living with MS

I’ve been blessed with extraordinary caregivers and people who have made my journey with multiple sclerosis (MS) profoundly different. When I was diagnosed, my world collapsed. Everything I knew about myself, my body, and my future became uncertain. I had fatigue and strange sensations — my body…

I was probably never as outgoing or sociable as some people, but there was a time when I genuinely enjoyed most social activities. I was the guy who, by the time a long flight was over, had made at least two new friends and was invited to someone’s wedding. Even…

On Sunday, Nov. 2, daylight saving time ended, our clocks “falling back” an hour. This time of year is difficult for many because the sun sets earlier and the evenings are darker. This can contribute to seasonal depression for a lot of people. However, I experience the opposite. Long before…

People living with multiple sclerosis (MS) have consistently lower quality of life than the general population — regardless of age or gender, a new study shows. The scientists also identified several factors that are significantly associated with worse quality of life in MS. These included disease symptoms such as…

A third of adults live with chronic physical conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), but in most cases these conditions aren’t obvious to others — and many people downplay their impact to avoid making those around them uncomfortable. That’s according to a new report from Convatec, a medical…

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…

As I sit down at my desk to write this, tears are streaming down my face. My mind, soul, body, and heart are beyond wounded from living with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). This burden that I bear has taken a toll on me like nothing else. I ask myself,…

As a physician, I hang my hat on certainty, where a certain medical issue can be solved with a certain medication. But when it comes to real life, especially as a parent and a person living with multiple sclerosis (MS), I know there’s little certainty in everyday living. My…

I’d spent about five years trying to figure out what was wrong with me and then treat it when I got the phone call. During that time, I’d had three surgeries to repair old injuries and had been treated for chronic Q fever. I’d also been diagnosed with multiple…

Having a higher body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on a person’s height and weight, at diagnosis is tied to faster disability progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study in Sweden. This effect was particularly pronounced when excess weight…

During my hospital stay earlier this year, all I could think about was the relief that would come when I finally went home. I pictured sinking into my own bed, exhaling for the first time in weeks, catching up with all that had happened inside my body. I needed…

As a law student in the Czech Republic, Jana Hlavacova specialized in international law and international relations, but a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis led her to shift her professional focus. Applying her legal expertise to her work at the Czechia Ministry of Health, she now helps shape healthcare policy…

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…

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…

“We’ve always done it this way” was the phrase I most despised in the Army whenever I questioned a tactic or technique. I’m not saying routine and doctrine aren’t important or can’t help streamline a task, but they should also be common sense before they’re applied. My problem was the…

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…

Disability progression does not seem to worsen in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) after they undergo menopause, according to the largest study of its kind. Instead, other factors such as older age at MS onset, longer disease duration, and worse initial disability scores were associated with an increased risk…

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 love to travel and have a bucket list of places I want to visit and things I want to see and do in my lifetime. For example, I want to see the pyramids in Egypt. I want to go ice fishing in Minnesota. I want to stay in an…

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.

Some older people with multiple sclerosis (MS), namely those older than 60, may be able to safely discontinue disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) as long as they continue to be regularly monitored for new disease activity, a new study suggests. The findings showed that people older than 50 generally experience an…

I’ve written in the past that I thought I could stand to lose a few pounds. Well, I finally put a little effort into it and have managed to do exactly that by making some changes to my diet. I’d hoped that losing weight would reveal the washboard stomach…

Psychological testing indicates that I’m not crazy, but when I share some of the things I’ve done in the Army, people sometimes wonder. I never say that I’m not, because that’s what a crazy person would say. Instead, I provide a three-point answer: One, would I even know? Two,…

Life with multiple sclerosis (MS) is unpredictable, involving many unknowns. Symptoms can come and go, flare up without warning, and affect every aspect of our health, from movement to memory. Managing MS is already a full-time job, and the added weight of life’s uncertainties often makes it even more…

I recently got my yearly influenza vaccine, which protects against the flu. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “In an average year, thousands of people in the United States die from flu, and many more are hospitalized. Flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and…

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…

We all have stomach or bathroom issues from time to time. Eat the wrong thing, catch a bug, drink too much coffee, and your body will let you know. That’s just life. But when you have multiple sclerosis (MS), digestive and urinary problems aren’t occasional; they become their own…