Columns

October 12, 2018October 10, 2018

A Black Mark for the Black Cab

Columns, Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor

Sorry, this story is definitely parochial and about being disabled, rather than narrowly focused on having MS. It also turns out to be somewhat celebratory — ... Read more

October 12, 2018October 10, 2018

MS Patients Capture the Ear of a Pharma Company

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) rarely get the opportunity to talk to the people who design their medications. But a new collaboration is providing that opportunity ... Read more

October 11, 2018October 10, 2018

Circumvention Tourism, Revisited

Columns, Engaging Thoughts

In a previous column, I wrote about circumvention tourism, in which patients travel to another country to access a medical treatment that is unavailable in their ... Read more

October 10, 2018October 8, 2018

Pill Stopper: Why I’m Off My Meds

Columns, MS in Motion - A Column by Mike Knight

I’m not taking all the medication I’ve been prescribed. Chances are, you’re not either. Medication nonadherence, or not taking medicine as prescribed, is a thing — a ... Read more

October 9, 2018October 5, 2018

Buddy, Can You Give Me a Lift to the Doctor?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Is getting from home to a healthcare appointment a pain in the butt for you? Do you have to search for someone to take you? Do ... Read more

October 8, 2018October 5, 2018

October Is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Columns, Faith of the Mustard Seed - a Column by Debi Wilson

Everything can be more challenging when you have a disability, and being part of the workforce can add even more challenges. The month of October is ... Read more

October 8, 2018October 11, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: aHSCT and Fatigue, What’s Hot at ECTRIMS?, Genes that May Impact MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Lower Fatigue Reported by MS Patients After aHSCT in Canadian Study Fatigue affects 90 percent of people with MS. It certainly impacts my life. This study, ... Read more

October 5, 2018October 4, 2018

What the World Needs Now is Books

A Life in Letters -- A Column By Jamie Hughes, Columns

After reading more than a few articles about how social media demolishes our attention span, prevents us from forming healthy real-world relationships, and causes higher-than-normal rates ... Read more

October 5, 2018October 11, 2018

Don’t Turn Anything Down!

Columns, Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor

At the start of all of this, when I was laid low in the hospital by what turned out to be sclerosis, I was visited by ... Read more

October 5, 2018October 5, 2018

Could Government Probe Threaten Pharma Patient Assistance Programs?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Many of us have received help to pay for our MS medications. Now there’s a chance that assistance could be threatened. A recent article in the ... Read more

October 4, 2018October 8, 2018

MS-related Insomnia is Exhausting

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I do not sleep well. Ever. I have tried a myriad of meditations and medications, yet sleep evades me. It is 2:30 a.m. and infomercials are ... Read more

October 2, 2018October 8, 2018

MS Patient Argues Over Where She Had Parked — And Won!

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

We all know how difficult it can be to find an accessible parking spot — one that allows us to park and get from our car ... Read more

October 1, 2018October 8, 2018

Neglecting Your Dental Hygiene Can Hurt Your MS

Columns, Faith of the Mustard Seed - a Column by Debi Wilson

Dental hygiene is not a high priority for some people. Brushing, flossing, dental checkups, and cleanings are often overlooked or avoided. For those with a disability, ... Read more

October 1, 2018October 8, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: MRI Signal, Cost-effective DMTs, Age Benefits, Generic Ampyra

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Often-overlooked MRI Signal May Aid in Early Diagnosis of MS, Other Brain Conditions, Study Suggests A part of an MRI scan that radiologists call a “background ... Read more

September 28, 2018October 3, 2018

The Morning After the Night Before

Columns, Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor

Last Wednesday morning didn’t go according to plan. I’m lackluster every Wednesday morn because Tuesday nights are my regular work gig at London’s Comedy Store. I laugh ... Read more

September 28, 2018October 2, 2018

Serious DMTs Need Serious Care Coordination

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is a serious disease-modifying therapy. It has the potential to deliver a major blow to a patient’s MS, but it also carries the possibility ... Read more

September 27, 2018October 8, 2018

Navigating Roadblocks with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I saw my neurologist earlier this week. After my work-up, we sat and discussed how well I manage my multiple sclerosis. How well? No comment. Suffice ... Read more

September 25, 2018September 21, 2018

The Power of the Patient Advocate

Columns, Patiently Awakened - A Column by Teresa Wright-Johnson

Every life has purpose. Every voice has power. I decided long ago to speak my truth. My advocacy journey has inspired me to share my experiences ... Read more

September 25, 2018September 25, 2018

Wearables Focus on Tracking Your Health

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I never thought I’d want a wearable internet device until I got an Apple Watch for my birthday. One of its neat apps tracks the laps ... Read more

September 24, 2018September 27, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Treating MS with a Statin, Ocrevus, Remyelination

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Phase 3 Trial in the UK Soon to Test Statin, Simvastatin, in Slowing SPMS Progression I’ve taken a statin medication for years to keep my cholesterol ... Read more

