People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may end up in wheelchairs. People with MS climb mountains and run marathons. Both statements are true, but neither accurately describes what it means to have MS.

MS is a widely misunderstood disease — not only by the general public, but even by those who live with it. The goal of March’s MS Education and Awareness Month is to promote understanding of MS and to help people with MS to make educated decisions about their health care needs.

While much progress has been made in research and treatment of the condition, an equal amount of mystery remains. That mystery often leads to a sense of isolation and fear, and newly diagnosed patients don’t always know where to turn for information. (…MORE)

Photo copyright: WebCampOne, LLC

For many cancer patients, chemotherapy gives food an unpleasant metallic taste. The sight, smell, and texture of foods can become completely unappetizing. Chemotherapy can also cause a feeling of nausea that compounds the problem, causing many cancer patients, myself included, to lose weight. Too much weight loss can lead to other serious health concerns. (…MORE)

The L.A. Times reports that an initiative to legalize marijuana will appear on the November ballot. The initiative calls for allowing adults 21 or older to possess up to one ounce for personal use, or to grow up to 25 square feet of marijuana per residence or parcel, and allows cities and counties to raise revenue through taxation of cultivation, transportation, and sale of marijuana. Budgetary concerns in California make this particularly appealing, but it is certainly not without opposition. Between now and November we can expect to hear interesting cases made both pro and con.

While it remains a federal crime to possess or sell marijuana…

Read this post in its entirety, and check out the poll and the petition:

Puffing the Pain Away or Just Puffing… Legally

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1206038

National MS Education & Awareness Month

Coping with MS: Breaking the Cycle of Defeat Life isn’t fair. Much like a board game, we pick a card… roll the dice… spin the spinner… and we get what we get. Unlike a simple child’s game, though, there are a myriad of choices to be made that directly affect the outcome of those random events.

Your Choice: Exist with It or Live with It What wife asks her husband to stop doing the dishes? I can almost hear the collective groan from wives the world over, but there was a method to my madness.

Longing for Liberation All around the world people with multiple sclerosis have been clamoring for action, ever since cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Paolo Zamboni released his controversial findings, challenging everything we thought we knew about MS.

Diagnosis, Denial, Due Diligence What do you do when everything you know about yourself changes just as you are hitting midlife? How do you plan for life’s second half with a body you’ve never met before?

MS: Who Gets It and Why The who, what, where, when, why, and how of multiple sclerosis.

A Diagnosis Odyssey It began with a seemingly benign but persistent tingly feeling in my upper right arm. It was the kind of thing you tend to dismiss and certainly not the kind of thing that makes you rush out to see a doctor… but there was more to come.

In this case, debate centers around “Liberation Treatment.” All around the world people with multiple sclerosis have been clamoring for action, ever since last September, when cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Paolo Zamboni released the results of a preliminary study of MS patients indicating a link to chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI), a narrowing of the veins that restricts the flow of blood from the brain, causing iron build up, in turn causing the degeneration of neurons.

Dr. Zamboni undertook this research in response to his wife’s own heartbreaking battle against MS. The resulting theory that some types of MS are caused by CCSVI, told him that it might be treated by clearing out major veins to free the blood flow. After confirming that his wife did indeed have CCSVI, he opened the veins by using a small inflated balloon to clear the blockage, a procedure that has earned the moniker Liberation Treatment. In the three years following her surgery, she has not had a relapse…

Read this post in its entirety:

Longing for Liberation

More on Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month

A Diagnosis Odyssey

Who Gets It and Why

Diagnosis, Denial, Due Diligence

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1095865

That’s why the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation recognizes March as National MS Education & Awareness Month, and the National MS Society designated March 8-14 as MS Awareness Week.

WHO gets MS? About 2.5 million people worldwide…

WHAT is MS? MS is a neurological disease in which…

WHERE is MS most prevalent? Northern latitudes farther…

WHEN do people get MS? It is difficult to pinpoint when MS begins, but diagnosis usually…

WHY do people get MS? That’s the big question! The cause…

HOW is MS treated? There are several…

Throughout the month of March, I will offer glimpses into my own life with MS in Care2 Healthy & Green Living. While there is no such thing as a typical case, those who are familiar with MS will nod in recognition. If you are not familiar with MS, please allow us a few moments of your time during MS Education and Awareness Month, and check back here in Care2 Causes in the weeks to come.

Read this post in its entirety:

Who Gets MS and Why

Photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

She doesn’t take this action lightly and is not out for a recreational high. She simply wants a reprieve from the relentless pain that plagues her and, after sipping her tea, generally experiences about three hours of relief. Only those who live in chronic pain can fully understand her anguish.

Speaking of her predicament she says, “I want politicians to be nice to me… I’m sick.” One cannot put it more simply than that.

Read this post in its entirety:

A Toke a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

First, what it is not: multiple sclerosis is not the same as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy. All people with MS are not in wheelchairs. It’s not a psychological problem.

So what is it?

MS is a neurological disease in which lesions form in the central nervous system, interrupting the transmission of signals to the rest of the body…

Read this post in its entirety:

11 Basics to Understanding Multiple Sclerosis

The medical marijuana issue is all very cut and dry if you believe that marijuana is nothing more than a dangerous and illegal street drug. But the testimonials by the chronically ill give one pause. Quality of life and end of life issues take on a whole new meaning when it’s your life rather than a hypothetical exercise.

Is marijuana a miracle or a menace? The answer may be in the eye of the beholder.

Read this post in its entirety:

Marijuana for MS: Miracle or Menace?

Pharmaceutical companies are playing into every fear and every illness, real and imagined, as never before. Why market only to doctors when you can reach the patient — the consumer — directly. The number of pharmaceutical ads in prime time television has risen so dramatically that they are all but impossible to ignore. Whatever ails you, there’s a pill to make you feel better.

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/755991

Read this post in its entirety and answer our poll:

Should Pharmaceutical Ads be Banned from TV?

The Chronic Disease Fund is a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to these underinsured individuals so that they can continue to take their much-needed medications and improve their quality of life.

Visit the Chronic Disease Fund’s website to learn more about what they do — and what you can do to help. The CDF is now on Facebook and Twitter, too!