July 26, 2024 Columns by Susan Payrovi, MD Managing my MS symptoms by spending time outdoors With just four more summers with all my kids still living at home, Iāve been making the most of our time together by throwing everyone in our trailer to visit state and national parks in the U.S. This summer we’re overseas in Europe, experiencing the lesser-known sights only accessible by…
July 25, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Disability pride is a tricky concept for me to relate to I almost didn’t write this column. It might be a sensitive topic, but I’m not afraid of offending anyone. Even if I do, it’s not intentional. It’s not that I don’t understood the subject, either. I think I do, but I’ve been having a lot of trouble putting it into…
July 22, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama Reflecting on my weekly battle with multiple sclerosis-related migraines Searing pain and tears characterized my life for years because of multiple sclerosis-associated migraines. I remember those feelings as clearly as day because they diminished my quality of life. One radiant morning, my mom, friend, and I went to a coffee festival in our hometown. It was…
July 18, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister When living with MS, don’t let your hope turn toxic Like so many others, I have a bedtime routine. There’s bedside water to fill, sleep attire to change into, and bedtime stories to read. These days I’m not much more than a bystander, as nearly everything I do requires the help of another person. I suppose I should really say…
July 15, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson How I’ve controlled the costs of taking my treatment for MS I’veĀ been on the same disease-modifying therapy (DMT), GilenyaĀ (fingolimod), for my multiple sclerosis (MS) for several years. It’s worked well for me, as my last exacerbation was at least five years ago. I credit this DMT for stabilizing my MS and allowing me to live better with my…
July 15, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama This life hack made living with MS a little easier for me A disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS) is a form of treatment that alters how the diseaseĀ develops over time. DMTs have the potential to impede the progression of MS and decrease the number of relapses a patient experiences. In MS, the immune system is…
July 11, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Why I use a speech therapist to help me with swallowing problems I’ve been betrayed by my breakfast cereal. Other than eating it, I’m not sure what I did to deserve this. I always liked cereal and thought we had a good relationship. The only disagreement we’ve had was when I tried mixing two high-fiber cereals. The result was a bowl of…
July 8, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama Handling an abundance of emotions is part of life with multiple sclerosis Let me paint you a picture of a scenario that has stuck with me for years. It was my sophomore year at the University of Texas at Austin and I was having lunch with my best friend at the time. We were discussing my journey with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis…
July 4, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Will you join the revolution against multiple sclerosis? I was once very good at getting out of the way. This skill served me well in dodgeball games when I was younger, and then later during my military career. Given my various injuries, you might be skeptical about that last comment, but I was actually renowned for my ability…
July 1, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama Switching to new medications brings challenges in life with MS Note: This column describes the authorās own experiences with sleep medications and antidepressants. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Many years ago, it was brought to my attention that I suffer from insomnia and chronic fatigue.
July 1, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson I’m unsure whether to join this year’s MS bike-riding fundraiser I choose to fundraise for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society through Bike MS, which the society’s website says is “the largest fundraising cycling series in the world.” Approximately 50,000 cyclists and 5,000 teams ride each year, and the community has raised $1.4 billion to support the society’s…
June 28, 2024 Columns by Susan Payrovi, MD My routine for dealing with MS and heat sensitivity while traveling A trip to Taiwan this summer has been years in the making for our family. Our kids have been in Mandarin immersion since preschool, so when their school offered a three-week program for true immersion in Taipei, we jumped at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But dang it is hot and humid…
June 27, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister MS complicates everything, even recovering from shoulder surgery I had surgery on my right shoulder last month. I didn’t write about it at the time because compared with a shoulder replacement, the quick arthroscopic clean-out procedure wasn’t a big deal. The orthopedic surgeon removed some loose material from the joint area and cleaned it up without having to…
June 25, 2024 Columns by Ahna Crum Feeling grateful on my 8th stem cell transplant birthday June is a special month for me. Eight years ago I had an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) in Moscow to treat my multiple sclerosis (MS). On June 22, I celebrated my eighth stem cell birthday! A stem cell transplant, or “stemmie day,” is when patients…
June 24, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama A letter to a younger me newly diagnosed with MS Dear younger self, As I sit down to write this letter, I canāt help but tear up at the thought of you. First and foremost, you’re an amazing soul, full of life and with a bright future ahead of you. But you’ve just received life-changing news, and it feels…
June 20, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Our approaches to managing MS may be different, and that’s OK I spent a few of my years in the Army working as an instructor. It was never boring because I think I learned as much from teaching as my students did from being taught. My students weren’t new to the Army. For the most part, they were my peers…
June 18, 2024 Columns by Ahna Crum Embracing the unknown in Russia taught me a crucial lesson Note: This column describes the authorās own experiences with an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. In June 2016, I traveled to Moscow with two friends. The first evening we were…
June 17, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama My little brother is my hero in life with multiple sclerosis My mom always wished for a son and a daughter. Ten years after I was born, her dream became a reality with the arrival of my baby brother, Michael. Because I was the only child for so long, I had never considered becoming a big sister, nor did I understand…
June 17, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson My experience using high-dose steroids to treat an MS relapse Note: This column describes the authorās own experiences with high-dose steroids to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. My first experience treating an MS relapse with intravenous steroids was interesting.
