February 14, 2024 Columns by Mike Parker Why I’m actually looking forward to a date with the MRI scanner As those of us with multiple sclerosis (MS) know, every so often a call comes or a letter arrives telling us we have a date with an extraordinary friend: the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. For me, it seems that time has arrived again. Just a few days…
February 8, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister A decade with multiple sclerosis demands an anniversary celebration Valentine’s Day is less than a week away. If you haven’t gotten anything for your significant other yet, let me add to the holidayās commercialization by reminding you that time is running out. It really wasn’t my foremost intention to spur anyone into panicked action. This column isn’t even about…
February 7, 2024 Columns by Mike Parker Excursions require extra planning for those with mobility issues Summer planning has started for my family, which means trying to arrange trips and time together. Before I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), we could simply book an excursion that looked enjoyable. But now, thanks to my mobility issues, planning is slightly tricker. In the…
February 1, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister How sleep apnea and multiple sclerosis cause me relentless fatigue I feel like I’ve written a lot of negative, maybe even depressing, columns lately. While multiple sclerosis (MS) can be a pretty negative and depressing subject, I’m normally a bit more upbeat. We’ve been having cold and gloomy weather lately, and I’d like to blame my low spirits on…
January 31, 2024 Columns by Mike Parker I’m struggling with mental health as MS causes major life changes Because multiple sclerosis (MS) has changed much of my life in a short amount of time, I’m now fighting mental health issues. Things have been especially tough since the start of the new year. Usually, I’d spend January working, planning holiday time, and looking at my calendar to…
January 22, 2024 Columns by Bionews Staff Celebrating the legacy of MS columnist Beth Shorthouse-Ullah My name is Dave and I’m Beth Shorthouse-Ullah’s husband. We had spoken about the possibility of writing a column that looks at the experiences of partners of people who have multiple sclerosis (MS). But instead of sharing a thought-provoking piece from another perspective, today I sadly announce that Beth…
January 18, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister With multiple sclerosis, the lesser of two evils is the one you choose My father taught me to play chess when I was barely old enough to say the names of the pieces.Ā I wasn’t a child prodigy or anything like that. I never joined a chess club or competed in a single tournament. I simply enjoyed the game…
January 11, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister My nonprofessional take on the psychology of multiple sclerosis I’m not a psychologist, but if you’re a regular reader of my column, you know that I’m intrigued by the subject. I seem to be particularly drawn to unusual conditions and making amateurish comparisons to multiple sclerosis (MS). In my defense, MS has odd symptoms, so…
January 4, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister How good surveillance can help detect the early signs of MS About four years before I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), someone else inadvertently ādiagnosedā me. This person wasn’t medically trained, probably had no personal knowledge of MS, and didn’t actually use the words āmultiple sclerosis.ā Still, they gave me one of the best clues in my quest…
December 28, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister This New Year’s, I resolve to express more gratitude ā just not for MS The new year is nearly upon us, so if you’re planning to make any resolutions, you should probably narrow down the list. As I said last year, I’m not in the habit of making any, but I did resolve to foster a sense of hope. I still have what…
December 26, 2023 Columns by Mike Parker The perfect response: Endless support after my diagnosis of MS When my general practitioner first spoke about the possibility of a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in February 2022, I walked out of his office. I broke down in tears; I was terrified. At that instant, my first thought was, “OK, so how long do I have left?”…
December 21, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister When you have multiple sclerosis, be sure to cast the right shadow I’m not very good at this sort of thing, but depending on whether or not you count today and the 25th itself, we’ve got about four days left until Christmas. If I still needed to get my wife anything, I’d be entering shopping panic mode about now. Fortunately, I don’t…
December 20, 2023 Columns by Mike Parker Struggles and successes in my first full year since my diagnosis of MS Where has the year gone? As we move closer to Christmas and a new year, Iāve pondered what the past 12 months of change have brought to my life. At the beginning of the year, I was working full time and still coming to terms with the diagnosis of…
December 14, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister A lesson from my military days helps me manage holiday plans When I was in the military, I wore several different hats. A U.S. Special Forces team has only 12 soldiers, so we couldn’t afford for anyone to know just one trick, no matter how good that trick might be. In addition to each person’s primary job, everyone had to know…
December 8, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias After more than 7 years, ‘The MS Wire’ column is moving on This is my 823rd column for Multiple Sclerosis News Today. It is also my last. Over the past seven and a half years, I’ve written about multiple sclerosis (MS) fatigue and frustration, about treatments and travel, about neurologists (good and bad), stress,…
