News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
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
I’m marking a big anniversary this month. It’s been four years since I finished the second round of treatment with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), my final disease-modifying therapy (DMT). That means that, after about 60 monthly blood draws, I’m finished being stuck. Lemtrada is usually a two-phase series of injections, with each phase separated by a year. The medication wipes out most of the cells in an MS patient’s immune system with…Continue Reading
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
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
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
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
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