March 24, 2023 Columns by John Connor Reflections from the front line: I canāt even fall properly this time! Things had been more than dodgy for the past three days. My right shoulder had gone into complete spasm, and even diazepam couldnāt relax it. Iād also upped my antibiotics as instructed. Nada. As ever, I shouldered on (a naff play on words already, John? Dearie me), stuck on…
March 24, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias Is preboarding travelers with disabilities a good thing or not? Boarding an aircraft before others is a small benefit to being a disabled flyer. For years, giving me a small start to get down the jetway ahead of even the most frequent of frequent flyers has given me time to get off the little scooterĀ I use due to my…
March 23, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister With multiple sclerosis, itās hard to stop saying ‘I’m sorry,’ but you should Even if I resolved to improve my cardiovascular health by taking the stairs more often, I canāt. Mobility problems brought on by my primary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ force me to use a wheelchair. Using a wheelchair, in turn, means that stairs and I are natural enemies (as are curbs and…
March 21, 2023 Columns by Jamie Hughes There’s so much to gain: Finding the upside to being ‘broken’ with MS I have a friend who’s truly blessed. Aside from the typical struggles that come with being an adult, he has few problems. Seriously. Neither he nor a loved one has had any major medical issues. No one in his immediate family has passed away yet, and while heās not rolling…
March 20, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Ocrevus, MDX-2201, online cannabis clinic, WHO Welcome to āMS News Notes,ā a Monday morning column in which I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereās a look at whatās been happening: Study shows Ocrevus lowers risk of MS progression This seems to be just what the doctor ordered,…
March 17, 2023 Columns by John Connor Reflections from the front line: Dying, an atheist (a)muses If you noticed my sudden disappearance, it wasn’t because I was sacked. Surprising, I know. Just “MS MIA” ā missing in action with multiple sclerosis. While raving in the hospital, I was suddenly moved to my own private room. In Britainās National Health Service (NHS), this could only mean…
March 17, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias 3 tools to help you choose the right MS disease-modifying therapy Choosing the best disease-modifying therapy (DMT) to treat your multiple sclerosis (MS) can be a tough decision.Ā When I was diagnosed with MS way back in 1980, it was easy. There were no DMTs to choose from. The first three ā Avonex (interferon beta-1a), Betaseron…
March 16, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister When multiple sclerosis invades even my dreams I may not be able to turn in circles like a dog anymore, but I still have a few bedtime routines. Before I had an intrathecal baclofen pump, multiple sclerosis-induced spasticity would wake me up multiple times during the night. Whenever that happened, it was next to…
March 13, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: MSC-NP, GA Depot, AI and MRIs, aggressive treatment Welcome to āMS News Notes,ā a Monday morning column in which I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereās a look at whatās been happening: A different type of stem cell transplant When stem cell transplant is mentioned to treat someone…
March 10, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias A debt of gratitude to disability rights champion Judy Heumann You may not have heard of Judy Heumann, who died March 4 at the age of 75. Although she’s not directly connected to the multiple sclerosis (MS) community, you should know about her. Everyone who lives with a disability owes her a great deal. At just 18 months old,…
March 9, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister An MS diagnosis can be confusing when it doesn’t fit your lifestyle A little over three years passed between my multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis and my medical retirement from the U.S. Army. Even before the diagnosis, I knew something was wrong and had taken a desk job while searching for the reason. Since I was behind a desk in a…
March 8, 2023 Columns by Beth Ullah Living with MS involves ‘invisible’ symptoms that are hard to explain The “invisible” symptoms that are common with relapsing-remitting MS and many other chronic illnesses can be the bane of our lives. It’s difficult enough to manage them, as they’re constantly fluctuating like a changing tide. But in some ways, it’s even more difficult to explain them to…
March 7, 2023 Columns by Jamie Hughes Kindness matters because you never know what others are going through Iāve always liked the quote, āEveryone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.ā Some folks think it was penned by the Scottish author Ian Maclaren (sometimes MacLaren). Others attribute the quote to actor Robin Williams (which is fitting, I think, given the…
March 6, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News Notes: Briumvi, vitamin D, CNM-Au8 Welcome to āMS News Notes,ā a Monday morning column in which I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. In this column, Iāll be highlighting more MS News Today articles from the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis…
March 3, 2023 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell ACTRIMS 2023: Learning, lectures, and leaving with hope Even the cold and rainy Southern California weather did little to dampen the excitement of the more than 1,800 attendees converging on the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. People filtered in, eager for the meeting to begin. Excitement reached a fever pitch Thursday morning as the curriculum came to life.
