Introducing Susan Russo – Artist & MS Conversations Newest Guest Blogger

Posted on July 11, 2016 by MSAA

By Susan Russo

My name is Susan Russo and I was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis back in 2001. I live just outside of Houston, Texas in the town of Pearland. I recall when I first moved here, the local folks said there are three seasons in Texas – Summer, July, and August! And there’s never been a truer statement made. Living in the Texas heat is a challenge for anyone, but when you have multiple sclerosis, a “typical, fun in the sun summer” simply does not exist, as least in my world.

Growing up in Northeast Ohio, my summers consisted of camping in the backyard, catching fireflies, and playing blind-man’s-bluff until midnight. How I remember, the endless days spent swimming in the local pool while munching on frozen Zero candy bars and chasing all the cute boys.

In Texas, my summers are spent primarily indoors, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

I love my solitude. But I also appreciate being around people and staying active. I schedule my grocery shopping for later in the day, towards dusk, because carrying a few bags from my car to my front door in 100 degree heat can make me feel like I’m going home to Jesus at any moment! Thank you Lord for air conditioning.

I also love to swim. The Pearland Natatorium has an incredible indoor lap pool. My favorite days are when the Houston Texans football team show up for their Spring Training workout schedule. Best day ever! Nothing like beautiful eye candy to keep you motivated! Yup, I still chase cute guys.

Here’s the thing about multiple sclerosis. Just because it’s summer, doesn’t mean you cannot have fun, indoors or out. It took me a long time to understand this simple concept. You just have to choose what is right and most comfortable for you. Work “with” your disease. Not “against” it. Make sense?

Here is what I finally realized:

My favorite, year-round footwear are flip flops with glitter
I am addicted to binge watching on Netflix, for real, people. ( I think I may need therapy)
My Thursdays are spent watching the Blue Bloods marathon
I can have all the popsicles and vanilla ice cream cones I want (with sprinkles on top), without it dripping down my shirt and pooling into a huge glob of melted goop, before I even take my first bite
I can volunteer for my local community or sign up for interesting summer courses
I can see a movie at the local theater with absolutely no crowds, long lines, or someone’s big hair style up-do blocking my view.
Did I mention, I can eat all the popsicles I want?

And of course, there is always my precious art. For those who know me, and for those who do not, I am an artist. My creativity is my saving grace, especially during the mundane summer months along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Summer is going to arrive, every year; hot, super hot, or indifferent. That’s a given. But do not despair my fellow MS warriors. The days sprawled outside in my lawn chair, sipping iced tea with lime, under the glorious blue skies and feeling the semi-brown prickly grass under my feet, (along with the mounds of fire ants) are not gone forever.

When autumn and winter arrive in Houston, that is when my true “All Things Summer Event” begins. Just imagine 70 degree days, bright amazing sunshine and no humidity along with crisp, cool breezes that lasts for days and sometimes even weeks. Yes, even weeks.

Oh…and sometimes it even snows. Yup, it snows. My “favorite” time of year, besides summer, of course.

“Seasons of Summer” by Susan Russo

Spring Resiliency Reminders for MS

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Samantha Schech

If you live along the east coast, like most of us do here at MSAA, signs of spring are showing. We have battled another harsh New England winter and are looking forward to the first signs of spring. Spring has always been my favorite time of year; to me spring flowers represent resiliency. The tiny buds fought the tough winter to show their beauty to the world once again.

“Resilience is very different than being numb. Resilience means you experience, you feel, you fail, you hurt. You fall. But, you keep going”. — Yasmin Mogahed

Having a diagnosis such as MS can inspire and drive an individual to find the resiliency that is buried within. For those with Relapsing Remitting MS, the ebb and flow of life between relapses is proof of the resiliency that exists. For those with more progressive forms of MS such as Secondary Progressive MS or Primary Progressive MS, the daily adaptation and adjustment to a new lifestyle is also proof that resiliency exists. Recognizing and acknowledging that change isn’t always a bad thing and learning to be OK with the new normal is also proof that resiliency exists in MS.

Share the ways you have remained resilient with MS in the comments below.

