active coping Archives

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Lightening, stress and my MS

Posted on September 18, 2023September 18, 2023

Lightning struck at 3 a.m. the other night. The alarm system in my apartment blared — beeep, beeep, beeep — for hours. The dog was barking, the cat was zooming, and I wasn’t sleeping. My stress meter was off the scale. We know that stress can trigger MS symptoms, yet it rarely, if ever, has directly triggered mine. I spent over 40 years in the news media covering breaking news.…Continue Reading

Life has Been Like a Country Western Song

Posted on December 19, 2022December 18, 2022

My condo was hit by Hurricane Ian in October. Less than a month later, it was hit again by Tropical Storm Nicole. I have a dog whose bark is shattering and a cat who likes to bite. The car dealer can’t find the title for the minivan I’m leasing, and about two weeks ago, someone scratched the side of it while it was parked — a hit-and-run. Oh, and Christmas…Continue Reading

"People newly diagnosed with MS will truly benefit from this book, while those of us who’ve lived with MS for a while will wish we’d had it ourselves!…Neurologists should consider keeping a copy of this book in their waiting room because their patients are going to need it." - Tamara K. Sellman, reviewing for Multiple Sclerosis.net.

The Multiple Sclerosis Toolbox is designed for MS "newbies" but it's great info for everyone. I combine more than 40 years of living with MS with some easy to understand info about diagnosis, treatments, visiting the neuro, relationships, mobility aids, travel and more…a lot of what you get in this blog. A paperback and an e-book are available on Amazon.