Eating Comfort Food Can Be Uncomfortable With MS
Summer is one of the cruelest times of year for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Thanks to Uhthoff’s syndrome, it’s hard to enjoy all the fun that comes with warm temperatures. I…
Chairborne — Ben Hofmeister
Ben Hofmeister was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in 2014, ending a 22-year career in the U.S. Army, as both a Ranger and Green Beret. He gradually settled into a wonderful retired life in Anniston, Alabama, with his wife and their three boys. He couldn’t be happier. After being inspired by the writing of others with MS, he decided to add his own voice. His column is raw and honest, but sometimes sarcastic and pithy too. MS is a serious disease but a life with it doesn’t always have to be.
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With multiple sclerosis, do you view your glass as half-full or half-empty?
When presented with a drinking glass containing half the water it can hold, a pessimist would say that it’s half-empty while an optimist would say that the glass is half-full. A realist would probably…
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MS Makes Me Feel Like a Child Again, and Not in a Good Way
The other day, my middle child opened the door while I was in the bathroom. If you have children, a surprise visit in what should be a sanctuary isn’t unusual, but in this case,…
Multiple Sclerosis Memory Issues Force Me to Use New Methods
Before multiple sclerosis (MS), I was pretty proud of my memory. For the most part, I still am, but like many others with this disease, I now have trouble recalling information. For me,…
How I Respond to Typical Questions About MS From Children, Adults
As I’ve probably mentioned before, my wife and I have three boys in grade school. This means that between school events, sports, and play dates, I’m around a lot of kids. Considering I…
This New Year, I Resolve to Let Myself Hope
The new year is just a few days away, so if you haven’t already, you might want to start thinking about resolutions, if you’re so inclined. Although I personally don’t bother these days, about…
”Twas the Night Before Christmas’: A Multiple Sclerosis Parody
The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year. Multiple sclerosis (MS), of course, has a way of sucking the joy out of anything, but it can’t have my…
Being Able to Laugh at Yourself Is Vital When Living With MS
I had a glass of wine thrown in my face on the evening of my wedding anniversary. I was taken completely by surprise — well, maybe not completely. After all, the person who threw…
Striking a Balance Between Self-pity and Giving Yourself Grace
They say that if you happen upon other people talking about you, you shouldn’t listen in. I have no idea who “they” are. I’ve searched for a quote to give someone the proper credit,…
Relief From Multiple Sclerosis Sleep Disorders Is a Dream
Multiple sclerosis (MS) and a good night’s sleep seem to be mutually exclusive. I seriously doubt that anyone with MS will reply in the comments that the disease has blessed them with the…
Why Do We Turn Into MS Monsters Just Before an Ocrevus Infusion?
Something is happening to me. All four limbs have become heavier than usual over the past two weeks. My arms and fingers are stiffer and less responsive, and I’ve somehow managed to effect a…
Don’t Let the Past and Future Be Obstacles While Living With MS
While helping me get dressed this morning, my wife handed me a T-shirt from a dresser drawer across the room. It happened to be a shirt commemorating an event from my pre-multiple sclerosis…
Uncomfortable Liminal Spaces: When We’re Caught Between Here and There
Every time I find myself in a multistory building, I end up on an elevator. It’s not as though I’m too lazy to take the stairs — well, OK, I am lazy — but…
My Stubbornness Has Helped and Hindered Me in Life With MS
There’s a slight chance that I might be stubborn. I don’t really see it, but my wife, parents, siblings, relatives, friends, and former teammates all seem to think so. I personally think that they’re…
My MS Makes Getting Sick With a Viral Infection 10 Times Worse
School started last week for our three kids. They got to see friends from the last school year, meet their new teachers, and sit at a new desk in their new classrooms. Per tradition,…
How My MS Diagnosis Journey Became My Origin Story
If I were a superhero (or a supervillain, for that matter), I’d have an origin story. As it stands, I’m not even a minor hero in real life, and only a mediocre one when…
A Friend Under the Skin: My Intrathecal Baclofen Pump
In my last column, I mentioned that I had an intrathecal baclofen pump. I’d make a bad pun, but I don’t have it in me. Spasticity, spasms, and hyperreflexivity were some…
The MS Paradox Results in Many Conflicting Feelings
“Thanks, I hate it.” Odd way to begin a column, I know. I suppose I’d better explain myself. That phrase regularly appears in memes and other pop culture media as an expression of…
Comparing Cases of Multiple Sclerosis Leads to a Logical Fallacy
If you weren’t aware (I wasn’t), last Friday, June 17, was National Eat Your Vegetables Day. The day wasn’t created to tout any special diet per se, but to increase awareness of the…
I No Longer Feel Guilty for Sharing Good News
I’m heading to the beach with my family soon. Not a resort, or any sort of popular, touristy destination. Far from it, in fact. We like to go to the old family beach house…
