Columns

December 3, 2018December 6, 2018

Recognizing and Avoiding MS Triggers to Prevent Exacerbations

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

I remember the feeling of having a terrible cold or flu before I had multiple sclerosis (MS). The stuffy nose that made breathing nearly impossible. That ... Read more

December 3, 2018December 3, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: MRI Dyes, Lipids and MS, Gilenya Advisory, Possible Stem Cell Trial

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Artificial Intelligence May Help Reduce Dosage of Gadolinium in MRIs, Researchers Suggest There’s been concern recently about the accumulation of gadolinium in the brains of people who’ve ... Read more

November 30, 2018December 4, 2018

Ho-Ho-No

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

Even when a major holiday isn’t scheduled in a calendar month, I’m a pretty busy lady. I work a full-time job that requires me to be ... Read more

November 30, 2018December 11, 2018

In Real Time

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

So, “it” started on Monday. I have no idea what I’m dealing with. Is it a urinary tract infection, a relapse, a bird, or a plane? ... Read more

November 30, 2018December 5, 2018

My Lemtrada Journey: Round 2, Plus 7 Months

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’m coming up on the second anniversary of my Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) treatment. My first infusion round was the first week of December 2016. Round 2, delayed by ... Read more

November 29, 2018November 27, 2018

iConquerMS, National MS Society Collaborate to Amplify Patient Voices

Columns, Engaging Thoughts

I am excited and thankful to share with you a new collaboration between iConquerMS and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). For several years, I have worked ... Read more

November 27, 2018December 10, 2018

FDA Warns of Possible Dangers of Stopping Gilenya

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

If you are being treated with Gilenya, take note. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that if you stop using Gilenya (fingolimod), there’s a ... Read more

November 21, 2018November 28, 2018

Taking a Break from the News to Keep Stress at Bay

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

We live in a turbulent, violent, and hostile society. We wake up every day to news of another mass shooting, Mother Nature causing unstoppable damage, loud ... Read more

November 20, 2018November 28, 2018

Facing the Reality of the Holiday Season

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

The holiday bustle has begun. As Thanksgiving approaches, I ponder the season and a lump forms in my throat. I am grateful to be here and ... Read more

November 20, 2018November 16, 2018

Can’t Afford Health Insurance for Your Family? Who Do You Cut?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

We all know how expensive health insurance can be. On the social media sites that I browse, I always see stories of people with MS who ... Read more

November 19, 2018November 26, 2018

MS-related Vertigo: What Can You Do?

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

I’ve never liked carnival rides (except for roller coasters) because they make me dizzy. Walking sideways, feeling nauseous, and turning green is not my idea of ... Read more

November 19, 2018November 19, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: New Thinking About MS Development, Rhythm to Improve Walking, UK Nurse Shortage, B-cells

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

MS-specific Lineage of Oligodendrocytes May Provide New Hints on MS Development Our immune system, according to this study, may not be the only thing playing a ... Read more

November 16, 2018November 28, 2018

Excelsior! Learning from the Life and Loss of Stan Lee

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

Like many comic book geeks, I’ve been sitting shiva for the last few days, mourning the passing of Stan Lee. I never met the man in ... Read more

November 16, 2018November 26, 2018

And the Good News Is …

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

Getting started on any career is fraught with difficulty, and the trail that got me to my base camp was truly meandering. It was nearly as ... Read more

November 16, 2018November 26, 2018

When You’ve Gotta Go, but There’s No Place to Do It

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

We’ve all been there. That “uh-oh” feeling hits and you know you’ll be in trouble if you can’t find a restroom, fast. You hope the clerk ... Read more

November 15, 2018November 26, 2018

Losing Words Through Dysarthria Is Hard for This Word Nerd

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I have always prided myself on my smarts. I excelled in college, where I realized my love for learning. I enjoy conversing with others, and I ... Read more

November 14, 2018November 20, 2018

Rock Bottom: When Sitting Down Is a Pain in the Butt

Columns, MS in Motion - A Column by Mike Knight

“The reason you can’t keep your shorts up,” the orthopedist said, “is because you don’t have enough butt anymore.” It was my first visit with this ... Read more

November 13, 2018November 20, 2018

I Know I’m in a Handicapped Spot, but I’ll Only Be 2 Minutes

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’m writing again about someone with MS who was blocked from a handicapped parking spot by someone who isn’t handicapped. I know, it happens all the ... Read more

November 12, 2018November 15, 2018

Do Noise and Crowds Affect You More with MS?

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

Venturing into the world can be overwhelming with multiple sclerosis (MS). Crowds and noise can overload my compromised nervous system, and even my home sanctuary can ... Read more

November 12, 2018November 11, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ballet and MS, Salt and the Immune System, How Tecfidera May Work, Doctor-Patient Communications

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Exercise Program Based on Ballet Improves Motor Control and Balance in MS Patients, Study Reports It makes sense. Yoga helps multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, as do ... Read more

November 9, 2018November 14, 2018

Medical Marijuana in the UK: So Near and Yet So Far

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

As I’m writing this, my right arm is tight and my right hand is cramped up. I was out working last night and night work always ... Read more

November 9, 2018November 14, 2018

MS, a Foot Brace, and a Car Crash

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

A tragic car crash involving a man with MS is a reminder that we all should be just a little bit more careful than the average ... Read more

November 8, 2018November 16, 2018

MS and Your Immune System: ‘Tis the Season for the Flu

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Fall is my favorite season. I love the change in temperature, the falling of amber leaves, trading flip-flops for loafers, the din of football games, and ... Read more

November 6, 2018November 13, 2018

When the Sun Sets — Chronic Illness, Advocacy, and Mortality

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

Life. It’s fragile, fleeting, beautiful, and heartbreaking. It is the most precious gift we have. Approximately one month ago, the senior columns editor for BioNews Services received ... Read more

November 6, 2018November 8, 2018

MS Medications in Mexico: Insurer Encourages Patients to Go South

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

MS medications are expensive in the United States. We all know that. We also know that some of those expensive meds are a lot less expensive ... Read more

November 5, 2018November 13, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ocrevus in the UK, Environmental Triggers, PPMS Research

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

NICE Postpones Final Opinion on Adding Ocrevus to Public Health System for PPMS Patients in UK This last-minute reprieve from the agency that dictates which medications ... Read more

November 2, 2018November 9, 2018

Turning Information Overload into a Positive

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

Books. Magazines. Journals. Emails. Online articles. Newsletters. Podcasts. Local and cable news. The quantity of information we take in daily is impressive — overwhelming, even. According to ... Read more

November 2, 2018November 1, 2018

How I Managed to Get a Scary Halloween Haircut

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

“You’ve had a haircut — very smart!” was the greeting at work. Yes, but it was in no way a simple thing. The logistics involved were ... Read more

November 2, 2018November 6, 2018

MS and the Flu Shot: What If You Don’t Want One?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’ve written several times about MS and the flu. I’ve always encouraged people to get an annual flu shot, but I know some people, for whatever ... Read more

November 1, 2018November 9, 2018

What You See of This MS Warrior Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Have you ever seen an iceberg? The prism of packed ice illuminates the surrounding sea. The part you can see is beautiful, yet most of its ... Read more

October 30, 2018November 6, 2018

Thinking About Selma Blair and Her MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

By now you may have heard that actress Selma Blair has revealed that she has multiple sclerosis (MS). That took a lot of guts. Those of ... Read more

October 29, 2018October 31, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Cannabis Pill, Stem Cells in Outer Space, Gut Bacteria and T-cells, Herpes and MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Stanford Researchers Open Medical Cannabis Company with Oral Therapy for MS Pain, Spasticity as Initial Goal Let’s be clear up front. There’s no indication that you’ll ... Read more

October 26, 2018November 2, 2018

Every Day Is Like a Box of Chocolates

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

Each morning, I’m confronted by an adaptation of the conundrum faced by Forest Gump’s mother: “Life like a box of chocolates: You never know what ... Read more

October 26, 2018October 31, 2018

FTC Challenges Amniotic Stem Cell Treatment Clinics’ Claims

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

“Deceptive” and “false” are two words used by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to describe marketing claims by two stem cell treatment clinics in California. According to ... Read more

October 23, 2018October 30, 2018

New Rules May Bring Updated Rights to Flyers with Disabilities

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Flying isn’t what it used to be, as everyone who’s taken a flight in the past 15 years or so knows. Flyers with disabilities can have ... Read more

October 22, 2018October 26, 2018

With MS, the Energy Vortex Is Real

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

Asking for assistance is not my favorite thing to do. But frequently, I do ask. The extra help aids in conserving my energy. Some people may ... Read more

October 19, 2018October 18, 2018

Forget Me Knots

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

At work a couple of weeks ago, I met a man who works with Christians in the Middle East. He is training leaders who are taking ... Read more

October 19, 2018October 18, 2018

Taking a Flu Day

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

Going to bed late and sleeping is reportedly a marker of intelligence. In that case, I am definitely something of a genius. So, it’s always a shock ... Read more

October 19, 2018October 18, 2018

I’m Too Tired to Write Tonight

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Please forgive me, but I’m too tired to write tonight. My wife had surgery last week, so I’ve been doing a couple of things that I ... Read more

October 18, 2018October 24, 2018

SPMS and the Continuum of Acceptance

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Some days are hard, while others are still harder. Then there are days that bring you to your knees. I am kneeling. Pain ricochets through my ... Read more