February 5, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Testosterone and MS, Ocrevus in the UK, Enhanced MRI Technology, Ublituximab Trial Results Researchers Identify Testosterone-triggered Molecule That Protects Men From MS This finding is an extension of research that has already indicated that a higher testosterone level reduces the chance of a person developing multiple sclerosis (MS). This new research focuses on a testosterone-related molecule that,Ā these…
February 2, 2018 Columns by Jamie Hughes Rest on the Water: A Flirtation with Flotation to Find Silence Iām currently working on an essay about the power of silence. And, in the process of planning this thing, I realized I donāt do so well with it ā especially at night. So, to work my way through this topic, I began looking for ways to experience true silence.
February 2, 2018 Columns by John Connor In Me Shorts, Midwinter: Why a Kilt Would Be Welcome It was Burns Night last week, which is always a joy. I love whisky and am very partial to haggis (tricky to source, as we only buy the outdoor roving haggis!). A few years before MS hit, I went to a Burns Night supper where the only thing…
February 2, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Affording Your MS … or Not, You’re Likely Paying Either Way Have you been in this Catch-22? You had great medical insurance when you were working. But, you’re not working anymore. Your insurance now comes with a $6,000 deductible and it doesn’t cover any medications. That $6,000 is about a fifth of your yearly income.Ā You took early retirement because of…
February 1, 2018 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: Plaque, PRV, Placebo, and Other ‘P’ Words (Part 5 of 7) Editorās note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this column referencing terms starting with the letter “P.” This column is fifth in a series of seven. Symptoms of MS Plaque This is one of the common…
February 1, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Navigating Relationships with MS Relationships are work. When you add in a chronic, progressive disease, the work becomes exponential. This is not to say work is a bad thing, as we reap immense rewards when we put effort into anything. Rather, anything worth doing…
February 1, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Minority Engagement in MS Research Engaging all types of people for research isnāt just a nice thought. It is critical to obtaining research results that will be meaningful. Middle-aged white women are often the people who volunteer for studies. Men, young people, and most significantly, people of color, lack representation in studies. According…
January 31, 2018 Columns by Mike Knight Dazed and Confused: Tips for when Gravity Calls Nothing resets your thinking like bouncing your head off a hardwood floor. At least, for me. It was about 10 p.m. on a Saturday night, and we were shutting down the house. That routine consists of turning lights off, locking doors, and plugging in phones and…
January 30, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias The Big Pharma-Government Revolving Door Is Spinning You may have heard that there’s a new secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the United States. HHS is the department that guides the nation’s healthcare programs and policy, and the person in charge has a huuuge influence over the cost and scope of the medical care…
January 29, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson Tips to Ease Anxiety, an Often Overlooked Effect of MS Since the onset of my MS, I have been acutely aware that stress and anxiety can wreak havoc on my body. Being anxious is not a comfortable feeling, whether you have a chronic illness or not. This past weekend was my husband’s celebration of life service. With his…
January 29, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Medical Marijuana Gum, Brain Stimulation and Fatigue, Gilenya Study, Invisible Diseases Holland Approves Clinical Trial Plans for AXIMās Cannabis-based Gum for MS Pain and Spasticity Because the state where I live has only recently approved the use of medical marijuana, I haven’t had the opportunity to try it for my MS. From what I’ve read, various blends of…
January 26, 2018 Columns by John Connor The Antibiotic Time Loop My arms are heavy. Strong antibiotics have held off a urinary tract infection (UTI)Ā for the last eight weeks ā evolution isn’t on my side. In fact, I’m distinctly beginning to feel like the British Expeditionary Force in Dunkirk in May 1940. Surrounded, with my only hope over the…
January 26, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Cooking Dinner when MS Fatigue Has You Down The TV was on as background noise the other day, but the words of the commercial cut right through my noise filter. With a little drum beat in the background, a woman’s voice was saying, “The doctor called me and she was, like, ‘You have multiple sclerosis.'” “Another drug…
January 25, 2018 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: Provigil, Progression, Plantar Reflex, and Other ‘P’ Words (Part 4 of 7) Editorās note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this column referencing terms starting with the letter P. This post comes fourth in a series of seven. Symptoms of MS Postural tremor Tremors (specifically, cerebellar tremors) are a common symptom of MS. A…
January 25, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Coming out of the Cog Fog I am watching the computer curser taunt my inability to collect my thoughts. Three days out of chemotherapy, my brain is more fried than usual, the fog thick and dense. For those unfamiliar with cog fog (cognitive fog), it is a clouding…
January 24, 2018 Columns by Judy Lynn Hopping Down the Symptom Trail: Myofascial Release It seemed to be such a harmless rabbit hole. After last weekās column on Rolfing ā and a response divided between those who thought it sounded like terrible torture and those who agreed it was torture but they liked it ā I decided to explore some other ideas…
January 23, 2018 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Look to the Hills: Words of Encouragement from a Cancer Survivor to an MS Warrior We endured another devastating loss this week. My beloved sister-in-law, a cancer survivor whom I affectionately called sister, passed away. Although we knew her disease was terminal, she passed away unexpectedly in her sleep. Death is never easy, and no matter how much we try, we cannot entirely prepare…
January 23, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Who Are You to Tell Me What MS Therapy I Need? I’m used to seeing insurance companies here in the United States make decisions about MS therapies, including refusing to pay for certain treatments unless other, less expensive ones are tried first. These, of course, are decisions that should be made between patients and their doctors, not by insurers.