Relapses: Not Always Easy to Define or Diagnose

Posted on March 25, 2016 by MSAA

With a majority of MS patients diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, the idea of defining and recognizing the signs of relapse becomes very important. This topic can cause both MS patients and neurologists to debate the issue, and some of the lines can be blurry, to say the least. The official definition of a relapse is as follows:

“During a relapse, inflammation is occurring along the nerves and the myelin, causing patients to have a temporary worsening or recurrence of existing symptoms and/or the appearance of new symptoms. This can range from a few days in duration to a few months, followed by a complete or partial recovery (remission). Acute physical symptoms and neurological signs must be present for at least 24 to 48 hours, without any signs of infection or fever, before the treating physician may consider this type of flare-up to be a true relapse.” (MSAA, 2016.)

The new physical signs and symptoms must be separated from a previous relapse by at least one month. As you can see, this definition leaves a great deal of room for interpretation, and every neurologist responds to relapses in very different ways.

Some neurologists treat each relapse with steroids, and do not perform MRIs each time. Steroids are anti-inflammatory medications, almost like “Mega Ibuprofen.” Steroids are very effective at calming the inflammation that causes MS symptoms, but they come with a load of side effects that always need to be considered and weighed. Treatment can be done with IV steroids (Solu-Medrol,) or with oral steroids such as Prednisone. Other neurologists insist on performing MRIs before ordering steroids. Some neurologists prefer to save steroids for only the most severe relapses such as weakness and vision loss, and do not use them for sensory symptoms such as numbness and tingling. It is very much a matter of opinion, and there truly is no “right or wrong” answer in this area.

My own neurologist does not perform MRIs for my relapses, because he does not believe that there is a clinical correlation between the MRI and clinical symptoms. A clean MRI does not necessarily indicate that we are not experiencing relapse, and vice versa. It is also possible that we may be experiencing a pseudoexacerbation. Pseudoexacerbations are temporary increases in symptoms caused by external factors such as heat, which go away after a short period of cooling off. These can also be the result of infections and fever.

I have had RRMS for almost 7 years, and in that time I have experienced very active disease. On a daily basis, I experience new and varying symptoms, ranging from buzzing/tingling/numbness, to burning/pain/spasm, to weakness/vision loss/bladder issues/cognitive issues. These symptoms come and go very unpredictably, and it is truly maddening. The one thing I have learned is that I can’t allow myself to panic if I experience something new, because most often these symptoms with leave as quickly as they appear, within a few hours. However, if they do persist beyond 24-48 hours, make sure you contact your neurologist and get advice, because if there is something you can do, you should! I am always grateful to get my neurologist’s advice in these situations, because it can be very difficult to assess our own symptoms in an unbiased way. Don’t ever hesitate to ask for advice in this area, because it can be very confusing for even the most experienced MS patient!

*Meagan Freeman was diagnosed with RRMS in 2009, at the age of 34, in the midst of her graduate education. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner in Northern California, and is raising her 6 children (ranging from 6–17 years of age) with her husband, Wayne. She has been involved in healthcare since the age of 19, working as an Emergency Medical Technician, an Emergency Room RN, and now a Nurse Practitioner. Writing has always been her passion, and she is now able to spend more time blogging and raising MS awareness. She guest blogs for Race to Erase MS, Modern Day MS, and now MSAA. Please visit her at: http://www.motherhoodandmultiplesclerosis.com.

MS in America – The Use of Oral Therapies for the Treatment of MS

Posted on October 24, 2014 by MultipleSclerosis.net

In our September article we shared some of the key findings from The MS in America Study (MSIA), highlighting some of the ways that multiple sclerosis (MS) impacts the everyday lives of those with this condition. In addition to collecting information about the impact of MS, we also asked people with MS to tell us about their treatment, including what they’ve tried, if they were satisfied, and what they are currently taking for their MS. Because oral therapies are relatively new to the treatment armamentarium, we decided to take a closer look at the use of oral therapies for MS in our community.

As one would expect, infusions, interferons, and other injectables are still used by a majority of MS patients. However, results from MSIA, which was completed by more than 5,000 eligible respondents, demonstrated that oral medications for MS are used by nearly one third of patients who have relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and more than 50% of people using injectables are considering switching to an oral medication!

We asked all survey participants how long they have been on their current therapy, and as one would expect, those who were taking oral medication for RRMS reported being on that treatment for a shorter period of time than those who were on other treatments (like injectables or infusion).

