paralysis

How Paw-fect Pets Improve Life With Chronic Illness

Having grown up in the countryside, I’ve been around animals my entire life. We always had dogs and cats, and I learned how to ride horses. It was tranquil and storybook. When I left home to take a trip or attend university, I experienced a void only the animals in…

Fighting Fire With Fire: The War Between Lemtrada and My MS

ā€œSo can you lift me up/ And turn these ashes into flames/ ‘Cause I have overcome/ More than words will ever say.ā€ ā€” Kate Voegele My relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS) diagnosis stole my life from me. The reverberations of this unwelcome thunderbolt were astounding. Coming to terms with a…

All Vets With MS Invited to Join Paralyzed Veterans of America

Acknowledging advances in early detection of multiple sclerosis (MS), the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) is broadening its membership and inviting all veterans with the progressive neurodegenerative disorder to join the nonprofit organization. Now, all veterans with MS are eligible for PVA membership and the same support available to…

The Furious Fire of Heat Sensitivity

“In order to rise from its own ashes, a phoenix must first burn.ā€ ā€” Octavia E. Butler You know that feeling of waking up in a strange place, and it takes a second to remember where you are? Imagine that coupled with not being able to move from the neck…

Learning to Embrace My ‘Hot Wheels’

As I glance over at the lonesome wheelchair skulking in the shadows of my living room, I recall its arrival like it was yesterday, though it’s been more than four years. My husband, and then carer, had paraded it through the house as if it were a savior, there to…

I’m Climbing the Hills of Adversity, Just Not in Heels

ā€œShoes are the quickest way for women to achieve instant metamorphosis.ā€ ā€” Manolo Blahnik As the holidays approach, I’m reminded to be thankful for what I have. I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) at 26 years old, and when I became paralyzed, I thought I’d never…

MS Advocacy Gives Me Strength and Purpose

I want to help in any way I possibly can. My lonely confusion in the early days after being diagnosed with aggressive relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis was mentally and physically paralyzing. However, this column isnā€™t about how ā€œHurricane MSā€ battered my body. Instead, it’s about why I chose to…

I Think, Therefore I Am More Than My Mental Fatigue

ā€œA river cuts through rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence.ā€ ā€” James N. Watkins Fatigue is arguably the most disruptive symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS). At least it is for me. It has an awful lot to answer for. And it will.

Early-life Trauma Affects MS Development, Treatment in Mice

Childhood trauma can affect disease progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) and treatment in adulthood, a study in mice suggests. The study shows that mice that experienced early-life trauma were more likely to develop an autoimmune condition and less likely to respond to common treatment with interferon beta. The study,…

Toyota Foundation and Nesta Launch $4 Million Global Challenge to Create ‘Smart’ Mobility Devices

Teams of inventors working to improve mobility for peopleĀ with lower-limb paralysis,Ā including those withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), are invited to take part in aĀ $4 million technology challenge launched byĀ Toyota Mobility Foundation and Nestaā€™s Challenge Prize Centre. The most common causes of lower-limb paralysis are MS, spinal cord injury, and…

Novel Protein Suppresses MS in Mouse Model, Inhibits Neuroinflammation in Spinal Cord

In a recent study entitled ā€œMyelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG35-55)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis is ameliorated in interleukin-32 alpha transgenic mice,ā€ a team of researchers investigated whether interleukin (IL)-32, a cytokine with an established role in rheumatoid arthritis, has a protective function in a mouse model of human multiple…