In June 2006, Dina Mishev was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) In February 2009, she set the world record for the most vertical feet skied uphill by a woman in 24 hours. In July 2011, she hopes to travel to Africa and Kilimanjaro, at 19,340 feet the highest free-standing mountain in the world, as part of a team of 24 climbers, half with MS and half without.
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Gentle but rigorous, Pilates has features that make it especially beneficial to people with limited mobility. By Amy Meisner-Threet, MSW The author’s MS has progressed in a way that leaves her left side completely paralyzed. | TECH EDGE By John M. Williams I do not have multiple sclerosis (MS), but as a writer on assistive technology, I was interested to visit MyBrainGames (www.mymsmyway.com), a free suite of online cognitive and dexterity games for people with multiple sclerosis created by The MS Technology Collaborative. International studies probed the safety and efficacy of a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis in pill form. The prospects of stem-cell transplantation to improve the health of people with MS, even when they are no longer taking drugs like Avonex, Copaxone or Betaseron. [...] MS Scene might be the best kept secret on MS news and information on the Web. Don’t let it stay a secret from you! [...] Random thoughts about living with MS. [...] Clay Cotton made his living at the piano from the 1960s to the 1990s. After contracting MS, he switched to mastering a whole other keyboard. by Rebecca Kellogg Clay Cotton was an in-demand piano man. At the height of his musical career, he played as a talented side man for musicians including Eric Clapton, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, and B.B. King. That all changed after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Eventually his hands could no longer play the notes that had earned him his livelihood and he was forced to find another line of work. He and his [...] | MS PERSPECTIVES By Ed Lash As is often pointed out in literature about multiple sclerosis (MS), one of the common complications of the disease is a tricky bladder problem, primarily frequency and urgency. This may cause some people to limit their fluid intake, thereby reducing the flushing action that eliminates waste products through the urinary tract and often resulting in a low-grade bladder infection, which only makes their bladder problem worse. A number of measures can be taken to improve bladder control, including medications. Talk it over with your doctor to choose the best for you. You could also try some [...] Conquering The Mountain. After overcoming her diagnosis and refusing to let MS get the best of her, Dina became the first woman in the world to ski 34,500 vertical feet uphill in 12 [...] | MS PERSPECTIVES By Ed Lash I was watching the news about a year ago and saw an interview with a woman in her mid-90s. They asked her what she attributed her long life to. Her face brightened and she answered, “I have always smiled a lot.” She may have been on to something. The Value of Sleep – Part Two. Do you sleep well? If not, there are things you should [...] Does Multiple Sclerosis have you lugging around 10 tons of frustration in the intimacy department? Then it might be time to try a new [...] By Ed Lash At age 42, in 1969, I was working the evening shift and said to a coworker, “Would you believe it? I got myself a part-time job three months ago and have been living on five or six hours sleep and feel great!” He made no comment, but about a week later, I said to him, “I can’t understand it. If I hold an ice cube in my left hand, it feels ice cold. If I hold it in my right hand, it feels lukewarm.” A few days later I was in the hospital with complete immobility on the left side of my [...] Book Review: The Autoimmune Epidemic. “It is the kind of book that will scare you. It will make you [...] By Ed Lash Editor’s Note: This column in the print edition of Action prompted some readers to believe, incorrectly, that we endorse the view expressed in the e-mail cited in the second through fifth paragraphs. To be clear, neither Action nor United Spinal Association supports the claim that aspartame “causes” multiple sclerosis or has any adverse effect on that specific condition. For more information about the safety of aspartame, please go here. While the aspartame–MS connection has been sufficiently debunked, the article cites two peer-reviewed studies that seem to show a correlation between diet soda and a non-MS–related health problem [...] By Ed Lash There’s nothing quite like music to soothe, calm, and invigorate the human spirit. Music may not heal the damage caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), but it may help to prevent further damage and allow a person with MS to handle life better physically and emotionally with stress reduction and an improved attitude. In a 2007 issue of the National MS Society’s newsletter, the following was written on MS pain: “While you and your physician investigate meds, pain specialists say it’s smart to add complementary therapies right away. Nerves can become habituated to pain, making the pain harder to control. [...] Harris Interactive polls 1,011 people living with MS and 317 care partners to determine impact on quality of [...] MS brings a daughter closer to her mother as they search for ways to stay healthy, despite the disease. By Amy Meisner-Threet, MSW, with Florence Meisner, RN Like many mothers and daughters, as each of us became more independent from each other over the years, it became harder for my mother and I to communicate with each other. It was almost comical. As my mom began to have some hearing loss over the last few years, she claimed to be able to “hear everyone but my daughter.” I do have kind of a gravelly voice (think Demi Moore or [...] |
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