MS Maze

“What do you mean ‘You can’t see.’!?,” I asked. We were speeding north through Maryland on Interstate 81 heading to NJ for a family weekend. Mandy was a little quiet and, when I glanced over, I saw real fear on her face. In a slightly panicked voice, she said that for the past 15 minutes she had strange wavy lines coming in and out of her field of vision. They had started appearing towards the peripheral areas. Now those lines were obstructing everything and, in places, shutting out vision altogether. With a mix of terror and confusion, she looked at me and said that there was a big hole in my head. I was stunned into silence. Continue…

One of the most frustrating aspects of living with multiple sclerosis is the lack of general knowledge — coupled with unsolicited advice. I’m okay with the lack of knowledge. I don’t want or need everyone in the world to learn about MS. However, if you don’t know the facts, maybe you should refrain from offering advice. Continue…

An editorial in today’s New York Times reveals the not-too-surprising results of a new national survey on health care.

The overall economy and the rapidly escalating cost of basic health care are forcing people to ignore health problems.

How has the economy impacted your personal health care decision-making process?

While politicians have been debating endlessly over the best ways to reform the American health care system, the plight of American patients has rapidly worsened. Maybe I’ll Get Better on My Own June 30, 2008 Editorial, The New York Times

It was July 2003, when Jake and I visited the caverns, with two of the kids. I remember it so clearly because it was the very last thing I ever did before awakening to the fact that my body was under major attack. Read full story...

Multiple sclerosis is a stealthy thief, taking what it wants, piece by piece. We can choose to let that define us, or we can choose to live with MS on our own terms. Continue…

You’ve heard about them before. The people who have multiple sclerosis, but “keep on going.” They run marathons, climb mountains, and skydive, all while maintaining successful careers and happy families. So, why is MS holding YOU back? Continue…

Face it, after you’ve been a caregiver for a while, you find it almost second nature to keep one eye on the person in your charge. But when that person has relapsing-remitting MS, as does my wife, there are times when the remitting part overtakes the relapsing part. That’s right — there are times when the other person just… feels good. Continue…

One of the easiest MS-related traps to fall into is self-imposed isolation. Make no mistake about it — MS and isolation are a devastating combination. Continue…

With a bag of trash in one hand and a box in the other, I made my way down the stairs and around the side of the house. Depositing the trash into the large bin, I returned to the house and went down to the laundry room. After emptying the contents of the dryer into a laundry basket, I carried it upstairs into our bedroom, where I proceeded to fold. Then, it was on to dusting and vacuuming. And I did all this while NOT wearing my sensible shoes. Continue…

Multiple sclerosis can rob you of many things, but not necessarily your sense of humor. Just about every day I find something to laugh about. Continue…

An MS Maze Recommendation:

You Can Do It Yoga for MS

DVD 1 - $19.95

This DVD contains 2 complete classes. The first is a seated yoga class. It includes a complete class along with guided meditation.

Runtime: 47 minutes

The second class is a very gentle yoga class. It includes getting onto the floor and stretching along with a guided meditation.

Runtime: 58 minutes

I purchased this DVD and would like to recommend it to anyone who is having trouble exercising. The first class on the DVD is yoga while seated, and the second class is a beginner level. It is challenging, yet will not exhaust you. It has done wonders for me. This is not a paid advertisement.

There are times when I just don’t want to think about multiple sclerosis. Sometimes I just want to have a night off. Then something happens to bring it front and center… but it’s not necessarily a negative thing. Continue…

Sometimes the difference between a miserable day and a good day rests solely on your ability to cast aside pride and simply say the words, “I was wondering if you could help us.” Trust me, the first time’s the hardest. Full Story…

One of the worst times in the life of a multiple sclerosis patient is the pre-diagnosis phase. Symptoms come and go before you manage to see a doctor. You get the feeling that you are not being taken seriously by physicians. You’ve researched online and self-diagnosed. All you want at this point is the real diagnosis and the assurance that you are not crazy. On the other hand, you really don’t want to her those words, “You have MS.” Continue…