Interestingly, the vast majority (80%) of people who had ever taken an oral therapy for MS reported that they were still taking an oral MS treatment.

We also asked participants several questions about switching therapies. Most of those who reported switching from injectables noted that they did so due to needle fatigue and/or issues of tolerability. Other reasons included seeking better efficacy, convenience, safety, and cost, among others.

Many MSIA participants who had not recently taken an MS treatment reported that they had started anew with an oral medication due to a variety of reasons, including dislike of needles, and disease progression, among others.

Finally, of the MSIA respondents who were still taking injectables to treat their RRMS, nearly half (48%) said they have considered switching to an oral therapy. While much remains unknown about the long-term use of oral therapies for MS, it is clear that oral medications for MS play a critical role in how this condition is treated. For more results from the MSIA special report on oral treatments for MS, click here.

Why I Choose to Medicate for my Multiple Sclerosis

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Ashley

I know that there are a lot of people with Relapsing forms of MS who wonder why we are encouraged to medicate. Especially, when these medications do not ‘stop’ progression, but have only shown to slow progression. It’s a big decision to make when choosing to medicate, if you do plan to do so.

I can honestly say that looking at the ‘world of MS’ from 20 years ago to now, it seems that disability rates have improved, along with patients Quality of Life.

I know that a lot of the MS medications available have side effects that are associated with the treatment, but the way I look at it is, at least we have options. We aren’t without medications to help slow our progression anymore. We also don’t have to all take ONE certain medication either.

I haven’t been one of those patients with MS, who gets on and stays on the first medication that I chose. Not one medication works for everyone living with MS. I have changed medications multiple times since my diagnosis, not because I ‘wanted’ to, but because I needed to.

So, the question people ask me a lot is, “Why do you choose to medicate, if you have failed multiple treatment options?” This isn’t an easy question to answer by any means. For one, I’m scared. I’m scared of the unknown… I’m scared to know what would happen if I didn’t medicate. Even though these medications don’t promise to STOP progression, they have shown to slow it… and I really don’t want to know what my life would be like if these medications weren’t slowing at least some of my progression.

Another response I have is, why not? What do I have to lose? Before I actually got diagnosed I was miserable and could barely function, and ended up being in a wheelchair. (I am no longer in a wheelchair, by the way.) I’ve already been at my lowest and it’s not somewhere I want to go again.

Whenever you read anything about multiple sclerosis, it states that it is a progressive illness. I don’t want to take my chances to see just how ‘progressive’ my disease can be.

So, as long as there are options available for me try, I will. I know that having flu-like symptoms with an interferon, or GI issues with Tecfidera aren’t pleasant, but the truth is, it could be a lot worse if we don’t deal with those side effects and get on a treatment.

Now I’m not just saying I play ‘eenie-meenie-minie-mo’ to choose a medication – this takes a lot of research and discussing these options with my neurologist and family. Something I use when wanting to compare the medications is MSAA’s S.E.A.R.C.H. Program. There are many resources available to those with MS when trying to decide which medication to take, so make use of them.

The medications available to MS patients have been increasing since I was diagnosed in 2010. Try to stay informed and educate yourself about what’s going on with MS Clinical Research. This way you know if a new medication for MS is on the horizon.

MSAA even has a Research Update publication that you can check out to learn more. As most of you know, I’m a volunteer for MSWorld.org, and we attend Multiple Sclerosis Conferences, helping to keep everyone at home up-to-date on all things MS. You can view all of MSWorld’s Conference Coverage at the Conference Center or YouTube Channel.

Best Wishes!

Ashley Ringstaff – Volunteer for MSWorld.org

Comprehensive MS Research Update Now Available from MSAA

Posted on February 19, 2014 by MSAA

The 2014 edition of MSAA’s MS Research Update is a comprehensive overview of the latest research findings on the FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies, as well as many e,perimental treatments. This update features ground-breaking studies not only with medications, but also in areas such as stem-cell research, therapies for myelin repair and protection, biomarkers, genetic studies, and more.

In addition to the e,citing research aimed at relapsing forms of MS, a number of studies are also looking into the treatment of progressive forms of MS. To assist individuals interested in learning more, studies involving progressive MS have been highlighted.

Read MSAA’s latest MS Research Update here.

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