News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
A lot of people on the various MS social media groups that I follow are worried about their health and drug insurance…losing it, not being able to afford it, etc. The National MS Society and Can-Do MS have scheduled an insurance webinar this coming Tuesday and it looks like it will provide some good info. You can register by clicking the “RSVP” tab below: Common Health Insurance Problems in MS:…Continue Reading
The state where I live has legalized medical marijuana (MMJ) and it’s getting ready to open state-licensed marijuana dispensaries. So, I’ve been thinking about using MMJ to treat some of my MS symptoms. How can MMJ help MS patients? A 2012 study by researchers at the University of Plymouth in the U.K. reported improvement in the muscle spasms and pain of MS patients. There have been other reports of reduced…Continue Reading
Insurance companies want people to use generics, rather than the more expensive brand-name drugs, right? Maybe not. Because, at least in some cases, they’re doing just the opposite. Some patients are being forced to use brand-name drugs even when those drugs have generic equivalents. It happened to my wife last week. Not surprisingly, that means that some of us with MS could wind up having to dig deeper into…Continue Reading
It’s one of those questions that all of us with MS get. And it’s one that most of us with MS don’t like to answer. How do you respond when someone asks you “are you doing OK?” #1 You can say “Yes, I’m fine, thanks,” even if you’re dragging and defiantly not OK, and be done with it. #2 You can be honest about how you’re feeling and open up…Continue Reading
During a routine exam with my neurologist recently, I asked her a question I’d never thought to ask before: “Why do you order regular MRIs of my brain, but not of my spine?” Interestingly, within a few days of my exam, a Harvard Med School study was released that addressed a similar question: Is there always a link between the level of physical disability in some MS patients and the…Continue Reading
About a year ago, I first wrote about something called an Ogo. It was just in the development phase then, but it was the neatest thing I’d ever seen for getting around when your legs can’t do the job. You don’t need to use your arms, either. Just bend in the direction that you want to travel, like riding on a Segway, and off you go. It could be great…Continue Reading
Several months ago, I wrote a column in Multiple Sclerosis News Today about Andrew Barclay. Barclay died in an assisted suicide in December. He’d had multiple sclerosis for many years. Colin Campbell is a 56-year-old MS patient who lives in Inverness, Scotland. He also wanted to die. In fact, he was scheduled to end his own life, with help, on June 15 at a suicide clinic in Switzerland. But he…Continue Reading
It’s been a little over six months since I completed Round 1 of my Lemtrada infusions, so it’s time again to ask myself, “How am I doing?” The answer: I’m not sure. For many years, my brain MRI has remained unchanged. I can’t remember the last time I had an exacerbation (something bad enough to require steroid treatments). It was, literally, in the last century. But my walking has slowly,…Continue Reading
This came into my inbox today and I think it’s important to pass it along to as many of us with MS, or another chronic disease, in the U.S. as possible. We may never have another chance to stand in the path of these cuts. Here’s why we’re opposed to this bill: Many families will have to pay higher premiums. If you’re fifty or older, insurers could charge far more…Continue Reading
You can see a recording of this afternoon’s live stream on the MS News Today Facebook page here. I’m sharing my experiences with various DMDs that I’ve used over the past 20 years or so.