I am Kim; diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 38 after a series of CT Scans, MRI’s, Spinal Taps, and blood work. I started this blog after reading so many message boards where newly diagnosed patients or patients awaiting diagnosis seemed to share a sense of overwhelming helplessness or anxiety. I am hopeful that my experiences can offer ways to help others feel like they are more in control of their healthcare and their lives.
Please feel free to follow me here, refer my blog to others that might appreciate the information within. Thanks for your support.
livingms 
Kim, you are an inspiration to all who know you. I wish I had the attitude you have. I know how hard it is to even talk to the doctors they don’t seem to understand.
Thank you, that’s very kind. I have hard times too. That’s why I wanted to create this space. No judgement, just answers. A place to talk and share ideas. A place to share whatever information we find.
I started one too. I find it helps sometimes to write feelings down. I am not as eloquent as you, but I try:)
Kim
I am so glad you are posting your personal experience with MS. It is a wonderful time to live where we can communicate and relate to others who share many of the same challenges. I look forward to seeing more posts. Very interested in “Horse Therapy” for people with MS. Do you have any experience with that?
@ Axon Industries. I used to work for a riding school that assisted people with varying degrees of disability. It was many years ago but I do know that there are several places around the country and the world that provide therapy via horseback with a licensed therapist. The benefits are amazing. You’ve given me an idea for a post. I will research it a bit further and provide some information on the topic in a future post. Thank you!
Keep it up, Kim. Push through. Your words will help others suffering – your story matters so don’t hesitate to tell it!
Thank you Caszie. I appreciate the positive feedback!
Equine Therapy is the only medication I take for MS.. I am looking forward to some snow for my mare and I to ride in.. balance and mental strengthening for me come from riding.. This has given me a great idea for a blog post.. gosh.. I might even let the kids take pictures (gasp).. My horse is the best medicine I have ever had.. no bad side effects.
Black Sheep
Let your kids take those pictures and smile proudly; I would love to see them! My mares give me so much strength just by watching them. Isn’t it wonderful what animals can do for us with their unconditional love and devotion? I think you’ve given me another topic for a post as well, thank you.
Excellent site with informative posts. I firmly believe that we must be proactive when it comes to healthcare; a doctor is a great source of information but should not be your only source. It appears that you do a lot of research and hopefully the information that you post will help others become more aware of the options available. I saw an article in Discover magazine a while ago: http://discovermagazine.com/2010/jun/03-the-insanity-virus/article_view?b_start:int=1. The article was mainly about schizophrenia, but dig a little and there is quite a lot of information regarding a theory about what causes MS, involving an endogenous retrovirus called HERV-W.
I found the article you referenced to be very interesting. It’s long been thought that a virus is the culprit for diseases such as MS; however I was unaware in my research that clinical trials had begun for antibody injections against HERV-W. Are you aware of any articles on the clinical trials? I will try to research it further and hopefully get a post out about it. If I’m able to contact or interview somebody involved in the study maybe we can get it straight from the program. I’ll see what I can do. Thank you so much for your words of support and for the information.
Kim, Thanks for finding me here! It is great to be able to link my blog up with others in the MS community! I tried finding other blogs when I signed up here and started my blog but a.) didn’t seem to have mastered WordPress well enough to have a successful search and, b.) didn’t have enough content on my own blog that anyone would take me seriously.
I also added you to my blogroll so people who find my blog while looking for info can come and find you–you have done a great job here. Thanks again!
Thank you so much! Your blog is inspirational, I enjoy reading it, keep up the great work. The easiest way to find other blogs on here is to tag surf then click readomattic for a list of blogs by the tags you designate.
Thank you for being an inspiration for my blog!
Thank you for your positive feedback.
Dear Kim, thank you for liking my Blog. My son also has MS. My wish is that a cure be found for this disease within his lifetime. Until then, my focus and intention is to provide comfort and care to any MS sufferer in need. Namaste!
Thank you. All we can do is to ease the suffering the best we can until one day a cure is found. I wish this for all MS sufferers as well. Namaste!
HI
Really inspiring and ppl like should come fwd and share their ideas and experiences regarding their chronic problems despite of feeling embarrassing or ashamed.
Keep it up and keep going.
🙂
regards
Ahmad Ladhani
Thank you for the positive feedback!
Great blog! Just tweeted it to a few hundred followers! I have friends & family with MS & will be sharing this with them. Thank you =)
Thank you so much for the positive feedback and for the tweets! My goal is to make this a great resource for everyone with MS. I would love to hear feedback from everyone; if there are other sources of information they would like to see covered. I do intend to begin a page for clinical trial information as well.