January 22, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ocrevus in the EU, Salt and Cognitive Problems, Searching for Myelin, Tecfidera Tolerance European Commission Approves Ocrevus to Treat RRMS, PPMS Throughout EU This is a biggie. It’s been nearly a year since the FDA approved the use of Ocrevus here in the U.S. Finally, it’s been given the green light in Europe. Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and various countries in…
January 19, 2018 Columns by Jamie Hughes Chicken Soup Has Super Powers Get plenty of rest. Drink lots of warm fluids. Use a humidifier. Gargle and flush your sinuses with warm salt water. Blow your nose early and often. Take over-the-counter medications. Eat some chicken soup. No doubt, you know what Iām talking about when you read this list of…
January 19, 2018 Columns by John Connor It’s Been a Bad Week It was late. I dropped the TV remote on the bedroom floor. No biggie. I was sitting on my commode (don’t worry, it was in its chair configuration!) and was reasonably close to the ground. No thinking involved, I leaned over to pick it up as I’ve done many,…
January 19, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Heavy-hitting MS Therapies Now Being Used Sooner for Some Patients I’m sitting in Florida and the start of spring training is only about six weeks from now, so please forgive a baseball analogy: The heavy-hitters of the MS-fighting treatments, the monoclonal antibodiesĀ (mAbs), are moving up in the lineup. Five treatments currently are in the mAbs class:Ā Ocrevus,…
January 18, 2018 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: Pseudoexacerbation, PEG, Pycnogenol, and More ‘P’ Words (Part 3 of 7) Editorās note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the “MS alphabet” with this column referencing terms starting with the letter P. This post comes third in a series of seven. Symptoms of MS Pseudoexacerbation Sometimes a person with MS may feel they…
January 18, 2018 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski What We Can Learn from Longevity’s Link to Quality of Life Quality of life. These three words conjure different images for people, depending on their needs. Quality of life could mean having improved health, good relationships with others, and stress-free life. In the world of medical research, quality of life (QoL), is an endpoint result that is often understudied…
January 17, 2018 Columns by Cathy Chester MS, Gut Bacteria, and the Lonely, Stressful Job of Finding Your Way My life has been in limbo for several months and itās been a dark and scary place to be. One quickly learns that life can be unpredictable when living with multiple sclerosis. Each day can bring different challenges and life will never be…
January 17, 2018 Columns by Mike Knight Stair Master: My Hip Flexors Donāt Lie! What Iām about to write will sound like I am tooting my own horn. Iām not. Really. But something is working for me in my battle to navigate the stairs in our house, something that might help others…
January 17, 2018 Columns by Judy Lynn Rolfing and MS: Bliss or Pain? Invisible symptoms can create an isolating experience for people with MS. I recently was reminded of the power that lies in finding community and shared experience. Last monthās columnĀ discussed the chronic tightness and pain I experience. I then explored whether fascia may play a role in this…
January 16, 2018 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson The Stigma Surrounding Depression Lots of columns and articles look at issues surrounding the topics of depression and mental health-related disorders. I have referenced them in various columns. What saddens me is the stigma surrounding depression that prevails in our society. There are many who struggle with depression and other forms of…
January 16, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias A Tough Year to Fight the Flu I’m fighting a cold. I’m coughing and I’m congested. I’m hoping it’s not the flu. This is not a year to get the flu. The type of flu circulating in most of North America right now is the H3N2 variety. And, in the words of Helen Branswell…
January 15, 2018 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: Phosphenes, Plegridy, Plasticity, and Other ‘P’ Terms (Part 7 of 7) Editorās note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the “MS alphabet” with this column referencing terms starting with the letter “P.” Last in a series of seven. Symptoms of MS Phosphenes If you’ve ever noticed bright, flashing, swirling, or circular light patterns on the…