News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
As some of you may know, after more than seven years of writing the MS Wire column for MS News Today I am no longer writing for that website. As I admitted in my final column last Friday, “writing a couple of columns almost every week, under a deadline, has taken its toll on my energy, and sometimes on my mood. It’s time to back off a bit.” Much of…Continue Reading
The MS Wire has grown over the past year and I’m really glad that so many people have found some useful information here. Now, I’m getting ready to take a leap to a new web host that will give me more flexibility over how The MS Wire looks and is used. The change is supposed to be seamless. Fingers crossed. However, if you have any trouble accessing the blog, or if…Continue Reading
It’s 7 in the morning and it’s raining cats and dogs. I need to walk our dog and the thought of it is not very appealing. We live in a condo, so this activity requires getting dressed, squatting down to feed Joey, squatting again to get him hooked up with his leash, getting my rain gear on and going down the elevator. Not a big deal for most folks, but…Continue Reading
Insurance companies want people to use generics, rather than the more expensive brand-name drugs, right? Maybe not. Because, at least in some cases, they’re doing just the opposite. Some patients are being forced to use brand-name drugs even when those drugs have generic equivalents. It happened to my wife last week. Not surprisingly, that means that some of us with MS could wind up having to dig deeper into…Continue Reading
This came into my inbox today and I think it’s important to pass it along to as many of us with MS, or another chronic disease, in the U.S. as possible. We may never have another chance to stand in the path of these cuts. Here’s why we’re opposed to this bill: Many families will have to pay higher premiums. If you’re fifty or older, insurers could charge far more…Continue Reading
I hope you can join me Friday on the MS News Today Facebook page to share experiences using Disease Modifying Drugs. The live stream will begin at 3:00 pm eastern time, 7:00pm GMT, and will run about an hour. Ed
To scoot or not to scoot? Is is better to drag your legs around for as long as you can or to give in and get yourself a set of electric wheels? That decision prompted this vent on a multiple sclerosis Facebook group recently: “I’m just wondering if anyone has this happen to them. Every time I go to the store I have someone roll up on me in their…Continue Reading
(This is a sightly updated version of a column of mine that first appeared on www.multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com) Earlier this year Bioness announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had cleared its new “L300 Go” functional electronic stimulator (FES). It’s an upgrade of the original “L300” that I’ve been using for more than five years. Without the “L300” strapped to my left leg it’s difficult for me to walk more than…Continue Reading
(This post first appeared as my column on www.multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com) One of the most troubling symptoms of multiple sclerosis, especially for those of us who are still working, is “brain fog”…not being able to concentrate… not feeling “sharp” when working on a task or solving problems. So it was interesting to read about a new study that reports that patients with MS had better problem-solving ability and response time after training with…Continue Reading
I rarely re-blog something but this post from Jen just struck a chord. My occasional, but recurring, dream is that I’m walking and suddenly realize that I don’t have my cane. Sometimes I care…sometimes I don’t.