News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
My condo was hit by Hurricane Ian in October. Less than a month later, it was hit again by Tropical Storm Nicole. I have a dog whose bark is shattering and a cat who likes to bite. The car dealer can’t find the title for the minivan I’m leasing, and about two weeks ago, someone scratched the side of it while it was parked — a hit-and-run. Oh, and Christmas…Continue Reading
I was amazed when I read a comment from one of my “MS Wire” readers recently about brain shrinkage. “I’ve had MS since 2011. I had no idea about brain shrinkage,” she wrote. But I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. A survey taken in 2018 by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America reported that, of the 1,337 people affected by MS who responded, only 20% considered themselves to be…Continue Reading
What’s in a name? Does it really matter if your MS is called relapsing or progressive, or secondary rather than primary? I’ve never thought so, and it seems as if the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in MS agrees with me. In recommendations published in The Lancet Neurology, the panel calls for new methods to classify MS — methods that reflect the disease’s underlying biology, rather than differences in…Continue Reading
For the past few years, the company that brings us everything from books to basketballs has been experimenting with bringing us Amazon healthcare. In 2018, the company launched a project called Haven in partnership with a pair of financial giants, with the goal of providing healthcare services to over a million employees. The idea behind the project was “to make primary care easier to access, insurance benefits simpler to understand…Continue Reading
In the 42 years that I’ve lived with multiple sclerosis I’m glad that I’ve only been hugged twice. I’m talking about the MS hug, and it wasn’t fun. This MS symptom can feel like pressure or pain around the chest, back, or stomach, and it can be scary. Some people described it on the MS News Today Facebook page like this: “It’s like a charley horse in my ribs while I’m wearing…Continue Reading
What do you do to make living with MS a little easier? That question was posed to readers of the MS News Today Facebook page recently, and about 175 people responded. Even an MS old-timer like me (I’ve been living with the disease for 42 years and counting) found a few new ideas, so I thought I’d share some of what was suggested. Easier living in the bedroom Let’s start…Continue Reading
I’ve been feeling a bit like a soccer mom the past month or so, even though I’m a 74-year-old guy. My wife and I are leasing a minivan, the go-to wheels of after-school sports parents. It also seems to be a great vehicle for someone with a disability like multiple sclerosis. I’ve had a lot of cars since getting my driver’s license in 1964. But around 2000, as my MS…Continue Reading
“I Am Not The Doctor For You” is the title of a disturbing new study published earlier this month in the journal Health Affairs. It reports that a number of doctors acknowledge being uncomfortable with treating people, like me, who have a disability. The study was conceived of by Lisa Iezzoni, MD, a professor of medicine at Harvard University. Over years of talking with people with disabilities, she noticed a…Continue Reading
It’s the time of the season. Every year around this time, I get a seasonal flu shot. I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember, certainly all of my adult life. But this year is a little different. There are now three flu vaccines preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older (that’s me). There’s also a relatively new COVID-19 booster that targets the latest strains of…Continue Reading
If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), you’ve probably had several MRIs “with” and “without.” The “with” means injecting a contrast agent containing gadolinium into a vein. The agent then travels into the brain, where it “lights up” areas of active inflammation that otherwise would be difficult or impossible for doctors to see. Using a gadolinium-based contrast agent is an important part of the diagnostic and disease-tracking process for people with…Continue Reading