June 2, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias Let’s talk facts about MS and COVID-19 vaccines Since the early days of the COVID-19 vaccination program, disinformation claiming that the vaccines can induce multiple sclerosis (MS) has swirled around social media. Recently, there’s been a resurgence of this type of post, sparked by a report published on the World Health Organization (WHO) website titled “…
July 7, 2022 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister The MS Paradox Results in Many Conflicting Feelings āThanks, I hate it.ā Odd way to begin a column, I know. I suppose Iād better explain myself. That phrase regularly appears in memes and other pop culture media as an expression of dislike for an image or tweet. No one seems to know where or from whom it…
November 6, 2020 Columns by Jamie Hughes 5 Ways to Let Go of the Stress Well, folks, we made it to the end of a very long political season and an even longer week. I donāt know about you, but I donāt feel a bit relieved. In fact, I have tension and stress trapped in every muscle and joint of my body. And thatās not…
April 17, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias A Snapshot of COVID-19 and Disease-modifying Therapies Are people with MS more susceptible than the average person to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19? And if COVID-19 attacks them, what’s the likely course of their illness? What about COVID-19 and disease-modifying therapies? Doctors from around the world are collecting information right now to try to answer these…
March 4, 2020 News by Kellie Benn Video: Bionews’ Social Media Campaign Highlights #WhatMakesMeRare In recognition of Rare Disease Day Feb. 29, Bionews Services launched a social media campaign last month asking patients to describe what makes them rare. Running Feb. 7ā29, the #WhatMakesMeRare campaign was aimed at uplifting people with rare diseases by encouraging them to share their stories and perspectives. The…
March 3, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace Using Social Media to Challenge Perceptions About Disability IĀ recently interviewed filmmaker Celestine Fraser on my podcast. Fraser produced a documentary about chronic illness called “ill, actually.” We touched on some interesting topics, including how people with chronic illnesses use social media. The documentary interviews three people with…
February 3, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MSAA Marks 50th Anniversary with Benefit Evening, New Logo and More The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is celebrating 50 years of work and dedication to improving the lives of people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Some changes are underway and initiatives being launched to commemorate this milestone. MSAA, a nonprofit organizationĀ founded in 1970, aims to provide…
March 12, 2019 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Visibly Me, Visible MS Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month has arrived, lasting throughout the month of March. All things orange and popular hashtags flood social media sites. Awareness months like this have great value, though some may disagree. Awareness months become vessels to engage and encourage individuals and communities to get involved.
January 22, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Selma Blair Is Posting About Her MS Again ā Is This Good or Bad? Last October actress Selma Blair revealed that she’d been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). She did it by posting the announcement on her Instagram account. Back then she wrote, “I have MS and I am ok.” She described her symptoms in some detail, but her overall viewpoint was generally…
November 21, 2018 Columns by Cathy Chester Taking a Break from the News to Keep Stress at Bay We live in a turbulent, violent, and hostile society. We wake up every day to news of another mass shooting, Mother Nature causing unstoppable damage, loud protests by politicians or citizens, or an exchange of angry barbs across social media. Ā Bad news…
October 30, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Thinking About Selma Blair and Her MS By now you may have heard that actress Selma Blair has revealed that she has multiple sclerosis (MS). That took a lot of guts. Those of us who share her diagnosis might learn a few things from what she’s shared and how she’s shared it. Blair may be…
October 5, 2018 Columns by Jamie Hughes What the World Needs Now is Books After reading more than a few articles about how social media demolishes our attention span, prevents us from forming healthy real-world relationships, and causes higher-than-normal rates of depression, stress, and insomnia, I decided to cut way back on screen time. And you know what? I donāt miss Facebook and…
March 2, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Cannabis Science Seeking Feedback on Its New Medical Cannabis Website Cannabis ScienceĀ has created a website called iCannabinoidĀ that it hopes will become the premier online source of medical cannabis news and information. It is seeking feedback on the site so it can tweak it as need be. It hopes to hear from Ā patients, doctors, patient advocates, parents, researchers, government and…
December 5, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Social Media’s World of MS Misinformation I’m worried about social media. Specifically, I’m worried about the many MS-related groups in the Facebook world. There are general MS groups and there are groups dedicated to specific MS treatments. I belong to several, and though there’s a great deal of useful information in these groups, there’s…
June 16, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias My Opportunity to Speak with ‘Big Pharma’ I was in Boston last week at the headquarters of Sanofi Genzyme. Yes, the big drug company. They brought together several people they consider to be “digital influencers” to pick their brains about what’s on the minds of people like you, who read what we write. Sanofi…