Columns

November 27, 2019November 25, 2019

Each MS Journey Is Different, So Be Kind

Columns, MSunderstood Millennial - a Column by Stephanie Towler

I felt defeated. Someone had made a negative comment about me, and it became stuck in my head, making me question why I write. This person challenged the authenticity ... Read more

November 26, 2019November 22, 2019

From New Hope Emerged an Old Nightmare

Columns, DISabled to ENabled – a Column by Jessie Ace

I was bruised, broken, and in pain. I had been struggling with Rebif (interferon beta-1a) side effects for over a year, ever since my diagnosis. It was the first ... Read more

November 25, 2019November 25, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Immunoadsorption, MS Therapies Approval, Cannabis-based Capsules for Study, Pregnancy and MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Immunoadsorption May Be Superior to Plasma Exchange in Treating Steroid-resistant Relapses in MS Steroids may be an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis relapses, but they have negative side effects. ... Read more

November 22, 2019November 20, 2019

Making (and Appreciating) Space

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

As an MS patient (and an insatiable polymath), I’m always on the lookout for new information. Recently, I learned about an interesting concept in Japanese culture called “Ma,” and ... Read more

November 22, 2019November 19, 2019

It’s Freezing and I’m Stuck on My Scooter

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

It happened on the coldest day of the season. It was 16 degrees F with wind chill. I was outside, using my electric scooter to take Joey, our cocker ... Read more

November 21, 2019November 19, 2019

Need to Know: MS and Drowsy Driving

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

November 21, 2019November 19, 2019

Painsomnia Unravels Me from Inside Out

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

It is 2 a.m. and I am awake. I sit on the couch with my head in my hands. The leg pain that broke my slumber is now extreme. ... Read more

November 18, 2019November 18, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Mayzent in EU for SPMS; Depression, Fatigue, and Quality of Life; Acthar Gel; Soothie Cushion

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

CHMP Favors Mayzent as Oral Treatment Specifically for Active SPMS Patients in EU Mayzent (siponimod) is one of the newest disease-modifying treatments (DMT). I’m pleased that the Committee for ... Read more

November 15, 2019November 13, 2019

This Could Be the Last Time

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

Fear grips me. Marijuana relaxes, eases pain, and helps my body work better. It also stirs paranoia, but only when you let it. In bed, a fretful waking dream. ... Read more

November 15, 2019November 13, 2019

Is It Good that Google Is Crunching Our Healthcare Data?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Google has quietly teamed up with Ascension, one of the largest healthcare organizations in the United States, to process the medical records of millions of people. According to The ... Read more

November 14, 2019November 12, 2019

Need to Know: 21st-century Medicine Models

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

November 14, 2019November 12, 2019

Filtering Ads and Choosing What’s Best

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I remember a time without televised ads promoting medication. We had access to information through our physician or a card catalog. Pharmaceuticals are now a mainstay on our airwaves. ... Read more

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: EU Lemtrada Safety Guidance, Targeted Treatment Project, SPMS Patients Unaware of Diagnosis

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

EMA Safety Group Advises Lemtrada Be Limited to ‘Highly Active’ RRMS Patients at Hospitals with ICUs I’m highlighting this report because, like several Europe-based doctors I know, I think ... Read more

November 8, 2019November 7, 2019

Simple Signs with Messages of Hope Resonate with Me

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

I’m not a superstitious person always on the lookout for signs and omens. I don’t read the wrappers on Dove chocolates or seek life advice from the paper slips ... Read more

November 8, 2019November 7, 2019

MS Really Enjoys Hitting Below the Belt

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

I didn’t file a column last week due to medical reasons. It’s a perfect excuse for a patient columnist — we don’t need a dog to blame for eating ... Read more

November 8, 2019November 6, 2019

Top MS Worries Highlight the Need for a Comprehensive Care Program

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

What worries you most about living with multiple sclerosis? I’m catching up with a small survey by Can Do MS, an organization that promotes health and wellness education programs. ... Read more

November 7, 2019November 1, 2019

Need to Know: Does Brain Matter Matter?

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

November 7, 2019November 5, 2019

Choosing Calm Over Chaos: Quieting Myself While Living with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Living with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is a lesson in adaptation. The constant is change. This disease has given me sea legs. Nevertheless, some days have me fooled. When ... Read more

November 6, 2019November 1, 2019

The Past Gives Us Hope for the Future

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

The times we’re living in feel surreal to me. I’m not talking about the current state of U.S. politics, though my opinions could fill a book. I’m talking about ... Read more

November 4, 2019November 4, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Vumerity Approval, Low Antibody Levels in MS Patients, GA Depot Trial, Tecfidera Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Vumerity Approved in US as Treatment for RRMS and Active SPMS By my count, Vumerity is the 18th disease-modifying therapy (DMT) that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ... Read more

November 1, 2019October 30, 2019

My Lemtrada Journey: Observations at 18 Months After Round 2

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

It’s time for another update on how I’ve been doing with my Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) treatments. The bottom line is that I’m doing well. Lemtrada is a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) ... Read more

October 31, 2019October 29, 2019

Need to Know: What Is Lesion Load?

