What should a recently diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis(MS) patient ask his doctor

Swarnalatha, who lives with the chronic disease Multiple Sclerosis, needs hospitalization for 6-8 weeks twice every year. She wonders if the pain is worth it and through metaphors and the books she reads finds an answer. Read her reflections from the hospital bed. I am sure you have heard that when life throws lemons at you, make lemonade. Since there were too many lemons that we couldn’t consume, I started making delicious pickles. These lemons made several scratches on my glass house (…

A heart-stirring account by Kunal Mahajan as he watches his mother-in-law, Rohini Waikar, 52, affected by Multiple Sclerosis, gradually lose her ability to walk, talk, read, remember and a bit of her life every day. Every morning, she loses her life, one ounce at a time. She has already lost her ability to walk, talk and read. In the next two years, she will lose her ability to eat, taste, and see. Eventually, time will peel away every layer of life, reducing her living to a mere existence.…

Does Yoga help people manage chronic conditions and the various symptoms? On International Yoga Day, we speak to a cross section of people who believe strongly that yoga has contributed greatly in their journey of recovery1.  Mr Purushotaman - Parkinsons Mr. Purushotaman is 77-years-old and has had Parkinson's for 4 years. An unassuming gentleman, Mr. Purushotaman is extremely regular for all meetings and yoga sessions conducted by Parivarthan for Parkinson’s. Parivarthan is a…

Swarnalatha J, who was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in 2009, is 75% disabled now, but that hasn’t stopped her from achieving her goals. Here she tells us how she sets an example for others of her community in handling depression and looking forward to life even after disability. Could you tell us about the early symptoms and diagnosis of your Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis? It was in early 2007 that the initial symptoms manifested themselves with loss of balance…

Jamuna Rangachari was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis which made even difficult day to day tasks impossible for her to accomplish. She shares with us her trials and tribulations. Detecting the ailment I once had an issue with my vision but that got resolved on its own even before I went in for a test. Later, I could not walk comfortably, could not even climb stairs and it was a nightmare for me to look around for washrooms wherever I went as I suffered from severe incontinence. This made…

New research brings us closer to the cause of Multiple Sclerosis. A new study suggests that high levels of the protein Rab32 disrupt key communications involving mitochondria. The disruption causes these "cellular batteries" to misbehave, leading to the toxic effects seen in the brain cells of people with multiple sclerosis. The new study is the work of researchers from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom and the University of Alberta in Canada. They report their findings in the…

Cooking can be a strenuous task for someone with arthritis and other muscle/joint disorders. But you don't have to give up cooking. Here are a few useful day to day tips to minimize the load on the joints and maximize what one can achieve in the kitchen, advises Dr S M Akerkar, Consulting Rheumatologist. This is the first of a 2-part series. The second part addresses the issue with visuals and examples. Your home and kitchen are supposed to be your most comfortable and familiar place in the…

Smitha Sadasivan, who is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and uses a wheelchair, recounts her challenges with accessibility, toilets and medicines at airports and railway stations while travelling. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1999. I can’t sit continuously for long or sit in a chair/wheelchair which is loose or too soft/silky. I need a sturdy chair with an arm rest to support my back and hands, or else I get a back ache, neck ache and stiffness/pain in hip joints. I also require…

By  Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, a Special Educator and Rehabilitation Specialist Vaccess, a two day Expo, represents Vidya Sagar, a Chennai centre for the disabled, and its constant and persistent efforts towards Accessibility for people with disabilities. As the founder Poonam Natarajan put it so crisply, “In the past, this was understood only as the need for physical access. It meant building ramps, railings and pathways for people with visual impairments, special features in toilets,…

Multiple Sclerosis International Federation, (MSIF) London is reviewing the current principles, which determine the “Quality of Life” of persons who have MS. As part of the said consultative committee, a feedback as regards the same is being sought from MS persons around the World. MSSI is looking to consolidate the feedback. Join our discussion here.   The Current Principles   1. Independence and Empowerment People with MS are empowered as full participants in their communities and…