September 26, 2016 Columns by Ed Tobias Packed House at FDA Stem Cell Hearing – Public Can Comment Through Tuesday What should be done about stem cell treatments? Are stem cells safe? Do they work? Do stem cell clinics need more regulation, or less? With some studies reporting encouraging results from using stem cells to treat a number of diseases, including multiple sclerosis, the number of clinics around…
September 23, 2016 Columns by admin Familial Connections Cannot Be Coincidences, Can They? Life can be really strange and not always fathomable to someone like me who is not blessed with neither medical nor scientific qualifications. On a purely technical basis, I am just an ordinary guy. What I do know about diseases, illnesses and conditions ā call them what you will ā…
September 22, 2016 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Fighting The Good Fight Against MS In MS patient columnist Teresa Wright-Johnson’s debut column on Multiple Sclerosis News Today, she introduces herself and discussesĀ the pain and uncertainty of her diagnosis. She also sharesĀ how spirituality and reflection are leading herĀ to overcome the diagnosis and move forward. Hello everyone! Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share…
September 22, 2016 Columns by Ed Tobias Growing Old with MS I hate to admit it, but I’m getting kind of old. That’s not to say that 68 is really old, but I’m probably older than a lot of you who are reading this. I’m also 36 years old in “MS years.” I was diagnosed the month that Ronald Reagan…
September 21, 2016 Columns by admin MS Brothers Able to Remain at Home Thanks to Caregiving Support Continuing to live in your own home when you can no longer look after yourself is an ideal many people seek to aspire to ā but itās not easy. Outside help is often needed. Alex Camarillo is one perfect example of this. He is 35 years old, has severe…
September 21, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Believe Me, You’re a Natural! Learning to Drive with Hand Controls My children will be the first to tell you that I struggle with new technology. In fact, Iāve just returned home from dropping off my youngest son at college and realize that I forgot to have him write instructions for the television. Netflix may come in handy now that…
September 20, 2016 Columns by Ed Tobias Laugh with TV Ads that “Get” Disabilities You don’t see people with disabilities very often in television ads.Ā And when you do, the person with the handicap is usually playing a secondary role or the ad uses the disabled person for an emotional appeal.Ā It’s not real-life.Ā It’s not us. So, a tip of my hat to…
September 19, 2016 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski EpiPen and MS Drugs If only we were cherub faced children, then perhaps someone would have listened to us in the past few years as we voiced concern and then outrage over the escalating costs of our MS disease modifying therapy (DMT) drugs. Iāve listened to the outcry in recent weeks about the astronomical…
September 19, 2016 Columns by Debi Wilson Give Your MS a Lift with Physical Therapy! When my doctor first recommended physical therapy for my MS,Ā I must admit I was very hesitant āhesitant because I didn’t feel I could do it, and hesitant because I was afraid I would be embarrassed when I failed. As it turns out, I didn’t have anything to worry about. The…
September 19, 2016 Columns by admin MS Columnist’s Picks of the Week: ECTRIMS, Biomarkers, Cannabis, Migraine, Research Award Hereās my Pick of the Weekās News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. #ECTRIMS2016 was undoubtedly the star of the week ECTRIMS, the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, dominated the news stories of the week when it held its 32nd congress in London. There…
September 18, 2016 Columns by admin #MSLIFE2016 – Sunday Brings Presentations, Activities Galore A veryĀ full day of activities is planned for today at MS Life, inside London’s ExCel exhibition and convention center. Altogether, there are 15 presentations on the agenda. Three are in the MS Life theatre, and three more are in each of the following four zones: Managing my MS Symptoms;…
September 17, 2016 Columns by admin #ECTRIMS2016 #MSLIFE2016 – Saturday: Congress Closes, MS Life Opens Londonās ExCel exhibition and convention center is set for a busy Saturday as ECTRIMS winds down today and MS Life opens just down the hall. Organized by the MS Society, MS Life is billed as the biggest MS family event in Europe. With ECTRIMS drawing to a close, many…
September 16, 2016 Columns by admin #ECTRIMS2016 ā Hereās my Pick of Friday’s Best at the Congress Friday carries on the ECTRIMS congressās style of so much going on that it must be difficult for delegates to decide which sessions to attend and which ones they can afford to miss.Ā Of course, not everyone can make the same choice but, having delved into the agenda, here…
September 15, 2016 Columns by Ed Tobias MS and the Shingles Vaccine: Can They Go Together? A post on another website, asking about whether it was wise for someone with Multiple Sclerosis to receive the shingles vaccine, caught my attention the other day. “Have any of you had the Shingles vaccine? I’m still debating about it. I’m concerned about insulting my immune system…
September 15, 2016 Columns by admin #ECTRIMS2016 ā My Pick of Thursdayās Congress Highlights Another full day, today,Ā at Londonās ExCel center andĀ numerous sessions, presentations, and debates to attract the attention of delegates attending ECTRIMS. After sifting through the agenda, here are my picks of Thursday’s highlights: This morning sees the beginning of the congressās plenary sessions, featuring a lecture about āMS diagnosis and…
