Goldilochs – a Column by Stephen De Marzo

Well, I survived! I would’ve never believed something so seemingly insignificant could cause such devastating and lasting effects on my health. I’ve had urinary tract infections (UTIs) before, as they’re a complication of self-catheterization with multiple sclerosis (MS). But this was the mother of all UTIs. It started…

After being given the most life-changing, devastating news I’d ever heard — “Mr. De Marzo, you have textbook MS. As a matter of fact, you have PPMS [primary progressive multiple sclerosis].” — the emotions and pictures that ran through my mind were vivid, horrific, angry, and upsetting, to say…

I guess the short answer to the headline’s question is “It depends.” After my primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) diagnosis in March 2021, when I was 58, I had many questions that could be collected into the five W’s: who, what, when, where, and why. I’ll throw in…

It’s been a year and a half since I was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). I still have use of my limbs and am able to walk, albeit shakily, without a walker. My eyesight has not been affected, I drive, and am able to carry on a…

AM radio is infamous for bad reception, resulting in nothing but static. You can search the dial frequency by frequency, and it’s all static. Occasionally you will cross a station, but then the car moves, and the reception is lost again. When I’m overwhelmed with the heat, that’s what…

Oh, brother, it’s hot! How hot? Well, my thermometer hit “are you kidding me” levels. My experience with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) has taught me that an 0.5-degree rise in body temperature is enough to cause a shutdown. Allow me to explain what it’s like when my…

On Feb. 28, 2021, my wife and I visited the MS clinic where I was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). After receiving this life-changing news, I was an emotional wreck. While touring the clinic, I saw a person in a wheelchair go into an exam room.

In poker, a tell refers to a change in an opponent’s behavior or demeanor that may offer clues about the cards they’re holding. This could be a facial movement, an unusual breathing rhythm, an unconscious shift in body position, or a strange monetary bet. Recognizing a player’s tells may help…

When I turned 50 in 2013, I blew out the candles, and bam! I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I started seeing an endocrinologist and a neurologist, taking daily diabetic medications, and testing my blood sugar every day. At that point, I was not physically disabled in any…