May 20, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama Reflections on the meaning of authenticity while living with MS Recognizing and valuing authenticity is an aspect of life I began to grasp only a few years ago. During the peak of quarantine restrictions due to COVID-19, I was forced to move back home to San Antonio from my on-campus dormitory at the University of Texas at Austin. Like many…
May 16, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister If our MS lives were like Hollywood, what makes a movie a classic? I turn 49 next week. The fact that I’m in middle age already is unbelievable. I don’t think of myself as old. My mileage might be a little high, but I’m not old. I suppose I could consider myself to be vintage, like clothing, or perhaps even classic, like a…
May 13, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson I’m no longer taking my lack of MS progression for granted I have several big milestone events coming up, all within a week. My son is graduating from college and my daughter from high school. Additionally, we have my son’s nurse pinning ceremony, a graduation lunch, two graduation parties, Motherās Day, and lots of family and friends in town for these…
May 13, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama Learning to say no takes practice, but it’s essential in life with MS Many of my personal breakthroughs and discoveries occurred during college, when I was living in a new city as a young adult with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). One of those “aha!” moments was understanding that saying no takes practice, but it’s a necessary aspect of life. A few…
May 9, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Everyone with MS uses their own ‘recipes’ to cope with symptoms Before multiple sclerosis (MS) took the normal functioning of my limbs, I enjoyed being in the kitchen ā not merely to be underfoot or lick spoons and bowls, but to actually cook and bake. I won’t claim to have been a gourmet chef or anything like that, but I…
May 7, 2024 Columns by Ahna Crum Recent vision problems with MS remind me to focus on my progress Is there something you now have that you once hoped and prayed for? Iāve been struggling with the demands of a new job for the past few weeks. As a virtual dietitian, I heavily rely on computers to meet with clients and do other necessary work. But staring at a…
May 2, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister There’s comfort in putting a name to a multiple sclerosis symptom I feel like I’ve been in this exact place, saying exactly what I’m saying right now. Have I done this in a past life? Did I dream it and am now subconsciously acting it out in reality? Or is my brain performing a fact-check on its memory system and signaling…
April 29, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson My biggest worry post-diagnosis was whether MS could be inherited When I was initially evaluated for multiple sclerosis (MS), I was asked if I had a family history of the disease. To my knowledge, I did not. Once I received my diagnosis, one of the first things that crossed my mind, after recovering from the initial shock…
April 26, 2024 Columns by Susan Payrovi, MD Why we should go with the flow of our biological clocks Whatās a reliable way to wreck your mood? Fighting your circadian rhythms. Iām a recovering night owl. I used to get more done between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. than I did in the other 20 hours of the day. I routinely studied past 2 a.m. during college and…
April 25, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Finding safety while living with the constant threat of MS progression Even as a small child, I enjoyed watching nature shows. They didn’t come on television often, but when they did, I absorbed every word. At school, I might not have been able to recite the Pythagorean theorem, but I could say with confidence that butterflies taste with their feet. That…
April 22, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama Learning to manage cognitive impairment with multiple sclerosis Upon commencing my undergraduate studies at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, I pursued a major in prehealth neuroscience. I had decided to pursue this degree shortly after my diagnosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ in 2016, during my senior year of high school. My hope in choosing the…
April 18, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Learning how to write a ‘SOAP’ note feels different after an MS diagnosis Training to become a U.S. Army Special Forces medic included all the things you might expect, as well as some you might not. Although trauma was our primary focus, we also had to be well versed in routine medicine and have a working knowledge of other aspects of healthcare.
April 15, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson What does ‘delicate balance’ mean in my life with multiple sclerosis? The title of my column is āDelicate Balance,ā though I didn’t pick that name. I was telling my family about the opportunity to be a patient columnist for this site and mentioned that I needed to name my column. Immediately, my husband said, āThe title is ‘Delicate Balance.'” I…
April 8, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama How a support system helps me persevere on my MS journey My graduation ceremony at the University of Texas at Austin had just ended, and there were swarms of people everywhere I looked. I was sweating profusely in the summer heat and overstimulated by the large crowds. Thankfully, my mom called to tell me where my family was waiting for me.
