The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Category: Living with MS

Serious Medications Need Serious Care Coordination

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

A Dating App for People with Chronic Illness

Lemonade logo

Does your illness limit your ability to find a date? (Courtesy of Lemonayde) Dating isn’t a concern of mine, since I turned 70 earlier this month and have been happily married for 42 years. But, on the MS social media sites that I follow, younger, single folks regularly post concerns about starting relationships. Now there’s a dating app that might help make that social connection easier. It’s called Lemonayde. The dating…Continue Reading

Man or Woman Doctor? Which is Better?

The neurologist who treats my MS is a woman. So is my primary care physician. I wouldn’t have it any other way, and an article in The New York Times makes me feel my decision is the right one. Patient studies tell the tale The Times article points to a recent study of more than half a million patients admitted to emergency rooms for heart problems over a two-decade period…Continue Reading

Two Short Movies Take Different Approaches to Portraying MS

I’ve recently come across two short movies that are designed to show what it’s like living with MS. But they have two very different approaches. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society in the U.S produced one of the movies. It runs about 3 minutes, features several people who live with our disease, and appears to be designed as a fundraising tool for the society. The other film was produced by a…Continue Reading

MS Hope or MS Hype? A Writer’s Dilemma

Let’s say there’s an MS study reporting that researchers have discovered a substance that seems to prevent nerve cell damage. But they’ve only studied this on mice. Or, there’s another study that claims that something can help reduce MS pain, but the study involves only 19 patients. Or, an MS patient is interviewed because, after using a new drug, she’s able to ditch her wheelchair and walk. Those of us…Continue Reading

Are You Getting a Big Emergency Room Bill for a Little ER Visit?

A couple weeks ago I wrote about medical bills, suggesting that a policy of trust but verify would be advisable. A few days ago, I read about a type of emergency room fee that’s hard to trust. It appears to be charged by many hospitals, seemingly without consistency, and it can add tens of thousands of dollars to your bill for even a minor ER visit. It’s called a “trauma…Continue Reading