May 16, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Trading Teacups for Buckets: Keeping Dreams Alive with SPMS They say that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. While I agree with these two, a third inevitability is capitulation. Why do we have theme parks when we have lives? We have highs and lows and…
May 9, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Perception Over Pain: Making a Mental Shift with SPMS I am a positive person with not-so-positive moments. These moments don’t quantify my essence. Nevertheless, they sure try. I work hard to keep the negativity at bay, but I don’t always succeed. As I write, I’m overcome with…
May 2, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell With an Autoimmune Disease, Fear of a Measles Outbreak Is Real Few things scare me. I mean, truly frighten me to my core. While I flee from bees and scream at spiders, I have been both stung and bitten. Scary movies, no matter how asinine, freak me out. Being alone…
April 18, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell The DMT Decision: Tried and True or Shiny and New? I spend a great deal of time in my head. I think. A lot. Perhaps I do so more than I should, but then again, it is a haven at times. My thoughts run…
April 11, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell The Unlikely Warrior: Finding Purpose with SPMS I am balancing my laptop on one pillow and a leg brace. I have myriad MS-related health issues; alas, this is not among them. After meniscus surgery, aggressive arthritis, and a loss of cartilage, I’m facing knee replacement.
April 4, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Be the Change with Walk MS 2019 Fatigue falls hard as I look out on the first hot day of the year. I struggle to focus as my…
March 28, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Losing Fear of Change with SPMS I am a strategist. I think things through. This attribute is borne of necessity. A birthday dinner is not complete without my exit plan. As I wait to be served, I realize the booth is a bit…
March 21, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Intimacy and MS: A Lesson in Discovery Living with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is a lesson in discovery. I strive to manage life with MS one day at a time. My disease touches all aspects of my life. One of the elements it affects is…
March 7, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell My Second Act: Turning 50 with SPMS If a cat has nine lives then I have at least twice as many. One day shy of my 50th birthday, my mind runs a vivid montage of years past. I close my eyes and I am there.
February 28, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell It’s Important to Know Your Limits with SPMS I had a busy weekend. I made it to an event I had so wanted to attend and survived it. Our golden retriever rescue had a volunteer mixer, and both Abby and I enjoyed ourselves. Once home,…
February 21, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Faith Amid Funkiness When SPMS Brings the Blues I am in a funk. It took a lot of mental volleying to admit this. I am preconditioned to synonymize feeling down with weakness. This is simply untrue. I am strong. But I am also having a difficult time…
February 14, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell There Are Angels Among Us: I’m Grateful for the Helpers I like to keep my life as normal as possible. This can be difficult given the physical challenges multiple sclerosis and chronic pain pose. Nevertheless, I try. Saturday was one of those days. I mistakenly assumed I could…
February 7, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Asking for Help with Secondary Progressive MS I have a hard time asking for help. Even when it’s offered, my knee-jerk reaction is to decline. Only in desperation do I reach out for, or accept, much-needed assistance. I say I am OK more often…
January 31, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Creative Deconditioning for Behavior Modification I watched the sunrise with dread, my peaceful time disquieted by my own internal chatter. An 80-degree day would soon replace the cool mid-January morning. Not my favorite. I am a creature of conditioning. Pavlov would be proud.
January 24, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell I Make Myself OK: Musings with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Not everyone is going to get it. And by “it” I mean our disease and the way it affects our lives. Few understand our limitations or the ramifications of pushing past them. Many people are perplexed when,…
January 17, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Seeing Through Solu-Medrol — Miracle, Menace, or Both? Today I came back to myself. For two months, I have been encapsulated in a hazy bubble. I could not kick this persistent bronchial condition and began to get frustrated. After three courses of ineffectual antibiotics and inhalers,…
December 20, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell 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 honor this slight melancholy by…
December 13, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Living with Intention This Christmas Ever since I can remember, my family has had a real Christmas tree. Finding the perfect tree became a magical adventure. We often cut our own, but as I grew older, we would choose one from…
December 6, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Receiving with Grace: Lessons Learned with Secondary Progressive MS In this season of thanks and giving, I have realized the beauty of receiving. I have recognized when to ask for help and how to accept assistance graciously. This has not been my strong suit in the past. I…
November 15, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Losing Words Through Dysarthria Is Hard for This Word Nerd I have always prided myself on my smarts. I excelled in college, where I realized my love for learning. I enjoy conversing with others, and I make a concerted effort to expand my horizons. I have never shied…
November 30, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Is multiple sclerosis everywhere, or am I just more aware of it now?