quality of life

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who feel stigmatized because of their condition are more likely to have depression,  research presented at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting showed. The Pennsylvania State University research team said the impact of the stigma can be eased by lots of social support, a sense…

My walk in the park usually consists of watching every one of my steps, while conserving my energy so I can finish the trek. In the midst of my walk, I remain acutely aware of how weak my legs are, and hope they don’t give out on me. For…

How well do you bounce back when MS gets you down? An article called “Bouncing back again, and again: a qualitative study of resilience in people with multiple sclerosis” caught my attention because bouncing back is something I don’t do as well these days. I believe resilience means to be…

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a column regarding end-of-life decisions. The reality is that the time will come for every human being. This journey of life and chronic illness continues to teach me salient lessons. I have been asked numerous times if I am afraid…

Pull up a chair, kiddos, and I’ll tell you a sad story. Because we’re both musicians, my husband and I love going to concerts together. We’re on a budget, so we have to be choosy about who we see and where we sit. However, there is a short…

Losing our independence due to multiple sclerosis is a profound loss. With that loss comes the grieving process and inevitable change. On Grief.com in “A Message from David Kessler,” he discusses the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I have experienced all of these…

Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series about Pilates and MS. When I was diagnosed with MS in December 2013, my most visible symptom was a waltzing shuffle that was slowly changing my once-purposeful gait into a wobble (leading some co-workers to believe…

For those who read my column, I am certain you can see I am an emotional writer. This is a difficult column to write. I have been thinking about end-of-life decisions for months. I am reminded of my mortality each time I visit the hospital and I’m asked…

This past week has been uplifting. The sun was out and the weather was enjoyable. Spring has officially arrived, and I was able to get out and really appreciate the nice days. I did not do much of anything, however, I was out and about. Easter Sunday was…

Sooner or later we’re all going to die. We may not want to think about it, but it’s important that we do, especially those of us with a chronic disease such as multiple sclerosis. Though we don’t have a choice about dying, we can have a…

Half of the more than 7,500 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients responding to a recent survey revealed they’d consider physician-assisted suicide if they could no longer enjoy anything that made life worth living. In addition, 65 percent of respondents said they’d definitely or probably let a physician terminate their lives if they were…

MS Views and News, a non-profit multiple sclerosis (MS) advocacy organization, will host its second annual Champions Tackling MS Gala on April 22, with money raised going to support live educational events, community resources, and services intended to help improve the quality of life for people with MS. The Saturday event at the…

Australians living with multiple sclerosis (MS) don’t have adequate access to dental care, a new study reports. The study, “How do Australians living with MS experience oral health and accessing dental care? A focus group study,” appeared in the journal Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. MS is an autoimmune…

You probably talk about multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, drugs and therapies when you meet with your neurologist, but I’ll bet that most people don’t talk very much about working. Being able to work, and continuing to hold down a job, is important. I see concerns about this all…

I’ve spent a lot of time lately around people following special diets. They’re either voluntarily cutting carbs, counting calories, following a diet plan, or fasting, but not because they have a medical condition. Mostly they diet to feel better, lose some weight, or reset their metabolism. I wish them well, even as…

Music therapy has long been known for its healing powers — its use dates back to WWI, where it was used to help with the physical and emotional healing of the wounded. Music can also be of help to those of us with multiple sclerosis. An article from the…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who smoke have a significantly worse quality of life than non-smoking MS patients, concludes a new study. Researchers presented the study, “Smokers with MS have greater decrements in quality of life and disability than non-smokers,” at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in…

Fatigue is the bane of my existence. Clutter qualifies as my lifestyle. If I can’t see something it may as well be lost. I spend about 50% of my day trying to find things I have put “someplace safe.” The other half I spend looking for something I just had…

Time. We all know it is important. Time is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present and future regarded as a whole.” In simple terms, time is life in a series of moments. Regardless of what is…

Brain fog is one of the most common symptoms of many chronic illnesses, including lupus, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia. In this Mind Over Meniere’s video, Glenn describes how brain fog affects him on a daily basis. Discover some Pilates exercises suitable for multiple sclerosis patients.  Brain fog is more…

Dolly Stokes, a fitness trainer and multiple sclerosis (MS) patient, and her husband, Jeff Stokes, have launched the website for their fitness and wellness company, BFitLifestyles, providing information on how to live an active and healthy life. The Stokes, owners of three fitness-related companies in Fairhope, Alabama – DollyBFitness, BFitLifestyles, and Stokes…

A new online resource, LiveWiseMS.org, aims to raise awareness about multiple sclerosis (MS) and provide patients and caregivers information about the disease’s symptoms and conditions. The platform, developed by the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses (IOMSN), hopes to promote healthy living and improve quality of life for MS patients and their families.

Regular massage therapy given people with multiple sclerosis (MS) significantly reduced their pain and fatigue, and helped to ease spasticity, a small pilot study reports. The results further support previous findings as to the benefits of massage in treating MS symptoms and improving patients’ quality of life. The study, “Impact of Massage Therapy on Fatigue,…

Recent weeks have been filled with enough political drama to last a lifetime. Wherever I go virtually (and now, even in “real life”), ideological division has been amplified to the extreme. Except … when I go to the multiple sclerosis online forum I co-administrate. Meet the people in my neighborhood The…

“Laughter is the best medicine.” We may never know where this quote originated, but it’s a good one. The benefits of a loud, robust belly laugh are many! According to many internet sites laughter has great short-term effects. When you laugh, it doesn’t just lift you mentally, it…

There’s a new kid in town by the name of LiveWiseMS. Partnering with the International Organization of MS Nurses (IOMSN), LiveWiseMS has already become a trusted resource for patients and care partners looking for answers about MS. The website’s mission is…

Resilience, the ability of a person to cope with change and solve problems, is associated with satisfaction with social roles and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other chronic diseases. However, it is not linked to a patient’s physical function, according to the results of a…

A modified Paleolithic diet reduced fatigue and increased the quality of life of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study shows. The diet may also reduce inflammation by increasing vitamin K levels, the researchers said. The study, “Randomized control trial evaluation of a modified Paleolithic dietary…

Healthcare providers frequently assess multiple sclerosis (MS) patients for the development of other health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, pain and sleep disturbance, according to results of a survey-study. The study also includes information about how health professionals treat and counsel MS patients diagnosed with these conditions. The study, “…

In Cold Sassy Tree, the classic novel by Olive Ann Burns, Grandpa Blakeslee tells his grandson Will Tweedy that, “Livin’ is like pourin’ water out of a tumbler into a dang Coca-Cola bottle. If’n you skeered you cain’t do it.” If you don’t speak fluent hick, as I do,…