Multiple Sclerosis Expert Mandy Crest shares Multiple Sclerosis management news and commentary 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/67078 en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/ http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/34213/caring Fri Jul 18 13:53:00 -0400 2008 Mandy Crest I have multiple sclerosis. My husband, Jake, is a caregiver. We’re a bit uncomfortable with that term because we’re not sure that it truly applies. Someone recently suggested “care partner,” and that seems more suited to our particular situation.  My relapsing/remitting MS still gives us enough of a break that the caregiving is minimal.  We hope that trend continues because being a caregiver, or being a person... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/34213/caring http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/33949/ms Tue Jul 15 14:45:00 -0400 2008 Mandy Crest It's the foot wiggle. That’s my MS “tell.”I'm not talking about the big changes brought about by MS. I'm talking about the tiny, seemingly insignificant things.I could be watching television, talking on the phone, or reading a book. With one leg crossed over the other, my leg is free to swing, my foot is free to wiggle, sometimes at an incredible pace. It can be quite distracting if you happen to be sitting in my presence. It... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/33949/ms http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/33492/extreme Fri Jul 11 17:30:00 -0400 2008 Mandy Crest There was a brief news item the other day that captured my attention and reminded me of the heroes among us. Their circumstances strain the imagination. Few among us can even begin to comprehend the world through their eyes, yet they inspire us to appreciate our own gifts.The late Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma in 1995. Twenty days later, he awoke to a frightening new reality. Aware of his surroundings and mentally... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/33492/extreme http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/33143/winkle Tue Jul 08 16:49:00 -0400 2008 Mandy Crest The recent sharepost by Dr. Gross, Fatigue and Sleepiness in Multiple Sclerosis, couldn't have come at a better time for me.After a month of high energy, I just recently began to slide back into the clutches of fatigue. The first day that it hit again, I tried to ignore it, even though I felt as though my body weight had tripled. The second day, I couldn't ignore it, but I tried to pretend that it wasn't so. By the third day, fatigue was... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/33143/winkle http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/32774/cobra Mon Jul 07 09:56:00 -0400 2008 Mandy Crest There's a lot of confusion when it comes to COBRA. What are the benefits, and who is eligible? COBRA stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, but that doesn't make it any easier to comprehend.These are the simple facts about COBRA.* COBRA applies only to group coverage on plans for companies with 20 or more employees. If your coverage is through a smaller group, or if you have an individual policy, COBRA does not apply to you.*... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/32774/cobra http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/32560/budget Wed Jul 02 09:45:00 -0400 2008 Mandy Crest The state of the economy is front and center in virtually every newspaper and newscast. The mortgage meltdown, stock market troubles, job losses, and increasing costs of everything from food to fuel are impossible to ignore. These are trying times for the family finances. Health care is a major budgetary item and can take quite a bite, but if someone in your household lives with a chronic condition, such as multiple sclerosis, that bite could be... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/32560/budget http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/32085/advice Mon Jun 30 10:20:00 -0400 2008 Mandy Crest One of the most frustrating aspects of living with multiple sclerosis is the lack of general knowledge -- coupled with unsolicited advice. I'm okay with the lack of knowledge. I don't want or need everyone in the world to learn about MS. However, if you don't know the facts, maybe you should refrain from offering advice. Why do people feel compelled to tell us about great-aunt Mildred, who went twenty years without a relapse because she gave up... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/32085/advice http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/31869/moment Wed Jun 25 11:15:00 -0400 2008 Mandy Crest My niece and her family will be driving through Virginia soon, and they plan to stop by for a quick visit. When they leave here, they will continue south for a bit to visit the caverns. Their little girls will love that, no doubt.Funny, I hadn't thought about the caverns for quite some time. A flood of emotions and images from another lifetime, it seems, come back to me now.  It was July 2003, when Jake and I last visited the caverns, with... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/31869/moment http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/31387/lessons Mon Jun 23 09:50:00 -0400 2008 Mandy Crest Multiple sclerosis is a stealthy thief, taking what it wants, piece by piece.We can choose to let that define us, or we can choose to live with MS on our own terms.I didn't know what it was at the time, but it was exactly five years ago when I had my first MS attack. I was confused and frightened by the magnitude of my symptoms. Somehow, I instinctively new that nothing would ever be the same.At first, the power of MS was overwhelming. I was 43... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/31387/lessons http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/31055/running Wed Jun 18 10:40:00 -0400 2008 Mandy Crest You've heard about them before. The people who have multiple sclerosis, but “keep on going.” They run marathons, climb mountains, and skydive, all while maintaining successful careers and happy families. They may or may not take the handful of multiple sclerosis treatments available. Some have special diets, some take herbal remedies, some meditate. So, why is MS holding YOU back? Is it all in your head? Are you just lazy?It is a... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/31055/running