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Play On: What Baseball Has Taught Me About MS

When people ask me what I love, I usually respond, ā€œGod, my family, and St. Louis Cardinals baseball ā€¦ in that order.ā€ Other than the Razorbacks, Arkansas (my home state) doesnā€™t have much in the way of athletic bragging rights. Both when I was a kid and now,…

Ocrevus: Counting Down to Expected FDA Approval

There is now less than a month until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to approve Ocrevus, generic name ocrelizumab, for use as a therapy for multiple sclerosis. Clinical trials have shown Genentechā€™s drug to be a promising therapy for relapsing MS and, significantly,…

No MS Diet Miracles for Me, Thank You

I’ve spent a lot of time latelyĀ around people following special diets. They’re either voluntarily cutting carbs, counting calories, following a diet plan, or fasting, but not because they have a medical condition. Mostly they dietĀ to feel better, lose some weight, or reset their metabolism. I wish them well, even as…

#ACTRIMS2017 – MS, the Gut and Probiotics

Harold Weiner, MD, believes in using probiotics to help treat multiple sclerosis.Ā He is such a believer that he did a presentation on the subject ā€” “Probiotics in Multiple Sclerosis” ā€” at the just-concluded Americas for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum in Orlando. The event…

Raising My Voice to Raise Awareness About MS

March is recognized by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America as MS Awareness Month. Awareness is a vital component of any illness. We must actively engage to collectively congregate and support the cause by way of our time, resources and voices. We are seeking to make communities aware of…

FAQs About the Bioness ‘L300 Go’ for Foot Drop

Earlier this month Bioness announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had cleared its new “L300 Go” functional electronic stimulator (FES). It’s an upgrade of the original “L300” that I’ve been using for more than five years. Without the “L300” strapped to my left leg…

Benefits of Music Therapy for MS

Music therapy has long been known for its healing powers ā€” its useĀ dates back to WWI, where it was used to help with the physical and emotional healing of the wounded. Music can also be of help to those of us with multiple sclerosis. An article from the…

#ACTRIMS2017 ā€“ MS Patientā€™s Pick of the Weekā€™s News

The ACTRIMS 2017 Forum is the source of my Pick of the Weekā€™s News as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. There is Increased Evidence Linking Viruses to MS Risk This evidence goes some way toward justifyingĀ my view, previously published, about connections between viruses and MS. In particular,…

#ACTRIMS2017: Support for Vitamin D Supplements Grows

Evidence supporting the use of Vitamin D for people with multiple sclerosis continues to grow but there remains many unanswered questions as well.Ā  Ellen Mowry, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins MS Center, presented Vitamin D supplementation as disease modifying therapy, to participants at…

Stimulating Neurons to Help with Problem-Solving

One of the most troubling symptoms of multiple sclerosis, especially for those of us who are still working, is “brain fog” ā€” not being able to concentrate ā€¦ not feeling “sharp” when working on a task or solving problems. So I was interested to read about a new…

How to survive an MRI if you are claustrophobic

Last updated April 26, 2023 A key test for identifying multiple sclerosis (MS) during diagnosis, or to confirm a relapse, is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI.) For those who’ve never had to undergo an MRI, the thought of having this test might be terrifying. Being encased in a magnetic…

Exploring Methods to Manage MS-Related Fatigue

FatigueĀ isĀ the bane of my existence. Clutter qualifies as my lifestyle. If I can’t see something it may as well beĀ lost. I spend about 50% of my day trying to find things I have put “someplace safe.” The other half I spend looking for something IĀ just had…

I Have MS. Do I Tell the Kids?

It’s a question that nearly every MS patient faces. When do I tell my children about my multiple sclerosis, and what’s the best way to do it? In early January I wrote a column about sharing an MS diagnosis. It was prompted by a reader who had told…

Does your MS Fatigue and Energy Need a Boost?

Does your MS fatigue and energy need a boost? I know mine does; having multiple sclerosis drains my battery very quickly. Add to that a terrible cold I had recently, and my fatigue has doubled, and my energy has left the building! While looking for a magic…

MS Drug Costs: The Elephant in the Examination Room

A lot of factors go into our decisions when we selectĀ the drug we’re going to use to fight our multiple sclerosis. How well will it work? What are the possible side effects and how serious could they be? How will using the drug (taking a pill, giving myself a…

Sir Peter Mansfield, Pioneering MRI Physicist

The MS world lost a very important person on Feb. 8. Britain’s Sir Peter Mansfield, Nobel Laureate, passed awayĀ at the age of 83. For most of us, his name means little, but his work revolutionized the way multiple sclerosis is diagnosed, and the way progression of the disease…