A new MS diagnosis can bring a lot of questions, and getting to that diagnosis isn’t always simple. There’s no single test for MS. It affects each person differently, mimics other diseases, and has a long list of symptoms that can make diagnosis more complicated.
Early detection is best, and finding a neurologist who is an MS expert may be a key factor in catching MS early. With an expert guiding your care, today’s sophisticated tests, including MRI, spinal tap, and evoked potential tests, can be combined to reach a diagnosis with much more certainty.
Once you’re diagnosed, learn as much as you can about MS: the facts (not the myths), the symptoms, the treatment, and the dos and don’ts. Find the right doctor for you, and try to keep a healthy, positive outlook. Our neurologists are here to answer your questions and help you understand your options.
Healthy living and a focus on wellness are good for everyone, and they’re especially important when you’re living with MS. The wide range of MS symptoms is challenging enough. Taking care of your needs, including a healthy diet, physical and mental exercise, hobbies, and time with others, helps keep things from becoming more complicated.
It may sound simple, but a healthy outlook and a positive attitude are an important part of treating any illness, especially MS.
MS fatigue is different from feeling tired. Sleep doesn’t really fix it. It can affect part of your body or your whole body, and it can be temporary or chronic.
Fatigue is part of MS. Like MS itself, its causes can vary, come at random, and affect each person differently, which can make fatigue challenging to manage.
Fatigue can change your life by creating physical limits. The sooner you identify what you can and can’t do, or should and shouldn’t do, the better. If fatigue is getting in your way, our neurologists can help you look at what may be contributing.
Stress affects even the healthiest bodies, and with MS, its impact can be even greater, leading to frustration and anger, or even depression. That’s why learning ways to cope is so important.
Living with MS means learning a lot about the disease, its treatments, and how it affects your body and mind. As with everything else about MS, stress affects everyone differently, so it helps to recognize your own physical and emotional signs of stress and learn ways to reduce it. Our case management team can also connect you with community resources and support.
Mobility and accessibility are easy to take for granted until they become challenging, and MS can affect both. Some challenges are fairly simple to fix; others take more work. With a positive perspective, look for things at home, at work, and in public that you can change to improve your mobility and access.
Wider doors, ramps, better lighting, and grab bars at your home’s entrance and in bathrooms can help a great deal. Today’s technology can also help you stay connected at home and at work.
A reserved parking spot close by, special computer equipment, and a modified workstation can go a long way toward keeping you mobile and productive.
Many accommodations should already be in place to make getting around easier. If you notice problem areas, reach out to your local leaders and government. The Americans with Disabilities Act gives everyone the right to take part in their community.
An occupational therapist can help you make changes at home and at work to improve your mobility and accessibility. Our Walking and Balance Clinic can also help you improve mobility and reduce your risk of falls.
MS affects more than the person who has it. Like all chronic diseases, it touches the whole family, circle of friends, and even co-workers. It’s common for family and friends to feel many of the same emotions as the person diagnosed: apprehension, anger, fear, grief, or even guilt.
These organizations can guide you to financial assistance, care assistance that gives caregivers a break, or even a mini-vacation from what can be an exhausting responsibility. They organize social events that bring people with MS and their families together to share their stories and support each other. They can also guide you to the latest treatments and, in some cases, even offer scholarships.
Please contact the NMSS at 1-855-372-1331 or MSAA at 800-532-7667, extension 154. At ANI, our case management team and Patient Support Fund can also help you and your family.
by Great Non-Profits