June 30, 2017 Columns by John Connor I’m an Only-Can-Do-One-Thing-a-Day Sort of Person So, I recently signed up to join a new and much closer exercise class. The previous drive of nearly an hour each way had proved to be beyond my range. Actually doing exercise when I got there seemed bonkers! But I haven’t been there as of yet ā my…
June 30, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias My Lemtrada Journey: A 6āMonth Report It’s been a little over six months since I completed Round 1 of my Lemtrada infusions, so it’s time again to ask myself, “How am I doing?” The answer: I’m not sure. For many years, my brain MRI has remained unchanged. I can’t remember the last time…
June 29, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: Foot Drop, Flexion, Fingolimod, and More ‘F’ Terms (Editorās note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this first of two columns about terms starting with the letter āF.ā) When it comes to multiple sclerosis, mastering an understanding of the disease means you need to mind your Ps and…
June 28, 2017 Columns by Cathy Chester 4 Ways to Care for Yourself While Caring for Others How can you care for your MS when a loved one is ill? You want to be able to care for others despite your own daily struggles. As unpredictable as MS is, what is predictable is that your life will be touched by the…
June 28, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Can You Cultivate Happiness as a Habit? Last week, I shared details ofĀ Everyday Matters,Ā a program by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This self-directed, multi-week program uses the principles of positive psychology. The readings, lessons, and exercises need not be completed in a particular order, but I am going to start my exploration of…
June 28, 2017 Columns by Mike Knight Pardon the Introduction: My Life with MS in Motion Though my first brush with MS cameĀ in 2000 or so,Ā I wasn’tĀ diagnosed untilĀ December 2013 with primary progressive MS. Shortly after the diagnosis, I began scouring the internet for information about the disease and how to live with it. Sound familiar? I found…
June 27, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson MS, Religion, and Spirituality: Why I Believe In God Religion and spirituality are personal, delicate issues for many. Various schools of thought exist, and I havenāt the desire or the ability to deem one more important than the other. Writing about religious and spiritual matters is at times taboo in an often secular world. I can, however,…
June 27, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias If My MRI Is Stable, Why Is My Walking Getting Worse? During a routine exam with my neurologist recently, I asked her a question I’d never thought to ask before: “Why do you order regular MRIs of my brain, but not of my spine?” Interestingly, within a few days of my exam, a Harvard Med School study was…
June 26, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye This Week: Brain Scans, Spasticity, Tecfidera Study and Cigarettes In case you missedĀ them, here are some news stories that appeared in MS News Today that caught my eye over the past week. **** Harvard Study Finds No Link Between Clinical Exams and MRIs in Some MS Patients I’m really not surprised…
June 23, 2017 Columns by John Connor So Tired of This It’s summer in the U.K., and it’s hot. That’s cause for celebration for everyone but us. It’s actually the hottest June day since 1986. Heat immediately spikes my fatigue. For some of us, the cold does the same. Thankfully, not me ā I get the winter off. According…
June 23, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Ocrevus, Hope, and a Suicide Postponed Several months ago, I wrote a column about Andrew Barclay. Barclay died in an assisted suicide in December. He’d had multiple sclerosis for many years. Colin Campbell is a 56-year-old MS patient who lives in Inverness, Scotland. He also wanted to die. In fact, he was scheduled…
June 22, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman MS Alphabet: EAE, Endothelium, EpsteināBarr, and other ‘E’ Words (Editorās note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this second of two parts on terms starting with the letter āE.ā Read the first part here.) When it comes to multiple sclerosis, mastering an understanding of the disease means you…
June 21, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Everyday Matters: A Positive Program for People with MS Many years ago, not long after my MS diagnosis, my cousin gave me a āgratitude journal.ā At that time, I was all too aware of what I was not grateful for. The thought of giving thanks was daunting. But the journal suggested writing down just three things a…
June 21, 2017 Columns by Mike Knight How Pilates Changed My Life ā¦ and My MS, Part Four, Addendum: Home Gym For $100 Earlier this year, I visited a physical therapist Iād seen way back in my running days to devise a home workout routine that could help me address not only foot drop-related issues, but also a routine Iād actually do. One of the challenges I have with PT is doing…
June 20, 2017 Columns by Patricia Silva, PhD MS and Catheterization, Part 2: Outside the Hospital Catheterization training in the hospital did not prepare me for how to manage on a daily basis. In my last column, I described how I ended up in the hospital unable to urinate at all. In this column, I will cover more details about what I learned along…