April 4, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Why the difference between empathy and sympathy matters In case there was any confusion, “Chairborne” is not an advice column. Well, not the kind of advice that comes from raw wisdom, anyway. Most of my lessons are closer to cautionary tales than anything else. The only reason I can suggest avoiding any mistake is because I’ve already…
April 3, 2024 Columns by Mike Parker Who knew that zip lines are a way to give back to the MS community? Given how much my life has changed because of multiple sclerosis (MS), anytime an opportunity arises for me to support an MS charity, I jump at the chance ā figuratively, of course. I recently learned that the MS Society UK is organizing another of its zip line…
April 2, 2024 Columns by Ahna Crum Learning to walk for the umpteenth time with multiple sclerosis Iāve lost count of the number of times Iāve had to relearn how to walk. Learning to walk is a milestone accomplishment. But as you age, life finds ways to knock you down. Injuries, sprains, or broken bones may keep you immobile while you’re waiting for your body to recover.
April 1, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson How to prepare for an MRI: What they donāt tell you Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to diagnose and monitor the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). We patients can expect to have regular MRIs, although the frequency will depend on our age and disease stability. It’s important that we be comfortable during the procedure, as it…
March 29, 2024 Columns by Susan Payrovi, MD Rhythms and routines to complete your MS care I used to think I was immune to illness. Getting sick was what my patients did. My multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis turned this belief, and many others, upside down. When the chaos of the diagnosis settled, I realized that becoming a patient was the most profound lesson I could…
March 28, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Multiple sclerosis awareness is for people with MS, too The Cambridge Dictionary defines awareness as “knowledge that something exists, or understanding of a situation or subject at the present time based on information or experience.” That definition perfectly matches the stages of my personal awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS). I don’t recall hearing much, if anything, about…
March 27, 2024 Columns by Mike Parker I had smooth sailing on my Ocrevus infusion day Where does the time go? Six months had passed since my last treatment, which meant it was time for another. After my August 2022 diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), I was given only one option for treatment: Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), which is a disease-modifying therapy that’s used…
March 25, 2024 Columns by Desiree Lama Unraveling my ‘authentically human’ multiple sclerosis story My adolescent years can be characterized by a series of naps, long-lasting migraines, always being sick, and never being able to donate blood, which my family and I never understood. My journey with multiple sclerosis (MS) started long before my diagnosis in 2016. Let me set the…
March 21, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister I’m a disabled veteran, but sometimes it’s hard to explain I have not been kind to my body over the years. I was very active in my old life, although I was a little clumsy even before multiple sclerosis (MS) started affecting my balance. Active and clumsy aren’t a great combination. I accumulated plenty of bumps and bruises along…
March 19, 2024 Columns by Ahna Crum How MS molded my life and taught me to balance grit and grace As an active 3-year-old, I spent every minute of recess on the monkey bars. I was hyperfocused on getting to the other side. I’d fall and try again until my hands blistered from the hot metal in the Florida sun, and then repeat this cycle the next day. Grit is…
March 18, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson My nearly 20-year journey to get my diagnosis of MS Hi! Iām new ā not to having multiple sclerosis (MS), but to being a columnist. I’m a daughter, wife, mother of two young adults, dog mom, sister, aunt, friend, college professor, pharmacist, avid reader, nature lover, and an MS warrior. I was diagnosed with MS in 2014, although…
March 14, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister When you have multiple sclerosis, let assistive devices assist you Aside from a few unpleasant moments, I enjoyed my time as a medic in the U.S. military ā so much so that when I began to slow down noticeably, I decided to continue in that field by applying to become a physician assistant (PA). I initially wanted to…
March 13, 2024 Columns by Mike Parker Despite MS, I’m regaining the desire to get behind the wheel At the age of 40, I’ve never passed my driving test. I know that’s shocking. Here in the United Kingdom, we must pass two sections to be licensed to drive: a theory test and the practical test. I’ve passed the theory part three times but was never able to pass…
March 7, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister What do the principles of patrolling have to do with multiple sclerosis? The U.S. military loves abbreviations and acronyms. So many of these are learned during a soldier’s first year that, to civilians, a conversation between service members might sound like a foreign language. It can be amusing, but the intention of this method of condensing words is not to confuse. It’s…
February 29, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Your perception of multiple sclerosis probably isnāt my reality There are several good reasons why you won’t see me in television commercials for multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā treatments anytime soon. For one, I’m not much of an actor, despite my brief moment of high school fame. For another, even though I wouldn’t go so far as to say that…
February 28, 2024 Columns by Mike Parker MS awareness events are an opportunity to build understanding We’ve all heard comments from people who aren’t educated about multiple sclerosis (MS). Some that I’ve heard include “My friend had that and is fine now,” “Eating better will fix you,” and “Try a parasite cleanse.” I have to chuckle at these statements.Ā With March not far away,…