I love to travel and have a bucket list of places I want to visit and things I want to see and do in my lifetime. For example, I want to see the pyramids in Egypt. I want to go ice fishing in Minnesota. I want to stay in an…
I recently got my yearly influenza vaccine, which protects against the flu. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “In an average year, thousands of people in the United States die from flu, and many more are hospitalized. Flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and…
One of my more unusual symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) is itching that is unrelated to skin irritation. It occurs randomly, maybe once or twice a month, and lasts about 30-60 minutes. I have only experienced this symptom in my upper extremities, such as on a finger, thumb, or…
New or worsening symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are often part of the disease’s unpredictable nature, but there’s danger in assuming that every symptom flare is another relapse. When I think back on the course of my disease, I realize I could have made a serious error by making…
My daughter and I recently traveled to Belgium for a weeklong vacation. We enjoyed centuries-old architecture, world-renowned art, diverse cultures, and, of course, lots of chocolate and beer, which the country is known for. While Europe is rich in charm and history, much of its infrastructure was developed long before…
I went to see the neurologist last month for a routine follow-up for my multiple sclerosis (MS), anticipating no changes. After all, I’ve been on the same medication for my MS, fingolimod (which often goes by the brand name Gilenya), for about 10 years. I feel my…
For many Americans, the July 4 holiday is a joyful celebration filled with fireworks, barbecues, parades, and time spent outdoors with family and friends. However, for me, it can present unique challenges due to my multiple sclerosis (MS). From heat sensitivity and sensory overload to difficulty participating in…
My youngest child is home from college for the summer. She had a fantastic freshman year, or as I tell others, “She’s living her best life.” I missed her this past year in so many ways. She never went through the “bad” teenage years. She actually enjoys spending time with…
The balance issues associated with my multiple sclerosis (MS) are clearly visible to others. However, one of my more problematic MS symptoms is largely invisible, especially since I’ve developed strategies to minimize its effect on my functioning. This symptom is cognitive impairment, often referred to as “cognitive fog” or…
Well, it’s that time of year again, and I’m not referring to allergy season or baseball. It’s time for my MRI to evaluate my multiple sclerosis (MS). For the last three years, I was getting an MRI every 18 months. But at my last visit I saw a…
In recent months, I’ve attended a couple events in large stadiums. Last December, I went to the Music City Bowl college football game in Nashville, Tennessee, where Mizzou (the University of Missouri) beat the Iowa Hawkeyes. I also saw a Justin Timberlake concert at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City,…
I flew to Detroit for work this month, then on to Phoenix to see my parents, and then back home to Kansas City, Missouri. But traveling by airplane has gotten more complicated for me because of my multiple sclerosis (MS). I don’t need assistive devices, so I know my…
I’ve noticed a lot of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) report that their disease worsens in the summer months, with fatigue and heat intolerance as common complaints. Not me. I seem to thrive in warmer weather, and I enjoy going outside for the heat. Instead, I struggle in the…
My husband and I are both considering early retirement. We’d discussed it for the past five years but hadn’t made any firm decisions. Last month, we decided that we needed to get serious about planning for it. We met with a financial adviser for retirement planning advice at our investment…
I am a pharmacist and I teach at a pharmacy school. Being a healthcare professional, I understand the importance of taking my medication every day, which is called medication adherence. But do I really take my medication 100% of the time? Unfortunately, the answer is no. The World Health…
Happy New Year! Did anyone make resolutions? I’ve always tried to make one resolution every January, though I missed a few years when I was in a rut. At the time I’d thought, what’s the point? I knew I wouldn’t stick with it. That’s because my resolutions used to feel…
I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2014. Over the past 10 years, my MS has been managed by five healthcare providers. That’s not how I envisioned my MS care. I’ve had the same primary care provider for almost 20 years, and I naively thought I’d be…
My last column described how multiple sclerosis (MS) affects my feet, so today I’m writing about how it affects my hands. I don’t believe MS has affected my wrists or palms, but my fingers and thumbs aren’t “normal” anymore. My most prominent symptom is loss of sensation,…
Most people take for granted the feeling of stability while standing on their feet. My invisible multiple sclerosis (MS) symptom is unsteady gait, one of my biggest struggles, but you likely wouldn’t know it just by looking at me. My unsteady gait is associated with the effect that…
Well, it’s that time of the year again: flu season. I guess you could say it’s COVID-19 season, too, though confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 started increasing in late June here in Kansas City, Missouri, and continued to rise at least through August. Detection of COVID-19 through wastewater…
I’ve been trying to improve my health through lifestyle changes, which I hope will have a positive effect on my multiple sclerosis (MS). In an earlier column, I discussed my struggles to eat a healthy diet. An update: I now eat more fish (not just salmon) and vegetables.
I’ve noticed over the past three years that I choke more frequently. I did a little internet investigating and believe it may be associated with my multiple sclerosis (MS). I was surprised by that, as most of my MS symptoms are in my extremities. I hadn’t thought about…
My youngest recently left for college. It was hard to say goodbye, but I know it was time to let her go. I am now an empty nester, though I prefer to think of myself as a successful bird launcher. So what happens now? Many people get to know their…
My last magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan was on May 1, just ahead of an appointment with my multiple sclerosis (MS) healthcare provider six days later. The MRI showed that my MS was stable, meaning I had no new or active lesions. I was pleasantly surprised by these…
I’ve been on the same disease-modifying therapy (DMT), Gilenya (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…
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…
Note: This column describes the author’s 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.
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…
I have several big milestone events coming up, all within a week. My son is graduating from college and my daughter from high school. Additionally, we have my son’s nurse pinning ceremony, a graduation lunch, two graduation parties, Mother’s Day, and lots of family and friends in town for these…
When I was initially evaluated for multiple sclerosis (MS), I was asked if I had a family history of the disease. To my knowledge, I did not. Once I received my diagnosis, one of the first things that crossed my mind, after recovering from the initial shock…
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