March 1, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Tips for MS Travelers Include Diligent Packing Prep and Carrying a Bright Suitcase My coming trip to Spain has me in research mode. After making a list of myĀ travel questions last week, I decided to obtain the answers to just a few each week. Baby steps for this novice planner. Before I decide whether to take my AFO, cooling vest, trekking…
February 22, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Travel Plans Actually Require Planning These Days, Thanks to MS 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,…
February 15, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn MS Support Groups: Pot Brownies, Shoes, Bladders ā and Inspiration What do pot brownies, shoe shopping and bladder control have in common?Ā 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 twoĀ National MS Society self-help groups. I also…
February 8, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Interferon Hangovers: Managing Treatment Side Effects 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 wonāt get into the pros and cons of each of these treatments. Instead, Iād like to focus on one of the more…
February 2, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Using the Outdoors to Recalibrate, Forget MS for a While January 2017 has proven to be a bit of a cluster, if you know what I mean. Holiday recovery, out-of-town trips for work, budget cuts, extreme weather and, of course, the social and political “chaos climate” all conspired to make me itchy, twitchy and tense! This past Thursday, as…
January 18, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Cancel the Uber; I’m Staying in This Old, New House (and Body) After All In August I sold my home of 18 years and downsized to a small one-bedroom rental “in town.” For weeks I tripped over boxes, packing paper, out-of-place furniture, the dog, the cat, the dog chasing the cat, size 11 tennis shoes and dirty socks. I shared my efforts to…
January 11, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies Can Help You Find and Keep a Job At the time of my MS diagnosis I was a full-time graduate student with plans to obtain a joint Masters of Public Administration/Juris Doctor degree. After six years as a stay-at-home mom and military spouse, I was anxious to complete this next stage of my education and return to…
January 4, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Party with MS: Tips for Staying Aware, Carefree on the Dance Floor Cookies and veggie tray in tow, and trepidation in check, I ventured to a New Yearās Eve party at a friendās house. Since my diagnosis of MS, New Yearās Eve has been celebrated at home with Dick Clark, and then Ryan Seacrest, to keep me company. In Winter…
December 21, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Multitasking vs. Mindfulness The glory days of multitasking may be fading. More and more research points to the fact that our brains actually cannot multitask. Rather, the brain shifts rapidly (itās all relative) back and forth between tasks as we attempt to do multiple activities at once. Like many people with MS,…
December 7, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Winter Is a Time to Recharge Amid Nature’s Quiet Our daylight hours continue to get shorter, as we get closer and closer to the winter solstice. At 4:15 p.m. I close the curtains and blinds, uncomfortable sitting on display in my living room as I continue to work until 5:30Ā most evenings. Itās difficult to motivate myself to leave…
December 1, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Here’s What Kayak Lessons and MS Have in Common Several weeks ago I wrote about theĀ benefits of time outdoorsĀ and my desire to learn to kayak properly, so Ā it can be an option when my legs wonāt carry me into nature. I recently completed the final of three indoor kayak lessons. The course was actually called āKayak Roll.ā…
November 28, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Cervico- … what? MS-Related Dizziness and Neck Spasms Multiple sclerosis is so weird. Sometimes I just put up with a strange sensation or painful problem because I do not know how to describe it to the doctor without sounding crazy. I hope the problems will just go away, and sometimes they do. Maybe I am a little…
November 16, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Do MS Injectable Medications Need Refrigeration? Traveling with multiple sclerosis (MS) is challenging for a number of reasons. There are many symptoms a person may need to consider, such as accessibility, temperature control, and medication management, to name a few.Ā While packing for a recent extended trip, I realized that my one-week pill box wasnāt…
November 9, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn MS Needle Fatigue: That Sudden, ‘I Am Not an Orange’ Feeling āI can come over and stab you, if Gramma canāt do it,ā read the Facebook post from my oldest son.Ā āAw ā¦ thanks, kiddo,ā I replied. Some things seem more interesting when taken out of context!Ā Of course, most of you will realize that my son was offering to…
November 2, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Confronting the Future-Tripping Fear of MS One presenting symptom of my multiple sclerosis (MS) was severely slowed and slurred speech. There were several other disturbing outcomes of my back-to-back, initial exacerbations, but it was the speech that was my greatest fear. After my second MRI, the neurologist explained that the dysarthria, or trouble speaking, was…
October 26, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Shake, Rattle, and Spill? Tremors in MS I live in a part of the country with beautiful green forests, mountains, abundant freshwater, and saltwater.Ā 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…
October 19, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn If Youāre Not Happy and You Know It, Get Some Light! 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. Thatās also the time that…
October 12, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn An MS, Migraine, Marching Band Kind of Day! I work full time in public health, and some days are spent āout in the fieldā 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.Ā I research…
October 5, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Icy Cold Fingers: MS Broke My Thermostat! Itās definitely autumn here in the Pacific Northwest. Misty, gray mornings give way to breezy sunshine in the afternoon ā¦ 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…
September 27, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn It’s Not About the ‘Roll’: Outdoor Activities with MS It was while catching up with friends Ā 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. āWhy donāt you just take…
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 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 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…
August 31, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Barefoot Mindfulness: Mastering Stress and Change with MS I often watched āThe Brady Bunchā as a kid. Ā In one episode, Peterās voice changes right before the talent show and he isnāt able to sing his chosen song. His replacement song has been playing on repeat in my head for two months! āWhen itās time to change, youāve got…
August 23, 2016 News by Judy Lynn MS Hugs Me, Hugs Me Not In the two years following my diagnosis, I had many bouts of chest pain, breathing difficulties, and sharp stomach pains. I worried that some other terrible illness was right around the corner. Four EKGs, three ultrasounds, two pulmonary function tests, and one colonoscopy later I had a surprisingly good bill…
August 16, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Bloom, Wherever You Fall! An MS Detour Editor’s Note: MS Patient Specialist and Columnist Judy Lynn writes from her unique and engaging perspective as an MS patient reflecting on the challenges that the disease presents and how to cope with them in her daily life. In her debut article for her new Column “You’ve Got Some Nerves,”…