June 13, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Rowing toward the future, but directed by the past I received a copy of āThe Dictionary of Obscure Sorrowsā for Christmas two years ago. It provides names for emotions that need defining, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed leafing through it. I’m not particularly sorrowful, and I don’t really find the majority of the text to be sorrowful, either.
June 6, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Obsessing over MS can sometimes distract from other health concerns I have a doctor’s appointment coming up soon. It isn’t with my neurologist or another specialist. It’s a routine visit with my primary care physician and, other than the regular schedule, isn’t really routine at all. There’s a lot more to me than my multiple sclerosis (MS), a fact…
June 3, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama My graduate studies help me better understand the effects of ableism In previous columns, I’ve shared that I’m a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, but what exactly does that entail? Almost every time I tell someone I’m pursuing a doctorate in educational psychology, I’m met with the question, āWhat do you do?ā Letās unpack the answer.
May 31, 2024 Columns by Susan Payrovi, MD A recovering night owl embraces the benefits of natural light I’d tricked myself into thinking I was a night owl for decades. Studying came more easily during those dark, quiet, and still hours. So did going out to nightclubs to dance, meet strangers, and feel a little more anonymous and a lot less self-conscious. When that phase of around-the-clock studying…
May 30, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister A tactical crossbody bag helps me stay involved in life with MS By the time this column is published, I’ll be at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers‘ annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. I’m honored to be attending as a representative of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Multiple Sclerosis Committee. Along with the other committee members, I’ll help spread…
May 27, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson Facing a new symptom, I wonder: Is it from MS or normal aging? I try not to attribute every new symptom I experience to multiple sclerosis (MS). When I was younger, I had an easier time attributing the cause of a new symptom: It was MS or something else. As I age, this differentiation is becoming more difficult. Recently, I experienced new-onset…
May 27, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama Weak hands are a problematic MS symptom for a graduate student As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, I’m now pursuing a doctorate in educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Given that work, 99.9% of my day revolves around typing, despite my multiple sclerosis (MS). My journey as a typist began in high school, when I enrolled…
May 23, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister How Army terms help orient me, even today If I haven’t warned you that bits of my past in the military would sometimes leak into my present as a Multiple Sclerosis News Today columnist, consider yourself warned. I was in the U.S. Army for almost 22 years, so it’s bound to happen occasionally. If I’d become an…
May 21, 2024 Columns by Ahna Crum I feel like I’ve lost time while living with multiple sclerosis There have been so many times I’ve started something but was unable to finish it. There have been so many things I’ve intended to do, but somehow never followed through on them. The gate of my mom’s backyard privacy fence is broken. Half of it is missing. A dear friend…
May 20, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama Reflections on the meaning of authenticity while living with MS Recognizing and valuing authenticity is an aspect of life I began to grasp only a few years ago. During the peak of quarantine restrictions due to COVID-19, I was forced to move back home to San Antonio from my on-campus dormitory at the University of Texas at Austin. Like many…
May 16, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister If our MS lives were like Hollywood, what makes a movie a classic? I turn 49 next week. The fact that I’m in middle age already is unbelievable. I don’t think of myself as old. My mileage might be a little high, but I’m not old. I suppose I could consider myself to be vintage, like clothing, or perhaps even classic, like a…