The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Category: Living with MS

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

My MS Bladder Coaster is Looping Again

My MS Bladder Coaster

I thought I finally had this bladder thing licked. After years of urinary urgency and frequency, I’d been doing much better. I was sleeping at least seven hours a night without having to go to the bathroom, and bathroom trips were less frequent in the daytime, too. When traveling by car, the once common question “How long to the next rest area?” became less of a concern. During our annual…Continue Reading

I’m Suddenly Sleeping Sounder. How come?

Man sleeping in bed

I had a great night’s sleep the other night. I fell asleep quickly and slept straight through the night for nearly seven hours. When I got up in the morning, I felt refreshed, which is exceedingly rare for me. This has happened a few more times since then. What changed? I’ve been sleeping in the same bed with the same blankets and the same wife for years. I haven’t made…Continue Reading

Cold, Demyelination and MS

cold

I hate the cold. It triggers my bladder and stiffens my legs. When the leaves start to turn in Maryland, I start thinking about the palm trees in Florida. So, I was interested to read research from the University of Geneva that indicates that exposure to cold may stop, and even reverse, nerve demyelination that occurs in multiple sclerosis (MS). These scientists applied the concept of life history theory to…Continue Reading

Time to Make a Date for the Flue Vaccine

flu vaccine

A couple weeks ago, my wife and I rolled up our sleeves and got our shots again. No, not the COVID-19 vaccine. We’ve already had two of those shots, and expect to receive a third before Thanksgiving. Our latest shot was the seasonal flu vaccine, which we’ve gotten every year for as long as I can remember. With all of the attention on COVID-19 vaccines, you may have forgotten about…Continue Reading