News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
What could the Academy Awards and COVID-19 possibly have in common for people with disabilities? Stay tuned, and I’ll tell you. First, the Academy Awards. The documentary “Crip Camp,” about a summer camp for young adults with disabilities, was up for an Oscar. Its co-director and co-star, Jim LeBrecht, has spina bifida and uses a motorized wheelchair. LeBrecht had hoped to ride up a special ramp from his front row…Continue Reading
I’ve had my shots, so I’m protected,” a friend recently told me, referring to his COVID-19 shot. My wife and I also have received a COVID shot. More than a month has passed since our second shot of the Moderna vaccine, so we’re also protected — theoretically. But theory doesn’t always match reality, and I’ve been searching for a way to explain to people why we still wear our masks,…Continue Reading
It’s been nearly two weeks since my wife and I were back in Bowie, Maryland, for our second shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. It was a sunny and warm afternoon after a windy, cold, and wet month. We hoped that was a good omen. Nina, the same pharmacist who gave us our first shots exactly four weeks earlier, was there again, and our jabs went smoothly. Laura and I…Continue Reading
It’s a good thing my wife, Laura, is persistent. Thanks to her tenacity, we’ve both been able to get our first shots of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. According to the pharmacist who gave us our shot #1, in two weeks we should be about 60% protected from the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. After our second shot, given 28 days after the first, clinical trials report the efficacy jumps to…Continue Reading
The advice issued last week by the U.S.-based National Multiple Sclerosis Society about COVID-19 vaccination couldn’t be clearer: “Get your vaccine as soon as it is available to you.” The new MS Society guidelines say that the two COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the U.S., both of which use an mRNA model, are “safe and effective.” The risk of contracting severe COVID-19 far outweighs any potential vaccination risks, they add.…Continue Reading
Do you plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine? I do. People in the U.K. started receiving the vaccine last week and the first doses are on their way to people in the U.S. So far, the U.S.-based National Multiple Sclerosis Society has said only that people with MS should seriously consider getting a COVID-19 vaccine. It’s brought together a group of experts to make some detailed recommendations, but the group’s…Continue Reading
The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) has issued new recommendations about how the coronavirus pandemic might, or might not, impact the lives of people with MS. The MSIF, a network of national MS societies from around the world, first issued recommendations about COVID-19 and MS last spring. But much has been learned about the virus since then, including how it affects people with MS. The new recommendations address whether MS leads to complications with…Continue Reading
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written about the impact that COVID-19 is having on people with MS. Since then, the picture has changed — not a lot, but enough for the MS International Federation to modify its observations about, and recommendations for, people with MS and our disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). The treatment equation for COVID-19 and MS is complex because of the dynamic nature of the way this…Continue Reading
My favorite line in the “Downton Abbey” TV series, uttered by the dowager played by Maggie Smith, is “What’s a weekend?” When you’re retired, if you’re working as a freelancer, or if like me you’re doing both, it’s easy to forget what day of the week it is. It’s also easy to work seven days a week. The stay-at-home mandates of COVID-19 have extended this problem to many people who…Continue Reading
I canceled my April blood draw. The protocol for Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) requires lab work each month because the treatment can have serious side effects. But I spoke with my neurologist and we decided that I could skip it. Blame it on COVID-19. My legs are stiffer than they were two months ago. My walking is slower. I’ve postponed my semiannual neurologist visit. Blame it on COVID-19. But my decisions have…Continue Reading