News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
For the past few months, my wife, Laura, has been following a ketogenic diet, and she’s lost a bunch of weight. But in addition to helping people slim down, the low-carb keto diet may have other benefits, including potentially for those with MS. A small study that will be released in April by researchers at University of Virginia Health reports that the keto diet may help to reduce some key…Continue Reading
For my wife, Laura, and I, trying to change our address on our health insurance accounts last week was like following Alice down the rabbit hole. “The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well.“ Lewis Carroll – “Alice’s Adventures…Continue Reading
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
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
You may have heard about the research that’s just been published about the Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study reports that being infected by EBV raises the risk of developing MS by 32 times. This isn’t a small or a short study. The researchers looked at 20 years of data covering more than 10 million U.S. military members. “This is a big…Continue Reading
In the past couple years, I’ve developed pain in a few areas of my body, especially my butt and back. Last winter, I tried physical therapy, but relief lasted only a short while. So, I think I’ll head back to the swimming pool to try some do-it-yourself aquatic therapy. In the pool I’ve been prompted to do this by a study recently published in JAMA reporting that for people with…Continue Reading
A little over a year ago, I wrote about whether people with multiple sclerosis (MS) should get a COVID-19 vaccine. I was anxious to be vaccinated as soon as I could, but I was also concerned about how the vaccines would affect someone with MS. Would the side effects be worse for MS patients than for healthy people? Would the disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) used to treat MS affect the ability…Continue Reading
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
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
It’s been five years since I began treatment with the MS medication Lemtrada. Now, my Lemtrada journey is done, and it’s been quite a trip.