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 person, but I know many people who have. They said he was warm, open, and enthusiastic. He was a passionate and tireless creator…

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 convoluted as that sentence! At 23, without meaning to, I found myself being a putative theater critic. Within months, under the pressure of…

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 in the store with the “Restrooms for Customers Only” sign will make an exception if you tell her it’s about to run down…

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 make a concerted effort to expand my horizons. I have never shied away from an opportunity to make another’s acquaintance. Be it current…

“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 doctor, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. While waiting in a small, wood-paneled anteroom next…

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 time. But this time was a little different. The spot was blocked by a television news crew. And that struck a nerve…

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 induce stress when kids, animals, and electronics are present. While others simply hear kids playing or dogs barking, sound becomes shockingly…

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 Pilates and simple stretching. So why shouldn’t ballet? After all, it requires similar balance and motor control. This study only involved…

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 shatters me the next morning when I awaken with exacerbated MS symptoms. Luckily, I never learned to be a copy typist when I…

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 driver when we get behind the wheel. The accident happened in early October on a street in Eugene, Oregon. As reported by…

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 the joy of the holiday season. There is so much to enjoy, yet this particular Sunday I am sick. I have acquired the…

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 her wings. Her name was Serena. Ironically, I never met Serena. We communicated only online. As I think about my journey thus…

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 in places like Canada and Mexico. Now comes a novel idea from the nonprofit health insurance provider PEHP, which covers state workers and…

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 may be prescribed for patients of the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) is welcome news. Last summer, the National Institute for…

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 a 2009 report from researchers at the University of California, San Diego, the average American consumed about 105,000 words per day, or…

“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 really that: It took the small army of my family to complete the mission. Until my last relapse six months ago, I could…

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 reasons, don’t get one. I know I’ll never convince some of you of the benefits of this shot, no matter how much…

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 mass lies beneath the surface. You cannot know what you cannot see. Therefore, your perception is based on what is visible. What…

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 us who share her diagnosis might learn a few things from what she’s shared and how she’s shared it. Blair may be…

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 be able to buy a cannabis pill from this company anytime soon — or ever. The company’s website says that testing…

Each morning, I’m confronted by an adaptation of the conundrum faced by Forest Gump’s mother: “Life [is] like a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re gonna get.” If I can’t get myself out of bed, it’s going to be a bad one. I may be in…

“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 an FTC complaint, the clinics had been advertising that they were using amniotic stem cell therapy to successfully treat serious diseases, including…

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 a particularly challenging time dealing with airports, airlines, and aircraft. Airports are crowded and stretch forever. Airplanes are crowded, their seats are small,…

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 feel my energy conservation requests resemble a lazy scam of sorts but, honestly, it’s not. When I ask for a drink of water or…

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 on the challenge of leading small house churches in a nation that is openly hostile to the faith. I was simply amazed by…

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 when I have to get up in the morning. I’ve spent a lifetime avoiding it! I’ve lived in such a form…

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 haven’t done much in the 42 years since our wedding: shopping and cooking. (Well, making Harris Teeter ready-to-heat meals, that is. For…

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 body like a pinball machine on tilt. Flashing lights dance as if to announce the imminent. “Danger, Will Robinson!” I hit…

This is a difficult column to pen. I am an open heart, yet critically examining myself, and my troubling behavior is onerous. The ego is not impartial. I have written several articles discussing the emotional toll of multiple sclerosis and chronic illness. By the comments and messages received,…

When I was diagnosed in 2010 with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), I didn’t know what to expect. It quickly became apparent that my doctors didn’t know, either. I’m sure they could have given me some scenarios of what my future might be…