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

October 31, 2019October 29, 2019

MS and Mythological Mends: Hope Is My Cure for Today

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

If I told you that standing on your head would cure multiple sclerosis (MS), would you do it? I am fairly sure you would find a way to do ... Read more

October 28, 2019October 28, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Cognitive Impairment, Genetic Variant Risk Factor, Protein Biomarkers, Gilenya Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Higher Intellectual Ability, Early-life Physical Activity May Protect Against Cognitive Impairment in MS, Study Suggests The finding that physical activity provides a protective effect for cognitive abilities makes sense ... Read more

October 25, 2019October 22, 2019

Mystery Keeps Me Pushing Forward: I Wonder What I’ll Do Next

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

If there’s one thing the internet is good for, it’s inspirational quotes. They’re usually paired with a picture of a woman at the beach, her arms open to the ... Read more

October 25, 2019October 24, 2019

Pip, Pip, Hooray! Months of Work and Worry Pay Off

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

By 2017, over 50,000 people with disabilities in the U.K. had lost their accessible vehicles due to reassessments required by Personal Independence Payment (PIP), a financial assistance program for ... Read more

October 25, 2019October 22, 2019

Am I Too Old for Aggressive MS Treatment?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

A question raised by neurologist Gavin Giovannoni on the Barts-MS blog lit up my radar recently. Dr. G asked whether “elderly” people with MS should be treated differently than ... Read more

October 24, 2019October 21, 2019

Need to Know: How MS Affects Memory

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

October 24, 2019October 22, 2019

MS and Anxiety: Be Kind to Yourself and Ask for Help

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I am in a state of anxious exhaustion. Anxiety has been a lifelong companion that has presented itself in various ways since childhood. In hindsight, I can recognize triggers ... Read more

October 22, 2019October 18, 2019

Why My Body Is Not My Adversary

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

Why is my body betraying me? As an advocate and a person with chronic illness, this question surfaces often. Many people with chronic illness feel that their body has ... Read more

October 21, 2019October 21, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Injectable DMTs, Ofatumumab ‘Success Story,’ MS and Night Shift Work, MS Biomarker Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

#ECTRIMS2019 – Are Injectables Inappropriate for Active Relapsing MS Treatment? Injectable disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have been around for a long time. I took part in a Phase 3 clinical ... Read more

October 18, 2019October 16, 2019

This Week, I Feel Like I’m Growing Up Again

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

As I sit down (nothing unusual there — all I do these days is sit down!) and write this, I’m 62 years and one day old. On Saturday morning, ... Read more

October 18, 2019October 17, 2019

Pushing to Put a Symbol for Invisible Disabilities on Driver’s Licenses

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

This is not the week to tell me how good I look … even if I look and feel good. The week of Oct. 13 is Invisible Disabilities Week. ... Read more

October 17, 2019October 15, 2019

Need to Know: Why Do People Have Seasonal Temperature Sensitivity?

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

October 17, 2019October 15, 2019

Marriage and Multiple Sclerosis: Lessons in Love

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Marriage is hard. It is also the most beautiful, sacred, and honest of all my experiences. Our vulnerable reality is a far cry from the blissful naivete of our ... Read more

October 14, 2019October 14, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Mavenclad and Ocrevus Use Rising in EU, Ampyra Patent Appeal Denied, Exercise and MS Pilot Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Mavenclad, Ocrevus Use Rising in EU as Injectables and Tysabri Decline, Spherix Reports I’m not surprised at reports that the use of Mavenclad (cladribine) and Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is increasing ... Read more

October 11, 2019October 10, 2019

‘The Land Is Better’: Embracing Highs and Lows

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

I recently read “The Animal Family” by Randall Jarrell. It’s considered a children’s book, but like many stories written for kids, it has much to offer grown-up readers. The ... Read more

October 11, 2019October 10, 2019

I’m a Big Boy Now

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

Many of us live with a reality that we’re too embarrassed to talk about, even with medical professionals. Multiple sclerosis (MS) prevents us from pooing properly — no matter ... Read more

October 11, 2019October 8, 2019

It’s Not All in Your Head

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Several days ago, the headline “It’s All in Your Head” jumped out at me. The author of the Journal of the American Medical Association article, Matthew Burke, is a ... Read more

October 10, 2019October 8, 2019

Need to Know: MS and Respiratory Viruses

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