Columns

May 31, 2019May 29, 2019

A Wee Trip — But Not Like in the Past

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

I looked at the road, then west to the horizon. It was the Trans-Canada Highway. I was standing just outside Halifax, Nova Scotia. A 23-year-old intending to hitchhike the ... Read more

May 31, 2019May 29, 2019

Walmart Is Putting Quality of Employee MRIs Before Cost

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Did you know that not all magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams are of equal quality? Walmart officials know this, and they are concerned that poor exams given to their ... Read more

May 30, 2019May 28, 2019

Need to Know: Why Are My Feet Burning?

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

May 30, 2019May 28, 2019

Chariots of Enlightenment: Overcoming My Fear of a Wheelchair

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) is an education in and of itself. I’ve learned a lot about myself and I am a different person now, nine years after my ... Read more

May 28, 2019May 23, 2019

To Handle MS, Sometimes We Need a Little Attitude

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

The other day, a young woman with multiple sclerosis (MS) shared her worry in a Facebook group that her disease would prevent her from playing with her grandchildren someday. ... Read more

May 24, 2019May 22, 2019

Years of Laughter: It’s Been a Mammoth 40 Years

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

Last Monday night, I was strangely in the audience at London’s Comedy Store. At a rough calculation, I have directed about 1,500 shows there, have been in the audience ... Read more

May 24, 2019May 23, 2019

Why I Take My MS to the Gym

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I rode a recumbent bike for 15 minutes today. That’s a record for me, and it felt great. The bike ride was part of an overall exercise routine that ... Read more

May 23, 2019May 22, 2019

Need to Know: What Are Stem Cells?

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 question ... Read more

May 23, 2019May 22, 2019

MS Study Looks at Minimizing and Preventing Falls for Wheelchair and Scooter Users

Columns, Engaging Thoughts

When I think of multiple sclerosis and falls, I tend to think about people who are upright and walking when it happens. I hadn’t considered the risks for people ... Read more

May 21, 2019May 17, 2019

Staying Afloat in the Middle of the Storm

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

The storms keep coming. Whenever I think I will land ashore, a hurricane sends me back into the eye of the storm. I want to write; however, I fall ... Read more

May 21, 2019May 17, 2019

Humpty Dumpty and My MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’ve met Humpty Dumpty, and he is me. I made that discovery the other night when I had a bad fall. It wasn’t off a wall; it was just ... Read more

May 20, 2019May 20, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: MS Biomarker, Best RRMS Early Treatment, Ocrevus Study, Out-of-Pocket Costs

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

#AANAM – Biogen Offers Update on Development Plans for MS Therapies The pharma company that brought you Tysabri (natalizumab) is investigating a new process for treating multiple sclerosis. The ... Read more

May 17, 2019June 27, 2019

As If You Needed Another Reason to Eat Cake

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

I was at a church function last Saturday, chatting with the guest speaker and her mother, and I noticed that the older woman was making several trips to the ... Read more

May 17, 2019May 16, 2019

Sunday Morning

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

It was a sunny Lower East Side of Manhattan Sunday morning. The bulbous New York Times was shoved, just about, under my arm. I drank a coffee in the ... Read more

May 17, 2019May 16, 2019

MS Is a Pain, and Doctors Should Know It

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Dear Doctor, Why is it that you, or at least some of your colleagues, think that multiple sclerosis isn’t painful? Did you skip the med school class where they ... Read more

May 16, 2019June 21, 2019

Need to Know: What Is Dysarthria?

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

May 16, 2019May 17, 2019

Trading Teacups for Buckets: Keeping Dreams Alive with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

They say that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. While I agree with these two, a third inevitability is capitulation. Why do we have theme parks ... Read more

May 13, 2019July 16, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Lemtrada Satisfaction, Limiting Tysabri’s PML Risk, MS and Pregnancy, Infusions vs. Pills

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

#AANAM – RRMS Patients Switching to Lemtrada Report Greater Satisfaction with Treatment and Improvements in Quality of Life I’m a self-proclaimed secondary progressive, rather than a remitting, multiple sclerosis ... Read more

May 10, 2019May 8, 2019

I Survived a Marathon Comedy Festival

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

Exactly one year ago on this day of writing, I was down and out. This year, I’m not exactly fighting fit, but the same set of circumstances has pushed ... Read more

May 10, 2019May 8, 2019

Diets and Supplements: Do They Really Help Your MS?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

When I read online posts from people who treat their multiple sclerosis (MS) with vitamins and supplements, I wonder how many of us do that. And if these supplements ... Read more

May 9, 2019May 6, 2019

Need to Know: What Is the ‘Barber Chair Phenomenon’?

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

May 9, 2019May 7, 2019

Perception Over Pain: Making a Mental Shift with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I am a positive person with not-so-positive moments. These moments don’t quantify my essence. Nevertheless, they sure try. I work hard to keep the negativity at bay, but I ... Read more

May 7, 2019May 3, 2019

MS Meds Lead the Pack as Costs of Neuro Medications Rise

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Ouch! The out-of-pocket cash that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) lay out for their medications increased 20-fold between 2004 and 2016. That information comes from a study recently published ... Read more

May 6, 2019June 18, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Sexual Problems in Women with MS; Aubagio Satisfaction; Cellular Aging and PPMS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Women with MS Have Higher Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction, Study Reveals I’m surprised that someone felt it necessary to conduct a formal study of this. A glance at multiple ... Read more

May 3, 2019June 18, 2019

Don’t Be a Doozer — Slow Down!

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

My husband and I were driving home from church a few weeks ago, cars zipping around us every which way. He looked at me and said, “Do you ever ... Read more

May 3, 2019May 1, 2019

Why I Decided to Join the A-Team (Millennials, Look It Up!) — Part 2

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

Second in a series. Read part one.  I’m actually driving! I really can’t remember the last time I had done so. The car I’d had for years from Motability, a ... Read more

May 3, 2019June 18, 2019

A Judge Takes a Swing at an Insurance Company’s Denials

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Robert Scola Jr. is a federal judge in Miami, and he’s just recused himself from a case involving the UnitedHealthcare (UHC) insurance company. The case is one of two ... Read more

May 2, 2019April 30, 2019

Need to Know: What Are Patient Assistance Programs?

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

May 2, 2019June 3, 2019

With an Autoimmune Disease, Fear of a Measles Outbreak Is Real

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Few things scare me. I mean, truly frighten me to my core. While I flee from bees and scream at spiders, I have been both stung and bitten. Scary ... Read more

April 30, 2019July 16, 2019

Lemtrada Risks vs. Rewards: Putting the Latest Side Effect Concerns into Perspective

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

There’s been a lot of social media chatter following the recent decision by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to initiate a safety review of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab). The EMA has restricted use of ... Read more

April 29, 2019April 29, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Tai Chi Study, Lemtrada Safety Review, Personalized Treatment, Online Depression Therapy

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Study Will Explore Benefits of Tai Chi, Meditation on MS Patients’ Balance I’ve tried yoga to help with my balance and flexibility and found it useful. But tai chi ... Read more

April 26, 2019May 1, 2019

Why I Decided to Join the A-Team (Millennials, Look It Up!) — Part 1

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

First in a two-part series. Do I give in or fight? I’d had all the tests, and in the summer of 2009, my fears were confirmed: I had MS. ... Read more

April 26, 2019June 3, 2019

Is It OK for Your Doctor to Hug You?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Former Vice President Joe Biden has been in some hot water recently because of his habit of hugging some of the people he meets. More generally, in today’s society, ... Read more

April 25, 2019May 17, 2019

Need to Know: What Are Disability Laws?

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

April 24, 2019May 16, 2019

The ‘Rare but Serious Side Effect’ that Could Have Killed My Sister

Columns

Editor’s note: This is a guest column by Kristin Hardy, who was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in 2002. Her sister Margaret was diagnosed the same year with relapsing-remitting MS, ... Read more

April 23, 2019June 3, 2019

Are Medical Mouse Studies Worth Reporting?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

People who cover medical issues often write about mouse studies. These stories can regularly be found on traditional news outlets, both broadcast and print, as well as online platforms. ... Read more

April 18, 2019April 17, 2019

Need to Know: Do I Need Contrast Dye for an MRI?

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 question ... Read more

April 18, 2019April 23, 2019

The DMT Decision: Tried and True or Shiny and New?

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I spend a great deal of time in my head. I think. A lot. Perhaps I do so more than I should, but then again, it is a haven ... Read more

April 16, 2019April 17, 2019

Cancer Medication Shows Promise in Treating Dangerous Brain Infection PML, Small-scale Study Finds

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, more commonly referred to as PML, is a brain infection that’s frequently fatal. PML is particularly dangerous to people with MS, which is why I’m interested in ... Read more

April 15, 2019April 15, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: MS Misdiagnoses, Mineral Intake Risk Study, Hormonal Changes, Rituximab and Vitamin D

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

MS Misdiagnosis Too Common, Puts Patients in Unnecessary Peril from Therapies, Study Reveals Many people who have multiple sclerosis (MS) report that it’s taken doctors years to come up ... Read more