Columns

I live in a part of the country with beautiful green forests, mountains, abundant freshwater, and saltwater.  If you have seven hours to spare, you can drive across the state and experience desert, orchard, mountain, alpine meadow, rainforest, and the Pacific Ocean. This beautiful land also comes with some…

One of my favorite gospel songs is “Stand” by Donnie McClurkin. There’s a verse that says, “after you’ve done all you can, you just stand.” My spirit reacts to this song each time I hear it. It satiates my soul. I love music and believe it is a gift.

One of the MS blogs that I follow is written by Jen, who lives in England.  It’s called Tripping Through Treacle. Doesn’t that neatly sum up the lives of many of us in just three alliterative words?  From MS newbies to old-timers like me, we worry (or have worried)…

Fall is here and things are a little more slick. Walking for most of us with multiple sclerosis involves weakened legs and lack of balance. We have daily challenges getting around in good weather, let alone bad. Add a little rain, a few gusts of wind, and some bone-chilling cold and…

Here is my pick of the week’s news items, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Lemtrada Seen to Help Reverse MS Disability in People in Earlier Stages of Disease A medication that might not just stop but reverse disability of people with relapsing MS? Now, this is…

Most of us who live with multiple sclerosis also live with a disease modifying therapy (DMT) — a drug that, we hope, will positively modify the course of our disease. One of the earliest of these was Avonex, a weekly injection into the muscle. I was one of those…

As a mother of two boys, I’m blessed with an abundance of dirty socks, Nerf darts, and Legos — all of which end up in the laundry (more or less) each week. And of those three kinds of detritus, I must say that the Legos vex me the most. If…

A woman who says her life was made miserable by fatigue caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), claims she is on the road to recovery because she has taken control of her body and is using a combination of hormones and diet. Instead of relying on conventional treatment, she is…

Our days have gotten shorter since June 20, but somehow I managed not to notice until a few weeks ago. Perhaps it is because we had a late summer here in the Northwest, and could comfortably leave home without a coat until late September. That’s also the time that…

“In sickness and in health.” These words are said by everyone embarking upon the exciting journey of marriage. Most are in love, excited about the future and hopeful they have found their happily ever after. Many of us repeat the words “in sickness and in health” without much thought,…

My neurologist calls Lemtrada “HSCT lite.”  She says that not only is the drug able to reduce exacerbations and limit the overall progression of multiple sclerosis, it’s actually reversed some symptoms in some of her patients.   I guess I’m going to find out if she’s right about…

I have written nine articles so far with shared ideas of what has helped me in this overwhelming battle with multiple sclerosis. My experiences and successes are shared in the hope that others will be helped as well. This 10th article is about what comforts and sustains me the most…

Here, I comment on my Pick of the Week’s News, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Myelin Regeneration Achieved in Mouse Model of MS Remyelination is one of the most exciting developments in the treatment of MS. Therapies aimed at regenerating the myelin sheath can work to…

I work full time in public health, and some days are spent ‘out in the field’ visiting clients in their homes. It requires careful planning to ensure that I have adequate water, food, medications, and layers of clothing for homes that are too hot or too cold.  I research…

I made a trip to the dentist today. What does that have to do with multiple sclerosis, you ask? Stay with me. We’ll get there. But first, let me tell you about a weekend conference that my local chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society held recently. One of…

Disability from multiple sclerosis develops, on average, within 10 years of diagnosis. Financial catastrophe was often the consequence, until Congress passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE Act) — signed into law on Dec. 19, 2014, by President Obama. This act allows you or anyone to…

The jury is still out on the role, if any, that heavy metals play in multiple sclerosis. Many theories have been floating around for years regarding the possible connection between MS and dental amalgams, pesticides, additives to food, lead paint in older homes … and the list goes on. The National…

Should those of us with multiple sclerosis get vaccinated for influenza or not? It’s a debate that takes place in many MS communities each fall. The argument against the flu immunization is based on half-truths and flat-out misconceptions — and a lot of anecdotal tales that don’t hold up to…

I’m filling in for Ian Franks this week on news item picks for Multiple Sclerosis News Today while Ian is in Moscow taking the first step in his HSCT (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) quest. We wish him well. Virus Linked to Respiratory Infections May Also Trigger Brain Diseases…

Osteoporosis (fragile bones) is only a women’s problem, right? Wrong, especially if you have multiple sclerosis — as I’ve discovered. Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle.  A fall that probably wouldn’t harm a healthy person can easily break the bone of someone with osteoporosis.  When the…

It’s definitely autumn here in the Pacific Northwest. Misty, gray mornings give way to breezy sunshine in the afternoon … for a couple of hours anyway, until the evening rain arrives. This is the time of year that the weather forecasters compete to see who can come up with…

A few weeks ago, I visited my general practitioner for a yearly physical. I was expecting him to harp on my weight, cholesterol, blood pressure — any of the other myriad issues that crop up as we age. But surprisingly, I left the office with my self-esteem firmly intact. (In…

Have you tried Pilates to improve your mobility?  When my wife and I tried it, a few years ago, I thought that it was sort of like doing yoga stretches using exercise equipment.  It felt good and, for the short time that I did keep it up, Pilates seemed…

I have been under the care of physicians for as long as I can remember. Cardiologists, primary and several others. In the past few years, added to this list is a neurologist. I must say that I have been fortunate. I am ministered to by caring, esteemed, inspiring and…

No matter what type of Multiple Sclerosis we have, all of us MS Warriors are in this fight together. Even though everyone’s MS battle is unique, and each of us have our own treatment plan, we all share a common bond, and we hope what is working for one will work…

Here’s my pick of this week’s news, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. How Tecfidera Works to Reduce MS Relapses Finally Discovered, May Lead to Better Treatments The possibility that this discovery may lead to the development of new drugs with fewer side effects is good news.

  And do you feel scared? I do, but I won’t stop and falter. And if we threw it all away, things can only get better – Howard Jones, “Things Can Only Get Better” Things I’m good at include (but are not limited…

It’s that time of the year. Drug insurance companies in the U.S. are making changes to their formularies — the list of drugs that your insurance company will pay for. Those formularies change from year to year so you need to be alert to changes that may impact your…

ECTRIMS 2016 (European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS) produced lots of stories with exciting headlines about advances in MS research — and hopefully you read many of them here at MS News Today. As I went through the various presentation titles, there were a couple that jumped…

It was while catching up with friends  at a favorite Thai restaurant Saturday night when my fresh spring roll reminded me of something: I had signed up for a Beginning Kayak Roll course as the next of my series of outdoor activities with MS. “Why don’t you just take…