Hands In The Air

Posted on March 21, 2022 by MSAA

By Doug Ankerman

I compare my MS experience to that of riding a roller coaster.

Buckled in I began a long, slow climb up the hill having all sorts of weird numbness and tingling. A draggy foot. A few falls. Heck, I didn’t know what was happening.

As the coaster reached the very crest, I was given a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis just before the speeding plunge down the other side. Hairpin turns, twists and loop de loops followed. Some riders screamed, putting their hands in the air – but not me. No way. I held on with a death grip. I was too terrified to let go. I mean, who knew where this out-of-control journey would take me?

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Shaping the MS Experience: Unique MS Journeys

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Angel Blair

When managing one’s MS, there can be many factors and elements involved in the process. All such journeys are different, and each person’s experience with MS is very unique. This makes it difficult at times to compare and help navigate its course and impacts. Its unpredictable nature can cause challenges in finding ways to help manage symptoms and disease changes. But there are so many different types of support, treatments, and strategies in place nowadays. Experiences can be shaped and influenced greatly.

Support

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Playing the Cards I’m Dealt

Posted on March 14, 2022 by MSAA

By Stacie Prada

I love the emotional and intellectual sides of aging. With each decade, I grow more certain about who I am, what matters to me, and where my strengths lie. I worry less about pleasing others and more about doing what’s right for my physical and mental health. Without multiple sclerosis, I likely would have enjoyed this aspect of aging, but I believe having MS accelerated my drive to live a life I love and feel good about myself.

I thought some things were non-negotiable while I was pre-diagnosis and in peak physical health. Post MS diagnosis, those same things were reconsidered and proved to be negotiable. With diagnosis, my body’s confusing aspects had an explanation, and I could no longer dismiss them when they appeared. Work and the expectations people placed on me were no longer the highest priorities. Rest, sleep and personal fulfillment earned positions of power that would affect choices and influence decisions. For me, this was helpful and necessary.

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Shaping the MS Experience: Getting MRIs

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Selena Fisher

A part of the MS experience includes getting routine MRIs. This process can be both daunting and expensive. Did you know that MSAA’s MRI Access Program provides financial assistance for Cranial and C-Spine MRIs?

MSAA’s MRI Access Program assists with the payment of Cranial (brain) and C-spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for qualified individuals who have no medical insurance or cannot afford their insurance costs and require an MRI to help determine a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis or evaluate current MS disease progression.

What does the program offer?

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Teresa Grzeslo – March 2022 Artist of the Month

Posted on March 4, 2022 by John MSAA

MSAA is very proud to introduce our 2022 Art Showcase, celebrating the work of nearly 50 artists affected by MS.

We received many wonderful submissions from across the country and we are delighted to share the work of these artists and their inspirational stories with you.

Each month, we highlight one artist as our Artist of the Month. This month – our first month of the 2022-23 MSAA Art Showcase – we are proud to feature artist Teresa Grzeslo of Lake Villa, IL:

About the Artist – Teresa Grzeslo

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Becoming Aware

Posted on March 2, 2022 by MSAA

By Gina Ross Murdoch

Welcome to MS Awareness Month! Over the next five weeks, MSAA and the entire multiple sclerosis community will focus on a myriad of areas around living with MS, diagnosis, research, advocacy, and the impact MS has on loved ones. These are all important areas of focus throughout the year but now, in March, we take time to really lean in on what they mean for the nearly one million individuals living with MS and those who love them.

Awareness is defined as “knowledge or perception of a situation or fact” and “concern about and well-informed interest in a particular situation or development.” These definitions give us a good starting point, but “awareness” goes much deeper than that.

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Ask the Expert – Differences in the MS Experience

Posted on February 28, 2022 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD
MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Question: Why does each person with MS experience different symptoms?

Answer: It shouldn’t surprise us that everyone experiences their MS differently since we are all unique, but the individual factors producing that uniqueness are worth considering in some detail.

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Community Views: What Only We Know

Posted on February 25, 2022 by MultipleSclerosis.net

Multiple sclerosis (MS) impacts the body in many ways. Is difficult for those on the outside to understand. There are certain things only other MS warriors fully comprehend. Connecting with others living with MS feels affirming.

To learn more about these unique issues, we turned to the MultipleSclerosis.net Facebook page. We asked community members to complete this prompt: “Fill in the blank: _____ is something that only someone with MS would understand.”

One of you captured it well: “When we say, ‘I don’t feel good,’ this has an entirely different meaning.”

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10 Ways To Stay Busy In The Winter

Posted on February 23, 2022 by Selena Fisher

Between the cold weather and COVID, it might be a challenge finding fun ways to stay busy in the winter. There’s no need to stare at your ceiling out of boredom. Staying home can be just as fun and productive as putting real clothes on and going out! These 10 ways to stay busy in the winter will have you saying “paaaar-tay!”

· Call up your friend or a close relative

· Clean out your closet

· Give yourself a manicure

· Read a good book

· TV time!

· Start scrapbooking

· Bake a delicious cake

· Take up knitting

· Have a dance party in your pajamas!

· Virtual Zumba classes

For many people, the mere concept of sitting at home is enough to make you feel like you are swimming in a sea of boredom. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Try out these different ways to stay busy in the winter and see how it works for you!

You might find that you keep the sea of boredom at bay!

Rainbow Fruit Cups

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Melissa Young

As we are looking ahead to the Spring, I wanted to share a neat idea. This is fun and delicious to eat!!

The great thing about fruit is that it comes in so many beautiful colors, you have choices for each color of the rainbow with fruit.

Here are some fruit suggestions for you below:

Grapes
Blueberries
Pineapples
Clementine’s
Strawberries

First, you’ll need to wash your fruit. Some fruit will require additional preparation such as slicing or peeling.

After all the fruit has been prepped, now it’s time to assemble your fruit cups. If you use clear cups the colorful fruit will be more visually appealing.

Layer the fruit in their cups, one row of color at a time. You can add yogurt or whipped topping as the final step on top.

Enjoy!

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By Doug Ankerman

Support

By Stacie Prada

What does the program offer?

About the Artist – Teresa Grzeslo

By Gina Ross Murdoch

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD
MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer