Columns

February 21, 2020February 19, 2020

Thinking Outside the Box

A Life in Letters – a Column by Jamie Hughes, Columns

There’s a story I love to tell about my dad, a retail warrior with more than 30 years of experience under his belt. And it’s one that I think ... Read more

February 21, 2020February 19, 2020

Myeliviz Brings Hope for Faster MS Diagnosis

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Myeliviz is the name of a new compound approved for a clinical trial in the U.S. that has the potential to make the process of diagnosing multiple sclerosis faster ... Read more

February 20, 2020February 24, 2020

Need to Know: Is a Support Animal for MS Right for You?

Columns, MS in Moderation – a Column by Tamara Sellman

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s ... Read more

February 20, 2020February 18, 2020

Finding My Way Through Sickness and Sadness with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I am hyperaware of the fragility of life. More specifically, the fragility of mine. Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease. My immune system eats away at the ... Read more

February 19, 2020February 14, 2020

I’ve Been Spoiled by My Clinical Trial

Columns, MSunderstood Millennial - a Column by Stephanie Towler

The new year brings many changes, including the last year of my clinical trial. When I think about the past seven years, I am thankful for the opportunity to ... Read more

February 17, 2020February 24, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Report on Ocrevus Use, Cognitive Decline in MS, Gold Nanocrystals and Remyelination Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Ocrevus Use Rises Among New Starters with RRMS, Loses Ground to Other Therapies in PPMS Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) bolted out of the starting gate after it was approved for use ... Read more

February 14, 2020February 13, 2020

And the Biofilm Goes to …

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

The medical profession must be sick and tired of patients diagnosing themselves via the wonders of the internet. But as a patient who’s sick and tired, you eventually have ... Read more

February 14, 2020February 14, 2020

A Detailed Description of What to Expect During an MRI Scan

Columns, DISabled to ENabled – a Column by Jessie Ace

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can be an odd experience for those who have never had one before. Knowing what to expect beforehand can calm the nerves, so ... Read more

February 14, 2020February 21, 2020

Smoking and MS: Not a Good Match

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Some interesting statistics about people with multiple sclerosis in the U.K. have been released by Public Health England. The numbers are intended to help health commissioners and providers assess ... Read more

February 13, 2020February 11, 2020

Need to Know: Does My MS Make Me Rare?

Columns, MS in Moderation – a Column by Tamara Sellman

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Please visit our forum. I ... Read more

February 11, 2020February 7, 2020

5 Things You Should Do When Traveling with a Chronic Illness

Columns, DISabled to ENabled – a Column by Jessie Ace

Traveling is great! We love traveling, seeing new sights, eating different foods, and experiencing new things. But when you have a chronic illness, traveling can also be a nightmare. ... Read more

February 10, 2020February 10, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Methionine, MSCT, Spinal Fluid, and BTK Blocker Studies

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Dietary Changes May Delay Development and Progression of MS, Study Finds Methionine is an amino acid found in meat, eggs, and dairy. It’s absorbed by T-cells that are part ... Read more

February 7, 2020February 5, 2020

Give It a Rest, Will Ya?

A Life in Letters – a Column by Jamie Hughes, Columns

Jan. 1, 2020 was a special day in our house, and not just because a new decade came into being. (Or did it?) It marked our 20th wedding anniversary, ... Read more

February 7, 2020February 6, 2020

This Story Has Legs — One Leg, At Least!

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

This is the story of how I became a patient columnist. Three years ago, I was still walking. Shambling, anyway. I could get up and down stairs but had ... Read more

February 7, 2020February 5, 2020

Bladder Problems Keep Many of Us Looking for the Loo

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Are you frequently up at night for bathroom trips? When you’re outside, are you always looking for a loo? You’re not alone. A recent study confirms that the vast ... Read more

February 6, 2020February 7, 2020

Need to Know: What Is the Microbiome?

Columns, MS in Moderation – a Column by Tamara Sellman

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s ... Read more

February 6, 2020February 5, 2020

Could Myeliviz, a New Imaging Agent of Myelin, Be a Game-changer?

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Myelin is the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers and is damaged in those with multiple sclerosis. Quantifying the degenerative process of myelin would lend perspective to how much ... Read more

February 4, 2020January 31, 2020

Remember Me? Lessons from My Jar of Happiness

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

Welcome to 2020 and a new decade! I am thankful to still have the gift of life and to continue to share this space with you. I have read ... Read more

February 4, 2020February 5, 2020

5 Hacks to Help Manage Your Fatigue

Columns, DISabled to ENabled – a Column by Jessie Ace

One of the most annoying MS symptoms is fatigue. It’s as unpredictable as the British weather and a constant balancing act. On energetic days we tend to do too ... Read more

February 3, 2020February 3, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Epstein-Barr, UTI Factors, New Myelin Imaging Agent, Nerve Impulses and Demyelination

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Epstein-Barr Virus and Certain Genes Interact in Ways That Can Promote MS, Study Finds Much has been written over the years about a possible connection between the Epstein-Barr virus ... Read more

January 31, 2020January 30, 2020

Here’s My ‘Veganuary’ Report

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

I’m well aware that new converts can be bores. I started an increasingly trendy vegan lifestyle back in December. It’s only been two months, but it seems like a ... Read more

January 31, 2020February 6, 2020

Rising MS Medication Costs Mean Some Patients Are Skipping Doses

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Forced by medication costs to choose between regularly taking their medications or buying groceries, some people with multiple sclerosis are choosing the groceries. Some are skipping doses and others ... Read more

January 30, 2020January 28, 2020

Need to Know: What Is Brain Rest?

