Finding Joy and Balance: Navigating Thanksgiving with MS

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November can bring a special kind of warmth with Thanksgiving gatherings, family traditions, and tables crowded with good food. When you live with multiple sclerosis, though, the holiday season can feel like a mixed blessing. You might look forward to catching up with loved ones, but you might also dread the intense exhaustion, busy kitchens, and social pressure that often follow. Making it through the holidays while feeling your best can come down to understanding your limits, communicating clearly, and giving yourself permission to celebrate on your own terms.

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“You’re a Patient. Stop.” What I Learned About My Mind at 6,100 Meters

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By Subigya Sigdel

At about 6,100 meters on Mera Peak, with the wind in my face and the summit still far above me, a voice in my head said: “You’re a patient. Stop.”

I knew that voice. In the early phase of my MS, I was afraid of what the disease might do. My body was capable, but my nervous system and my thoughts would grow uneasy, as if they were protesting, and I would stop. On that mountain, I recognized the pattern.

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Embracing the Chill

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As the weather gets colder and the days become shorter, some people may notice changes in their mood or feel more isolated, particularly when it becomes harder to get outside. For people living with multiple sclerosis, mobility challenges, fatigue, or concerns about flare ups can make the colder months feel even more limiting. 

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Shorter Days, Steadier Minds: Getting Through the Darker Months with MS

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By Anita Williams

When it starts getting dark before you have finished work, the evening can feel over before it has begun. With MS, that can be even harder to deal with. Fatigue often sets in by late afternoon, and the cold can make your muscles stiffer and slower to get going. The walk you would usually take gets postponed. Going out seems like more effort. You spend more time indoors than you meant to.

The darker months can bring changes in mood, sleep, and energy, and MS can make each of those harder to manage. If you have noticed a shift, think about what has become harder and what might help.

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Shorter Days, Stronger Self-Care

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By Dr. Eva Jackson

Welcome to autumn, a season whose colors call to mind traditions, history, and memories. Even as those familiar reminders surround us, daylight hours grow shorter, causing the circadian rhythm to affect our thinking, health, and moods. When the days become shorter, some people experience a change in their moods and energy levels. Many of us were not familiar with the reason why the fall season creates a change in the mental state of some; however, science now shows us the reason why! However, as we learn, we are encouraged to develop ways to prevent the impact on our mental health when we have less daylight in the days. Here are 3 ways to protect your mental health when days get shorter.

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Antoinette Hatchett – MSAA’s November 2026 Artist of the Month

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MSAA features the work of many talented artists affected by multiple sclerosis as part of our annual MSAA Art Showcase. Each month we share these artists’ inspiring stories and beautiful artwork with you as our Artist of the Month. This month, we celebrate Antoinette Hatchett as November’s Artist of the Month.  Antoinette is from Bowie, MD.

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Ask the Expert: Numbness and Sensory Symptoms

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Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Headshot of doctor Barry Hendin, chief medical officer for MSAA
Barry Hendin, MD

Question: What are the common types of pain in MS and are they treated differently?

Answer: Sensory symptoms are common in multiple sclerosis. Usually they are temporary, but sometimes they’re persistent. They may occur in the setting of a relapse or sometimes they evolve more subtly.

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Finding Balance When Life Feels Overwhelming

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By Dr. Eva Jackson

This month, the search for balance feels deeply personal. After a fall filled with family responsibilities, medical appointments, meetings, volunteer work, and the changing weather, I have often felt stretched beyond my limits. Each obligation matters, yet together they can consume my days and leave little room for me to pause, breathe, and care for myself.

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Dealing with Seasonal Pressure

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By Stacie Prada

Fall consistently brings increased obligations, stress, and fatigue for me. I notice it’s happening when I feel pressured, stressed, and frustrated. The paradox is that when I realize something needs to give, the solution always requires more work.

Colder weather, fewer hours of daylight, and cold & flu season consistently increase my multiple sclerosis symptoms. Each year, I find myself creating a new plan to adjust. By writing this, I hope to capture my thought process and make each year’s adjustment less painful.

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