December 7, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister With multiple sclerosis, a little guilt might be under the Christmas tree Counting today, there are only 18 shopping days left until Christmas. Unless you’re one of those annoying people who did all their gift buying months ago and won’t stop talking about it, the clock is ticking. I guess that makes me one of those annoying people who reminds you of…
December 6, 2023 Columns by Mike Parker To obtain an MS diagnosis, I had to overcome my MRI phobia Many years ago, I had an MRI scan on my right knee, and it didnāt go well. In fact, panic set in when I first looked at the scanner, as the tube seemed small. After I lay down and the operator started moving the table, I faced a…
November 30, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Is multiple sclerosis everywhere, or am I just more aware of it now? I encountered multiple sclerosis (MS) for the first time in a Valdosta High School math class. Before my geometry teacher was diagnosed, I had never known anyone with the disease and, in all likelihood, was completely ignorant about it. I would hear the name again about 10 years…
November 29, 2023 Columns by Mike Parker How I kept going after a discouraging diagnosis of MS Let me introduce myself: I’m Mike, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to share my story. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in August 2022. Since then, a lot has changed, including the loss of a 20-year career, worsening mobility problems, and the start of…
November 27, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Vumerity, herpes virus, caregivers Welcome to āMS News Notes,ā a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereās a look at some of whatās been happening: A good report for Vumerity Final results are in from the EVOLVE-MS-1 clinical trial for patients with…
November 24, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias What it was like attending a Queen concert with a mobility aid For someone with multiple sclerosis (MS), going to a venue to see a concert or sporting event can be an experience filled with uncertainty ā especially if, like me, they’re using a mobility aid. For me to do it, I have to ask myself several questions: How will I…
November 20, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: COVID-19, MS blood tests Welcome to āMS News Notes,ā a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereās a look at some of whatās been happening. MS relapses and COVID-19 Since COVID-19 became a concern over three years ago, I’ve read many comments…
November 17, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias What I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving It wasn’t a good morning. I was dragging my cement-pillar legs around the kitchen and grew frustrated as I lurched from the refrigerator to the counter to feed the cat and the dog. I’d propped my two canes against the counter, but they’d slid to the floor ā not once,…
November 16, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Understanding multiple sclerosis’ ‘demotivational’ flash points I’ve warned you in previous columns that you might have to endure a rambling story or two from my military past. It’s just that there are so many lessons from the experience that pertain to my multiple sclerosis (MS). It was supposed to rain later that evening, so…
November 13, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: ATA188, biomarkers for MS progression Welcome to āMS News Notes,ā a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereās a look at whatās been happening: ATA188 fails a big test ATA188 is an experimental cell therapy developed by Atara BiotherapeuticsĀ aimed at easing MS…
November 9, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister My multiple sclerosis has made me more suspicious As I’ve mentioned a time or two, my wife and I have three boys. Although they’re all under the age of 12, they’ve started to talk like the budding teenagers they are. As they mingle with peers more than their parents, their vocabulary in particular becomes less like ours every…
November 6, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Stem cell transplant, artificial intelligence Welcome to āMS News Notes,ā a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereās a look at whatās been happening: Lemtrada or stem cell transplant? While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved stem cell transplants…
November 3, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias My bladder is doing much better these days, but why? I slept through the night last night. Recently, I’ve managed to do that on most nights. No 4 a.m. bathroom trips for me! That’s a big deal. There was a time when I’d get up two or even three times during the night for a bladder run. Sleeping seven or…
November 2, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister With multiple sclerosis, the right caregiver is everything There are a lot of things that I’m afraid of. That seems to come with the territory when you have a chronic disease like multiple sclerosis (MS), or when you’re a parent. At the same time, I don’t have any phobias that I’m aware of. To date, I…
November 1, 2023 Columns by Mike Parker Dragged into my MS diagnosis, but now jumping for a cure: Part 4 Multiple Sclerosis News Today has been chronicling MS advocate and podcaster Mike Parkerās journey leading up to a skydiving jump he made on Oct. 29 to benefit the MS Society U.K. Learn more about Mike at mikesmsjourney.com. You can also donate to his fundraiser.Ā Last…