December 20, 2017 Columns by Cathy Chester The Relationship Between Gut Bacteria and Multiple Sclerosis This year, I wrote several articles about gut health because, in addition to MS, thatās what Iām currently battling. Writing is cathartic, so when an issue hits close to home, pouring words onto paper … er, a laptop, is a godsend. Itās like having a…
December 20, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Free Your Fascia! One of the most frustrating aspects of my MS is a frequent feeling of tightness and pain. The sensations may be in my arms, legs, or even in the trunk of my body in the form of the “MS hug.” Gabapentin helps to keep the pain…
December 19, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Monkey See, Monkey Do: Helping Hands for People with MS I was just monkeying around while on vacation a few weeks ago, amazed that the animals jumping between my wife and myself were actually listening to the commands of their owner. I knew that chimps and apes were smart, but seeing monkeys respond to commands was new to me.
December 18, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: MS Pain, Your Bioclock, Remyelination Chronic and Neuropathic Pain in MS Patients Should Be Routinely Evaluated, Study Says The next time a doctor tells you that there’s no pain associated with MS, point them to this study. Yes, MS can cause chronic pain and, yes, the pain can be caused by nervous system lesions.
December 15, 2017 Columns by Jamie Hughes The Greatest Gifts Christmas is just around the corner, and thatās why many people are on the fruitless quest for Fingerlings or hocking an organ to buy the new iPhone. Both might be the āhotā presents of the season, but neither of them holds a candle to the great gifts we…
December 15, 2017 Columns by John Connor On the Road It’s 4 a.m. and, unsurprisingly, I’m laying flat on my back. Yesterday, I had a whale of a time and now I feel like a beached one. I’m not in my own bed because I’m staying in a tres jolie bed-and-breakfast in Northern France. The trouble is the bed…
December 15, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Using Biotin? It Could Impact Your Lab Results Be careful if you’re using high-dose biotin (vitamin B7). The biotin in your blood could lead to some false readings when you have that blood tested. The level of concern about this is high enough to warrant aĀ warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. High doses of biotin…
December 14, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: Neurogenic Bladder, Neuropsychologist and More Words That Start With ‘N’ (Editorās note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this column referencing terms starting with the letter “N.”) Symptoms of MS Neurogenic bladder Many people with MS experience problems with the bladder. A neurogenic…
December 14, 2017 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Energy Efficiency and MS I am tired, like beyond tired. I make tired look scintillating, and as funny as that sounds, it is anything but when trying to live your life. My spoons are numbered, and by midday, I am usually through all of them. Before you deem me crazy, I am referencing…
December 13, 2017 Columns by Mike Knight Arrested Development: A Moving Tribute to Physical Therapy I am on āhouse arrest.ā Sort of. Let me explain. Earlier this year, I wrote Large and In Charge: Building a Better MS Care Team, a column about my frustration with my āMS…
December 12, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson My ABCs of Gratitude: Reflections of an MS Warrior Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful; a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. By definition, we can infer that, in addition to it being a quality, it is also an act. Gratitude is not an exact science, it takes practice, development, participation and…
December 12, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Should MS Therapy Prices Reflect How Diligently We Take Our Meds? Would you be more likely to stick to your MS drug schedule if being diligent lowered the cost of that drug? Biogen, which makes half a dozen MS drugs, including Avonex and Tysabri, seems to be betting that you would. It’s no secret that patients have…
December 11, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Mavenclad, Steroids, Blood Tests, Laquinimod, MS Diagnosis Health Canada Approves Merckās Mavenclad to Treat RRMS The European Union OK’d Mavenclad back in August. Now, Canada has come on board with approval for this oral MS therapy, which has been reporting very good success at attacking MS. How about the United States joining them? Apparently,…
December 8, 2017 Columns by John Connor Poetic Justice to be a Party Pooper In my angst-ridden teen years, I wrote poetry. It was truly dreadful and should have disappeared in the wash of personal history. Luckily, it was the mid-’70s, and in those pre-internet days, it was committed only in pen to scrappy paper rather than as a confessional to the…
December 8, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias What I Learned About My MS While on Vacation You wouldn’t think that a guy who was diagnosed with MS more than 37 years ago would still be able to learn a thing or two about his disease. But that’s exactly what I did while on vacation about a week ago. I guess I really did know…
