News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
You may have felt what Bethanee Epifani Bryant has felt in a doctor’s office. I think many patients have, but most of us can’t paint the picture of an invisible patient that Bryant can paint. And she paints it using words. Bryant is a poet. “I sit on the examination table vulnerable, openly allowing him to dissect my body and fix what had been broken I tell him where it…Continue Reading
The other day, a young woman with MS shared her worry in a Facebook group that her disease would prevent her from playing with her grandchildren someday. Her concern got me thinking about how I’ve handled my MS around my grandchildren. My granddaughter is almost 5 and will start kindergarten in the fall. My grandson is 3. They’ve never known me as a person who walks normally, without two canes…Continue Reading
I rode a recumbent bike for 15 minutes today. That’s a record for me, and it felt great. The bike ride was part of an overall workout routine that I’ve set up for myself at the gym. The workout mirrors what I was doing about 15 years ago, when I was still working full-time. That routine was set up with the help of a personal trainer, and it includes upper-body…Continue Reading
I’ve met Humpty Dumpty, and he is me. I made that discovery the other night when I had a bad fall. It wasn’t off a wall; it was just off a chair, but it felt like I’d tumbled off Humpty’s high ledge. It shouldn’t have happened. I’ve lived with MS for nearly 40 years and I’ve had my share of trips, stumbles, and falls. I’ve even written a post about…Continue Reading
Former Vice President Joe Biden has been in some hot water recently because of his habit of hugging some of the people he meets. More generally, in today’s society, some of the casual social touching that once went on, particularly in the workplace, has become out of bounds. So, is it OK for your doctor to give you a hug? I spotted that subject on Twitter the other day. Rhea…Continue Reading
Most healthy people probably don’t have to worry about a fungus named Candida auris, or simply C. auris. But if your immune system is compromised, it’s a different story. Health officials say C. auris should be of special concern to people whose immune systems are not at full strength, and I’m one of them. I’m being treated with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab). It, like Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), Mavenclad (cladribine), and aHSCT (autologous hematopoietic stem cell…Continue Reading
Have you ever thought about getting on a horse and riding? It may sound impossible for someone with MS, but it’s not. In fact, equine therapy can help your body and your mind, and it’s fun. Several years ago, in my early 60s and not having ridden a horse since I was a kid, I was back in the saddle with an instructor from the Great and Small therapeutic riding…Continue Reading
There are two types of people with MS: Those who have bladder problems and those who will have them. That may be an oversimplification but I’d be willing to bet that you, like me, have had that gotta-go-gotta-go problem too many times to count. Sometimes you make it to the loo, sometimes you don’t. And if you do make it in time, the urgency might then become a now-I-can’t-go bladder…Continue Reading
If you’re a member of the baby boomer generation, or if you just like the music of the 1960s and ’70s, you probably know Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover“: “‘The problem is all inside your head,’ she said to me. ‘The answer is easy if you take it logically. I’d like to help you in your struggle to be free. There must be 50 ways to leave your…Continue Reading
I rarely write anything involving politics. But I’m very worried about the latest challenge to the ability of Americans to find affordable healthcare. I struggled with how to express my concerns about affording my healthcare while still maintaining my reporter’s objectivity. I struggled because I’m fortunate. I had access to a very good health insurance plan from my employer for many years. Then, not long after retirement, I became eligible…Continue Reading