (trouble swallowing), heartburn,…
May 10, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn The Hidden Costs of Multiple Sclerosis MS is sneaky. It is expert at evading detection and diagnosis, and often brings a host of invisible symptoms that may come and go at random. MS also brings invisible costs — expenses beyond the obvious medications, supplements, assistive devices, and healthcare. I am not talking about externalities,…
May 3, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Unsure Which Way to Turn? Let an MS Navigator Guide You A few years ago, after a fairly stable decade, my MS decided to shake things up. What began as occasional tripping over my own feet soon turned into chronic shin splints, and the inability to walk or drive far, all of which was caused by MS foot drop.
April 5, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn If We Took a Holiday (from Our Meds) It Could Be So Nice! I was a teenager during the 1980s and cannot say the word “holiday” without Madonna’s song playing briefly in my head. For most holidays the perky music seems okay, but for discussion of a “drug holiday” it feels a bit off. Sort of like, “Yay! You have a chronic…
March 29, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn The Anniversary Effect: How Do You Remember Your Diagnosis Date? Editor’s note: Marking the second MS diagnosis anniversary of our columnists in one week, Judy Lynn writes about the “Anniversary Effect.” This week marks the 14th anniversary of my MS diagnosis. That day, March 27, 2003, is etched clearly in my mind. Ask me about anything else I was doing…
March 22, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn How Well Will MS and Jet Lag Play Together? Diligent research and planning have left me confident in my ability to enjoy upcoming travels, while managing MS and health concerns. Decisions have been made regarding luggage, medications, airport travel, car rental, and accommodations. I know whether to expect sun or snow, cobblestone or freeways, and have been practicing…
March 8, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Making Careful Travel Plans for MS Medications and Supplies If I were playing “Chronic Disease Bingo,” I’d be a winner! In addition to MS, I have three other chronic health conditions. While that may sound bad, it’s not unusual in the world of autoimmune disease, and I consider myself fairly healthy. This is thanks partly to attitude, but…