September 14, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn ‘Look Ma, No Feet!’ A Lesson in Mechanical Hand Controls When my physiatrist diagnosed my MS āfoot drop,ā she wrote a prescription for vehicle hand controls. I was both elated and terrified. Could I drive long distances again? Arrive pain-free, able to do a short hike? Could I regain the freedom of knowing I would not have to…
September 14, 2016 Columns by admin #ECTRIMS2016 – Patient Empowerment Is One of My Highlights for Day 1 Europeās annual congress discussing treatment, including Patient Empowerment, and research in multiple sclerosis is now underway in London.Ā The 32ndĀ congress is being held from today until Saturday, when it draws to a close at lunchtime. The agenda is absolutely jammed full of topics being covered in a multitude of sessions…
September 13, 2016 by Laura Kolaczkowski Lack of Diversity Hurts MS Studies The importance of getting a representative group of people, also known as subjects, engaged in Ā clinical trials cannot be understated. There is so much that we need to know when it comes to multiple sclerosis, but the picture cannot be complete unless the cohort of subjects includes people from…
September 13, 2016 Columns by Ed Tobias 7 Marathons on 7 Continents for MS Runner Tripping, falling and bloody knees. Been there. Done that. (Who with MS hasn’t)? But this wasn’t me. This was Cheryl Hile and it was happening to her as she was running a half marathon in Carlsbad, California. Cheryl had been running marathons for half a dozen years when, in…
September 12, 2016 Columns by Debi Wilson Are You in the High Risk Category for Developing MS? Early detection is very important for any disease diagnosis.Ā With Multiple Sclerosis, it gives you the opportunity to start a treatment plan early that may help with slowing the progression of the disease. Symptoms of MS vary widelyĀ from person to person and can closely mimic other disease symptoms.Ā Lesions don’t always…
September 12, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patientās Pick of the Weekās News: Myelin Repair, Shape Changers, Misdiagnoses, and Virtual Reality Here is my Pick of the Weekās News, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Breast Cancer Therapy, Tamoxifen, May Promote Myelin Repair in MS Remyelination could beĀ a new role in MS therapy for a drug that has been used to treat breast cancer for some…
September 8, 2016 Columns by Ed Tobias Have a Say About MS Drugs Anyone with a chronic medical problem knows how expensive drugs can be, and how a drug that you need can be here today ⦠gone tomorrow on the list of drugs that your health plan will pay for. You also know that cost and insurance coverage aren’t the only…
September 8, 2016 Columns by admin #ECTRIMS2016 – Stay Up to Date with My Pick of Congress Highlights The show comes to town in the next week with ECTRIMS hosting what it describes as āthe worldās largest annual international conferenceā devoted to basic treatment and clinical research in multiple sclerosis. It is being held in Londonās ExCel center from Wednesday to Saturday morning, and will be followed…
September 7, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn MS Foot Drop and the Road to Physiatry When I first heard about MS āfoot drop,ā I assumed that the manifestation of this symptom would be a sudden and obvious inability to walk properly. Ā I knew many people with MS who used canes and walked with significant stiffness or a “dragging” limb. I filed āfoot dropā away…
September 7, 2016 Columns by admin James Received HSCT for Free, as He Lives in the UK Virtually all the talk about availability of HSCT1 as an MS treatment includes the need to travel long distances to other countries, but U.K. residents can receive the treatment in London, avoiding the journey overseas.Ā Whatās more, it is provided through the countryās social National Health Service (NHS) so, like…
September 6, 2016 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski The Doctor Doesn’t Always Know Best There was an almost audible gasp in the room as I was making aĀ presentation recently at a multiple sclerosis talk.Ā What did I say that was so shocking?Ā I merely said ā if you donāt agree with your prescribed course of treatment, it is perfectly OK to speak up…
September 6, 2016 Columns by Ed Tobias Take Your MS for a Swim I love the water.Ā Good thing, since I live at the beach. Being in a swimming pool is also good therapy for my MS. It strengthens my core and arms and, when I do a little pool walking, my legs feel a bit stronger.Ā But, I’ve never done any…
September 6, 2016 Columns by Debi Wilson Feeling Your Way Through MS Brain Fog Thinking has become my second job. Never have I had to put so much effort into gathering my thoughts or comprehending the world around me as I do with MS. To say MS has changed my life in so many ways is an understatement! Of all of my MS…
September 5, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patientās Pick of the Weekās News: Siponimod, Thymosin Patent, Orphan Drug, Lifestyle, and Lymphopenia Risk Hereās my Pick of the Weekās News, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Gilenya-like Therapy Shows Benefit in Secondary Progressive MS Patients in Phase 3 Trial Hereās a potentially encouraging development for anyone with SPMS. Patients withĀ secondary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ (SPMS) who were treated withĀ BAF312 (siponimod),…
September 2, 2016 Columns by admin Taming Heat Sensitivity at 100 Degrees Many people voiced their concerns to me about anyone with MS moving to live in aĀ sunny climate. That worry is understandable. With a disease that includes heat sensitivity, where even a hot shower can make you worse, how can any MS patient move to live in an area where…