Only 12 Spoons

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Alexa Moreno

I spoke with Alice, a long-time patient with secondary, progressive MS. When I asked Alice the question, “What do you wish others knew about MS?” she shared “I only have 12 spoons.” I was initially confused, but then Alice explained that these hypothetical spoons symbolize her energy in a day. These could be simple tasks to the average person, such as getting out of bed, washing your face, brushing your teeth…before you know it, three spoons have already been used for the morning. Alice says that using this analogy is a way for her friends and family to better understand her energy level throughout the day, so they can plan wisely!

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We Are More Than Meets the Eye

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Claudia Chavez

Multiple sclerosis is often a misunderstood diagnosis. Many people are unaware of the complexities of the disease, and those with an MS diagnosis frequently become advocates, whether they realize it or not. The resilience of those with an MS diagnosis never ceases to amaze me. Not only do they have to learn about the disease and all its intricacies, but they often must educate those around them about it as well. I wish people knew that those with an MS diagnosis are truly courageous, and every journey is unique.

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Somos más de lo que se ve a simple vista

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Claudia Chavez

La esclerosis múltiple suele ser un diagnóstico incomprendido, y muchas personas desconocen las complejidades de esta enfermedad. La resiliencia de las personas con un diagnóstico de EM nunca deja de sorprenderme. Las personas con EM tienen que aprender sobre la enfermedad y todas sus complejidades, y con frecuencia también deben educar a los que les rodean al respecto. Me gustaría que la gente supiera que las personas diagnosticadas con EM son realmente valientes y que cada experiencia es única.

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Black Herstory

Posted on February 11, 2024 by MSAA

By Chernise Joseph

For reasons unknown, forcing myself to sit and write lately has become increasingly difficult. The stresses of life coupled with just being sick have made one of my favorite hobbies intimidating to me. How do you write what you cannot see inside your own head?

Anyway, as I sat scrolling through some mind-numbing app, an informative blurb caught my attention. It told the story of Lake Lanier, a formerly thriving African American community in Georgia that was destroyed. That, of course, isn’t a tale new to any of us who have lived in America for any length of time, but it got me thinking about Black History Month or, more importantly, Black Herstory Month.

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Vision Boards: A Tool for Personal Development

Posted on January 29, 2024 by Claudia Chavez

Focusing on personal growth is often the theme of the new year. It involves identifying those areas of our lives that we would like to improve and dedicating time and effort to make those changes happen. Investing in ourselves can be challenging. How many of us have established a goal only to lose motivation or traction halfway through the year? Investing in ourselves is an ongoing effort worth committing to for personal and professional reasons. A vision board is one of the tools you can use to visualize your goals and find motivation to invest in your well-being in 2024.

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Tablero de visión: una herramienta para el desarrollo personal

Posted on January 29, 2024 by Claudia Chavez

Enfocarse en el crecimiento personal es a menudo el tema del nuevo año. Implica identificar aquellas áreas de nuestras vidas que nos gustaría mejorar y dedicar tiempo y esfuerzo para que esos cambios ocurran. Invertir en nosotros mismos puede ser un desafío. ¿Cuántos de nosotros hemos establecido una meta solo para perder la motivación a mitad de año? Invertir en nosotros mismos es un esfuerzo continuo y valioso por razones personales y profesionales. Un tablero de visión es una de las herramientas que puedes utilizar para visualizar tus metas y encontrar la motivación para invertir en tu bienestar en 2024.

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Value yourself

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Teena Palathanam

A new year means new beginnings and promises new hope. We all get 365 opportunities to improve our lives this year, so set out with renewed spirits and minds and see how the journey unfolds for you. Try not to get overwhelmed trying to plan everything for the year. Set achievable goals and take small steps at a time. I am sharing some pointers that I remind myself often so that I stay grounded in the present and hopeful for the future:

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Investing in Yourself for the New Year

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Claudia Chavez

2024 is here and with that, you may be thinking about what New Years resolutions can you tackle. Some ideas may be “to get out more,” “be better with spending,” or “get healthier.” While all of these are great places to start, it can be easy to get carried away and then feel disappointed your resolutions were short-lived. Here are some tips to make the most of the New Year and still achieve your goals!

Pick one goal you want to focus on – Prioritize what is most important to you and maybe your other goals will start to fall into place as well.
Start small – Ask yourself, is this goal realistic or attainable?
Take Baby Steps – For example, if your resolution is to “Exercise more” don’t be too ambitious and start with “I will work out 4 times a week!” Although you may have that burst of motivation, it may sizzle out faster. Instead, try “I will walk one day this week.” If you do more, then great!
Be Kind To Yourself – We are human and life happens unexpectedly. Remember that it is okay to adjust or reroute plans. If there is a day that is hard and you don’t feel motivated – which there will be those days, start back with baby steps and try again!

Be sure to take some time to reflect on the progress you have already made from last year to where you are now. Remind yourself every day to choose positivity and optimism as you invest in yourself this year!

Written by Alexa Moreno, LMSW

Katy Maiolatesi – January 2024 Artist of the Month

Posted on January 8, 2024 by MSAA

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 Katy Maiolatesi as the January Artist of the Month. Katy is from Lansing, MI.

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Ask the Expert – Spasticity

Posted on January 4, 2024 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: Does spasticity in MS ever improve on its own and what are the best treatments for this symptom?

Answer: First, it may help to define spasticity in simple terms. Spasticity is an increase in muscle tone due to an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory influences on nerve flow along the motor pathways of the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms can vary from mild discomfort to severe pain and disability. Activities of daily living, quality of life, upper extremity function, and gait, can all be affected.

As with all MS symptomatology, spasticity can vary in intensity. It can improve or worsen, depending upon MS relapses, progression, or outside influences – including events, such as urinary tract infections. Fortunately, many interventions can help to reduce spasticity and improve comfort and function.

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