June 20, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Hyping MS Headlines Is Uncool Once again, over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been blasted with headlines trumpeting a new MS discovery. Last month there were headlines about an inexpensive acne drug that supposedly could be used to reduce the symptoms of early MS. This month it’s headlines about a “cure”…
June 19, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson My MS Speech Issues, and Why I Want to Head Off Any Swallowing Problems Many of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis feel random, and can be down right terrifying. I’ve recently been suffering from a scary MS symptom: slurred speech, also known as dysarthria. I open my mouth expecting the words I have chosen to appear. Instead, I slur and stutter…
June 19, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye This Week: Pollution, Salt, Stress, and Air Travel In case you missedĀ them, here are some news stories that appeared in MS News Today that caught my eye over the past week. **** Air Pollution May Trigger Relapses in MS Patients, French Study Finds Attention if you live in location where the air…
June 16, 2017 Columns by Jamie Hughes All the Power You Possess: How ‘Wonder Woman’ Reminds Us Who We Are Like millions of other fans, I happily plunked down $13 to launch “Wonder Woman” into blockbuster status on its opening weekend. In fact, I was so excited that I purchased dress-up kits for my gal pal, Amy, and me. Yes, as 40-somethings, we attended a film resplendent…
June 16, 2017 Columns by John Connor Looking Back in Anger Back in the day, I always wanted to be a columnist. That day was so long ago it was before sunrise. In my youthful naivety, I never thought about generating an idea a week. I also never considered it would be about my travails with an illness. Still,…
June 16, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias My Opportunity to Speak with ‘Big Pharma’ I was in Boston last week at the headquarters of Sanofi Genzyme. Yes, the big drug company. They brought together several people they consider to be “digital influencers” to pick their brains about what’s on the minds of people like you, who read what we write. Sanofi…
June 15, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski A Looming Crisis in MS Research and Care Editorās note: Patient columnist Laura Kolaczkowski attended the 31st annual Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers conference in New Orleans. Weāre facing a major problem in the near future due to a shortage of researchers for multiple sclerosis, according to Jerry Wolinsky, MD, Bartels Family and Opal…
June 15, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman How to Survive Business Travel When You Have MS I just spent a week in Boston at an industry conference. I realized Iāve mastered the art of preparing for long-distance excursions since my last flare-up four years ago. Business trips used to be so intimidating to me. Now, Iām much better at packing,…
June 14, 2017 Columns by Cathy Chester BrainHQ is Fun Way to Improve Overall Cognitive Function in MS At times it can be difficult to knowĀ whetherĀ the cognitive issues I experience are the result of aging or multiple sclerosis. According to The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ (NMSS)Ā more than half of those living with MS develop problems with cognition, and in some cases…
June 14, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn My Bad Attitude About Lassitude, the Clunky Term for MS Fatigue Fatigue is a topic I have not wanted to write about. It’s not because the subject isn’t important. As I hemmed and hawed about this weekās column topic, fading in and out of an annoying cognitive fog brought on by increased MS fatigue, the task-minded side of me…
June 14, 2017 Columns by Mike Knight How Pilates Changed My Life ā¦ and My MS, Part Three: Mariska Brelandās Pilates Tips Note to readers: This is the last of a three-part series focusing on the valuable role Pilates has played in my life with MS. If you missed the first two, youāll find them here and here. This column focuses on…
June 13, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Life Lessons from Children: Fall Down, Get Up and Don’t Stop Trying I have had the privilege of watching several children grow into adulthood, and witnessing their transformation has been priceless. I haveĀ experienced extreme joy, sorrow, pride, and disappointment; all of the many emotions associated with life itself. However, what I find truly amazing is the innocence and determination of…
June 12, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson A Glimpse at Jason, a Loving Dad with MS, as Father’s Day Nears Father’s Day is Sunday, June 18, in the U.S. There are a lot of good fathers out there, but one I wanted to tell you about is my friend Jason Clark. He is a caring husband to his wife, Jenny, and an amazing father to his four children.
June 12, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye: New Ocrevus Study, Minority Patients, Zocor, MS and the ‘Social Brain’ In case you missedĀ them, here are some news stories that appeared in MS News Today that caught my eye over the past week. Ocrevus Phase 3 Trial Will Explore How Treatment Works by Viewing Changes in Spinal Fluid This new clinical study will try to…
June 9, 2017 Columns by John Connor Living with MS: There’s a World Out There One of the most dispiriting aspects of a chronic illness is that it traps you in your own world. Major events happen but these are filtered against the achievement of actually being able to get yourself to the bathroom. At the time of writing, we in the U.K.