September 21, 2018September 27, 2018

What the Scan Said (and What It Didn’t)

A Life in Letters -- A Column By Jamie Hughes, Columns

A couple weeks ago, I went to my neurologist’s office early for my annual MRI. It’s never a pleasant experience. Even after 14 years, it’s still ... Read more

September 21, 2018September 28, 2018

A Pain in the Back, Part 2

Columns, Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor

Second in a series. Read part one. Last week, I wrote about solving my back problems by purchasing a mattress topper for my bed. It was a good thing, too, ... Read more

September 21, 2018September 25, 2018

Pharma Exec Calls a 400 Percent Price Hike ‘Moral.’ Is it?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Is quadrupling the price of a medication “moral”? One pharmaceutical CEO not only thinks so, but he also says it’s a “moral requirement.” The medication is liquid ... Read more

September 20, 2018September 26, 2018

I Have MS and I Am Beautiful

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Having just written about uninvited commentary, I found this gem too awesome not to share. I went to the grocery store in my requisite San Francisco ... Read more

September 18, 2018September 21, 2018

A Generic for Ampyra Could Be Released Soon

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Editor’s note: Shortly after this column was published, Mylan pharmaceuticals announced it will begin distributing Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets, 10 mg, the authorized generic version of Acorda’s ... Read more

September 17, 2018September 19, 2018

This Is What Excites Me About Remyelination Therapy Research

Columns, Faith of the Mustard Seed - a Column by Debi Wilson

Remyelination therapies are on the horizon as an innovative multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment, according to my neurologist. These therapies have been on my radar the last few ... Read more

September 14, 2018September 19, 2018

A Pain in the Back, Part 1

Columns, Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor

First in a series. So this is what an earthquake feels like? Well, it wasn’t that dramatic, but it was the middle of the night, and I’d ... Read more

September 13, 2018September 19, 2018

Relationships Can Thrive with MS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Relationships are a quagmire in and of themselves. Throw in a chronic, progressive disease, and you have yourself quite the ride. This ride has excitability, steady ... Read more

September 12, 2018September 14, 2018

Out on a Stim: My FES Journey Comes to an End (Part 3)

Columns, MS in Motion - A Column by Mike Knight

Third in a series. Read parts one and two. In March 2018, I began a personal research project — quest if you will — to assess ... Read more

September 11, 2018September 6, 2018

The Legacy I Hope to Leave Behind

Columns, Patiently Awakened - A Column by Teresa Wright-Johnson

Death. It will come to each of us; this is an indisputable truth. The recent deaths of Aretha Franklin and Sen. John McCain are the inspiration ... Read more

September 11, 2018September 12, 2018

Things to Know About Flu Shots if You Have MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

The start of flu season here in the United States is just a few weeks away. It’s time for my wife and me to get our ... Read more

September 10, 2018September 12, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: B- and T-cells, Tysabri, Sexual Silence

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

How B-cells Work to Promote T-cell Attacks on Myelin That Lead to MS Detailed in Study I keep a close eye on reports about B-cells and ... Read more

September 7, 2018September 12, 2018

What Happened in Vegas

A Life in Letters -- A Column By Jamie Hughes, Columns

This past weekend was a busy one. My husband and I flew to Las Vegas on Saturday morning, saw a concert there Saturday night, and then ... Read more

September 7, 2018September 11, 2018

Lymphedema: A Growing Problem?

Columns, Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor

Now, I’m all for complimentary comments on my columns, and in the combative world the internet has engendered, the stroppy ones, too. But it’s when you ... Read more

September 6, 2018September 14, 2018

Uninvited Commentary Invites Enlightenment

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Last week, I flew home from San Francisco. As I walked up the jetway, I moved to the right and held the handrail to allow others ... Read more

September 6, 2018September 7, 2018

Stem Cell Therapy and Circumvention Tourism

Columns, Engaging Thoughts

Medical tourism is a term describing when people seek medical care by traveling from home countries to somewhere else. It’s an area of commerce that has ... Read more

September 4, 2018September 6, 2018

Ocrevus Predicted to Be a Billion-dollar Blockbuster

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Ocrevus, a disease-modifying MS treatment that’s only been on the market a little less than 18 months, appears poised to be a cash cow for its ... Read more

August 31, 2018September 7, 2018

I’m Too Busy to Think About MS

Columns, Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor

Well, it’s not a cure, but working hard sure takes my mind off MS. In fact, I’m so rushed off my feet (irony intended!) I’m not ... Read more

August 31, 2018August 29, 2018

Checking Out a Dating App for People with Health Problems

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Does your MS limit your ability to find a date? Dating isn’t a concern of mine, since I turned 70 earlier this month and have been ... Read more

August 30, 2018September 7, 2018

Reality Is My Favorite Season

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Today, I tried to run. In my mind, I saw myself running with fluidity. I felt a weightless ability to lift, then cycle each knee and ... Read more