News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
Labor Day has come and gone here in the U.S. Now, flu season has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. This isn’t the novel coronavirus we’ve been fighting all year. It’s the regular seasonal flu virus that’s knocking on our door again. Each year, some people with multiple sclerosis wonder if they should get a flu shot. My wife and I have been getting one for as long as I can…Continue Reading
You’re stressed, and Halo may know it. Halo is a new Amazon service the company says can judge how stressed you are, in part by the tone of your voice. The service uses a wristband that connects to a mobile app. A small sensor in the band monitors temperature, heart rate, and body motion. It also has a pair of microphones that listen to your voice. That voice feature is…Continue Reading
The manufacturer of Copaxone is the target of a US Justice Department lawsuit and its outcome could affect many of us who receive copay help for our medications. The legal case involves the interaction between pharmaceutical companies and nonprofit organizations that provide grants to people who need help paying for their treatments. For example, when I couldn’t afford the monthly copay for Aubagio (teriflunomide) several years ago, I qualified for…Continue Reading
I’ve used a Bioness L300 Functional Electronic Stimulator for almost 8 years to help me walk. Has the benefit been worth the cost?
How does this potential MS therapy sound to you: a device that stimulates your tongue with a mild electrical current to help you walk better. A company is seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a product that would do that. The device is called a portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS). It’s a flat card, about half the size of a credit card, with electrodes on its end.…Continue Reading
In early July, I wrote a blog post about Disability Pride Month. It’s not for me, I said. I questioned the word “pride” and asked whether we need a special month to advocate for a more inclusive world. Several people commented on that column — some supported my thoughts, while others were critical of what I wrote. A woman named Danielle wrote a particularly strong comment ending with: “I think…Continue Reading
It’s said that people look like their dogs. I’ve discovered that my Cocker Spaniel and I act like each other. I’ve written about Joey a couple of times over the past few years. For example, there was a post about the adventure of taking him for a walk using my scooter. Joey is my pal, my companion, and my stress reliever. The other night, lying in bed, I was thinking…Continue Reading
I’d just gotten out of bed the other morning and was headed to the bathroom using just one cane when I tried to step over a dog toy on the floor. I went down slowly onto the carpet, so it was really no big deal. No harm, no foul, but I should have been using two canes, and I should have been more careful. I should know how not to…Continue Reading
July is Disability Pride Month. Now, don’t flame me right away for writing this, but I don’t think we need a month highlighting disability pride — just like I don’t think people with MS need a month in October spotlighting rare diseases. MS is invisible but, with more than 2.3 million people carrying that diagnosis, it’s not rare. Disability Pride Month seems to have started as Disability Pride Day, which…Continue Reading
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written about the impact that COVID-19 is having on people with MS. Since then, the picture has changed — not a lot, but enough for the MS International Federation to modify its observations about, and recommendations for, people with MS and our disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). The treatment equation for COVID-19 and MS is complex because of the dynamic nature of the way this…Continue Reading