The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Category: Living with MS

Guess What? Your Medical Debt May be Cancelled.

erasing medical debg

It may sound like a joke or a scam, but there’s a nonprofit organization called RIP Medical Debt that might pay off your medical debt. Yep, all of it. According to the organization’s website, RIP Medical Debt has paid off more than $6.7 billion of other people’s medical bills over the past eight years. Healthcare costs take a big chunk out of people’s budgets. That’s particularly true for people being…Continue Reading

Which of Your MS Symptoms Came First?

What was the first of the MS symptoms you noticed? I’m asking this because of a new podcast that a friend is producing…but more about that later. My first symptom — the one that made me realize something was really wrong — was my inability to squeeze the toothpaste tube with my left hand one morning. Of course, there were earlier hints of trouble. I was unusually tired while attending…Continue Reading

It’s Time to Seize the Day

seize the day

Do you think about death? I do — a lot. I mean, like almost every day. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suicidal, and I’m trying not to sound morbid. I love my family, my friends, and my life. I’m not depressed. But I do think about what’s down that road around the next bend. Usually it’s just a brief “I wonder when?” moment. But sometimes it’s, “Will I leave…Continue Reading

Dr. Glaucomflecken had me Laughing on April 1

Laughing with Dr. Glaucomflecken

April 1 is a day when those of us in the journalism profession always had to be on special guard against pranksters who would try to trick us into reporting phony April Fools’ Day news items. So, I need to be very clear about this post about Dr. Glaucomflecken. “Dr. G” doesn’t exist. He’s an invention of Dr. Will Flanary, a 36-year-old ophthalmologist in the Portland, Oregon, area. “Dr. F,”…Continue Reading

Too Many Patients, Too Few MS Nurses in the UK

UK flag

You might be wondering why a Yank like me is writing about multiple sclerosis care in the United Kingdom. It’s because a survey caught my eye the other day that I think deserves a closer look. The survey, conducted by the MS Trust alerts us to what could be a serious problem for people with MS in the U.K.: Caseloads for nurses who specialize in MS care rose significantly from…Continue Reading

AXS Map Rates Locations for Accessibility

AXS map New York City

If you’re like me, you’re always wondering what obstacles you’ll need to overcome if you eat at a new restaurant or visit another venue you’ve never been to before. Will you physically be able to enter? If so, can you navigate once inside? Are the bathrooms accessible? You could call ahead, of course, but wouldn’t it be better if you could obtain firsthand information from someone with a disability who…Continue Reading

An MS Symptom That’s Like a Knife in the Face

Trigeminal Neuralgia

My immediate thought after reading a recent MS News Today headline stating that trigeminal neuralgia (TN) affects more than 3% of MS patients was, “Really, only 3%?” The reason: I’ve seen regular complaints about the condition, which causes excruciating facial pain. TN is a chronic condition. It typically causes shocks or burning sensations in the face and it can be very painful. Doctors think it happens because MS has damaged…Continue Reading

April Hester is Lacing Up Her MS Hiking Boots Again

April and Bernie Hester at Appalachian Trail headquarters

Reservations at a base lodge have been made, and a starting date is circled on her calendar. MS hiker April Hester is ready to start up the Appalachian Trail in the eastern U.S. It’s always an uphill hike for April, even when the trail is flat. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996, just after her 20th birthday. In October 2017, she and her husband, Bernie, hiked South Carolina’s…Continue Reading

New MS Book for the New Year

The Multiple Sclerosis Tookbox

This is my book. It's designed for MS "newbies" but it's great info for everyone. A paperback and an ebook are available on Amazon.

I’m excited to share the news that an updated version of my MS book has been published. It has a new name, “The Multiple Sclerosis Toolbox,” a new cover and some new content. The name better reflects the purpose of the book: to give people new to MS some tools to better understand and deal with our puzzling disease. I think it’s also pretty useful for old-timers who are searching…Continue Reading

Let the Sun Shine on my MS

soaking up the sun

I’m back in Florida for the next several months, having left cloudy, windy, chilly Maryland for the Gulf Coast. It’s been sunny and in the low 80s for the past few days, and my multiple sclerosis is feeling just fine. A lot of people with MS avoid the heat, but heat and sunshine go hand in hand. I always feel better, physically and mentally, when I’m in the sun. A…Continue Reading