Living with MS

This year, I’ve been acutely aware that my body isn’t perfect. Sometimes it doesn’t move well. Sometimes it cuts off sensation in my limbs without notice. Sometimes it gets wiped out from fatigue. Sometimes it’s like MS shakes up my head so hard, like a can of soda, that I…

Tysabri (natalizumab) infusions given in the home to people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) save money and are more convenient, while apparently as safe and effective as those given in clinical settings, a pilot study comparing the two delivery methods reported. Nonetheless, its researchers recommended larger trials be…

On July 10, I did something I never thought I’d do: I got a tattoo! I’ve always been fascinated by body art, and any time I see someone with ink I admire, I always ask a ton of questions about it. Sure, I ask how much time it took and…

Any British comedy aficionados among you will know “He’s fallen in the water” is the most famous of all the innumerable catchphrases of “The Goon Show.” That show was the root of Monty Python and every bit of the new wave of comedy that swept through our country.

“Do you need help?” The question came from a 30-something woman after I’d finished loading some cartons into the back of my SUV. I automatically replied, “No thanks, all done.” But lifting and loading isn’t an easy job for me. My upper body strength is good, but…

Hypertension — high blood pressure — triples the risk of severe walking disability in Hispanic and Latino people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new observational study reports. The study, “Hypertension and hypertension severity in Hispanics/Latinx with MS,” was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal. Although…

Fatigue, whether alone or in combination with depression or anxiety, is the main influencing factor of self-reported working ability among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and mild disability, according to a study in the Netherlands. Notably, contrary to the researchers’ expectations, personality traits were found to have…

The strength of the muscles used to exhale a breath may predict physical ability and disease severity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. Patients in this study with weaker expiratory muscles were also those with greater physical disability and more severe disease. The study, “Pulmonary…

“Look on the bright side.” Someone just said this to me days ago regarding the loss of a very dear friend. The bright side? I demanded to know what the bright side of this situation could be. There was no satiable explanation given in that moment. I am also…

People with MS who are using cannabis take heed: A research letter published in May in JAMA Network Open reports that calls to poison control centers about people intentionally or inadvertently using plant-based or processed cannabis products have been increasing over the past several years. Public health officials…

Isoflavone-rich diets boost gut health and lessen multiple sclerosis (MS) severity, a new study in mice suggests. In the study, mice with MS that were fed a diet rich in isoflavone — a plant-based compound — developed diverse and abundant gut bacteria, particularly isoflavone-digesting bacteria, which produced compounds that…

I feared becoming disabled more than I feared multiple sclerosis. At the time of my diagnosis, I was moving about well enough. My mobility changed as my disease progressed. My severe foot drop, unsteady gait, and change in speech were impossible to ignore. My prejudice toward the disabled was…

Actively taking steps to cope with the chronic stress of multiple sclerosis (MS) — from keeping a sense of humor to seeking emotional and tangible support — can help to improve patients’ quality of life, a small questionnaire-based study from Poland suggests. The study, “The Role of…

My obsession with numbers has continued since my latest MS relapses, but now I’ve taken it to a whole new level. A few months ago, I explained in a column that my husband had filled our house with clocks after reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, which…

Selma Blair, the TV and film actor who is also a multiple sclerosis (MS) advocate, will headline next month’s second International Virtual Summit for young adults with chronic and rare disorders. Hosted by Health Advocacy Summit (HAS), the Aug. 7-8 event will focus on empowerment, resources, and connection. The event is…

For the last year and a half, my husband and I had been following the high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet with some success. I lost 25 pounds, and my spouse (as is often the way with men) lost double that. However, a few months ago, I noticed that I was…

Last year, winter never quite arrived, and spring kept springing up before being crushed down again. We imperceptibly melded into summer. Then the autumn leaves hung on, and hung on some more. But these days, would Mr. Sinatra have to get his lyricist to do a rewrite? Some of…

My grandson, John, turned 5 in May, and my granddaughter, Hayden, turned 7 in June. I love being their Poppy, but I wish their Poppy didn’t have MS. I was diagnosed with MS in 1980, just over a year after our son, Geoff, was born. He and our…

Confusing people is my special skill. I’ll open my mouth, and no one will have a clue what I’m on about. It all started with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis eight years ago. Since then, I’ll often get, “MS? Oh my sister’s friend’s aunt’s nephew’s dog has that!” (Just kidding.)…

Blacks with multiple sclerosis (MS) have more severe disease and greater disability at their first visit than white patients, even when differences in socioeconomic status are taken into account, a large U.S. study found. The data showed that Black patients with MS had lower scores on some measures of…

Sleep deprivation may worsen memory in people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a new observational study suggests. A link also was observed between a lack of sleep and worse cognitive efficiency in early MS, but that association was caused by the worse moods…

MIND Diet May Protect Brain Tissue in MS The Mediterranean Diet is one of several diets that proponents believe slow their MS progression and in some cases help to improve some symptoms. However, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society says that “evidence of effectiveness [of any MS diet] is…

Many of you will remember doing jankers (detention) in school. Well, those of you who easily identified with “The Breakfast Club” will. If you never did one, let me educate you! A teacher’s favorite devilish ruse was telling us to write about being in an enclosed white space.

In the four decades I’ve lived with MS, I’d never before experienced a serious case of vertigo. I’ve occasionally felt a little spacey. In fact, mild dizziness while traveling home from a business convention is one of the things that led to my MS diagnosis in 1980. But vertigo is…

A higher adherence to the MIND diet – short for Mediterranean-Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension Intervention (DASH) for Neurodegenerative Delay – may protect brain tissue from further damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), new research suggests. In particular, consuming more high-fat dairy products was associated with a lower…

Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) start experiencing symptoms of the disease several years before being diagnosed, a new study suggests. While it has long been known that people with MS tend to seek medical attention more frequently in the years before diagnosis than those without the disease, there…

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but most people don’t like a problem without a solution. If something isn’t working correctly, they’d rather fix, alter, or throw it out and start all over than live with “wrongness.” Now, that’s great when it involves garage door openers, burnt-out lightbulbs, or shoddy…

Many years ago I thrust myself into the Edinburgh International Festival. For the many who have never heard of it: It’s the largest arts festival in the world, encompassing theater, mime, dance, comedy, film, books, and sometimes even a splash of opera. For some reason I even sat through…

Summertime is synonymous with long days of warmth, coastal sunsets, boating, and barbecues. A montage of my teenage self at sailing camp, pool parties, and beach bonfires plays to Loggins and Messina, Jackson Browne, and the Eagles. The unrequited crushes on sailing instructors to my first kiss … those…

A $1 million gift from Velocity Global will help expand First Descents, an adventure program for young adults living with multiple sclerosis (MS) or other serious chronic conditions. The money will go toward program development and is expected to help First Descents reach 1,000 MS patients over…