Before multiple sclerosis (MS) took the normal functioning of my limbs, I enjoyed being in the kitchen — not merely to be underfoot or lick spoons and bowls, but to actually cook and bake. I won’t claim to have been a gourmet chef or anything like that, but I…

Getting more physical activity and having effective ways of coping with multiple sclerosis (MS) could help to ease anxiety in patients, a review study suggests. “The findings of this review highlight links between anxiety in MS and a number of diverse factors, all of which are amenable to change,”…

Having a greater sense of control over life circumstances — a coping resource called mastery — is associated with a significantly lower risk of future depression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, an international study shows. The findings suggest that developing greater mastery may prevent MS patients from developing depression,…

Factors related to disease and personality, as well as specific health-related behaviors, are among the main determinants that can put people with multiple sclerosis (MS) at risk of unemployment, a study suggests. In particular, MS disease course, fatigue, self-efficacy (belief in one’s own abilities to cope, in this…

I read a sad tweet last night (though, in a way, aren’t all of them somewhat sad?) in which a woman told a story about her friend who had just broken up with her boyfriend of one year. She asked her friend how she was holding up. The reply was…

Dealing with bundled change, loss, and multiple sclerosis (MS) has turned out to be more of a challenge than I could have  imagined, and I have not been very good at it. Coming to terms with the loss of a loved one is overwhelming on its…

The journey of chronic illness has taught me that our families are greatly affected by our illnesses. Spouses, parents, siblings, and many others can attest to their personal stories of loving someone who is chronically ill. My inspiration for this week’s column was a discussion I recently had with…

I knew it was going to be one of those days as soon as I opened my eyes. I woke in some sort of half-start, my eyelids popping abruptly open as I looked up at the ceiling. Something seemed…

I saw my neurologist a few weeks ago for what was effectively an emergency meeting. I’d had the customary two rounds of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and still had a relapse. We discussed weighty subjects and there seemed, surprisingly, to still be some hope. It depends on the outcome of an MRI;…

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 breather from the stresses of the world. It’s a chance to sit and think about which…

In this chaotic world in which we live, it is hard to be still, to sit with nothing but our thoughts. There is always something to worry about or preoccupy our minds that never allows us to rest in the present. As I sit on the patio and write,…

I am an emotional, sensitive woman. I like to believe that I have a warm heart in a very cold world. Isn’t this what the world needs? Love, warmth, acceptance and transparency? Recently I find that my emotions change within a millisecond. So, instead of being sensitive, I…

Recent weeks have been filled with enough political drama to last a lifetime. Wherever I go virtually (and now, even in “real life”), ideological division has been amplified to the extreme. Except … when I go to the multiple sclerosis online forum I co-administrate. Meet the people in my neighborhood The…