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 http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/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/67078 http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/67113/ms-hug Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:56:00 -0400 Mandy Crest Suddenly you feel an intense tightening around your chest, along with pain and a burning sensation. You clutch your chest, awash in fear.   If you have never had this experience before, you wonder... is this a heart attack... a panic attack... an asthma attack... and you will definitely want to contact your physician.   But if you have multiple sclerosis and been through this before, you'll recognize this as the mysterious MS... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/67113/ms-hug http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/66264/misfire Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:28:00 -0400 Mandy Crest I admit it -- I don't watch Oprah. But so many people told me about Montel Williams' March 17 appearance on her show that I had to get my hands on a copy. I heard it was an extremely powerful piece about multiple sclerosis.   Immediately, I was startled by Montel's outpouring of raw emotion as he spoke of his MS progression. Repeatedly breaking down in tears, the former marine and all-around tough guy described his road to diagnosis,... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/66264/misfire http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/65455/matters Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:37:00 -0400 Mandy Crest I was raised on the premise that money matters should not be discussed in a public forum. It was best to keep such things close to home.    Multiple Sclerosis and money, unfortunately, go hand in hand, and it's difficult to have meaningful conversation about MS without mentioning money.    We've often addressed the financial reality of living with multiple sclerosis as it pertains to health insurance. But there are are... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/65455/matters http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/64434/guide Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:55:00 -0400 Mandy Crest The financial impact of multiple sclerosis cannot be overstated, whether you have medical insurance coverage or not, it becomes a large part of your struggle with the disease. Like it or not, MS and money are go hand in hand.   Obviously, the best scenario is employer provided group coverage. If you've got that, you're in decent shape. If you've fallen into the sink hole that is individual coverage, as I have, life gets rather... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/64434/guide http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/63525/ms-test Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:05:00 -0400 Mandy Crest If your doctor suspects that you have multiple sclerosis, but you haven't yet been diagnosed, chances are you'll be taking an EMG  test.    EMG stands for electromyogram. The purpose of the EMG is to assess the health of muscles by measuring their response to stimulation. This can help doctors in diagnosing multiple sclerosis and other conditions when a patient has unexplained muscle weakness.   If you've ever heard... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/63525/ms-test http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/62449/ms Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:23:00 -0400 Mandy Crest "You have multiple sclerosis."    You've heard those words and now it's time to decide what you're going to do about it. There is no obvious right or wrong that applies to all MS patients. It's not going to be that easy.   In my last post, Early Intervention in Multiple Sclerosis: Knowledge is Power, I spoke about self-education and research as the first items on the "to do" list, whether you've been definitively diagnosed or... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/62449/ms http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/61583/early Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:09:00 -0500 Mandy Crest Knowledge is the single most important weapon you will ever have in your MS-fighting arsenal. It is the one thing you can and should pursue immediately, whether the diagnosis is official or just suspected.   Reaching that diagnosis may take some time because early symptoms can be vague, and there is no single test for multiple sclerosis. Rather, diagnosis comes in the form of patient history, a series of tests, and elimination of other... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/61583/early http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/60936/smoking Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:08:00 -0500 Mandy Crest Is there a link between smoking and multiple sclerosis? * “People who start smoking before age 17 may increase their risk for developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study released February 20 that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, April 25 to May 2, 2009” "In this study, early smokers were 2.7 times more likely to develop MS than nonsmokers. Late smokers did not have... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/60936/smoking http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/60520/fears Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:19:00 -0500 Mandy Crest Larry King, when interviewing the late Christopher Reeve, asked, “Do you think about walking?”Reeve replied, “Oh, absolutely. You know, as a matter of fact, in my dreams -- I have never been disabled in my dreams, so my subconscious insists that I am whole, and I follow my subconscious.”Our minds and our bodies, while inextricably intertwined, can maintain separate realities. That's what allows we humans to imagine the... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/60520/fears http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/59611/madness Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:33:00 -0500 Mandy Crest Marijuana itself has long been a controversial subject. From the 1936 film Reefer Madness to today's push to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes, marijuana continues to fascinate and mystify. A bill currently winding its way through the Minnesota legislative process, if passed, would allow doctors to prescribe two and a half ounces of marijuana to provide relief from symptoms such as spasticity, nausea, and pain. To date, 31... http://www.healthcentral.com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/59611/madness