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 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 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.
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 13, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson I’m no longer taking my lack of MS progression for granted 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, Motherās Day, and lots of family and friends in town for these…
April 29, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson My biggest worry post-diagnosis was whether MS could be inherited 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…
April 15, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson What does ‘delicate balance’ mean in my life with multiple sclerosis? The title of my column is āDelicate Balance,ā though I didn’t pick that name. I was telling my family about the opportunity to be a patient columnist for this site and mentioned that I needed to name my column. Immediately, my husband said, āThe title is ‘Delicate Balance.'” I…
April 1, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson How to prepare for an MRI: What they donāt tell you Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to diagnose and monitor the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). We patients can expect to have regular MRIs, although the frequency will depend on our age and disease stability. It’s important that we be comfortable during the procedure, as it…
March 18, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson My nearly 20-year journey to get my diagnosis of MS Hi! Iām new ā not to having multiple sclerosis (MS), but to being a columnist. I’m a daughter, wife, mother of two young adults, dog mom, sister, aunt, friend, college professor, pharmacist, avid reader, nature lover, and an MS warrior. I was diagnosed with MS in 2014, although…