News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
May I vent, please? In the five years that I’ve been writing this blog, I don’t think I’ve ever used it to get something off my chest. But I need to today. It’s about an experience I had at a restaurant the other night. My wife and I went to dinner with our son, daughter-in-law, and two grandkids. It was a pleasant evening, and we decided to eat outdoors in…Continue Reading
Is orelabrutinib one of the next big MS therapies? Biogen is betting at least $125 million that it is. Orelabrutinib is an experimental oral BTK inhibitor (BTKi). BTKi’s are designed to selectively block an enzyme that’s important for the activation of B-cells and microglia. Some of those immune cells drive the abnormal immune responses that characterize MS. Researchers hope the medication will lower inflammation and slow progression of all forms…Continue Reading
“Do you need help?” The question came from a 30-something woman after I’d finished loading some cartons into the back of my SUV. I automatically replied, “No thanks, all done.” But lifting and loading isn’t an easy job for me. My upper body strength is good, but my legs are weak and offer no help to my topside. In addition, I’ve slacked on my exercising, so I’m not as strong…Continue Reading
People with MS who are using cannabis take heed. A research letter published in May in JAMA Network Open reports that calls to poison control centers about people using cannabis products have been increasing over the past several years. Public health officials are concerned. According to the letter, written by various health experts in the U.S., one problem is that a growing number of retail sales involve manufactured cannabis products…Continue Reading
My grandson, John, turned 5 in May, and my granddaughter, Hayden, turned 7 in June. I love being their Poppy, but I wish their Poppy didn’t have MS. I was diagnosed with MS in 1980, just over a year after our son, Geoff, was born. He and our grandkids have lived with my MS all of their lives. I’ve only lived with it for about half of mine. As I…Continue Reading
Could a cannabis spray be just what the doctor ordered to treat our MS symptoms? I’m talking about Sativex (nabiximols), which has been developed as a treatment for moderate and severe MS spasticity. Sativex combines THC, the chef intoxicant in marijuana, with CBD, marijuana’s nonpsychoactive component. It’s sprayed under the tongue or inside the cheek several times a day. The treatment has been approved in several countries, including the U.K.…Continue Reading
In the four decades I’ve lived with MS, I’d never before experienced a serious case of vertigo. I’ve occasionally felt a little spacey. In fact, mild dizziness while traveling home from a business convention is one of the things that led to my MS diagnosis in 1980. But vertigo is more serious than being just a little dizzy. It feels like the world is spinning around you. For someone with…Continue Reading
Is 2,500 my magical COVID-19 number? At my annual MS checkup a week ago, my neurologist included a SARS-CoV-2 antibody test. Antibodies are proteins in the blood that protect the body from being attacked by viruses, bacteria, and the like. In this case, the blood test was searching for antibodies that would protect me against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19. With two shots of the Moderna vaccine…Continue Reading
Happy anniversary to us! My wife, Laura, and I are celebrating our 45th anniversary this month. It’s hard to believe, especially because the divorce rate for someone with multiple sclerosis is higher than it is for a healthy person. A review of records in the Danish MS-Registry a few years ago showed that the probability of a marriage continuing after five years was 86% for MS patients versus 89% in…Continue Reading
Paging Dr. Google. OK, maybe I’m being overly dramatic, but The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Google and HCA Healthcare have struck a deal to share data and create healthcare algorithms. HCA plans to use the data system to improve operating efficiency, monitor patients, and even guide some decisions by doctors. So, the concept of a “Dr. Google” isn’t far-fetched. HCA Healthcare has clinics at 2,000 locations in 21…Continue Reading