November 9, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister My multiple sclerosis has made me more suspicious As I’ve mentioned a time or two, my wife and I have three boys. Although they’re all under the age of 12, they’ve started to talk like the budding teenagers they are. As they mingle with peers more than their parents, their vocabulary in particular becomes less like ours every…
August 24, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Living with MS can often feel like being lost in the woods Years before joining the Army crossed my mind, I was a Boy Scout. We learned all sorts of skills, earned merit badges, and, of course, spent lots of time hiking and camping. I have many fond memories of those scouting years, but one lesson I remember in particular was…
April 13, 2022 Columns by Beth Ullah Pain and Positivity: My Experience With Plasmapheresis “‘Cause I would never break your heart/ I would only rearrange/ All the other working parts will stay in place.” ā Biffy Clyro, a Scottish rock band If youāve spent any time in a hospital, you know that it never gets completely dark. Thereās always a light flickering somewhere, a…
November 6, 2019 Columns by Cathy Chester The Past Gives Us Hope for the Future The times weāre living in feel surreal to me. Iām not talking about the current state of U.S. politics, though my opinions could fill a book. Iām talking about how I feel when I read about advances that have been made since my diagnosis three decades ago, and…
June 27, 2019 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Loving Yourself in Sickness and Health I am frequently commended for my demeanor. For my strength amid pain and adversity. For my optimism and happy disposition. For making the most of my circumstances. I love my steadfast faith. I love my fierce determination. I love my decision to combat pain and adversity with hope. I love…
December 7, 2018 Columns by John Connor The Right Hand of Lightness There’s a joy in going on a long journey in which I get the luxury of sleeping through the whole thing. It’s practically magical. Or scientifically, like teleportation. I was there and now I’m here without any effort! I’ll never be able to afford a first-class bed on a…
November 16, 2018 Columns by John Connor And the Good News Is … Getting started on any career is fraught with difficulty, and the trail that got me to my base camp was truly meandering. It was nearly as convoluted as that sentence! At 23, without meaning to, I found myself being a putative theater critic. Within months, under the pressure of…
May 22, 2018 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson MS and Mental Illness: The World Needs You Spring has sprung! As I look around, Mother Earth is in bloom. Trees are sprouting new leaves, plants are growing, and the grass isĀ green once again. I love spring and all that it represents ā hopes for new birth and rebirth. For those who are unaware, May is Mental…
November 9, 2017 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell A Beacon of Hope Amid MS-Related Pain Do you have pain? Although prone to subjectivity, I am certain the majority of you silently said yes. I did. I hesitated to write this, as pain, from the definition of it to the management of it, is idiosyncratic. Rather than draw hard and fast lines, I prefer to…
September 5, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson We’re Still Here We celebrated my dear friendās pastoral anniversary on Sunday, and the service was dynamic. Although I do not want to make this column a religious sermon, I hope toĀ use the message from the guest speaker to inspire you. It does not matter what faith, color, or creed that…
July 27, 2017 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Choosing to Infuse Myself with Optimism Living with an incurable, progressive disease can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Iāve always been a girl who thrives on proof and assurances, and there seem to be little of either where MS is concerned. Itās taken me quite a while to settle into the awkward instability that is ambiguity,…
April 12, 2017 Columns by Jamie Hughes Spring is an Apt Time to Reflect on MS and Hope T.S. Eliotās opens his masterwork The Waste Land with four stunning lines of verse: April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixingĀ Memory and desire, stirringĀ Dull roots with spring rain.Ā It seems odd to say that April is…
April 6, 2017 Columns by admin ‘Fabulous’ Ocrevus Lights the Way to a Brighter, Hopeful Future, MS Nurse Says Ocrevus is a “fabulous” drug that does wonders for those who respond to it. Thatās the view of an MS nurse practitioner in Florida, with whom I spoke this week. Tricia Pagnotta works at the Multiple Sclerosis…
April 4, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Ocrevus: FDA Approval Triggers Hope, Optimism ā and Concern ā Among MS Patients The past few days have been remarkable in the multiple sclerosis (MS) community, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving Ocrevus to treat relapsing MS (RRMS) and primary progressive MS (PPMS) in the United States. Ocrevus ā adminstered intravenously every six months ā is the first drug…
March 21, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson My Fight Song for Multiple Sclerosis Most of us have heard Rachel Platten’s Fight Song. It became an anthem for many people who struggle with illness and adversity. Fight Song has become one of my favorite odes. As a writer, I love to listen to the words of song lyrics. The music is…
December 20, 2016 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson HOPE ā Having Obedience to Persevere and Endure I was thinking of writing about another subject a few days ago and then, as usual, life happened. I learned of the passing of a former colleague recently. I did not know her well, but her spirit was infectious. She had been fighting colorectal cancer for 12 years. As…
December 16, 2016 Columns by Jamie Hughes Hope Lights the Way to a Cure for MS āThis first candle in the advent wreath,ā I told my kids as I clicked the lighter and set its flame atop the wick, ārepresents hope. What does that word mean to you guys?ā In the warm glow of the purple taper, we talked about everything from wishes and…
October 17, 2016 Columns by Debi Wilson My MS and Faith of the Mustard Seed I have written nine articles so far with shared ideas of what has helped me in this overwhelming battle with multiple sclerosis. My experiences and successes are shared in the hope that others will be helped as well. This 10thĀ article is about what comforts and sustains me the most…