Columns

A Day on the Beach, Yet So Much More!

The royal blue kite struggled to stay in flight; the winds remained fickle on our day at the beach. I was mesmerized while watching a man and woman so fervently trying to manage the small diving diamond in the sky. The more I watched, the clearer the metaphor…

How Dare You?

If you read my last column, youā€™re well aware that there has been some drama around Casa de Hughes over the last few weeks. I can now happily say that the situation has been resolved and weā€™re trying to get things back to a more normal, humane pace.

Dear Diary

I never kept a diary.Ā I did sometimes muse about itĀ but reckoned I’d never become famous enough for one to be useful. Well, at least in that I was right. Until the rise of the smartphone, anniversaries and birthdays were flagged by my oldest son, who has the gift…

Running (Wheeling) on Empty

Arguments over nothing and everything are, in my experience, induced by extreme stress. When my wife and I were at full bore working together, this often happened. Not at work ā€” there wasn’t time ā€” and we were professional. Domestically, what little downtime we had would often be spent…

Two MS Medications Appear on FDA’s Shame List

Two multiple sclerosis medications that are both popular and expensive are on a new list that U.S. regulators hope will increase price competition. The medications are Ampyra (dalfampridine), made by Acorda, and TecfideraĀ (dimethyl fumarate), by Biogen. They’re included on a list of more than 50…

MS and Healing Through Healthy Eating

Awareness is, at times, barely imperceptible, a quiet conviction that lies within. As with most truths, they are self-evident long before we decide to own them. And when we do, it is as if we have opened our eyes for the first time. My eyes are open. Living with progressive…

MS and Mental Illness: The World Needs You

Spring has sprung! As I look around, Mother Earth is in bloom. Trees are sprouting new leaves, plants are growing, and the grass isĀ green once again. I love spring and all that it represents ā€” hopes for new birth and rebirth. For those who are unaware, May is Mental…

I Have MS and I’m Very Lucky

National Nurses Week was earlier this month. I’m a little late saying it, but, ā€œThank you, nurses.” And doctors. I’m really a lucky guy. Lucky to have had fabulous nurses. Lucky to have had a couple of top-notch neurologists. My luck began in August 1980 with Dr. Stanley…

When the Bomb Goes Off

Itā€™s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security, to think youā€™re the supreme authority in your life. And when that ersatz truth is ripped away, as it was for my husband and me the last week, it can be hard to regain your footing. Iā€™ll spare…

Chained to My Desk

The tinkling laughter of tiny children filters through the windows of my bedroom. It’s a sunny Sunday afternoon. In years past, I would be sitting in the garden watching my grandnieces play. Undoubtedly with a large jug of Pimm’s that I would have concocted for the assembled adults. We’re…

A Pediatric MS Medication Gets the OK

Until about a week ago, no medication was approved in the U.S. to treat patients with pediatric-onset MS (POMS). Now there is one. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given its OK to use Gilenya (fingolimod) to treat relapsing MS in children and adolescents starting at…

Healthcare Costs Can Depend on Where You Live

A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that healthcare costs in the U.S. are increasing faster than general inflation. AsĀ character Private Gomer Pyle used to say on his 1960s TV show, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!” Really, those of us with a medical problem such as MS…

MS Is Frustrating, So It’s Healthy to Talk About It

We all have taken advice or read about how to manage our multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. And we can share with our doctors, spouses, children, or friends about our experiences. But a far better emotional therapy is empathizing with a fellow MS warrior. People can’t understand living with MS…

Crawling to Deadline

It’s 3:15 p.m. U.K. time on Wednesday, May 9, 2018. My deadline for this column is actually 3 p.m. Gone are the days of blaming the dog for eating my homework; it’s only in the last few minutes that I’ve actually been able to move a bit. From 8:30…

MS, Walkers, Wheelchairs, and Guns (Part 2)

A little over a year ago, in this column, I asked if it was safe for someone with MS to handle a gun. I wondered whether there would be safety issues due to problems with grip strength, balance, eyesight, and all the other various difficulties people with MS have…

My Scars Are Beautiful

Our life experiences shape and define who we are. While some wash over us and dissipate, others leave indelible impressions. Both emotional and physical, our scars hold our past and influence our future. We are the totality of these scars and their narrative is powerful. Each is a chapter in…

My Solemn Truth on Pain and Suffering

As some have said, ā€œPain is inevitable; suffering is optional.ā€ I believe I am an optimistic, grateful, and spiritual woman. With that said, I must acknowledge that I have an irresolute reaction when I hear that suffering is optional. Suffering is defined as the state of undergoing pain, distress,…

I Am So Much More than My MS

Every personality test and trait indicator quiz I take tells me the same thing: Iā€™m a polymath. Basically, itā€™s a fancy Greek word meaning ā€œa person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning.ā€ I take delight in gathering interesting facts or stories. I take pleasure in learning for learningā€™s sake. (Hence,…

Knowing Me, Knowing MS

The problem with writing a weekly column is I always need to come up with new ideas. Luckily, or rather, unluckily, MS always throws me a U.S. sports-shaped analogy ā€” one of those trickily disguised curveballs. I wasn’t even going to attempt to write this week. Not because of…