December 7, 2017 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Finding Peace During the Holidays The Christmas season is upon us ā decorations, shopping, and get-togethers dominate the month of December. If you tune into the Hallmark channel you will see this season as synonymous with love, laughter, and an abundance of cheer. With joy the prevailing theme it can be difficult to experience…
December 7, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Advances in MRI Readings My neurologist orders an annual MRI to see if any major changes have occurred, and last year my imaging included NeuroQuant software. NeuroQuant is still relatively unknown in the multiple sclerosis patient community. It is a measuring software that gives us real numbers we can comprehend instead of subjective…
December 6, 2017 Columns by Cathy Chester 6 Tips to Enjoy This Merry Month of December Whenever I turn the pages of my wall calendar to December, I look at the word itself ā DECEMBER ā and my heart fills with joy. And admittedly a little dread. Joy, because my husband and son have birthdays a week apart, itās…
December 5, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Treat Others as You Wish to Be Treated: An Open Letter to Our Spouses and Partners My journey in life has allowed me to connect with and meet people from all over the world. For this, I am blessed. Iāve met many diagnosed with MS and other chronic illnesses. All of our experiences are different and we have varying levels of support. A little while…
December 5, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Social Media’s World of MS Misinformation I’m worried about social media. Specifically, I’m worried about the many MS-related groups in the Facebook world. There are general MS groups and there are groups dedicated to specific MS treatments. I belong to several, and though there’s a great deal of useful information in these groups, there’s…
December 4, 2017 Columns by guest columnist Bryan Bickell: 365 Days with MS and Still Fighting Editor’s Note: Bryan Bickell, a second-round National Hockey League draft for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2004, played his last NHL game as a forward with the Carolina Hurricanes in April 2017, some five months after being diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis. Bickell played on the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup-winning teams in…
December 1, 2017 Columns by Jamie Hughes Holding ‘Space’ for Others When a friend or loved one is going through a tough time, itās hard to know how best to help. Do you help carry the burden? Would it be better to offer support from a distance and give the person space? Life can be hard and awkward and…
December 1, 2017 Columns by John Connor What Keeps Me Going ā and Smiling Shooting the breeze after work has been part of my professional life for 27 years. We’re all winding down, yes, but I’m actually still working. New ideas, niggles, gossip are thrown together over drinks. True, many of the younger generation’s beverages these days are non-alcoholic, so they tend not…
December 1, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias A Wheelchair that Drives Itself I never thought I’d find a subject for this MS column in the technology magazine Wired. But, what do you know? A recent article suggested that the same technology being used to create self-driving cars could (and should) be used to create self-driving wheelchairs. Artist and…
November 30, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: Mimic, Marcus Gunn Pupil, Mitochondria, and Other ‘M’ Words Editorās note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with the second of two columns about terms starting with the letter “M.” Symptoms of MS Marcus Gunn pupil This is a sign of emerging MS that may be discovered during what is known as the…
November 30, 2017 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Gratitude Is Calling. Don’t Let MS Stop You from Answering I find it incredibly ironic that the day after we pause to give thanks for whom and for what we have, we are breaking down doors and fighting one another in the name of Black Friday. While easy to proclaim in the fervency of the season among family…
November 29, 2017 Columns by Mike Knight Dis-labeled: How I Got Right with Being Disabled Though I donāt always use it, I take my cane with me every time we go shopping. I can still shuffle to the cart pickup and drop-off without it and the cart doubles as my walker. Canes can be clunky, arenāt easily stored, and I simply…
November 29, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Exercise and Benefits of an Online Personal Trainer We all have heard that physical activity is important for maintaining health, strength and well-being. It may be even more important for people with MS. Exercise has been shown toĀ improve balance, strengthenĀ brain connections, improve sleep,Ā reduce pain,Ā help…
November 28, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias She Has MS and She Just Hiked 500 Miles Well, 460.75 miles (741.5 km), to be exact. When I wrote about April Hester in late September, the headline on my column was “She Has MS and She’s Planning to Hike 500 Miles.” Well, she did it, hiking the Palmetto Trail from Walhalla, in the South…
November 21, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Still, I Am Grateful and Giving Thanks I canāt believe Thanksgiving is only a few days away. Time truly passes quickly. The holidays are bittersweet for me; I experience both joy and unrest. I believe there are others who can relate. The holiday season can be stressful and I always try to pace myself. In…