Columns

Editor’s note: Columnist Laura Kolaczkowski reports from ACTRIMS in Orlando, Fla. The second Annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) got under way in Orlando, Fla., today and runs through Saturday. I have the honor of being on site to hear  presentations…

It was a trip, plain and simple, neither my leg giving way nor a fall. It was MS-related because it was directly caused by foot drop; the toe of my left shoe caught on the tiniest ridge at the bottom of…

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…

In my younger years, I took great pride in my far-flung spontaneity, and unfairly judged those I perceived to be too thoughtful and prudent. Age, with its attendant wisdom and experience, moved me slightly inland. In 2003, MS arrived with a smart little bag full of practical necessities,…

Fatigue is the bane of my existence. Clutter qualifies as my lifestyle. If I can’t see something it may as well be 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 I just had…

Time. We all know it is important. Time is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present and future regarded as a whole.” In simple terms, time is life in a series of moments. Regardless of what is…

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? 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…

Here`s my Pick of the Week’s News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Fitness Trainer and MS Patient, Dolly Stokes, Launches BFitLifestyles Website with Husband Looking after what you eat and exercising according to your abilities apparently can help alleviate symptoms of many chronic illnesses including…

Last week, I attended the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference in Washington, D.C. I had the opportunity to meet many fine folks who are hard at work creating everything from alphabet books for children to poetry protesting xenophobia. I attended panels on editing, writing…

A lot of factors go into our decisions when we select 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…

The MS world lost a very important person on Feb. 8. Britain’s Sir Peter Mansfield, Nobel Laureate, passed away 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…

Thoughts of love were brought to the forefront of many people’s minds on Valentine’s Day, which is widely celebrated by couples both young and not so young. They usually buy cards and enjoy romantic dinners. In our…

When it comes to multiple sclerosis, mastering your own understanding of the disease means you need to mind your Ps, Qs, dot your Is, cross your Ts, and recite your ABCs. There is so much to know about this complex disease. But the more you know as a…

When you live with multiple sclerosis, stress is unavoidable. Your first experience with the stress of MS is when you’re diagnosed. As you move forward, you begin experiencing not only “normal” stress, but also the stress of living with a chronic illness.   Stress…

What do pot brownies, shoe shopping and bladder control have in common? These are just a few of the varied MS self-help support group discussion topics in which I have enjoyed participating. I have been an attendee and group leader of two National MS Society self-help groups. I also…

Valentine’s Day is celebrated by many. We wait for this one day of the year to tell the ones we love how special they are. The proverbial Happy Valentine’s Day cards, flowers and candy will be given as tokens of love and affection. Although my husband and I are…

There is some good news about stem cell therapy. A just-published study concludes that one form of human stem cell therapy is more effective at treating multiple sclerosis than the best of the MS medications being used currently. The not-so-good news is that approval of this…

For many years I have been fighting the battle of the bulge while trying to decipher and combat many food intolerances. Every year I seem to come up short in the battle with losing weight, but I continue to try to shed the pounds. There are many challenges…

Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. People with Chronic Diseases Support Obamacare More Than General Public, Survey Finds As everyone must know, throughout the world, politics in the U.S. has become extremely volatile and one of the focuses is…

Browsing through some multiple sclerosis Facebook groups the other day I was reminded of the line from the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” These posts jumped out at me: So when my neuro says he wants me to…

Lately, I have been reading more and more about the potential connection between the blood brain barrier and multiple sclerosis. I have been researching the blood brain barrier (BBB) to better understand it and share my findings with readers. The BBB is a network of endothelial cells…

Stress is like a light that turns on when you need it. But when you can’t turn it off, you run the risk of burnout, which can impact your health, according to the U.S. National MS Society. I often have said that I…

MS Alphabet When it comes to multiple sclerosis, mastering your own understanding of the disease means you need to mind your P’s and Q’s, dot your i’s, cross your t’s, and recite your ABCs. There is so much to know about this complex disease, but the more you know as…

Interferons (Beta and Alpha) are the oldest of the disease-modifying treatments, or DMTs, for people with MS. Interferons include Avonex, Betaseron, Rebif, and Plegridy. This column won’t get into the pros and cons of each of these treatments. Instead, I’d like to focus on one of the more…

Americans are feeling more anxious than ever. It’s not politics as usual, but politics as unusual. People who never were politically active find themselves raising their voices to make a difference. In the MS community, raising our voices is not something new.

Lost in the delights of the library; 10 minutes over meter limit Yes, they chalk-marked the tires and I got a ticket. I was furious. Once again,…

The three words are powerful. My mother speaks them into my spirit frequently. She tells me to “Just hold on.” My mother is a woman who has withstood many tragedies. Both my parents have. They’ve lost their children, cared for me as an ill child and they continue to…

Back in September I told you about Cheryl Hile. Cheryl is a young woman with MS whose goal is to become the first person with MS to run in seven marathons on seven continents. In September she had just completed her first marathon, in Cape Town,…

Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Clinical Trial Supports Stem Cell Transplants to Treat RMS Patients with High Disease Activity It’s no secret to readers of this column and, indeed, to the wider MS community, that I am convinced…