Finding a Support Network

Posted on March 7, 2018 by MSAA

A support network is somewhere that you can share feelings or vent frustrations – a place to be able to check in and touch base with others or make connections. Ultimately, it’s a system that is there for you without judgment or expectation that you can depend on. That’s what members have found on our platform, My MSAA Community. This online forum not only offers a safe place to ask questions and find information, it has also become a reliable “check-in” community for those involved.

Updates are often sent to one another, as members check in with the community to let everyone know about their medical appointments to get feedback and encouraging words.

“I know it can be overwhelming with all the different tests and doctors. Try to relax (I know, easier said than done). Good luck.”
– Community Member

Countless moments of kindness and empathy can often be found on the community, especially as members face some challenging issues such as depression. Community members often find themselves showered with support. Members also reach out to each other to ask how things are, to send well wishes when needed, and to offer encouragement to those having a difficult time. One member of the community shares, “just letting you know all our thoughts are with you today – keep smiling” to another member having an MRI done that day. In addition, the community’s Birthday Ambassador keeps track of birthdays and sends special messages on celebrating the occasion.

If you haven’t done so already, take some time to check out My MSAA Community and find a new support network today.

About MS – Newest MSAA Publication

Posted on March 5, 2018 by MSAA

MSAA is pleased to announce its latest booklet, About MS. In this second edition, MSAA provides a comprehensive introduction to the development and treatment of MS, along with a great deal of useful information that touches on many aspects of the disease.

The second edition of About MS includes:

An overview of the history, development, types, and potential causes of MS
Information on who gets MS, how MS is diagnosed, and how disease activity is evaluated
Descriptions for treatments for both relapses and long-term disease activity
And more!

Read an excerpt from About MS here:

Initially, most people with MS experience symptom flare-ups, which are also known as relapses, exacerbations, or attacks. When someone experiences a relapse, he or she may be having new symptoms or an increase in existing symptoms. These usually persist for a short period of time (from a few days to a few months) and afterward may remain symptom-free for periods of months or years. This type of MS is referred to as relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Approximately 80 to 85 percent of people with MS are initially diagnosed with this form of the disease.

Over time, RRMS may advance to secondary-progressive MS (SPMS). This form of MS does not have the dramatic variations in symptoms that RRMS does, but rather has a slow, steady progression – with or without relapses. If relapses do occur, they usually do not fully remit. Without treatment, approximately half of individuals with RRMS convert to SPMS within 10 years. However, with the introduction of long-term disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), fewer individuals advance to this latter form of the disease.

Individuals who are not initially diagnosed with RRMS may be experiencing a more steady progression of the disease from the onset. Approximately 10 percent of the MS population is diagnosed with primary-progressive MS (PPMS), where individuals experience a steady worsening of symptoms from the start, and do not have periodic relapses and remissions.

Continue reading this booklet at mymsaa.org/publications/about-ms/ to learn more about multiple sclerosis history, diagnosis, treatments, and resources.

March 2018 Artist of the Month: Celebrating the Work of Artists Affected by Multiple Sclerosis

Posted on March 2, 2018 by John MSAA

All-New Artists for MSAA’s 2018-2017 Art Showcase!

As a part of MS Awareness Month, MSAA is very proud to present our 2018-2019 Art Showcase, celebrating the work of artists affected by MS.

We have received many wonderful submissions from across the country and are delighted to share their work and their stories with you.

To view all of the new submissions, please visit our online galleries:

Throughout the year, we will highlight one artist during each month by sharing their artwork and their story as a part of our Artist of the Month series.

MSAA’s March Artist of the Month

Love Me, Don’t Break Me
Paula Breiner – Tamaqua, PA

About the Artist:
“I am an MS Warrior. I make the most of each day. I enjoy yoga and meditation.I live day to day with this disease and pray for a cure. I do a paint/craft day each month with the gang in our support group. It has given me such happiness at seeing all the wonderful finished projects and see the smiles, laughter, and the awesome mental therapy that we all supply each other with. My support group has become my second family and we are so much stronger as a group. We live, one day at a time.”
Read more

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