Kevin Schaefer

For several months, Multiple Sclerosis News Today columnist and patient advocate Jenn Powell has been hosting an MS podcast. This podcast features conversations with patients, medical professionals, and other members of the community.

Our very own moderator @ed-tobias was the featured guest on episode six. Check out the interview he…[Read more]

In Jenn Powell’s latest column, she writes about how restless legs syndrome interferes with her sleep. Her fervent aching and twitching cause fatigue and prolonged soreness.

Here’s an excerpt: “This is all part of my life with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Large active lesions in areas that affect my legs exacerbate my restless l…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a safe and relaxing weekend. For those here in the U.S., I wish you all a good Memorial Day.

So, as states and other places around the world begin to reopen, I wanted to get your thoughts. I don’t want to start anything political here. Rather, I’m just curious if anyone here feels comfortable going out som…[Read more]

So I’m sure you’re all pretty tired of hearing about COVID. Paying attention to the news right now is exhausting.

However, I did want to share this column about COVID-19 and post-traumatic growth. The author, Brianna Albers, is a writer for one of our sibling sites. She’s been writing about mental health coping mechanisms, speci…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a safe and relaxing weekend.

Today, I wanted to start a conversation about setting personal goals. Obviously, it’s an unusual time to even think about this subject. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and just trying to stay healthy, most of us aren’t focused on the future.

Still, I actually think it’s a great time…[Read more]

Since the COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact on our healthcare services, we have to approach medical appointments differently than before. TeleMed and other virtual services could become the new norm. Still, some appointments and procedures need to be in-person. It raises questions about how we can best approach appointments with our…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a safe and relaxing weekend.

I wanted to share this book with you all. This is a collection of essays from the New York Times disability series. The book’s contributors include people living with quadriplegia, chronic illnesses, blindness, and more. The idea is to give people with a plethora of visible and i…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all doing well.

Check out Jessie’s latest column here. In thinking about what our world might look like once the COVID-19 pandemic is finally over, Jessie makes some good points. She points out that in spite of everything horrible going on with the virus, it’s also a wake-up call for our society. Company execu…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a safe and relaxing weekend.

I wanted to ask if anyone here does online therapy. With all of the stress and anxiety in the world right now, it’s as good a time as any to focus on mental health. And since we’re all on lockdown, online therapy is a great alternative to in-person appointments.

There’s one se…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all staying safe and healthy.

So I just wanted to do a mental health check-in. Obviously it’s a stressful time, but how’s everyone doing mentally and emotionally? For me, I’m just trying to take things day by day. I’m keeping a lockdown journal, reading, watching movies, calling friends and family, and going out…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all staying safe and healthy.

Today, I wanted to give a shoutout to all of the caregivers in this community. Especially in a time like this, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who continually gives and sacrifices to care for a loved one with MS.

I recently came across an article on the importance of s…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all staying safe out there.

So I wanted to ask you all about staying fit during the COVID-19 pandemic. I know it’s tough for a lot of us, especially when we can’t go to PT and regular appointments right now (I’m in this boat). Plus, binge-eating is tempting when you’re stuck at home (don’t look at me).

Sti…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Congrats on making it through another week of quarantine.

So I wanted to ask you all about using TeleMed for medical services. TeleMed is a popular resource for live medical answering services for patients and healthcare providers. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, I was wondering how many of you are using TeleMed for…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all staying safe out there.

Check out John’s latest column here. This is a humorous piece, filled with John’s usual brand of sarcasm. Instead of writing about COVID, John documents how his old MS symptoms are resurfacing. It’s a seemingly unpleasant subject, but John infuses his wit and humor into stories about spa…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all staying safe and healthy out there.

Check out Ed’s latest column here. Ed documents his Lemtrada journey, and the changes he’s experienced since starting this treatment. He writes about the pros and cons, and asks others to share their experiences as well.

Who here is on Lemtrada? What has your experience been?

Hey everyone! We made it through another week.

I wanted to share this video with you all that I came across a few months ago. This is a fascinating video, in which a group of people with disabilities discuss topics like ableism, dating, and living with a disability. The idea is to show that within disability communities, people think…[Read more]

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all staying safe, (relatively) sane, and healthy out there.

Check out Jessie’s latest column here. Since a lot of people have now transitioned to working from home, Jessie shares tips for handling remote work. Her tips include committing to a regular schedule, taking breaks, and listening to relaxing music. As so…[Read more]