The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Search Results for: coordination

Serious Medications Need Serious Care Coordination

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    • Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is a serious disease-modifying therapy. It has the potential to deliver a major blow to a patient’s multiple sclerosis, but it also carries the possibility of severe side effects. The protocol for Ocrevus requires different doses on different infusion dates, following a specific treatment schedule. It’s also very expensive. This all shouts for the need for serious care coordination! Jamie’s care coordination problems I was concerned when Jamie, who…Continue Reading

    Susie uses music to muse over her MS

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    • “I’m so tiredThe hammer’s coming down againI’m hardwiredAll the signals cross and double backBroken insideThere’s no fixing anythingHow do i explainI’m fighting every day to do the simple things?” The lyrics to “Hammer,” written by Susie Ulrey of the band Pohgoh, probably ring true for most everyone with multiple sclerosis. Ulrey’s story is similar to many of ours. Double-vision three days before her wedding in 2000. A visit to a…Continue Reading

    Dits and Dahs Keep My MS Brain Sharp

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    • I speak Morse code. Dits and Dahs. It’s my second language, and I’m fluent. I’ve been speaking Morse code since I got my ham radio license nearly 63 years ago. (My call letters are KR3E.) At first, I received what was sent at a very slow speed of five words per minute, hearing  o-n-e  l-e-t-t-e-r  a-t  a  t-i-m-e  and writing each on a pad. Later, I would hear whole words,…Continue Reading

    Coronavirus Means Virtual Visits for Neuros and Patients

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    • Dr. Aaron Boster assessed the gait of his multiple sclerosis patient, who walked forward and back. Earlier, he had checked the patient’s seventh cranial nerve by having him close his eyes tightly and smile. Then, Boster checked the ninth, 10th, and 12th cranial nerves by having him stick out his tongue and wiggle it back and forth. A motor exam followed, which included flopping the hands palm-up and palm-down, and…Continue Reading

    Making a Solid Case for Using a Mobility Aid

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    • I’ve used an electric scooter for nearly 20 years. At first, I only used it when I knew I’d be walking a lot. Now, it’s every day. I used a cane for several years before the scooter. I resisted using both, however, and I’ll bet that many of you who are reading this are putting up your own stiff fight right now. I’ve tried to sell the benefits of mobility…Continue Reading

    How Many Medications are too Many?

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    • Have you ever heard of the word “polypharmacy”? I saw the word for the first time today. It’s generally defined as taking many medications together. There’s been debate over how many is “many,” but a number generally used is five or more. That describes me. I take six prescription drugs every day. Four of them are directly related to my MS, the fifth is to moderate my cholesterol, and the…Continue Reading

    Can You Give Me a Lift to The Doctor?

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    • Is getting from home to the doctor a pain in the butt for you? Do you have to search for someone to take you? Do you haul yourself into your car and hope that you can find a nearby parking spot? Is public transportation impossible to find where you live? It’s such a hassle that as many as 30 percent of patients may be skipping their medical appointments due to…Continue Reading