living with MS

Some mornings with multiple sclerosis (MS) feel like being stuck in quicksand. Fatigue appears first, followed by aches, and then the fog that turns simple tasks into mini mountains. On those days, I ask one small question to get moving: What color is my hope today? Dressing for dopamine,…

As Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself reflecting on what gratitude really means. Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) has taught me that thankfulness isn’t just about the big, joyful milestone moments; it’s about noticing and appreciating the small victories that make each day possible. The truth is, life with…

When the lights come up at the MS Focus on Fashion gala, the runway will be more than a showcase for beautiful designs. The Nov. 14 event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will be a celebration of confidence and connection for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to…

Life wasn’t just good; it was great. I had the perfect balance of a successful career, a wonderful family, and great friends. After earning an engineering degree and a Master of Business Administration, I launched a rewarding career in the technology industry. I was a leader in my community, was…

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but at some point, I stopped putting on a costume and going trick-or-treating for Halloween. Years passed, and with the arrival of my children, I found myself happily joining them in their various celebrations of the holiday. They may eventually outgrow it like…

When Jill Blackburn’s daughter, Sierra, was diagnosed with pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) at the age of 15, Blackburn had trouble finding sufficient support and resources. She eventually joined a relevant Facebook group, which she evolved into a nonprofit organization, the Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Alliance. She now serves as…

I never could afford to be a one-trick pony. That’s mostly because I wasn’t good enough at any single thing. Also, it benefited me, and those around me, if I was skilled at a variety of things. I’m not saying there’s no place for people who are masters of one…

Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) often means constantly balancing what your body needs with what your life demands. Some days you’re managing symptoms like fatigue, while other days you’re trying to keep up with work, relationships, and other responsibilities that don’t pause for flare-ups or doctor appointments. Amid all…

Going through menopause with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be challenging, as the changes that come with this stage of life may interact or occur in tandem with existing MS symptoms. A team of researchers recently studied how menopause affects women living with MS, with their findings presented…

Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) has changed almost every part of my life, which sometimes feels overwhelming. Simple tasks are more complex than before. One thing that has helped me cope is being a dog mom. I have a 12-year-old rescue dog that we adopted in 2014. He is…

Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) can sometimes feel like living with a trickster who changes the rules without warning just to amuse himself. One day, you are walking fine, and the next, your legs feel like they’ve been replaced with overcooked spaghetti. There’s fatigue, brain fog, and…

Roxy Murray was living up to being known as “The Multiple Sclerosis Fashionista” when she attended the 2025 European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) conference in Barcelona, Spain, on a warm September afternoon. Murray, who has multiple sclerosis (MS) and lives in London, applies her…

I’m not sure what age people begin to care about the lives of birds, but I think I’ve reached that point. I’m not quite at the stage where I name them or talk to them as if they understand me, but I’m getting close. I have several bird feeders in…

I celebrated my mid-century birthday two weeks ago with an online dance party with friends, family, and patients in “The Myelin Room” — a monthly Zoom event. At 50, I’ve officially grown up. I no longer think of myself as a “girl.” The more dignified “woman” feels more appropriate.

At a recent social gathering, my military career came up, including the more than 100 parachute jumps I’ve done in my life. As usual, someone remarked that I must have enjoyed parachuting, and I had to say that I didn’t because I was actually afraid of heights. That brought the…

If I were to ask a random person to name the favorite catchphrase of Charles M. Schulz’s character Charlie Brown, the answer would almost invariably be “Oh, good grief!” Although Charlie used it for any number of situations and possibly in place of something stronger, he may have had a…

Last week’s column almost didn’t happen. I’m trying out a new-to-me medication for cognitive issues, and it affected my writing process. About halfway down that medication’s list of possible side effects was “abnormal dreams,” reported by 10% or less of users. As luck would have it, I’m in that…

Donald Kushner, MD, is a retired physician, board certified in internal medicine and hospice and palliative care. He has been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than 20 years and draws on his dual perspective as both doctor and patient to explore illness, identity, and adaptation. He’s writing…

Although it wasn’t his field of study, my father has always been a history buff. On breaks from school, our peers visited theme parks, where they tried out death-defying rides and attempted to eat their own body weight in sugar. My sisters and I, on the other hand, were dragged…

A couple months ago, my partner and I took a 5-week-old kitten into our home. The decision was somewhat impulsive because we didn’t intend to adopt a kitten. We’d wanted an adult cat, because we were concerned that my resident cat, Lucky, wouldn’t take well to a new friend.

“The Longest Shortest Time.” The title of this parenting podcast says it all. How can it feel like your kids will never outgrow a stage, while simultaneously being way bigger than you remember them being just yesterday? Living with a chronic disease like multiple sclerosis (MS) reminds me…

I tend to be a pretty reserved guy. I don’t yell myself hoarse at my children’s sporting events or shout advice to athletes that I happen to be watching live or on TV. I don’t scream, “Look behind you!” or “Don’t go in there!” to characters in a movie either.

Before 2016, I didn’t need to take any prescription medications, at least not regularly. But during my first episode of optic neuritis and a few years later, after my diagnosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, I was forced to create a new habit. During that first episode of optic…

Someone bumped into the footrest of my wheelchair at a crowded venue recently. They immediately stopped and apologized — which doesn’t always happen — and I quickly explained that they’d hit only a part of my chair and not me. This response prompted a pause, a look of concern, and…

Comparison is generally considered an innate human tendency, whether we realize it or not. And it’s not necessarily a negative phenomenon, though we often think of it that way. However, comparison does have the potential to be a complex emotional process, especially in the context of living with multiple…

Here in the U.S., today is the last day that someone out there will have all 10 fingers. It’s probably wishful thinking to suggest that it’ll be only one person, but I’m trying to be optimistic. In anticipation of the holiday tomorrow, fireworks sales started picking up about a month…

Dear current me, Not that long ago, I wrote a letter to our younger self, newly diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). That letter was intended to let her know that her diagnosis was not the end-all, be-all and wouldn’t take away from the beautiful and…

No one likes being volunteered against their will — especially when the person doing the volunteering uses the word “we.” I’m sure there’s a similar phrase in every language, but in English, a common reply is, “What do you mean ‘we’? Is there a mouse in your pocket?” I’m…

My family and I just returned from a vacation to the place I wrote about in my very first column for Multiple Sclerosis News Today, only not to the same house. I can’t make it up and down the stairs there anymore, so my wife found us a wheelchair-accessible…

Bouts of heightened anxiety come in forceful waves and hit me like a freight train. I live with a baseline level of anxiety, but at times, it worsens for no specific reason. All I know is that it’s one of the worst feelings. Anxiety is a common phenomenon in…