September 18, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD US study tracks distance Medicare patients travel to see neurologist Nearly 1 in 5 people on Medicare ā a U.S. federal insurance program for people ages 65 and older ā travel at least 50 miles (about 80 km) each way to see a neurologist, according to a recent report. However, long distance travel was even more common for people living…
March 24, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias Is preboarding travelers with disabilities a good thing or not? Boarding an aircraft before others is a small benefit to being a disabled flyer. For years, giving me a small start to get down the jetway ahead of even the most frequent of frequent flyers has given me time to get off the little scooterĀ I use due to my…
August 19, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Researchers Share Strategies to Improve Clinical Trial Recruitment Publicity in national news outlets and an online self-screening questionnaire helped improve recruitment for a clinical trial in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a new study highlights. “We have described our experience of recruiting participants with SPMS into two large RCTs [randomized clinical trials] in order to identify areas…
July 15, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias How to Avoid Trouble While Traveling Internationally With MS Medications The case of Women’s National Basketball Association star Brittney Griner is an important reminder for all of us who travel internationally with our medications: What you might be able to do in your home country, might not be the case in another. And the penalty could be severe. Griner was…
July 6, 2022 Columns by Beth Ullah While Living With MS, Good Planning Is Key to Avoiding Chaos āWithout leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.ā ā Gloria Steinem For as long as I can remember, my father has always had a saying: “Perfect planning prevents piss-poor performance.” Much to my husband’s frustration, though, I’m still…
June 29, 2022 Columns by Beth Ullah Managing Fatigue and Other Vacation Tips for People With MS āA holiday is an opportunity to journey within.ā ā Prabhas Last week was only my second weeklong holiday since my relapsing-remitting MS diagnosis in 2017. My husband and I have had weekend getaways here and there, mainly to visit family. Of course, COVID-19 has placed a huge restriction…
June 3, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias A Road Trip From Florida to Maryland With No Bladder Incontinence After two days ā 16 hours of it spent on the road ā and 1,104 miles, I hadn’t had a single accident. My bladder control meds must’ve worked. The semiannual trip my wife and I take between Florida’s southwest coast and the suburbs of Washington, D.C. is never…
May 6, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias An Accessible Cruise With Family, Canes, and a Scooter Was a Breeze It’s not easy going for a cruise when a scooter and a couple of canes come along for the trip. I’ve done it with success a number of times in the past, and planning helps a lot. My wife and I just returned from our first first cruise since…
June 22, 2021 Columns by Jessie Ace My Experience Using a Wheelchair to Enjoy a Day at the Theme Park āSorry, the brakes are terrible!” my husband complained, grabbing the wheelchair’s handles as I slowly started rolling down the hill. He jammed his foot in front of the wheel in a desperate attempt to get the chair to stay in place. We recently got away for the weekend to Blackpool…
November 20, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias Travel During COVID-19: Should We Stay or Should We Go? The temperature’s dropping. The wind is whipping. It’s time for my wife, Laura, and me to head south, leaving cold, uncomfortable Maryland for the welcoming warmth of southwest Florida. Or is it? Though I once swore I’d never become a snowbird, a few years ago, we spent a week on…
March 8, 2019 Columns by John Connor Minority Report In the earlier days of my MS, I could still walk a bit. It was not enough to risk the maze of an airport, so I traveled sensibly in a wheelchair and preregistered as a disabled passenger. My then-teenage son reduced the boredom by placing me facing into suitable…
October 23, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias New Rules May Bring Updated Rights to Flyers with Disabilities Flying isn’t what it used to be, as everyone who’s taken a flight in the past 15 years or so knows. Flyers with disabilities can have a particularly challenging time dealing with airports, airlines, and aircraft. Airports are crowded and stretch forever. Airplanes are crowded, their seats are small,…
August 23, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Feeling Adventurous with MS I can describe myself with a myriad of words: kind, funny, smart, quirky, and stubborn, to name a few. So many words are descriptive of my persona; I almost felt safety among them. Almost. I have always preferred paved road to dirt; my place was to shine the already…
April 20, 2018 Columns by Jamie Hughes A Look Around the Terminal Itās spring ā at least, itās supposed to be ā so getting stuck at the airport due to snow was the last thing I expected during a recent trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan. But thatās exactly what happened to me on Sunday. I sat with thousands of fellow passengers,…
December 15, 2017 Columns by John Connor On the Road It’s 4 a.m. and, unsurprisingly, I’m laying flat on my back. Yesterday, I had a whale of a time and now I feel like a beached one. I’m not in my own bed because I’m staying in a tres jolie bed-and-breakfast in Northern France. The trouble is the bed…
December 8, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias What I Learned About My MS While on Vacation You wouldn’t think that a guy who was diagnosed with MS more than 37 years ago would still be able to learn a thing or two about his disease. But that’s exactly what I did while on vacation about a week ago. I guess I really did know…
July 28, 2017 Columns by John Connor Going Solo… Sort Of In my youth, I hitchhiked the breadth of North America ā Canada, from east to west. I had 16 first cousins in the country and only my parents back at home. My quest was to meet them all. Which I duly did. I traversed the whole of the Trans-Canada…
June 15, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman How to Survive Business Travel When You Have MS I just spent a week in Boston at an industry conference. I realized Iāve mastered the art of preparing for long-distance excursions since my last flare-up four years ago. Business trips used to be so intimidating to me. Now, Iām much better at packing,…
March 22, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn How Well Will MS and Jet Lag Play Together? Diligent research and planning have left me confident in my ability to enjoy upcoming travels, while managing Ā MS and health concerns. Decisions have been made regarding luggage, medications, airport travel, car rental, and accommodations. I know whether to expect sun or snow, cobblestone or freeways, and have been practicing…
March 8, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Making Careful Travel Plans for MS Medications and Supplies If I were playing āChronic Disease Bingo,ā I’d be a winner! In addition to MS, I have three other chronic health conditions. While that may sound bad, itās not unusual in the world of autoimmune disease, and I consider myself fairly healthy. This is thanks partly to attitude, but…
March 1, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Tips for MS Travelers Include Diligent Packing Prep and Carrying a Bright Suitcase My coming trip to Spain has me in research mode. After making a list of myĀ travel questions last week, I decided to obtain the answers to just a few each week. Baby steps for this novice planner. Before I decide whether to take my AFO, cooling vest, trekking…
February 22, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Travel Plans Actually Require Planning These Days, Thanks to MS In my younger years, I took great pride in my far-flung spontaneity, and unfairly judged those I perceived to be too thoughtful and prudent. Age, with its attendant wisdom and experience, moved me slightly inland. In 2003, MS arrived with a smart little bag full of practical necessities,…
December 7, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Tips for Managing Multiple Sclerosis During the Holidays TheĀ holidays can be stressful on everyone, andĀ especially onĀ those with multiple sclerosis (MS). A health specialist is offering theseĀ eightĀ suggestionsĀ to MS patients and their families as a way to enjoy this season, and to keep it as free as possible of disease flares or symptom worsening. Increased demands on daily routines, travel,…