living with MS

The incidence of late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS), a form of multiple sclerosis (MS) that begins after age 50, has risen steadily between 2005 and 2020, particularly among people in their 60s, scientists in Italy report. “Our study is the first population-based study describing the IR [incidence rate] of LOMS…

I’m losing control. I don’t mean that I’m out of control or spiraling in that direction, but I definitely feel like I have a lot less of it these days. That’s a real problem for me because my therapist said that one of the primary issues contributing to my depression…

I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis at 17 years old, during my senior year of high school. At that time, the diagnosis was the least of my worries because my top priorities were senior year activities and college preparation. The truth, however, was that I didn’t comprehend what…

About four in five adults with stable multiple sclerosis (MS) for at least five years remained free of disease activity after stopping first-line treatment with a disease-modifying therapy (DMT), according to a study based on data from the DOT-MS clinical trial. Still, disease activity reemerged in roughly 20%…

Between celebrating my birthday and Christmas, December has always been a month for gifts. If my wish list when growing up featured a relatively expensive item, my birthday and Christmas presents would give way to one special present celebrating both. One year my great-aunt took me shopping to pick out…

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2014. Over the past 10 years, my MS has been managed by five healthcare providers. That’s not how I envisioned my MS care. I’ve had the same primary care provider for almost 20 years, and I naively thought I’d be…

My wife and I both have medical backgrounds. She is a registered nurse and has actual credentials that have to be renewed periodically. At one time I had a card that said advanced tactical practitioner, but even when it was current, it didn’t count for much outside of…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to help others in any way I could. As early as middle school, I tried to identify a plausible and realistic career where I could fulfill this desire, and eventually landed on therapy as a possible career path. I wanted to…

When I attended the selection process for Army Special Forces, I had a number of obstacles to overcome, among them a psychological evaluation, a handful of physical tests, long-range land navigation, and assessments of problem-solving and time-management skills. I also faced literal obstacles, in the form of a 2-mile course…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who undergo an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) — which uses a patient’s own stem cells — face unique physical and emotional challenges at every stage of the process, from balancing hope and fear when deciding on moving forward with the treatment…

While most people dread the longer nights of autumn and winter, I embrace every single minute of darkness added as we crawl toward the longest night of the year. As darkness takes over, that’s my cue to gather up all the energy I expended during spring and summer to…

Higher cholesterol levels are associated with worse cognitive impairments in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. The findings imply that medications or lifestyle changes that reduce cholesterol levels may be useful for addressing MS cognitive impairment, researchers said. The study, “Lipid measures are associated…

As this is published, I’m surrounded by family. Some are cooking with passion and purpose. Some are critiquing and giving advice that always seems to start with the phrase “Now what I like to do is,” going on to suggest a better way of stuffing, or how many minutes per…

In the middle of my freshman year of high school, I experienced a bad case of optic neuritis, which I now know was my first episode of multiple sclerosis (MS). According to my neuro-ophthalmologist, I was legally blind in my left eye. My vision was mostly recovered thanks to…

Adding noninvasive brain stimulation to physical therapy may help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) improve their balance and walking ability, a study shows. Benefits to physical therapy with and without brain stimulation were observed, but most only remained significant after six months in those who’d also received brain stimulation.

Ever since I learned how, I have enjoyed reading. My tastes have changed a little over the years, as has the way I read. I like the feel and smell of a real book, but I mostly use electronic devices these days because I can more easily see them, hold…

Fampyra (fampridine), an oral medication that’s approved to improve walking ability in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), may also help some people with poor working memory, according to a new study. Working memory refers to a person’s ability to keep small pieces of information at the forefront of…

Too often, I’d find myself amid joyful moments with loved ones, struggling to keep irritability at bay. At those times, my mind would stagger between living in the happiness of the moment or an overwhelming sense of overstimulation, annoyance, and frustration. Most of the time, the irritability took over. When…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are primarily admitted to the hospital due to urinary tract infections, which indicates that bladder problems need to be better managed in this population, a study shows. Neurological problems without an identifiable cause came second among the reasons for admission to a hospital,…

In recent months, while seeking to balance work, home life, family, and well-being, I’ve sought strategies to help me tackle perfectionism. On the health front, I’ve faced major struggles with my relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, secondary adrenal insufficiency, and avascular necrosis. However, to this day, my perfectionism is the most…

Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), a nonsurgical treatment that delivers mild electrical impulses to a nerve in the ankle, significantly reduced bladder activity and improved sexual function for women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to a clinical trial. While PTNS is designed to modulate neural mechanisms involved in…

My last column described how multiple sclerosis (MS) affects my feet, so today I’m writing about how it affects my hands. I don’t believe MS has affected my wrists or palms, but my fingers and thumbs aren’t “normal” anymore. My most prominent symptom is loss of sensation,…

About a decade ago, I got caught up in the home brewing craze. I don’t know that I qualified as crazed, but I had a lot of fun with it and felt that since it was probably encoded somewhere in my Hofmeister DNA, I should at least try it. One…

Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) brings both highs and lows to my life. Sometimes these moments will fluctuate throughout the day, while other times, the highs and lows can last for days at a time. When I experience a sustained low, I’ll find myself stuck in bed with no energy…

Backed by a $1 million grant, researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio will explore ways to keep astrocytes in check, protecting the nervous system from damage due to multiple sclerosis (MS). These star-shaped cells of the brain and spinal cord go awry and become toxic in this…

The first time you try something should not be the moment you absolutely need it. During my time in the military, I often applied this concept to both performing a critical task with my nondominant hand and using certain medical equipment. In both cases, the logic of “I’m sure I’ll…

As a native Floridian, I’ve been through my fair share of hurricanes. Because they’re so familiar, I’m probably a bit too indifferent to them. But in many ways, hurricanes parallel my life with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS); each involves preparation, weathering of the storm, and adjusting to the aftermath.

Being diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis doesn’t necessarily mean that other health complications or conditions won’t arise. According to an article published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have significantly higher rates of comorbidity and morbidity than people who don’t have…

Music and dance have always been my medicine. From decompressing during medical school to adjusting to life with multiple sclerosis (MS) or getting through motherhood, music and movement have never let me down. We all have that friend we dream with, making preposterous plans. For me, that friend was…

I had a run-in with a nasty, mostly waterborne parasite years ago in Afghanistan. I managed to catch it by, you guessed it, contact with infected water — not by actually drinking it, but by washing my hands off in an irrigation ditch and then sticking them in my mouth.