Columns

This New Year, I Resolve to Let Myself Hope

The new year is just a few days away, so if you haven’t already, you might want to start thinking about resolutions, if you’re so inclined. Although I personally don’t bother these days, about half of American adults do, although that number is declining. One study suggests that…

I Am What I Am: Embracing the Highs and Lows of MS

If thereā€™s one thing those of us who have multiple sclerosis (MS) know all too well, itā€™s that life requires balance. Fellow columnists and I have written about the need to find a happy medium when it comes to mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

MS News Notes: Brain Stimulation, Bright Light, ABA-101, Foralumab

Welcome to ā€œMS News Notes,ā€ where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereā€™s a look at whatā€™s been happening: Possible nonmedicinal treatment for fatigue, spasticity, pain Wouldn’t it be nice to find a treatment that helps people with MS handle three…

MS News Notes: DMT Costs, Copaxone, EBV, Rituximab

Welcome to ā€œMS News Notes,ā€ where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereā€™s a look at whatā€™s been happening: Is cost a factor when deciding DMT use? Cost may be the elephant in the room when people with MS are…

‘Time Is Brain’: Managing Brain Atrophy With MS

This is one of my “nobody ever told me that” columns. I was amazed when I read a comment from one of my “MS Wire” readers recently about brain shrinkage. “I’ve had MS since 2011. I had no idea about brain shrinkage,” she wrote. I guess I shouldn’t have…

How I Plan to Have a Cracking Christmas With MS

As an adult, it hasn’t been easy for me to get into the Christmas spirit. Planning festivities and buying gifts don’t come naturally to me. Perhaps it’s because adult life never ends, whereas as a student, I had holiday breaks that signified the beginning of the season, allowing me to…

Are the MS Stages Still Useful in a Diagnosis?

What’s in a name? Does it really matter if your multiple sclerosis (MS) is called relapsing or progressive, or secondary rather than primary? I’ve never thought so, and the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in MS agrees with me. The panel is calling for new methods…

MS News Notes: Climate Change, MS Progression, Brain Shrinkage

Welcome to ā€œMS News Notes,ā€ where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereā€™s a look at whatā€™s happening: Study reports climate change makes MS symptoms worse Climate change may lead to more perils than rising oceans, harsher storms, and melting ice…

Dr. Amazon Takes a Third Jab at Medical Care

For the past few years, the company that brings us everything from books to basketballs has been experimenting with doing the same with medical care. Of course, it’s Amazon. In 2018, the company launched a project called Haven in partnership with a pair of financial giants, with the goal…

MS News Notes: Stem Cell Therapy, EBV Vaccine, Diabetes, Diets

Welcome to ā€œMS News Notes,ā€ where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s happening: Understanding stem cell therapy Researchers in Zurich wanted to understand what happens to the immune system of a person with MS undergoing a…

The Catch-22 of Dealing With Medical Bureaucracy

First off, let me apologize for my penchant for using hip literary references. Not everyone is aware of Joseph Heller’s seminal satirical novel published in 1961, which spawned the book’s title of “Catch-22” as a quick-fire phrase to describe anything that is nearly impossible to get out of. Our…

MS News Notes: Foralumab, ATA188, Precision Care, PoNS Trial

Welcome to ā€œMS News Notes,ā€ where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s happening: Could a nasal spray join the MS treatment arsenal? Shots, pills, and infusions are approved in the U.S. as disease-modifying therapies for MS,…

How I Survived My Odyssey With a Urinary Tract Infection

Well, I survived! I would’ve never believed something so seemingly insignificant could cause such devastating and lasting effects on my health. Iā€™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…

My New Set of Wheels Is More Accommodating to MS Needs

I’ve been feeling like a soccer mom the past month or so, even though I’m a 74-year-old guy. My wife and I are leasing a minivan, the go-to wheels of after-school sports parents. It also seems to be a great vehicle for someone with a disability like multiple sclerosis…