Columns

June 15, 2018June 13, 2018

Mind Your Mind

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

I don’t know about you, but oftentimes my thoughts are as unruly and irrepressible as Mickey’s broomsticks in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” Whether I’m worried about the ... Read more

June 15, 2018June 13, 2018

Anyone for Golf?

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

A family wedding in the gardens of a grand country house some 30 minutes from Oxford sounds idyllic. And indeed it was. Not, though, for anyone ... Read more

June 15, 2018June 13, 2018

Getting Help Paying for Your MRIs

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

It’s not unusual for someone with MS to have an annual MRI exam. Sometimes it’s even semiannual. And it’s not cheap. According to the website Healthcare ... Read more

June 14, 2018June 12, 2018

How I Deal with the Reality of Depression

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

With the recent suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, I feel called upon to write about something many of us are all too familiar with: ... Read more

June 13, 2018June 11, 2018

Multiple Sclerosis, Comorbidities, and How to Live with Them

Columns, Making a Difference - a Column by Cathy Chester.

I’m doing all I can to remain calm and keep stressors at bay all in the name of wellness. So I’m trying to meditate at least ... Read more

June 12, 2018June 13, 2018

Is Your MS Ready for a Disaster?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Hurricane season began on June 1 in the Atlantic region. For people living along the coast, as I do, it’s time to plan for moving quickly. ... Read more

June 8, 2018June 7, 2018

MS and My Experience with the Allergy Medication Clemastine

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

  I’ve just dived into the misty world of the allergy medication clemastine. My, there’s a lot already written about it on this site. I was prompted ... Read more

June 8, 2018June 6, 2018

My MS Medical Bills: Trust, but Verify the Charges

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

“Trust, but verify” was a key concept during the U.S.-Soviet nuclear negotiations of the 1980s. “Trust,” President Ronald Reagan would say, “but verify” that what’s being ... Read more

June 7, 2018June 5, 2018

Dog Hair? Who Cares. How MS Freed Me

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I just saw a couple of “golden tumbleweeds” swirl past my feet. My attempts at keeping a clean house are no match for Abby’s ever-falling golden ... Read more

June 5, 2018June 1, 2018

Music and MS Are a Duet for This Inspirational Concert Pianist

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

My philosophy about living with MS is written on a plaque hanging on the wall in my home. It reads: “Life isn’t about waiting for the ... Read more

June 5, 2018June 1, 2018

Claiming My MS and Accepting the Reality of My Disease

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

Growing up in a spiritual family, I can remember hearing the words “we are not going to claim it.” These were words of comfort, hope, and ... Read more

June 4, 2018May 31, 2018

A Day on the Beach, Yet So Much More!

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

The royal blue kite struggled to stay in flight; the winds remained fickle on our day at the beach. I was mesmerized while watching a man ... Read more

June 4, 2018June 4, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Remyelination, Predicting SPMS, Switching DMTs, MS and a Virus

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Chemical that Stimulates Estrogen Receptors Seen to Promote Myelin Repair Through ‘Good’ Inflammation in Mouse MS Model Caution: This is only a mouse study. However, anything ... Read more

June 1, 2018May 31, 2018

How Dare You?

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

If you read my last column, you’re well aware that there has been some drama around Casa de Hughes over the last few weeks. I can ... Read more

June 1, 2018May 30, 2018

Dear Diary

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

I never kept a diary. I did sometimes muse about it but reckoned I’d never become famous enough for one to be useful. Well, at least in that ... Read more

June 1, 2018May 30, 2018

MS Patients Are Getting Caught in an Insurance Deductible Snag

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

MS medications are expensive. Many people with MS are able to afford their high prices only because their insurance covers most of the cost, and what ... Read more

May 31, 2018May 29, 2018

With Multiple Sclerosis, I Do Not Have to Feel Fine to Be Fine

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Yesterday, the clerk at the grocery store asked how I was feeling. Having known her for 15 years, I glanced at her over the rim of ... Read more

May 29, 2018May 25, 2018

Pressure in the UK Helps Lower MS Therapy Costs. But What About the US?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

In the United States, the government can do very little to control the costs of our expensive MS medications. In the United Kingdom, it’s a different ... Read more

May 25, 2018May 23, 2018

Running (Wheeling) on Empty

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

Arguments over nothing and everything are, in my experience, induced by extreme stress. When my wife and I were at full bore working together, this often ... Read more

May 25, 2018May 23, 2018

Two MS Medications Appear on FDA’s Shame List

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Two multiple sclerosis medications that are both popular and expensive are on a new list that U.S. regulators hope will increase price competition. The medications are ... Read more

