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 Sarah Michael as September’s Artist of the Month. Sarah is from Herndon, PA.
“Wiconisco Creek”
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Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD
MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer
Question: How can MS affect the ability to swallow and what treatments are available?
Answer: Dysphagia refers to any problem swallowing. This issue is common in a number of neurological disorders, including MS. It’s estimated that approximately one-third of people living with MS will experience difficulty swallowing or dysphagia at some point in their lifetime.
Continue readingMSAA 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 Lisa Doggett as August’s Artist of the Month. Lisa is from Austin, TX.
“Underwater World”
Continue readingBy: Stacie Prada
If you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, stretch, or flex. Just keep moving.
Living an active lifestyle can be a challenge in the best of circumstances. Add living with multiple sclerosis symptoms such as fatigue, foot drop, and heat sensitivity, and it’s generally frustrating and takes more effort to stay motivated. Factor in adverse weather conditions, and it’s a huge undertaking to override the urge to be sedentary.
With MS, it’s common for symptoms to act up when the body temperature increases. That’s why hot weather is one of the many obstacles to staying active. When I was still learning how MS affected my body, it was scary when a jog led to body numbness from the neck down and an inability to control my feet reliably. Over time, I learned to differentiate between heat and exertion-induced pseudo-exacerbations that would subside within an hour or so after I cooled down and disease-progressing exacerbations that last much longer.
Continue readingMSAA 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 Jennifer Reida as July’s Artist of the Month. Jennifer is from Roseburg, OR.
Continue readingFeaturing Barry A. Hendin, MD
MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer
Question: Are urinary tract infections (UTIs) more common in MS, and what are the symptoms and treatments?
Answer: Yes, urinary tract infections are more common in people with MS. Multiple sclerosis is often associated with bladder dysfunction and bladder dysfunction is often associated with urinary tract infections. The most common bladder problem associated with infections is urinary retention, which is incomplete emptying of the bladder. This creates an ideal incubator for bacteria to grow. Patients who catheterize may also be at an increased risk, particularly if not careful with their bladder technique.
Continue readingFinding my new normal was my initial goal when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I didn’t know what I’d need to know to live well with MS, but I held faith that I would learn what I could when I was ready. My hope was to live as well as possible with MS. Both faith and hope are deeply reliant on me to do what I can.
The fact is I’ve had periods of holding it together, phases hoping to come out of a lot of MS symptoms, and moments where I feel like I’m rocking this life and doing fabulously.
Early in my diagnosis, I sought out every resource I could find. I read all the books related to MS in the local library, I joined the local MS Self-Help group, and I followed my neurologist’s advice. I monitored my symptoms and tried to make sense of a confusing and inconsistent illness. I searched the internet to learn all I could about MS and what helps. My health was a project to solve, and I treated it like a second full-time job. The urgency to figure out what could help was stressful, but I think it was a necessary phase of adjusting to life with a chronic illness. All of these efforts helped me become more hopeful.
Scientific studies conclude those of us living with chronic illness have a better quality of life when we have hope. When we’re optimistic, we believe our efforts can make a difference. Having hope helps combat stress and anxiety.
When lacking hope or feeling pessimistic, we’re less likely to think our efforts matter. Either way, what we believe matters for our mental and physical health when dealing with adversity.
We can’t fully control or count on a constant level of hope. Accepting our highs and lows as normal can help ease some of the stress of living with MS. Monitoring our mood and stress level can help us notice when we’re feeling less hopeful. What we need in those times differs for each of us, and they vary depending on what’s challenging us at that moment.
What do I need, and what might help? Sometimes I need to research the symptoms that are challenging me, and others I need to talk to someone who will listen. Some moments benefit from taking a breath, stretching, and looking inward. Other moments are best served by looking outward and thinking about something other than myself. Each moment’s feeling is unique, and each needs its own plan of action. My not-so-new normal is only consistent for seeking hope and accepting the path is always changing.
*Stacie Prada was diagnosed with RRMS in 2008 just shy of 38 years old. Her blog, “Keep Doing What You’re Doing” is a compilation of inspiration, exploration, and practical tips for living with Multiple Sclerosis while living a full, productive, and healthy life with a positive perspective. It includes musings on things that help her adapt, cope and enjoy in this adventure on earth. Please visit her at http://stacieprada.blogspot.com/
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 Nancy Garcia as June’s Artist of the Month. Nancy is from Chicago Heights, IL.
Continue readingBy: Stacie Prada
This is my truth. If my mom hadn’t died when she did, she would have been a comfort and helper when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and felt so alone. She would have made a difference in millions of ways, but I’ll focus here on how being motherless relates to my MS.
I was diagnosed 15 years after my mom died. In hindsight, I’m certain that following her death I had an MS exacerbation characterized by extreme fatigue, depression, and surprising clumsiness. At the age of 23, I was executrix for her estate. It was a monumental responsibility organizing her funeral, managing her finances and legal affairs, selling her home, and dealing with everything a life suddenly cut short entails.
Continue readingMSAA 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 Karen Bloom as May’s Artist of the Month. Karen is from Kendallville, IN.
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