Ok fine!
I admit that denial of MS and its friends mental and physical stress is a battle. They go together and share equal importance. One affects the other. I had unknowingly adopted both.
Years of mental struggle and talk-therapy led me to medication eventually. I am not one to rely on pills. I try several options, before I let pills win. Anti-depressants are, for me, a must now.
I take a teeny-tiny dose, but it helps. It gets Continue reading
When I was diagnosed with MS, I was in a complete fog.
The diagnosis came by surprise and it was just six weeks after my mother passed from cancer.
Talk about a wave of emotions.
I was sad. I was angry. I was frustrated. I was lonely. I was overwhelmed.
While I wasn’t sure exactly how, I knew that these emotions were affecting my health. If I wanted to be on a path to healing, Continue reading
By Kelsey LawrenceThe other day I was sitting, reading on my phone in one of the comfy recliners at my local infusion center while my intravenous drugs dripped steadily in to my IV port. The piercing sound of a bell broke through the relative silence and soft murmurs of the room. A man had received his last chemo treatment for his cancer. Applause broke out in the room, we were all so happy for him. He had reached the finish line of his disease.
But, this got me thinking. I will never, unless something drastic Continue reading
Almost a month into 2019 and thank God all the chatter about resolutions and fresh starts is winding down.
The reason my undies are in a bunch about this topic is because resolutions fail and fresh starts, though better, are often postponed. Continue reading
We are in the time of year that we hear many top ten countdowns. These top charts rank everything from music to cell phones and from movies to kitchen equipment. Here are some of my own top things in my life. Of course, I will not be saying goodbye to these items unless something better comes along. As for these irreplaceable items in my life, there is a bountiful list and here are seven.
Let me start with my wheeled chariot. Without this magical manual mechanism Continue reading
Sometimes we want to make changes, and sometimes we need to make changes. We choose some, and some are thrust upon us. It doesn’t always mean we’re ready or able to make them. Making a fresh start can be exciting and intimidating.
I’m a big fan of trying to make these changes easier. Like the placebo effect can help us feel better when we take sugar pills thinking they’re medication, I’m all for using how our brains work to – for lack of a better word – trick myself into doing things I want to do.
How we think, our opinions of ourselves, and the language we use can limit us and our personal growth. I’m considering Continue reading
As a nutrition coach for individuals living with multiple sclerosis, I walk each client through the changes they need to use diet and lifestyle to manage their symptoms.
It’s a process that I took myself through long before I was a nutrition coach. First, I overcame debilitating migraines through diet and lifestyle changes. Then when I was diagnosed with MS years later Continue reading
We all have that New Year’s resolution bug. For MS folks a fresh start comes every day, really. We learn that even tying our shoes in two tries instead of three is a fresh start.
It can be hard for many to see joy in the simple things. Just getting my hair in a ponytail is worth celebrating, for example. If people would take joy in simple things, maybe Continue reading
There have been a number of updates and dramatic health insurance changes in the past year. Join MSAA, as we present a new webinar on one of these changes:
“What Happened to My Co-Pay Assistance? How Co-Pay Accumulators are Affecting You!”
Thursday, January 31, 2019
8:00 pm (Eastern)
Are you receiving rebates and subsidies to help pay down on your prescription medication? As a result of certain healthcare changes, this may now be in jeopardy. Continue reading
Featuring Miriam Franco, PsyD MSCS
Psychotherapist and Psychoanalyst
Member of MSAA’s Healthcare Advisory Council
Question: Is Seasonal Depression a real thing?
Answer: Yes, it is. Approximately 5% of the U.S. population experiences Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) per year. SAD is believed Continue reading