August 31, 2018 Columns by John Connor I’m Too Busy to Think About MS Well, it’s not a cure, but working hard sure takes my mind off MS. In fact, I’m so rushed off my feet (irony intended!) I’m not sure I have time to write this. But if I stop and ruminate, then my bedroom turns from a frenetic office into a…
August 31, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Checking Out a Dating App for People with Health Problems Does your MS limit your ability to find a date? (Courtesy of Lemonayde) Dating isn’t a concern of mine, since I turned 70 earlier this month and have been happily married for 42 years. But younger, single folks with MS regularly post concerns about starting relationships on various…
August 30, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Reality Is My Favorite Season Today, I tried to run. In my mind, I saw myself running with fluidity. I felt a weightless ability to lift, then cycle each knee and foot in perfect rotation. I felt my foot lift up and off the ground. My drop foot prevailed, and I fell. Other thanĀ injured pride…
August 30, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski The Dilemmas Facing Medical Cannabis Prescribers Medical cannabis has created a dilemma for medical providers who care for people who might benefit from its use. Iāve been thinking more about this lately because my home state of Ohio will have legal medical marijuana dispensaries starting on Sept. 8. The law passed in 2016, and it…
August 28, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Help Design a Mobility Scooter I’ve been using a mobility scooter for about 10 years. I use it anytime I need to walk more than about half a city block. I throw it in the back of my SUV, I’ve taken it on planes and cruise ships (I’ve ridden it in 15 or 16…
August 27, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Cannabis and Inflammation, Exercise and MS, a New MS Subtype Cannabidiol Increases Inflammatory Suppressor Cells, New MS Mouse Study Shows There’s quite a bit of anecdotal evidence that the use of marijuana can help reduce the symptoms ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). Here’s a report about a study that suggests a reason that could be happening. Non-psychoactiveĀ cannabidiol (CBD),…
August 24, 2018 Columns by John Connor Everywhere I Go, I’m Invited To ‘Take a Seat’ I knew I had MS nine years ago when I went back to see my neurologist. I’d had the lumbar puncture to prove it definitively, and I displayed all the requisite symptoms. The only question I had was, “Will this lead to me being in a wheelchair?” The…
August 24, 2018 Columns by Jamie Hughes H2Oh! Water Is a Brain Fuel Aug. 1Ā was a busy day around our house. Backpacks needed to be loaded up, breakfasts consumed, pictures taken, and shoes tied tightly before the bus arrived. Yes, it was the first day of school. (I could talk about how ridiculous it is for kids to be going back to…
August 24, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Your MS Med’s Copay Could Be More Expensive than Paying Cash I get my medications the old-fashioned way. When I need to fill a prescription, I either go to the drug store or use a mail-order pharmacy ā and usually, I have a copay. Sometimes the copay is just a few dollars, but sometimes it can be a few hundred.
August 23, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Feeling Adventurous with MS I can describe myself with a myriad of words: kind, funny, smart, quirky, and stubborn, to name a few. So many words are descriptive of my persona; I almost felt safety among them. Almost. I have always preferred paved road to dirt; my place was to shine the already…
August 23, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Using Medical Marijuana for MS Symptoms May Affect Your Employment Ohio, my home state, is wrestling with the nuances of medical marijuana laws that become effective on Sept. 8, 2018. My husbandās work email had an important notice from the Bureau of Workerās Compensation (BWC) about this pending change, and as I read it, I thought that nothing really…
August 22, 2018 Columns by Cathy Chester How Holistic Therapies Are Helping Me Alleviate MS Symptoms When I was younger, I never thought about trying holistic therapies to aid healing. Looking back I wish the medical community had embraced these therapies as potential treatments for MS symptoms. My first few years of living with MS were an incredible struggle; there were…
August 21, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Male or Female Doctor? Is One Better than the Other? The neurologist who treats my MS is a woman. So is my primary care physician. I wouldn’t have it any other way, and an article in The New York Times makes me feel my decision is the right one. Patient studies tell the tale The Times article points…
August 20, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson Deciding if Ocrevus Is Right When You’re Over 55 As a 61-year-old woman diagnosed in 2010 with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), I was overjoyed when theĀ U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the therapy Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in March 2017. Because Ocrevus is the first treatment approved to possibly slow the progression of PPMS, theĀ FDA’s green…
August 20, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Lemtrada and B-cells, DMT Efficacy, Botox and the Brain, a Diet Recommendation Lemtrada Can Lower Number of B-cells Infiltrating Nervous System and Forming Clumps, Animal Study Shows I usually stay away from recommending articles about mice studies, but this article does a nice job of explaining how Lemtrada works and the role of B-cells in multiple sclerosis (MS). As…
