Silver Linings – a Column by Jennifer Powell

March 26, 2020March 24, 2020

A Life Unscripted: Choosing Positivity During a Pandemic

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Life is unscripted. It is messy and uncertain, with change being the only constant. Much like living with multiple sclerosis, adapting to change is directly correlated to our ability ... Read more

March 19, 2020March 18, 2020

An Outlier with MS, Coronavirus Nears as I Self-isolate

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

“It’s the end of the world as we know it.” — R.E.M. Welcome to the world of COVID-19. Coronaviruses aren’t new: severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East ... Read more

February 27, 2020February 25, 2020

I Am Beautifully Rare Despite SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I have secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and I am rare. In honor of Rare Disease Day on Feb. 29, I honor myself. I honor you and anyone else with ... Read more

February 20, 2020February 18, 2020

Finding My Way Through Sickness and Sadness with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I am hyperaware of the fragility of life. More specifically, the fragility of mine. Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease. My immune system eats away at the ... Read more

February 6, 2020February 5, 2020

Could Myeliviz, a New Imaging Agent of Myelin, Be a Game-changer?

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Myelin is the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers and is damaged in those with multiple sclerosis. Quantifying the degenerative process of myelin would lend perspective to how much ... Read more

January 23, 2020January 21, 2020

The Rise of Superbugs, Antibiotic Resistance, and MS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I am living with an unenviable reality. An antibiotic-resistant, hospital-acquired infection that I developed two decades ago has reappeared. Before my multiple sclerosis diagnosis, I had a spinal cord ... Read more

January 16, 2020January 14, 2020

Traveling Without the Baggage of Fear

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Traveling with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is challenging. International travel adds some extra lengthy steps. That said, I have the bug. I’ve always had a hunger to see and ... Read more

January 9, 2020January 7, 2020

Allowing Grief: The Importance of Letting Go

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I sat stunned as tears welled. I gazed toward the pain in my knee. My pants were torn. Blood pooled, then dripped down my calf. I was transfixed. The ... Read more

December 19, 2019January 22, 2020

The 10 Years Since My Diagnosis Has Brought Many Blessings

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Life is never how you expect or predict it to be. Things happen today that we couldn’t have anticipated. We have no easy or predefined path to fulfillment, joy, ... Read more

December 12, 2019December 10, 2019

Holding onto Joy and Sadness This Holiday Season

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

As a little girl, I loved Christmas. My parents went to great lengths to make the experience magical. Santa was as real as the stockings that hung from our ... Read more

December 5, 2019December 3, 2019

Thankful Awakening: Accepting Change with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

My happiness quotient correlates with my ability to give. I find tremendous satisfaction in doing this. This is one reason that I cherish Thanksgiving. I derive immense pleasure in ... Read more

November 21, 2019November 19, 2019

Painsomnia Unravels Me from Inside Out

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

It is 2 a.m. and I am awake. I sit on the couch with my head in my hands. The leg pain that broke my slumber is now extreme. ... Read more

November 14, 2019November 12, 2019

Filtering Ads and Choosing What’s Best

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I remember a time without televised ads promoting medication. We had access to information through our physician or a card catalog. Pharmaceuticals are now a mainstay on our airwaves. ... Read more

November 7, 2019November 5, 2019

Choosing Calm Over Chaos: Quieting Myself While Living with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Living with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is a lesson in adaptation. The constant is change. This disease has given me sea legs. Nevertheless, some days have me fooled. When ... Read more

October 31, 2019October 29, 2019

MS and Mythological Mends: Hope Is My Cure for Today

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

If I told you that standing on your head would cure multiple sclerosis (MS), would you do it? I am fairly sure you would find a way to do ... Read more

October 24, 2019October 22, 2019

MS and Anxiety: Be Kind to Yourself and Ask for Help

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I am in a state of anxious exhaustion. Anxiety has been a lifelong companion that has presented itself in various ways since childhood. In hindsight, I can recognize triggers ... Read more

October 17, 2019October 15, 2019

Marriage and Multiple Sclerosis: Lessons in Love

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Marriage is hard. It is also the most beautiful, sacred, and honest of all my experiences. Our vulnerable reality is a far cry from the blissful naivete of our ... Read more

October 3, 2019October 1, 2019

The Journey to Self-love Is Long and Painful

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

At 17, I began a 20-year odyssey with endometriosis. The doctor’s platitudes and disbelief were astonishing and leveled my sense of self. The findings of severe endometriosis served as ... Read more

September 26, 2019September 24, 2019

Leaving Fear Behind and Learning to Trust

Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

My eyes are closed. Both arms are in a loose “X” across my chest. I feel my heartbeat quicken as I lean back. I fall. For a moment in ... Read more

September 19, 2019September 17, 2019

Emotionally Hard-wired: Pseudobulbar Affect and MS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I saw a praying mantis this morning. The long, leaf-like oddity caught me off guard. I was transfixed by the beautiful specimen, its prayerful state contrasting starkly with its ... Read more

