Spring Presents

Posted on April 16, 2025 by MSAA

By Stacie Prada

Without changes in routines or seasonal differences, it’s easy to lose track of time, day of the week, month, and even time of year. It’s good to have consistent healthy habits, but variety in schedule, activities, and environment helps us mark time.

Consider driving a long stretch of highway. They have names for the experience of driving a distance, losing track of time, and being surprised not to remember it: highway hypnosis and white line fever.

The more monotonous an experience, the less alert we’ll be, and we become more apt to operate on autopilot. It’s a small leap to compare this to our lives and how we experience time passing. The less we notice and the more we operate on autopilot, the more time can fly by.

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Spring Bingo Cards: A Fun Way to Celebrate New Beginnings!

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Diana Cruz-Beniquez

Spring is officially in bloom, and with that comes a sense of renewal and fresh beginnings. The new, warm season is the perfect opportunity to embrace a clean slate and positive energy. Whether it’s decluttering your home, prioritizing health and wellness, or taking a step back for some relaxation and self-care, now is a great time to start anew and focus on things that bring you joy!

This spring, I have challenged myself to prioritize overall wellness. This means, I am striving to put in extra energy towards eating well and consuming whole foods, remaining consistent with exercise, going for more walks, spending quality time with loved ones, and focusing on what brings me overall happiness and health. Especially when dealing with an autoimmune disease, I’ve found that it’s so important to put energy into enriching aspects of life: nutrition, health, loving connections, and happiness in the small things. With that being said, I have decided to make my personal challenge a fun one by creating my own spring bingo card!

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Spring Cleaning

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Dana Carney

It started with realizing that the sun had not set yet before dinner, noticing that my shoulders didn’t automatically hunch against the wind when walking outside. Then, when the flower blossoms started blooming and my allergies came again, I finally realized that we were running headfirst into spring.

It is interesting how spring brings up similar feelings of new beginnings and motivation as the new year. While ‘resolutions’ are attributed solely to the January holiday, springtime has its own version of starting anew – spring cleaning.

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Volunteer Opportunities at MSAA

Posted on March 31, 2025 by MSAA

MSAA is proud to serve the MS community in our mission of Improving Lives Today. As a national nonprofit organization with a small staff team, volunteers are the backbone of our organization giving of their time and talents to support MSAA’s mission. To fundraise, raise awareness, and ultimately fulfill our mission, we rely heavily on our incredible volunteers. Whether sitting on our Board of Directors, sitting on an event committee, helping at in-person at events, or fundraising to support MSAA, we truly couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers.

We have volunteer opportunities available throughout the year and welcome anyone interested in volunteering to complete our Volunteer Interest Form here. Some volunteer opportunities include joining our Executive Committee; hosting a Women of Action Luncheon; helping with day of event logistics such as registration, setup and breakdown, and greeting guests; creating a DIY event, and more!

More information on some of our key volunteer opportunities can be found below. If you have any questions about volunteer opportunities, please contact volunteer@mymsaa.org.

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MS Awareness Month Program Highlight: MSAA Podcast Episodes

Posted on March 28, 2025 by MSAA

As MSAA continues to highlight MS Awareness Month this March through the campaign theme of “Empowered from the Start with MSAA,” our efforts to raise awareness and provide vital support to the MS community remains our priority. This month specifically, we are spotlighting both educational and supportive resources that may be of use to those who are newly diagnosed and navigating their MS journey. With this in mind, MSAA would like to present one of the many free resources available to the community – MSAA’s Podcast.

This month, MSAA has released a three-part podcast series titled, “If I Knew Then: Reflecting on an MS Diagnosis.” This special series highlights expert insights for newly diagnosed individuals, as well as the personal stories and experiences from community members with MS.

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Being An MS Warrior

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Teena Palathanam

Being diagnosed with MS can be disheartening news for many since the road ahead can be so scary and unpredictable. If left undiagnosed, it can lead to severe disability over time.

It is of utmost importance that you schedule your appointments with your neurologists and other care providers regularly so that they can help with managing your symptoms and keeping your MS at bay. The high costs associated with the treatment make medical coverage crucial as over time, MS may unfortunately place a financial strain on individuals and families. Fortunately, there are organizations like the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) can direct you to valuable resources while navigating the bumps along the way.

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A Letter to a Friend: So You’ve Just been Diagnosed with MS…

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Courtney Merker

Dear Friend,

I’ve been thinking about you so much since you shared your recent diagnosis of MS. I know this probably feels like a lot – like the ground has shifted under your feet – and I wish I could be there in person to give you the biggest hug. Since I can’t, I wanted to write you this letter instead.

I don’t have all the answers (who does?), but I want to share a few things that I’ve come to learn about MS. Just remember, you are not alone. Not now, not ever. I am here for you, and so are your closest friends and family.

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Balancing Health and Career: Key Insights for Those New to MS

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Claudia Chavez

A new diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) can be overwhelming, with the potential to disrupt nearly every aspect of our lives, including our career and financial stability. MS symptoms vary widely from person to person, so each individual’s experience can be unique. A new diagnosis marks the beginning of a period of learning, adjusting, and navigating changes. While health becomes the central focus, it’s important to recognize that many other aspects of life are also affected. Concerns about career, job stability, and financial security often arise as we try to find balance in this new and uncertain reality.

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A Love Letter to My Younger Self

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Emily

By: Emily Carlin

Understanding life with a chronic disease diagnosis is a long-term experience. For me, it took years to come to terms with the fact that I have MS. The journey was not easy but looking back I am proud of myself for how I handled that situation so early in my adulthood.

For some background, I was 23 when I was diagnosed with MS. Unfortunately, I am very familiar with how this condition can impact your life, as some of my family members have lived with MS for many years. To write this piece, I’m going to take you on a little journey with me. Join me as I take you back to the time when I was first diagnosed as I pretend to take myself out for coffee as the 35-year-old woman, wife, and mother I am now.

I asked my younger self out to coffee. She showed up with glowing skin, long hair, vibrant, and full of life. She was also well rested (darn, I was jealous of that, being I’m now a mom of two toddlers). She asked me how my day was going with a cheerful smile. I paused for a second, I looked right in her eyes and told her she was beautiful before I answered. I softly smiled, and told her my day was going well, but I had some things I’d like to share with her.

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MS Awareness Month Program Highlight: My MSAA Community

Posted on March 17, 2025 by MSAA

As we continue to highlight MS Awareness Month this March, the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) remains dedicated to raising awareness of multiple sclerosis while also providing vital resources and support for the community. MSAA recognizes that this month is especially powerful for the MS community as we reflect on how far we’ve come, the challenges that remain, and the importance of supporting one another. In honor of this special time, MSAA would like to bring attention to the many free programs and services offered that are designed to improve the quality of life for those affected by MS. One of the many free tools MSAA provides is My MSAA Community, a peer-to-peer online forum for individuals with MS.

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