The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

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My Immune System: Suppressed, Compromised or Supercharged?

immune system

Lately, I’ve seen a lot of incorrect information on social media about how multiple sclerosis affects our immune system. Some of it seems to be generated by concerns that MS makes someone more susceptible to COVID-19, or confusion about whether people with MS can safely receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Here are a couple examples: Immunosuppressed or immunocompromised? One person with MS wrote online that he is “immunosuppressed.” But MS does…Continue Reading

COVID Shot #2 and Going Strong

COVID shot #2

It’s been nearly two weeks since my wife and I were back in Bowie, Maryland, for our second shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. It was a sunny and warm afternoon after a windy, cold, and wet month. We hoped that was a good omen. Nina, the same pharmacist who gave us our first shots exactly four weeks earlier, was there again, and our jabs went smoothly. Laura and I…Continue Reading

I Took a Tumble That Could Have Been Worse

Scary tumble

Ooooops!” Actually, I spit out a shorter, one-syllable word as I took a stupid, scary tumble…one of the worst I’ve had in 40 years of living with MS. But this is a family column. My last scary tumble, a few years ago, happened from a sitting position, and I fell onto the carpet. This one happened while I was standing, and I tumbled onto the concrete floor of the parking…Continue Reading

Caregiver Abuse in MS Families

This is disturbing and, unfortunately, not surprising. More than 50% of people with advanced multiple sclerosis report they’ve been mistreated by a family member or friend who cares for them, according to the results of a survey by researchers at the University of California, Riverside. Much of that mistreatment (44.2%) is described as psychological, often involving being insulted or sworn at in anger. This doesn’t surprise me, because I often…Continue Reading

What Can You do About Paying for MS Drugs?

multiple sclerosis expenses

If you’re having trouble paying for your MS drugs, you’re not alone. I regularly see social media posts from people whose insurance has changed or whose insurance company has suddenly dropped a medication from its formulary (the list of medications it will pay for). Or, it has decided that you must change from a brand name drug to a generic one. Sometimes the problem is that the person with MS…Continue Reading

We Got Our COVID-19 Shot Number 1

COVID-19 vaccine vials

It’s a good thing my wife, Laura, is persistent. Thanks to her tenacity, we’ve both been able to get our first shots of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. According to the pharmacist who gave us our shot #1, in two weeks we should be about 60% protected from the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. After our second shot, given 28 days after the first, clinical trials report the efficacy jumps to…Continue Reading

Think Hands as You Think MS

think hands

My left hand was numb and weak when I was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. For years after that, symptoms above my waist seemed just as prevalent as those below it. Yet, there were no tests being used that measured my waist-up disability level — nothing equivalent to the Expanded Disability Severity Scale (EDSS) that neurologists have used for decades to measure the level of disability of people with MS.…Continue Reading

Breakthrough Multiple Sclerosis Vaccine? Not so Fast.

multiple sclerosis vaccine

A medical website’s headline screamed, “Breakthrough Multiple Sclerosis Vaccine Shows Impressive Results In Study.” The New York Daily News joined in, highlighting a potential “breakthrough” vaccine. Other media outlets also were using similar adjectives last month. Unfortunately, it’s a little too hype-ish for me. I suspect some of it was was generated because the company sponsoring the research is BioNTech, which helped to develop one of the COVID-19 vaccines. Now, the…Continue Reading

Get Your COVID Vaccine as Soon as You Can

covid vaccine vials

The advice issued last week by the U.S.-based National Multiple Sclerosis Society about COVID-19 vaccination couldn’t be clearer: “Get your vaccine as soon as it is available to you.” The new MS Society guidelines say that the two COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the U.S., both of which use an mRNA model, are “safe and effective.” The risk of contracting severe COVID-19 far outweighs any potential vaccination risks, they add.…Continue Reading