Living with MS

I’ve lived with symptoms of multiple sclerosis since 1981, was diagnosed in 1986 and thereafter settled into a steady life of numbness, weakness, fatigue and cog fog. After years of...

During a recent surprise heat wave (you know, one of those wacky weather moments where it goes from 55 one day to 82 the next, that we seem to be...

A day off can seem like a great opportunity to run errands and get things done, but with MS, it can be the only time to take a much-needed rest...

I had begun to walk like a drunk, and not just on Saturday nights. Within three years of being diagnosed with primary progressive MS, I needed some ambulatory assistance. Without...

Life has recently surprised us in an extremely large way. You might have read about some of the shock I was feeling in one of my latest articles, When Life...

Nothing stresses me out faster than not being able to find something. I know this is more of an issue for me today than it was 8 years ago because...

When you suffer from a chronic illness like Multiple Sclerosis, you tend to get some interesting and somewhat baffling questions. One of the more puzzling inquiries that we often receive has...

We talk a lot about heroes within the MS population. For example, whenever a fellow patient takes up a challenge such as a walkathon fundraiser, we cheer them on and...

When I was a kid, I didn’t really get sick all that often. Well, no more than everyone else, it seemed. Like most people, I would get the occasional cold...

Not long ago, the MS community was amazed when Selma Blair announced that she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Her announcement was comforting to so many with the disease, myself...

It’s generally agreed upon among the multiple sclerosis (MS) community that heat is bad for MS. Uhthoff's phenomenon is the worsening of MS symptoms when exposed to heat (or when...

I was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in 2001, purchased my first wheelchair in 2008, and by 2016, I could best be described as a quadriplegic. I’m in rough...

During a typical week, other than hanging in my yard with my dog, I manage to get out of the house about one to two times. When I do get to...

Each day, I wake up, and I begin a maze. I start out navigating through the maze pretty confidently. I feel like I can make it to the end without...

From balance problems to neuropathy, there are a host of reasons why the footwear that worked BEFORE MS might not be comfortable anymore AFTER MS. This loss may seem minor...

Living with a disease like Multiple Sclerosis can be a difficult task, particularly as you grow older. Having a good support system is crucial to living successfully with this illness. Not...

It seems ironic, but did you know that caring too much could actually harm you? There's a fancy name for it called "compassion fatigue." While compassion fatigue and burnout seem...

You think that, for the most part, you have a pretty good handle when going through tough situations. That though it's not always easy, with logic, encouragement, and understanding, you're...

I have recently come across a variety of questions about motherhood/parenting with MS, whether it’s about trying to conceive, pregnancy itself or parenting in general. I have written about parenting...

Often we oldies are hard put to think of an upside to being in our dotage. The body is falling apart like an old car, just like with MS, only...