March 3, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias Let’s talk about MS fatigue and the effectiveness of treatment options Want to reduce your multiple sclerosis (MS) fatigue? Maybe we should talk about it. I’m talking about a fatigue treatment called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which usually involves changing a person’s thinking and behavior. By talking with a therapist, sometimes on the phone, a patient develops an…
March 2, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister The responsibility for raising MS awareness goes both ways Every once in a while, I wake up prepared to swing my legs over the side of the bed and get moving. That sleep-induced forgetfulness evaporates as soon as the reality of multiple sclerosis (MS) reminds me that I canāt swing anything. I suppose I should be grateful that…
February 27, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Evobrutinib, a portable MRI, fatigue, depression Welcome to āMS News Notes,ā a Monday morning column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. In this column, I’ll be highlighting some MS News Today stories from last week’s Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis…
February 24, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias Lower-dose gadolinium now being used for MRIs with contrast If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), I’m sure you’ve had several MRIs by now. You’ve probably also had one using a contrast agent. The contrast agent is made from a rare earth element called gadolinium. Mixed with other chemical ions, it highlights lesions or areas…
February 23, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Learning to love ā and accept ā that person in the photograph We had family portraits made a few days ago. With a family of five, this never goes perfectly, so there was a little pre-photo briefing beforehand. There were some veiled threats, a promise of dinner after as a reward for good behavior, and more than a few hissed admonishments to…
February 21, 2023 Columns by Jamie Hughes Thankful for caregivers: What MS has taught me about support Itās been a couple weeks since my last column, and things with my mother have proven more challenging than we expected. Sheās had another minor procedure to stop fluid from building up in her chest, but she is progressing with her rehab and continues to gain strength. Hopefully, weāll…
February 20, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Remyelination, CNM-Au8, diet and bones Welcome to āMS News Notes,ā a Monday morning column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereās a look at whatās been happening: More remyelination research For years, most MS research has focused on stopping disease progression. In the past couple…
February 17, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias After 3 years, COVID-19 finally caught up to me It was bound to happen. Even though it’s been more than three years since COVID-19 reared it head in Wuhan, China, and even though I’ve had five of the COVID-19 vaccine shots recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ā two primary series doses and three…
February 16, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Could decluttering your living space improve life with MS? I am not by nature a very neat person. I want to be. I like order, but I lack the discipline to maintain it. People tend to think that time in the military makes you neat and orderly for the rest of your life, but in my case, theyād be…
February 13, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Older MS patients, Lucid-MS, dysphagia, MS progression Welcome to āMS News Notes,ā a weekly Monday morning column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereās a look at whatās been happening: Older patients and DMTs The title of a report by MS News Today‘s Patricia Inacio notes…
February 10, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias My way or the highway, some multiple sclerosis neurologists think Note: This column has been updated Feb. 15, 2023, to correct that Ocrevus is an infusion medication and is not similar to chemotherapy. Is treating multiple sclerosis (MS) really all about the medications? At least one neurologist thinks so, probably more, and I think that’s no way to practice…
February 9, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister How multiple sclerosis leads to what I call ‘microinjuries’ “scabulous adj. proud of a scar on your body, which is an autograph signed to you by a world grateful for your continued willingness to play with her, even when you donāt feel like it.” ā John Koenig, “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows“ I’ve managed to amass quite the…
February 7, 2023 Columns by Jamie Hughes Marching onward: What MS has taught me and trained me to bear Well, dear readers, I took a bit of time off from writing this column, but not by choice. January was an incredibly hectic 31 days, and I spent most of them living with my parents in Florida. Why? Well, because my mother has been dealing with some health issues…
February 6, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Tysabri biosimilar, diet, cognitive rehab, aging Welcome to āMS News Notes,ā a weekly Monday morning column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Hereās a look at whatās been happening: Tysabri biosimilar on the horizon Tysabri (natalizumab) is a very effective disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for…
February 3, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias A Primer on ABLE Accounts for Americans With Disabilities Have you ever heard of an ABLE savings account? I hadn’t until a couple weeks ago. The acronym stands for the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, a law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2014. It created special savings accounts that allow disabled Americans, including people with…