January 5, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS How ‘Medical Gaslighting’ Affects Women With Chronic Illness: Study Women with chronic health conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS) often experience disbelief and disenfranchisement from healthcare providers when they seek care, a new study highlights. The study, “Womenās Experiences of Health-Related Communicative Disenfranchisement,” was published inĀ Health Communication. There is a long history of discrimination and…
December 7, 2022 Columns by Beth Ullah How I Plan to Have a Cracking Christmas With MS As an adult, it hasn’t been easy for me to get into the Christmas spirit. Planning festivities and buying gifts don’t come naturally to me. Perhaps it’s because adult life never ends, whereas as a student, I had holiday breaks that signified the beginning of the season, allowing me to…
June 17, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias She Disclosed Her Illness and Got the Job It’s a decision most of us with a chronic illness have to make sooner or later: When do we disclose our illness, and to whom, and how do we do it? Thirty-one-year-old Katie Coleman faced that decision not long ago. Coleman has stage 4 kidney cancer, and, in April, she…
August 29, 2019 Columns by Tamara Sellman Need to Know: What Is a Symptom Journal? Editor’s note: “Need to Knowā is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum.Ā This week’s question is inspired by the forum topicĀ “How do you feel about journaling? Itās a good way to keep track…
June 19, 2018 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson The Importance of a Positive Support Network In July 2017, I participated in a Facebook chat for MS News Today entitled āThe Importance of Support And Positive Influences.” The chat was created to prompt a discussion on the necessity of support and resources for a person living with MS or other chronic illnesses. And now…
March 13, 2018 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Living Just for Today Last week, I wrote about the incessant emotions of MS and chronic illness. This week, I will focus on living in the present moment. Remaining on a quest to continue the depiction of real life with MS for Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month 2018, this weekās column will…
December 5, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Treat Others as You Wish to Be Treated: An Open Letter to Our Spouses and Partners My journey in life has allowed me to connect with and meet people from all over the world. For this, I am blessed. Iāve met many diagnosed with MS and other chronic illnesses. All of our experiences are different and we have varying levels of support. A little while…
October 31, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Invisible Illness Awareness: The Struggle Continues Last week was Invisible Illness Awareness Week, which ran from Oct 14-20. Awareness weeks are designed to bring attention to certain conditions, issues and situations. They are directed at creating consciousness and disseminating information. Sadly, invisible illness is a subject that needs much more attention. Those of…
August 15, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson My Tired Is Not Your Tired Fatigue. Most people with chronic illness ā especially MS ā experience this. My energy levels vary from one day to the next. I am tired of being tired (pun intended). There are days when getting out of bed is challenging, and times when I literally have to force…
May 30, 2017 Columns by Patricia Silva, PhD ‘Disabled? You Seem Perfectly Fine to Me!’ The casual remark, “You seem perfectly fine to me!”Ā bothers me (and others) becauseĀ eligibility forĀ Social Security Disability benefits requires proving we are not fine. In fact, we must prove that we are disabled, which is no small burden when we “seem perfectly fine.” ‘Looking’ disabled An acquaintance of mine…
May 15, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson Fear the Future? Change the Way You Think Fear of the future will likely rear its ugly head more often than you’d like when you have multiple sclerosis or any serious chronic disease. It can be difficult to keep your mind from wandering to a very dark place. Worries about how fast your disease is progressing,…
May 9, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson MS, Chronic Illness and Motherhood: A Salute to Mothers I am well aware of the importance of a mother, or a mother figure, and the significant role she has in the lives of her children and community. I am blessed to have an awesome mother who has profoundly shaped my life. It is her love, guidance, patience…
May 8, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson Losing Our Independence Due to Multiple Sclerosis Losing our independence due to multiple sclerosis is a profound loss. With that loss comes the grieving process and inevitable change. On Grief.com in “A Message from David Kessler,” he discusses the fiveĀ stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I have experienced all of these…
April 11, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Chronic Illness and Dating: the Benefits of Transparency The dating process is the prerequisite to most serious relationships. We invest a significant amount of time to assess whether we are compatible with the person of interest. Dating should beĀ fun and we should look forward to future possibilities. For the past few days I’ve been thinking about dating…
February 7, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Words of Wisdom Are a Legacy Worth Sharing: Just Hold On The three words are powerful. My mother speaks them into my spirit frequently. She tells me to “Just hold on.” My mother is a woman who has withstood many tragedies. Both my parents have. They’ve lost their children, cared for me as an ill child and they continue to…
October 18, 2016 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Matrimony and Multiple Sclerosis ā¦ in Sickness and in Health “In sickness and in health.” These words are said by everyone embarking upon the exciting journey of marriage. Most are in love, excited about the future and hopeful they have found their happily ever after. Many of us repeat the words “in sickness and in health” without much thought,…