Columns, MS in Moderation – a Column by Tamara Sellman

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s ... Read more

January 28, 2020January 24, 2020

‘You Can’t Park There, You Are Not Disabled’

Columns, DISabled to ENabled – a Column by Jessie Ace

To those who judge me for using my disabled parking permit when I seemingly look “healthy and well,” please consider your words. There are people out there who “call ... Read more

January 27, 2020January 27, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Mayzent for SPMS Approved in EU, Memory Training, Trial of Music-based Product to Improve Walking

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Mayzent Helps Regulate the Immune System in SPMS, Study Shows Mayzent (siponimod) is one of several disease-modifying treatments that target specific T-cells and B-cells involved in damage to the ... Read more

January 24, 2020January 23, 2020

The Mind-Body Interface

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

Well, this is one way of showing that I attended first-year philosophy seminars: Draw on the thoughts of Plato and Aristotle, then leap two millennia to Descartes. I never ... Read more

January 24, 2020January 22, 2020

April Hester Is Lacing Up Her MS Hiking Boots Again

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

When I wrote about April Hester two years ago, she and her husband, Bernie, had just finished hiking the 500 miles of South Carolina’s Palmetto Trail. That’s no small ... Read more

January 23, 2020January 22, 2020

Need to Know: Sleep and Myelin Plasticity

Columns, MS in Moderation – a Column by Tamara Sellman

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s ... Read more

January 23, 2020January 21, 2020

The Rise of Superbugs, Antibiotic Resistance, and MS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I am living with an unenviable reality. An antibiotic-resistant, hospital-acquired infection that I developed two decades ago has reappeared. Before my multiple sclerosis diagnosis, I had a spinal cord ... Read more

January 22, 2020January 21, 2020

When Meeting New People, When Should I Disclose My MS?

Columns, MSunderstood Millennial - a Column by Stephanie Towler

“Hi! My name is Stephanie and I have multiple sclerosis and narcolepsy.” While I don’t introduce myself this way, knowing the right time to share this information can be ... Read more

January 21, 2020January 17, 2020

One Way to Be More Successful in Life with Multiple Sclerosis

Columns, DISabled to ENabled – a Column by Jessie Ace

Have you ever wondered how some people seem to be able to do so much in a day, despite having some type of ailment, while others seem to be ... Read more

January 20, 2020January 20, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: High Cost of MS Meds; MS Progression, Relapse, and DMT Timing; Remyelinating Therapy Trial; Myelin Regeneration Mouse Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Almost Half of MS Patients Change or Stop DMT Due to High Financial Burden, Survey Shows I frequently see reports of this on multiple sclerosis patient websites. People with ... Read more

January 17, 2020January 15, 2020

It’s Only a Matter of Time

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

There was a time when I didn’t have deadlines. I’d finally finished academia. No more essays ever! In theory, I still had seven essays to write. Luckily, those essays ... Read more

January 17, 2020January 16, 2020

Stem Cells Versus DMTs: MS Treatments Go Head to Head

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

People with multiple sclerosis have been waiting for this: A full-scale clinical trial testing the effectiveness of stem cell transplantation as an MS treatment. The trial is being conducted ... Read more

January 16, 2020January 15, 2020

Need to Know: Blood Tests and Multiple Sclerosis

Columns, MS in Moderation – a Column by Tamara Sellman

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s ... Read more

January 16, 2020January 14, 2020

Traveling Without the Baggage of Fear

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Traveling with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is challenging. International travel adds some extra lengthy steps. That said, I have the bug. I’ve always had a hunger to see and ... Read more

January 14, 2020January 10, 2020

Dispelling 5 Common Myths About MS

Columns, DISabled to ENabled – a Column by Jessie Ace

“I will have to use a wheelchair.” That was my first thought when I received a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. After I got my ticket to the weirdest whirlwind weekend ... Read more

January 13, 2020January 13, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: AHSCT Trial Enlisting, Interferon-beta and Pregnancy, Probiotics, Language and Brain Health

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

New Trial Compares Stem Cell Treatment to Available Therapies for Severe Relapsing MS This is a biggie. The U.S. National Institutes of Health is conducting a head to head ... Read more

January 10, 2020January 9, 2020

Lo, on the Very First Vegan Christmas

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

Only 347 shopping days to go! So don’t dismiss this as a column about last Christmas (though that’s what it is!) but as possibly the first on the planet ... Read more

January 10, 2020January 7, 2020

Keep It Real: What’s in Your Window Display?

A Life in Letters – a Column by Jamie Hughes, Columns

I read a sad tweet last night (though, in a way, aren’t all of them somewhat sad?) in which a woman told a story about her friend who had ... Read more