September 12, 2019September 25, 2019

We All Have Bad Days

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Mama said there would be days like this. I just never thought there would be so many. After three days of insomnia, I am heavily fatigued and weary. I ... Read more

September 5, 2019September 3, 2019

Becoming Your Own Advocate Takes Practice, but It’s Worth It

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I recently sent my neurologist a thank-you card. A friend of mine was incredulous and truly baffled at my gesture. “Why would you thank your doctor?” she asked. Why ... Read more

August 22, 2019August 20, 2019

I Will Not Be Sidelined in the Game of Life

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

It is the most wonderful time of the year. Sounds of commentator calls, audibles, and cheering crowds fill the house. A familiar sense of calm envelops my being. It ... Read more

August 8, 2019August 6, 2019

My Pain Is Real — Don’t Deny Me Relief

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I am quite outspoken. I have no problem voicing my opinion or needs — or so I thought. An exchange this morning left me speechless. While my head was ... Read more

August 1, 2019July 30, 2019

We Are Strong — We Have No Other Choice

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I recently saw a greeting card that read, “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.” No truer words. While I am grateful ... Read more

July 25, 2019July 25, 2019

Judging a Book by Its Cover

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I find airport newsstands alluring. I am drawn toward the litany of books. Shelves of colorful covers beckon to me, bestsellers emblazoned with enticing accolades. I need those books, ... Read more

July 11, 2019September 3, 2019

My Independence Day: Reinventing Ability with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell, SPMS

The glow of the fireworks bathes the surrounding trees. A kaleidoscope of blue, yellow, and red illuminates the night sky. It is a day of picnics, parades, and pyrotechnics. ... Read more

June 27, 2019June 25, 2019

Loving Yourself in Sickness and Health

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I am frequently commended for my demeanor. For my strength amid pain and adversity. For my optimism and happy disposition. For making the most of my circumstances. I love ... Read more

June 13, 2019June 11, 2019

Move It or Lose It: Movement Is Crucial to Well-being with MS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

A well-known mantra exists in the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. I first heard it after my diagnosis and have since adopted it as my own. “Move it or lose ... Read more

June 6, 2019June 5, 2019

Consortium for a Cure: Witnessing Hope

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Our emotional selves are unique to each of us. The catalysts that elicit tears and fears vary. We feel emotions rise and await their eruption. Contrarily, they can catch ... Read more

May 30, 2019May 28, 2019

Chariots of Enlightenment: Overcoming My Fear of a Wheelchair

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) is an education in and of itself. I’ve learned a lot about myself and I am a different person now, nine years after my ... Read more

May 16, 2019September 3, 2019

Trading Teacups for Buckets: Keeping Dreams Alive with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell, SPMS

They say that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. While I agree with these two, a third inevitability is capitulation. Why do we have theme parks ... Read more

May 9, 2019September 3, 2019

Perception Over Pain: Making a Mental Shift with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell, SPMS

I am a positive person with not-so-positive moments. These moments don’t quantify my essence. Nevertheless, they sure try. I work hard to keep the negativity at bay, but I ... Read more

May 2, 2019June 3, 2019

With an Autoimmune Disease, Fear of a Measles Outbreak Is Real

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Few things scare me. I mean, truly frighten me to my core. While I flee from bees and scream at spiders, I have been both stung and bitten. Scary ... Read more

April 18, 2019April 23, 2019

The DMT Decision: Tried and True or Shiny and New?

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I spend a great deal of time in my head. I think. A lot. Perhaps I do so more than I should, but then again, it is a haven ... Read more

April 11, 2019September 3, 2019

The Unlikely Warrior: Finding Purpose with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell, SPMS

I am balancing my laptop on one pillow and a leg brace. I have myriad MS-related health issues; alas, this is not among them. After meniscus surgery, aggressive arthritis, and ... Read more

April 4, 2019April 3, 2019

Be the Change with Walk MS 2019

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

  Fatigue falls hard as I look out on the first hot day of the year. I struggle to focus as my head bobs. This is my new normal. ... Read more

March 28, 2019March 26, 2019

Losing Fear of Change with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

I am a strategist. I think things through. This attribute is borne of necessity. A birthday dinner is not complete without my exit plan. As I wait to be ... Read more

March 21, 2019March 28, 2019

Intimacy and MS: A Lesson in Discovery

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

Living with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is a lesson in discovery. I strive to manage life with MS one day at a time. My disease touches all aspects of my ... Read more

March 7, 2019March 6, 2019

My Second Act: Turning 50 with SPMS

Columns, Silver Linings - a Column by Jennifer Powell

If a cat has nine lives then I have at least twice as many. One day shy of my 50th birthday, my mind runs a vivid montage of years ... Read more