symptoms

I’ve been quiet lately. It’s not because I haven’t had anything to write about, but because life decided to throw multiple crises into the mix. Over the past couple of months, my mom underwent both thyroid and major spinal surgery, my cat decided to eat part of her litter mat…

There’s something about the first signs of cooler weather that makes me pause and feel alive again. The days are getting shorter, the mornings feel a little different, and the air finally has a hint of crispness. After months of central Texas heat, it’s comforting to know that cooler weather…

Adding probiotics to standard multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies may help to reduce fatigue, depression, and disability levels, as well as improve quality of life, in people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), according to data from a small clinical trial. Probiotics are live microorganisms intended to support health. Compared with patients…

An experimental therapy called kamuvudine-9 (K-9) reversed established paralysis and vision loss in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), offering hope for treatments that can restore lost function rather than just prevent future damage. “Most MS therapies are aimed at preventing the next attack. What’s remarkable is…

Breathing problems are common in advanced multiple sclerosis (MS), becoming more frequent as disability increases, according to a study by researchers in London. “Screening for respiratory dysfunction can be easily incorporated into routine clinical care by asking about respiratory symptoms,” they wrote. The study, “Respiratory dysfunction in people…

When I was a little girl, I spent many days at my grandmother’s house while my parents worked. We tended to her garden, gossiped on the front porch, and baked together in the kitchen. I reminisce about those days with love, happiness, and comfort, as they are some of my…

I’ve always tried to climb every ladder I’ve encountered throughout my career and life in general. In the military, there were nearly unlimited “ladders” to attempt, if you wanted to. My choices led me to multiple new ones, and while I may have started several rungs up at times, I…

Automated analyses of a person’s everyday speech patterns could offer a simple, noninvasive way of tracking brain tissue loss in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study. Researchers found that changes in speech over a period of two years — in particular, a narrower vocabulary range and more frequent…

Problems with episodic memory, or the ability to remember personal experiences and events, among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be related to difficulties in interpreting emotions and understanding others — a known nonmotor symptom of the neurological disease. That’s the main takeaway from a small study in France…

There are many people who simply cannot admit when they’re wrong. For those who actually can, changing an opinion or belief when faced with new evidence may be even harder. I wouldn’t know, personally, because I’ve never been wrong about anything ever. If you believe that, I also…

Contrary to popular belief, I did not attend this year’s Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) annual meeting just for the buffets and to loot the vendors. I was there mainly to represent the Paralyzed Veterans of America’s multiple sclerosis (MS) committee and raise awareness of its role…

A headache can come and go. You take a break, drink some fluids, and eventually it fades away. But a migraine is not that kind of a headache. Migraines are not “bad headaches.” They are a neurological condition that can affect how someone sees, thinks, feels, and functions. A…

It’s been my routine over the last decade to have blood panels drawn about four times a year. Each time, I’m warned just before the needle enters my arm that I’m about to be stuck. Occasionally, though, the warning is framed as an analogy. A common one is to compare…

In analyzing brain MRIs on people with early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), two markers of ongoing inflammation may help identify those patients at a higher risk of cognitive decline despite having no relapses or new lesions, or signs of tissue damage, a study from Europe suggests. The researchers say…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who more closely adhere to a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, and lean proteins may experience slight improvements in physical disability scores over time, a small prospective study suggests. Conversely, researchers found that patients who did not stick closely to the healthy eating plan…

About one-quarter of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience difficulties finding the right words when speaking, a symptom that is linked to broader cognitive problems rather than fatigue or depression, according to a new study. The findings showed that MS patients with cognitive impairment were nearly five times more…

One of the hardest parts of living with chronic illness is being misunderstood in moments when I have the least energy to explain myself. With multiple sclerosis (MS) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), sometimes my heart rate skyrockets, my body overheats, my energy drops, my nervous system…

One of the most exhausting parts of living with multiple sclerosis (MS) isn’t always the symptoms themselves. Sometimes, it’s the constant guessing game. Every ache, twinge, headache, moment of fatigue, or lapse in memory can send me down a mental rabbit hole. Is this MS? Am I experiencing a…

Dear multiple sclerosis (MS): I never asked for you. You arrived quietly, starting when I was 17. It wasn’t like a storm at first. You were more like a snowflake: small, unique, and almost easy to dismiss. They call you a “snowflake disease,” and my condition is definitely…

Among people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) — an initial episode of symptoms suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS) — lower levels of certain fatty molecules in the blood are associated with higher rates of future disease relapses, a new study found. Adding these metabolic features to established demographic…

A new report from the National MS Society reveals that despite major advances in treatments over the last few decades, people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) still face massive gaps in their care — particularly when it comes to managing crushing fatigue, stopping disease progression, and reversing nerve…

Subjective, patient-reported data on lived experiences should always be considered in the care of chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent presentation. In a survey, many people with MS reported feeling that their lived experiences aren’t given enough consideration during visits with their care providers, and…

I was supposed to have my first colonoscopy this week. I’m at that age when it’s recommended that you have one regularly, so it wasn’t like I didn’t know it was coming. Prepared doesn’t mean excited, though, so I can’t say that I was too upset when it was…

Living with multiple sclerosis has taught me that some of the hardest symptoms to explain are the ones no one else can see. For me, one of those is itchiness. Not the kind that comes from dry skin or a mosquito bite, but something deeper, more unsettling. It…

Urinary issues are a frequent and distressing reality for women with multiple sclerosis (MS), and new research suggests these symptoms may diminish quality of life, specifically by fueling feelings of loneliness. While the physical burden of bladder dysfunction is well-documented, this study highlights a critical emotional link, suggesting that…

In recognition of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in March, the MS Awareness Month campaign features a series of stories highlighting the real-life experiences of people affected by MS, written in their own words. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and Pinterest for more stories like this,…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological condition wherein the immune system attacks the protective covering of nerves. This clinical definition accurately portrays the medical reality, but it doesn’t encapsulate the lived reality. It doesn’t account for the ways in which fatigue can feel like gravity doubling overnight…

Dealing with multiple sclerosis (MS) — including the numerous symptoms that manifest differently for each person, the grief, and the uncertainty — is grueling. On top of all that, there’s the added challenge of navigating the American healthcare system. As I have written before, I’ve dealt with migraines…

Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) is often described in medical terms — lesions, relapses, progression curves, and other jargon — that don’t always register in my mind. But a diagnosis is also associated with grief, a quieter and oftentimes silent reality that doesn’t hit all at once, but…

I said I would try not to overwhelm you with tales from my past in the military. For the most part, I’ve been true to my word, but something crossed my mind recently that made me think immediately of multiple sclerosis (MS), and I couldn’t resist sharing it. As…