March 23, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister With multiple sclerosis, itās hard to stop saying ‘I’m sorry,’ but you should Even if I resolved to improve my cardiovascular health by taking the stairs more often, I canāt. Mobility problems brought on by my primary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ force me to use a wheelchair. Using a wheelchair, in turn, means that stairs and I are natural enemies (as are curbs and…
September 17, 2021 Columns by Jamie Hughes MS and the Beauty of Changing Seasons I walked outside a couple days ago and something amazing happened. The heat didnāt slap me in the face. The humidity didnāt sit on my chest like some sort of weird, invisible lead weight. (And let me tell you, in Georgia, the heat and humidity are beyond oppressive. The second…
July 29, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell MS Doesn’t Get to Decide Whether We Are Enough “Change is the only constant in life,” a quote paraphrased from Greek philosopher Heraclitus states. This ancient wisdom still prevails today. Life is in a constant flux. We evolve, we grow, and we shift, and we are never the same. When I suffer, I cling to this knowledge. And…
July 23, 2021 Columns by Jamie Hughes Permanent Ink: My Tattoo Serves as an Important Reminder On July 10, I did something I never thought Iād do: I got a tattoo! Iāve always been fascinated by body art, and any time I see someone with ink I admire, I always ask a ton of questions about it. Sure, I ask how much time it took and…
May 13, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Confessions of an MS Ableist: Change Begins With Me Life is composed of little awakenings. These epiphanies broaden our horizons. Each invites us to become better versions of ourselves. And while not always welcome, most are necessary for growth. I recently flew across the country to the corporate office of BioNews, the company I work for that…
January 7, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Positioning Myself to Embrace Change There is something poetic about transitioning to a new year. It’s the melancholy of farewell fused with hopeful expectancy, the bittersweet juxtaposition of closing one door while opening another. Yet for a moment, I am noncommittal. With one foot in each year, I eventually shift my weight from 2020…
December 18, 2020 Columns by Jamie Hughes Reclaiming Our Power When We Feel Powerless I donāt know about you all, but when I first learned I had multiple sclerosis, I felt utterly powerless. Weak. Beaten down. Cornered. Cowed. Yes, I experienced all of these negative feelings (and a hundred more besides) in the first year or two after my diagnosis. But after time, I…
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 head bobs. This is my new normal. The attacks are merciless,…
February 22, 2019 Columns by Jamie Hughes The More Things Change ā¦ An awesome friend of mine at work who is learning to master Spanish as a second language has been using a podcast called “News in Slow Spanish” to increase fluency in conversation and learn cultural nuances. (And this isnāt the first amazing thing sheās done. Homegirl can run…
December 17, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson Grieving Loss in a Year of Change and MS Dealing with bundled change,Ā loss, and multiple sclerosis (MS) has turned out to be more of a challenge than I could have Ā imagined, and I have not been very good at it. Coming to terms with the loss of a loved one is overwhelming on its…
February 12, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson The 4 Stages of Metamorphosis: Honing My Reactions to Change At the end of each passing year, I like to give a theme name to the fresh new year. So last year when my sister Kathy asked me what I would dub 2018, I thought for a few moments and said, “The metamorphosis of change.” I previously didn’t have…
November 14, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson The Awe of Autumn: Welcoming Change , Spring has always been my favorite season. There is something about flowers blooming, grass growing and the germination process that invigorates me. Spring reminds me that a new season is coming and it ignites hope. I am discovering that autumn deeply resonates with me as well. When I…
June 28, 2017 Columns by Mike Knight Pardon the Introduction: My Life with MS in Motion Though my first brush with MS cameĀ in 2000 or so,Ā I wasn’tĀ diagnosed untilĀ December 2013 with primary progressive MS. Shortly after the diagnosis, I began scouring the internet for information about the disease and how to live with it. Sound familiar? I found…