Information and opinions on Multiple Sclerosis from Kristin at MultipleSclerosisCentral.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191 http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191 http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/30925/sexy Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:37:16 -0400 Kristin   They are gone! Not that I had sexy legs in the first place but now, they are splotchy. I know a woman who does the Challenge Walk-MS every year so that she doesn't have to get the shots anymore. I haven't written directly about the Rebif in a while and thought I'd write about the effects and see if anyone had any other suggestions beyond the ones I have already heard.   So far, I have only had one instance where I was embarrassed... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/30925/sexy http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/27408/5-shot Fri, 09 May 2008 00:31:47 -0400 Kristin No, I am not talking about a video game. Last week, after weeks of asking, I let my oldest "push the button" and give me my shot in my leg. Talk about being proud! She had asked to give me the shot when I was taking my Avonex. I told her that would be awhile but when I had to switch to Rebif, with the auto-inject, her wish became more realistic.   So last week, I set up the needle in the Rebiject, my younger daughter rubbed the alcohol on... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/27408/5-shot http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/25390/drugs Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:07:47 -0400 Kristin   Help for the cost of medicine. Lets face it, treating MS, and for that matter, any disease is not a cheap thing. And many people describe me as being cheap (I prefer thrifty) so paying for these medicines  "hurts" me especially when it changes cost after I made my FSA election. But in reality, it isn't that bad because we have insurance and my husband works. But for some people, the cost of the medicine is too much of a burden and... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/25390/drugs http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/21961/heat Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:00:00 -0400 Kristin Ok, so this is not something you typically hear someone with MS say. However, in the case of Rebif, I wholeheartedly agree. A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that the Serono rep that called me to check in suggested that I bring the shot to body temperature to help ease the sting of the shot. And I mentioned that it did seem to decrease the length of the sting. However, the severity of the sting was still there. And it STUNG! A LOT! And as I said,... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/21961/heat http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/21348/crazy Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:16:00 -0400 Kristin It drives me crazy sometimes to hear expert doctors go on about being pregnant as being beneficial for MS. At a speech given by Dr. Caroline Whitacre, PhD at the National MS Society's national conference, she said, "Pregnancy is the best treatment for multiple sclerosis."(I read that in the most recent issue of Momentum, the National MS Society's magazine) For me, it was the WORST treatment for my MS. I have been pregnant... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/21348/crazy http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/21024/kfc Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:18:00 -0500 Kristin I say this because I am a big chicken. Last Monday, no lie, I sat on my couch for just over 2 hours before I finally gave myself the shot. For probably the first 45 minutes, I didn't even set it up. I kept waiting for the next commercial (which I would then forward through with TIVO). Finally in the last 15 minutes of show one, the shot was in the Rebiject II and ready to go. I wiped the side of my leg, pressed the auto-inject next to my... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/21024/kfc http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/20542/red Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:06:00 -0500 Kristin Well, I have finished my second two weeks of Rebif, now at 22 mcg. I wish they were as easy as the first two weeks, but alas the honeymoon was over. The first week at 22 mcg, the shot didn't feel that bad, and that was pretty surprising to me because 2 of the 3 shots that week were in my arm. When I took Avonex, I hated the shot in my arm. Whenever we did that, it hurt and the side effects seemed more pronounced the next day. Now when I had... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/20542/red http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/20283/life Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:44:00 -0500 Kristin A few months ago, I was at church and a man was giving a minute for mission. Now don't stop reading, I am not going to get all preachy, that really isn't me. But something he said made me sit up and listen, and I immediately thought of MS.  Now my first thought was how very lucky I am that MS is the disease I have. This man's body is failing. He received a lung transplant a few years back and the new lungs are starting to reject... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/20283/life http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/20036/so-good Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:43:00 -0500 Kristin I had been taking Avonex, one of the disease modifying drugs since March 1998. We originally chose Avonex, one of the ABCRs, because the shots were less frequent than the others. After almost 10 years, (although I took off about 2 years with the pregnancies/nursing), my new doctor has switched me to Rebif.  I used to take Avonex on Sunday nights (or thereabouts). I hated the shot. After all of the years, you would think I'd have gotten... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/20036/so-good http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/17686/info Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:10:00 -0500 Kristin I have tried to read and post comments to people's shareposts individually. I just got a brochure from the MS Society announcing some teleconference options that I instantly thought of some of the comments on the shareposts. So instead of going directly to each person, I thought I would share with everyone. Here are the teleconference topics. 1. Ask the Right Questions, Get the Answers you need facilitated by Lori Trefts, MD a... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/6191/17686/info