May 24, 2018May 22, 2018

MS and Healing Through Healthy Eating

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Awareness is, at times, barely imperceptible, a quiet conviction that lies within. As with most truths, they are self-evident long before we decide to own them. ... Read more

May 23, 2018May 22, 2018

Out on a Stim: The Pros and Cons of FES Devices (Part 1)

Columns, MS in Motion - A Column by Mike Knight

For a minute or two, I felt like I was in a time machine. It was late March, and I was test driving (perhaps test walking) ... Read more

May 22, 2018May 21, 2018

MS and Mental Illness: The World Needs You

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

Spring has sprung! As I look around, Mother Earth is in bloom. Trees are sprouting new leaves, plants are growing, and the grass is green once again. ... Read more

May 22, 2018May 24, 2018

I Have MS and I’m Very Lucky

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

National Nurses Week was earlier this month. I’m a little late saying it, but, “Thank you, nurses.” And doctors. I’m really a lucky guy. Lucky to ... Read more

May 21, 2018May 21, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: PML Treatment, Gilenya for Kids, Rituximab, and an MS trial that is Enrolling

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Complications from Gilenya Treatment Managed Successfully, Case Report Says This wasn’t a minor complication. It was a version of PML, a brain disease that can be ... Read more

May 18, 2018May 18, 2018

When the Bomb Goes Off

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

It’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security, to think you’re the supreme authority in your life. And when that ersatz truth is ... Read more

May 18, 2018May 17, 2018

Chained to My Desk

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

The tinkling laughter of tiny children filters through the windows of my bedroom. It’s a sunny Sunday afternoon. In years past, I would be sitting in ... Read more

May 18, 2018May 16, 2018

A Pediatric MS Medication Gets the OK

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Until about a week ago, no medication was approved in the U.S. to treat patients with pediatric-onset MS (POMS). Now there is one. The Food and ... Read more

May 17, 2018May 15, 2018

With MS, I Have Learned the Importance of Being My Own Best Advocate

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Quality healthcare is imperative when living with a disease such as multiple sclerosis. While the operational definition of “quality” varies from person to person, I find ... Read more

May 15, 2018May 14, 2018

Healthcare Costs Can Depend on Where You Live

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that healthcare costs in the U.S. are increasing faster than general inflation. As character Private Gomer Pyle used ... Read more

May 14, 2018May 10, 2018

MS Is Frustrating, So It’s Healthy to Talk About It

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

We all have taken advice or read about how to manage our multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. And we can share with our doctors, spouses, children, or ... Read more

May 14, 2018May 14, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: An MS Program for Young Adults, Rituximab Report, Repairing Myelin, and Reducing Inflammation

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Organizations Join Forces to Launch New Adventure Program for Young MS Patients It seems we too often ignore the needs of younger people who have MS. ... Read more

May 11, 2018May 10, 2018

Crawling to Deadline

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

It’s 3:15 p.m. U.K. time on Wednesday, May 9, 2018. My deadline for this column is actually 3 p.m. Gone are the days of blaming the ... Read more

May 11, 2018May 10, 2018

MS, Walkers, Wheelchairs, and Guns (Part 2)

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

A little over a year ago, in this column, I asked if it was safe for someone with MS to handle a gun. I wondered whether ... Read more

May 10, 2018May 8, 2018

My Scars Are Beautiful

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Our life experiences shape and define who we are. While some wash over us and dissipate, others leave indelible impressions. Both emotional and physical, our scars ... Read more

May 9, 2018May 10, 2018

The Agony of Decision-making when It’s Time to Switch MS Medications

Columns, Making a Difference - a Column by Cathy Chester.

I’m agonizing over an important decision and it’s driving me crazy. I’m usually a quick decision-maker, but this one is tough. I have my analytical hat ... Read more

May 8, 2018May 7, 2018

My Solemn Truth on Pain and Suffering

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

As some have said, “Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.” I believe I am an optimistic, grateful, and spiritual woman. With that said, I must acknowledge ... Read more

May 7, 2018May 7, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Mavenclad Analysis, Ocrevus and Vaccines, an MS Rehab Technique, a Cattle Toxin and MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Mavenclad Effective in Treating Highly Active MS, New CLARITY Analysis Shows Mavenclad isn’t approved for use in the U.S. but it is approved in Canada, Europe, ... Read more

May 4, 2018May 4, 2018

I Am So Much More than My MS

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

Every personality test and trait indicator quiz I take tells me the same thing: I’m a polymath. Basically, it’s a fancy Greek word meaning “a person ... Read more

May 4, 2018May 4, 2018

Knowing Me, Knowing MS

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

The problem with writing a weekly column is I always need to come up with new ideas. Luckily, or rather, unluckily, MS always throws me a ... Read more