What No One Tells You After a Diagnosis
A multiple sclerosis diagnosis is hard to process. Our body that we once knew so well suddenly feels untrustworthy. The truth is that the malfunctioning of our body…
DISabled to ENabled — Jessie Ace
Jessie is the host of the DISabled to ENabled podcast and author of the “ENabled Warriors Symptom Tracker” book. She’s also an illustrator working with MS charities and magazines worldwide. She’s interviewed paralympians, radio DJs, chronic illness bloggers, marathon runners, and more. Jessie, based in the U.K., was diagnosed with MS at 22 years old and was told by a doctor to “go home and Google it” to find out what MS was for herself. Her own experience of being newly diagnosed so young was negative and scary, so she fills the internet with positivity for other anxious MS Googlers to stumble upon.
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The Beginning of the End: A Reminder to #StayENabled
It’s with a heavy heart that I write this. I don’t want to, but I have to do what’s right. This will be my last column. Lately, things have been crazy busy for me, with…
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Internal Conflict Could Be Affecting Your Symptoms
“I’m just lazy,” I told myself. “Why can’t I do the things I need to do? I’m so exhausted and in pain all the time, I just want to sleep. Are my…
Why You Need to Be Tracking Your Symptoms for Your Medical Team
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease that can fluctuate at any time. It’s difficult to predict something that behaves so unexpectedly, but one thing you can do to feel in…
The Surprising Reasons You Might Be Bloated
Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) struggle with intestinal issues. There is evidence of the link between gut health and MS. …
5 Surprising Ways to Stay Cool Without an Air Conditioner
People outside the U.K. might not understand this column, but that’s OK. Not long ago, we had an entire week with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) in most parts of the…
What Does ‘ENabled Warrior’ Mean to You?
After I received my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, my nurse handed me a leaflet explaining how to tell those at my workplace I’m “DISabled,” and what…
How Much Caffeine Are You Consuming?
Your alarm sounds at 7 a.m. You grunt, smash the snooze button, and turn over. Ten minutes later, your alarm sounds again. You smash snooze. …
A Simple Hack to Access Better Treatment by Doctors
“What was the date of your last relapse?” the neurologist asked while peering over her glasses at me. I stared back blankly and then shrugged with a sheepish smile. I…
3 Ways People Respond to Your MS Diagnosis — and 3 Alternatives
After you get a new diagnosis and are coming to terms with a new way of life, the next part is especially tricky. You have to tell others. “Urgh. I don’t want to…
Managing Expectations on Your Wedding Day
Rose petal confetti — made from the roses my dad had given me a few days before — rained down as the people I cared about most in the world cheered. “Congratulations!”…
‘You Look OK to Me’
“You look OK to me.” He stood, towering over me, his big belly billowing from his shirt as he straightened up and lifted his chin, glaring down at me over folded arms. …
Do You Wish You Could Return to the ‘Old’ You?
I saw this question asked in a group somewhere not long ago and it got me thinking. Would I go back to the way I was before my multiple…
3 Things to Do If You’re Freaked Out by Blood Tests
Note: This column was updated July 23, 2020, to remove erroneous information about red blood cells. We regret the error. When I was newly diagnosed seven years ago…
Being Free from Symptom Flares Makes Me Feel Like a Fraud
I’m a fraud. Or at least I feel like one. When writing for a site about multiple sclerosis and setting up a business focused…
