Columns

If you have MS, you’ve probably used a specialty drug. My first was Avonex, which I began to use about 1998. Several others followed. There’s no formal definition of a specialty drug, but these therapies have several things in common. First, they’re expensive. According to the vice president in…

(Editor’s note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this column about terms starting with the letters J and K.) Symptoms of MS Kyphosis More commonly referred to as “hunchback” or “dowager’s hump,” kyphosis is a term that refers to an outward curvature of…

Some days are easier than others, and some days are just not easy at all. Today I find myself in the latter of the two. It’s Monday morning, and my Sunday was insane: insanely busy, insanely fun, and insanely difficult. While…

I’ve been at a conference the last few days where scholars from around the world are discussing health literacy. It’s a subject much more complicated than just wondering at what level a person might read, or if they can read at all. It’s also a discipline rooted in…

For those of us in the workforce, our MS can sometimes make a workday challenging. The Americans with Disabilities Act allows for an employee to request reasonable accommodations from their employer. Included in the act are three broad accommodation categories. One focuses on the hiring process, and…

We are familiar with the “why me” moments? I reference this often because it is a recurring subject in the lives of people with chronic illness. As a little girl I’d ask my parents why my heart is sick, and as an adult, I still ask why have I…

Lemtrada Prevented Progression of Multiple Sclerosis for Five Years, Study Shows Full disclosure: I’m being treated with Lemtrada, so any news about it lights up my radar like a Christmas tree. I’m 10 months post-round 1 and am doing well — and this news looks like it’s…

It looks like a dog’s leash, but it isn’t. I put in “dog’s lead” and “disabled apparatus” into my first Google search and fittingly was taken down into a rabbit’s warren of equipment for psychically challenged dogs. Who knew? It’s a nifty bit of kit for moving your leg…

I’ve had a cold for two weeks. So, I’ve been more tired than usual. Too tired, in fact, to write the column that was supposed to post last Tuesday. (I apologize to all of you who wait, with bated breath, for the appearance of the MS Wire each…

I am an avid dog lover and very involved in volunteering with the golden retriever rescue here in Southern California. On any given day, you will find my 8-year-old rescue, Abby, here along with two to three other happy golden retrievers. I may have  rescued Abby physically, but there…

When talking about MS research, we tend to focus on drug development because improved therapies, and even the cure for MS, will come from pharmaceuticals. But what do we know about other MS research that doesn’t involve taking a pill or enduring an injection? I’m talking about those…

Sometimes walking, even with an assistance device, can be very challenging because of the extreme muscle weakness that I experience. The slow, off-balanced gait that has been my constant companion for many years prior to my 2010 multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis is definitely on the decline. Accepting the…

Falls Common Among Wheelchair, Scooter Users in People with MS, Study Reports It’s happened to me. I’ve gone over backward when I tried to “gun” the throttle of my lightweight scooter when its rear wheels were up against a door threshold. And my heavier scooter can have a…

I became a Christian when I was 8, and though I’ve wrestled with my faith at various points in my life, I’ve never once doubted my decision to follow Christ. Multiple sclerosis didn’t change this fact in the slightest. In fact, my illness made my faith stronger and…

I was going to write about something else, then my MS got in the way. Intellectually, I know MS is very up-and-down, but often when the down hits, I think the worst has happened. I went to my exercise class this week and struggled. Got home and recovered.

April Hester has MS. She was diagnosed in 1996, just after she turned 20 years old. Like many of us, April has balance and fatigue issues. Her legs can become tired, her foot sometimes drops and she falls a lot. But unlike many of us, April and her…

(Editor’s note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this column about terms starting with the letter I.) Symptoms of MS Incontinence A common symptom of MS, incontinence refers to an inability to control one’s…

I pride myself on never lending power to my limitations, but when I became the primary caretaker for my husband after he underwent hip replacement surgery, my limitations were reached. Ten days later, I am slowly emerging as a somewhat functioning individual. As with most challenges, I tend…

Do you ever stop and ponder the value of MS drugs? I’m not talking about if they work and the ways they improve our lives. I’m thinking of the COST of them and what their pricing means to investors. I get several market analysis reports on the pharmaceutical industry,…

When you’re living with multiple sclerosis, it’s important to surround yourself with a community of people who give you the kind of support and understanding you need. When I was diagnosed in 1986, there was no internet to help me find a community,…

Our world is chaotic right now. I literally have to disengage from social media and periodically turn off the news just to rejuvenate my spirit and find some peace. It is difficult to remain positive in a pessimistic society. We are divided by politics and spiritual beliefs. We are…

I’ve been using a Bioness L300 for just over five years to counter my foot drop. Without the L300 strapped to my left leg, it’s difficult for me to walk more than 25 or 30 steps, even with two canes. The L300 is a functional electronic…

Irritability can strike anyone at anytime, and pain, illness, depression — or just having a bad day — can all lead to feelings of anxiety and irritability. To those of us with multiple sclerosis (MS), being irritable can come from all of those causes, plus a whole lot more.

IQuity Taking Orders for RNA-based Blood Test That Can Detect MS Early with 90% Accuracy Can it be that there’s now a blood test that can help diagnose MS? This company says it has one and doctors can order it. For a disease that’s always been…

And so the good news is that if you have MS, then you can get an enhanced annuity in the United Kingdom. That is a higher payment for the rest of your life than if you were well. That’s because our illness may reduce life expectancy. A recent survey…

Have you heard of a healthcare “reform” proposal in the U.S. Senate called “Graham-Cassidy?” If not, take heed because Graham-Cassidy is a last-ditch effort by Republicans on Capitol Hill, led by Senators Lindsay Graham (SC), Bill Cassidy (LA), Dean Heller (NV), and Ron Johnson (WI), to limit healthcare…

The past two weekends found me venturing off on my own for some mini-road trips. Two weeks ago, I volunteered at Bike MS a hundred miles away from my house. I interacted with others during the day and then returned alone and happy to a quiet, peaceful hotel room.

“I’m sorry, these files take forever to copy,” the woman at the registration desk says, breaking the silence that had settled between us while she uploaded MRI scans from the CD I gave her moments earlier. “I know it can be a…

This is a story about sports. It’s not really about MS, it’s about playing football. But, then again, it is about MS. Stick with me and you’ll see. The story is about a young man named Jake Olson. Olson is a student at the University of Southern California,…

As patients, we deserve the best care for our MS and we should accept nothing less. I have had many years of difficulty trying to find adequate MS care since my diagnosis in 2010. I have gone from neurologist to neurologist, even before I knew my symptoms pointed to MS. My…