MS Head Start is a video series hosted by multiple sclerosis (MS) advocate Damian Washington, designed to help people newly diagnosed with MS through the first steps of their journey. Follow along with Damian as he discusses different aspects of MS management and daily life in each of 10 videos. Check out the videos and accompanying articles below.
Introducing MS Head Start and Damian: Video 1
Damian introduces the MS Head Start series, in partnership with Multiple Sclerosis News Today, a video series geared toward people who have been newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and might be wondering, “What now?”
Reflections: A letter to my newly diagnosed self
Last updated May 5, 2023 As the year comes to a close, I find myself in a reflective state. This mild nostalgia visits each December and accompanies me into the New Year. I usually…
Read moreAccepting and adapting to your MS diagnosis: Video 2
Accepting and adapting to your new life with MS can be challenging. The first step? Feel your feelings. Damian Washington discusses ways to cope with your MS diagnosis in our second video in the MS Head Start series.
6 ways to help you cope with and accept your MS diagnosis
Last updated April 25, 2023 At the intersection of hope and despair is a bench to sit and rest. At least, I hope there is. The bench gives us an opportunity to take a…
Read moreInvisible MS symptoms: Video 3
MS is sometimes referred to as an invisible disease, because many of its symptoms are not readily apparent to others. In our third video, Damian talks about those hard-to-explain symptoms like fatigue, pain, and numbness that people with MS regularly experience.
Living with MS involves ‘invisible’ symptoms that are hard to explain
The “invisible” symptoms that are common with relapsing-remitting MS and many other chronic illnesses can be the bane of our lives. It’s difficult enough to manage them, as they’re constantly fluctuating…
Read moreHow friends and family can support people with MS: Video 4
It can be tricky to figure out how to talk about an MS diagnosis with friends and family and for them to know how to offer support in return. In our fourth video, Damian Washington has some advice for navigating these relationships and how to be present for your loved one with MS.
Advice for helping a loved one through an MS diagnosis
Last updated April 25, 2023 In June, the U.K. marks Carers Week, which got me thinking about how a chronic illness diagnosis often affects a patient’s entire family. Most often,…
Read moreEffective communication with your doctor: Video 5
It’s not always easy to know what you should be discussing with your doctor or even when it might be time to find a new one. In our fifth video, Damian discusses how to approach doctor visits; after all, you are your own best advocate.
My way or the highway, some multiple sclerosis neurologists think
Note: This column has been updated Feb. 15, 2023, to correct that Ocrevus is an infusion medication and is not similar to chemotherapy. Is treating multiple sclerosis (MS) really all about the medications?…
Read moreCoping with MS and mental health: Video 6
Managing MS on a day-to-day-basis can take a toll on the mental health of patients and caregivers. In our sixth video, Damian talks about how MS affects mental health and how to cope with these challenges.
Expert Voices: Caring for mental health with multiple sclerosis
In this installment of our “Expert Voices” series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked psychologist Amy MB Sullivan to answer some of your questions related to implementing integrative medicine in multiple sclerosis care. Sullivan is…
Read moreCoping mechanisms for dealing with an MS diagnosis: Video 7
Coping with an MS diagnosis can feel overwhelming, but certain strategies can help. In our seventh video, Damian Washington shares what works for him and offers suggestions that may work for others.
Management through meditation: Balance can happen with MS
Last updated April 25, 2023 Expectations equal resentment. It’s simple logic, yet profoundly true. Each time I set an expectation for myself or someone else, I set myself up for a potential letdown. Resentment…
Read moreDealing with cognitive dysfunction in MS: Video 8
The cognitive deficits that come with multiple sclerosis (MS) are common — affecting up to two-thirds of patients — but that doesn’t make them any easier to deal with. In our eighth video, Damian Washington addresses MS cognitive dysfunction and the various ways it may present.
MS cognitive fog is the hardest symptom for me to accept
“You only begin to grasp the import of an event – and its larger implications vis-à-vis your life – long after it has entered into that realm marked ‘memory.’” — Douglas Kennedy, “…
Read moreAdaptations and helpful hacks for MS: Video 9
Living with MS can be exhausting, so it’s important to find ways to conserve energy throughout the day. In our ninth video, Damian Washington discusses some life hacks for dealing with fatigue and other symptoms of MS.
We never see the whole picture of MS, just our own little part
Ever since I learned how, I have enjoyed reading. My tastes have changed a little over the years, as has the way I read. I like the feel and smell of a real book,…
Read moreCaring for a loved one with MS: Video 10
Being a caregiver to someone with multiple sclerosis can be difficult, just like living with MS. In our final video of the series, Damian Washington talks about the role of caregivers when it comes to this life-altering disease.
Thankful for caregivers: What MS has taught me about support
It’s been a couple weeks since my last column, and things with my mother have proven more challenging than we expected. She’s had another minor procedure to stop fluid from building up in…
Read moreAbout Damian
Damian Washington, who lives in Los Angeles, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2017. As an MS advocate, Washington uses his YouTube channel, NoStressMS, which has more than 6,000 subscribers, to educate and raise awareness about life with MS. He also provides his insight into the patient experience to pharmaceutical companies. Damian often says, “MS is a terrible way to meet wonderful people.”
