Delicate Balance - Leigh Anne Nelson

Leigh Anne Nelson is a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy and a board-certified psychiatric pharmacist. She was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) approximately 10 years ago. She hopes her column, “Delicate Balance,” will help people living with MS become more aware of MS symptoms and learn to advocate for themselves by providing personal stories of her journey with MS. Leigh Anne is passionate about educating others about MS.

Featured Post
Columns

Why I’m researching clinical trials as I prepare to switch my DMT

I wrote in the summer about changing the disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for my multiple sclerosis (MS). I’ve familiarized myself with the available DMTs, and I plan to ask my neurologist for her recommendation next week and then make a decision. As I’ve researched my options, I’ve become interested…

Columns

I have a little anxiety about getting my upcoming MRI

Well, it’s that time of year again, and I’m not referring to allergy season or baseball. It’s time for my MRI to evaluate my multiple sclerosis (MS). For the last three years, I was getting an MRI every 18 months. But at my last visit I saw a…

Columns

MS balance issues make me terrified of falling at large venues

In recent months, I’ve attended a couple events in large stadiums. Last December, I went to the Music City Bowl college football game in Nashville, Tennessee, where Mizzou (the University of Missouri) beat the Iowa Hawkeyes. I also saw a Justin Timberlake concert at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City,…

Columns

Grappling with the challenges of travel by air, made worse by MS

I flew to Detroit for work this month, then on to Phoenix to see my parents, and then back home to Kansas City, Missouri. But traveling by airplane has gotten more complicated for me because of my multiple sclerosis (MS). I don’t need assistive devices, so I know my…

Columns

Forget summer struggles; winter is the worst season for my MS

I’ve noticed a lot of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) report that their disease worsens in the summer months, with fatigue and heat intolerance as common complaints. Not me. I seem to thrive in warmer weather, and I enjoy going outside for the heat. Instead, I struggle in the…

Columns

Why I’ve been pondering life expectancy and multiple sclerosis

My husband and I are both considering early retirement. We’d discussed it for the past five years but hadn’t made any firm decisions. Last month, we decided that we needed to get serious about planning for it. We met with a financial adviser for retirement planning advice at our investment…

Columns

Here’s how I remember to take my medication for MS

I am a pharmacist and I teach at a pharmacy school. Being a healthcare professional, I understand the importance of taking my medication every day, which is called medication adherence. But do I really take my medication 100% of the time? Unfortunately, the answer is no. The World Health…

Recent Posts


Explore more columns