The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

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MS Can be a Kids’ Disease, Too – Part 1

The age at which a person is diagnosed with MS is usually between 20 and 50, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. But it can be diagnosed in people much younger. In fact, of the estimated 400,000people with MS in the United States, 8,000-10,000 are under 18 years old. We older folks have some pretty good support systems to which we can turn to learn about our disease and…Continue Reading

We’re Moving

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

Looking for Healthcare Answers on the Internet Can Drive You Nuts

I know, I know. I write about health issues on the internet, so I shouldn’t be discouraging people from looking for answers here. But, searching the internet to match symptoms with a diagnosis can be a real anxiety booster. Emily Sohn makes a solid case for that in a recent article in The Washington Post: “I might have jaw pain, dizziness or a stomach flu that makes me vomit. Before long,…Continue Reading

Where are the Handicapped Parking Spots?

It’s nice when a negative experience can be turned into one that’s positive. I think that’s the result for a wheelchair-using MS patient following a problem she had at the Mall of America a few days before the Super Bowl. For those not familiar with the Mall of America, it’s a huge shopping mall just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its promotional fact sheet says that the mall covers 5.6 million square feet,…Continue Reading

Affording Your #MS Medications…or Not

Have you been in this Catch-22? You had great medical insurance when you were working. But, you’re not working anymore. Your insurance now comes with a $6,000 deductible and it no longer covers any medications. That $6,000 is about a fifth of your yearly income. You took early retirement because of your MS, but the pension you’re getting puts you over the limit to receive Medicaid help. You can’t get Social…Continue Reading

Heavy-hitting #MS Drugs Step to the Plate

I’m sitting in Florida and the start of spring training is only about a month from now, so please forgive a baseball analogy: The heavy-hitters of the MS-fighting treatments, the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), are moving up in the lineup. Five treatments currently are in the mAbs class: Ocrevus, Lemtrada, Rituxan, Tysabri, and Zinbryta. (Rituxan isn’t approved as an MS treatment in the United States. Nonetheless, it’s being prescribed off-label by some neurologists).…Continue Reading

Monkey See, Monkey Do: Helping Hands for People with MS

I was just monkeying around while on vacation a few weeks ago, amazed that the animals jumping between my wife and myself were actually listening to the commands of their owner. I knew that chimps and apes were smart, but seeing monkeys respond to commands was new to me. I had no idea how well some monkeys can be trained until I read an article in Neurology Now. There, I discovered…Continue Reading

MS Marketing Study

I’m not familiar with Baltimore Research so I can’t vouch for them. However, this information was sent to me by the folks at Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, which is a solid organization. Since many of you may be interested this marketing research I’m passing it along FYI. Ed Baltimore Research has a study coming up that you or someone you know may be interested in. If you know of someone…Continue Reading