August 17, 2018 Columns by John Connor I’m Busy Doing Nothing Everything takes so much damn time! I’m strangely working ā or at least doing things I purport as work, such as this column. That’s no different than before MS; I still have the inclination to prevaricate or find something inconsequential to ruminate over, like the state of the Turkish…
August 17, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias 2 Short Films Take Different Approaches to Portraying Life with MS Over the past week, I’ve come across two short films that are designed to show what it’s like living with MS. But they have two very different approaches. Interested in MS research? Sign up…
August 16, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Getting Out, Despite the Crowds Last week, my husband and I attended an outdoor concert in a small venue that we used to regularly attend just a few years ago, before my MS affected my mobility. Our last concert there was two years ago, and although IĀ was skeptical about going, the weather was perfect,Ā and…
August 14, 2018 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson The Reflection of Me: A Daughterās Tribute in the Face of MS The journey of chronic illness has taught me that our families are greatly affected by our illnesses. Spouses, parents, siblings, and many others can attest to their personal stories of loving someone who is chronically ill. My inspiration for this weekās column was a discussion I recently had with…
August 14, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Taking My MS for a Sea Ride I’ve been away for about a week, the first break of that length that I’ve had from writing about MS in about two years. Much of that time was spent on a trip from Long Island, New York, to Newport, Rhode Island, aboard the Mariner. Marine chart of…
August 13, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson MS Lesions and Silent Inflammation Multiple sclerosis (MS) consists of more than lesions; it also comprises silent inflammation. Lesions seem to get all the attention, as they are photographed and flashy, and the main topic in MS circles. But silent inflammation is what is running the havoc behind the scenes. The MS Society…
August 13, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: MMJ Chewing Gum, Hair Loss, Botox for Bladder Problems, MS Progression Prediction Hair Loss Seen in RRMS Patients Using Aubagio Often Temporary and Mild, Study Says I read a lot of questions on multiple sclerosis (MS) social media groups from people who are worried about hair loss caused by their disease-modifying therapy (DMT). Aubagio (teriflunomide) is one DMT with…
August 10, 2018 Columns by Jamie Hughes I’m Using My Status to Speak Up Iāve been thinking a lot about privilege in recent months ā what it enables as well as what it prevents. Those who benefit from it may not be aware of their position, and when their privilege is pointed out, they have a hard truth to face. Many refuse to…
August 10, 2018 Columns by John Connor Plumbing the Depths Well, this is going to be a niche market: A picture of a toilet should grab the attention of any plumber who’s now got MS and reads Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Victories need to be celebrated no matter how small the Venn diagram is! The toilet looks OK.
August 8, 2018 Columns by Cathy Chester Researchers Have a New Theory About What May Cause Multiple Sclerosis When the following headline in the Australian newspaper the Herald Sun caught my eye recently, I was cautiously intrigued: “Doctors believe they have discovered the cause of multiple sclerosis” My cynical heart didnāt go pitter-patter as…
August 8, 2018 Columns by Mike Knight A Good MS Problem to Have: What to Do When I Feel Great? I knew it was going to be one of those days as soon as I opened my eyes. I woke in some sort of half-start, my eyelids popping abruptly open as I looked up at the ceiling. Something seemed…
August 7, 2018 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Revelations Learned in My Aha! Moments Have you ever asked yourself, āWhat am I supposed to do with my life?” or, “How did I get here?” I have asked these questions several times throughout my existence. Those questions regurgitated at the occurrence of every life-altering event. I did not receive a definitive answer that appeased…
August 6, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson Living With MS and Remaining Positive Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) could be compared to having an annoying house guest who never leaves. You can tolerate them at first, but soon your nerves and resilience wear thin. You try to accept and adapt to the house guest, but you never give up on trying to…
August 3, 2018 Columns by John Connor Downbeat, but Upbeat Most weeks with MS are downbeat. That’s hardly a way to capture a reader’s attention ā all of us struggle. What we need is light to blow away the shade. Last night as I climbed the stairs to bed, my legs gave out with three stairs to go. Luckily,…
August 3, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Healthcare Is Expensive, So Why Don’t We Comparison Shop? If you’re going to buy a car, do you limit your shopping to just one car dealer? If you need gas, do you drive past three inexpensive service stations because someone told you to fill up at a fourth, where the price is much higher? I don’t think so.