Kim, my aunt was diagnosed with MS just a couple of years ago. We are all learning to live with it and through it. My aunt is a big role model of mine, before and after her diagnosis. I will share your blog with her, thank you for being a great resource.
I’m sorry to hear of your Aunt’s diagnosis. I’m glad you plan to share the blog with her and I hope that she finds it a helpful resource. If she would like more information on anything in particular, let me know. I am always looking to expand the blog. Thank you for your support.
Kim,
My sister was diagnosed with MS at about the same age as you were. She is my hero, just as you are an inspiration to others. Though my sister Jeannie now walks with a cane, she never stops giving. She always asks what she can do to help everyone else, yet never asks for anything for herself. She congratulates me when I finish races and I wonder if anyone ever applauds her at the end of a day for the effort and endurance she expends. I love your blog and will share. Keep doing what you are doing, and best wishes.
Thank you Jim for you kind words of support! It’s people like you and your sister and all of the other wonderful people that read this blog that give me the enthusiasm to continue to expand the information contained within. Best wishes to you, and thank you for such a positive way to close the day.
I’m so glad you liked one of my posts so I could come visit your blog. It’s a must-follow.
My mother was diagnosed a year and a half ago at the age of 51. She’s now 53, and on some sort of drug… I think it’s calle Avonex. She was on Copaxone for a while, but now she’s on a needle-per-week drug that’s a bit cheaper. It’s a crazy, unpredictable journey, we found out. She’s a croupier in the casino which requires standing up for 8 hours aside from the 20 minutes breaks every hour. You can imagine how her job and MS do not work well together. It’ll be good for me to read about your journey, and be able to give her tips, and maybe give you a few. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you for your kind words. I truly feel for your mother. I enjoy going to the casinos for entertainment and I get worn out just going for fun! Working there; while struggling with MS, would be a challenge for sure! Best wishes for a New Year full of promise and good fortune.
Kim I liked very much livingms.org.
I looked at your explanations and saw me on many situations you described. Repeated your history. I was diagnosed on 2010 and now I am taking tysabri and solumedrol for 6 months. At the beginning found any better but now I have any doubts of the result of treatment. My left side is going away (leg and arm). Hope feel better soon. Avonex/rebif doesn’t worked for me.
But, I didn’t have an intention to talk about my problems but only tank you a lot. Today you helped me with your energy on help others with MS.
I´ll be back to your site soon.
Tanks, happy 2012.
Eduardo (from S.Paulo-Brazil)
Eduardo; thank you for your kind words. I am so glad that you found the blog and equally as happy that you found some useful information within its pages. It is difficult to know the full measure of the treatments or how bad we would be without them. I hope that things improve for you soon. Happy 2012 to you as well.
~Kim
Glad that you found the posting to my blog about my friend, Jim de Jong, who had a long battle with MS. As I mentioned, he did not let the disease smother his good humor.
I pray for your continued struggles.
Hi, Kim. Thank you for becoming a follower to my blog. I don’t have MS, at least it hasn’t been diagnosed at this time, but the brain injury I received has several similarities to MS, tremors, memory issues, pain, stiffness, etc.
Hyponatremia itself is pretty common, and I feel very strongly that it is important to spread the word regarding it. It is the most common metabolic disorder in the United States, and over 1.7 million people were hospitalized for it in 2009.
It’s so dangerous, and it’s so easily prevented.
Thank you for your support, and I really appreciate your feedback regarding MS and symptoms, etc that MS sufferers experience.
Wishing you the best,
Sarah M.
Hi Kim!
Great blog. You are do wonders to educate others on MS. I think a lot of people don’t understand the condition and ignorance is part of the problem!
I was diagnosed with MS 40 years ago and just worked up the courage to pen my MS memoir, Potty Mouth. I am trying to get word out about the book and it is my goal to use it as a way to encourage MS sufferers and provide support for them and their loved ones. I would be so honored if you would read a copy for your blog. Leave a comment on my blog if you are interested.
http://thepottymouthbook.me/
I’m also on Twitter @renaeclare
Thanks,
Renae
Hi Kim,
I just want to applaud you for trying to help others as well as learn how to manage your MS. I hope you research cannabis oil. I’ve heard anecdotal reports that it can help with MS. There’s a long article here that you may want to look at: http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=102440
To be clear, I have no way of knowing if cannabis oil will cure your MS, but I have no doubt it would help. I hope your health improves and you find a cure.
Love,
Bliss Cannabis
Thank you Bliss Cannabis. I don’t think there is a cure but I know that cannabis is great help to those with pain. I personally have not yet tried it but I am quite certain that at some point I will.
Girl, you are awesome and so is your blog! Your words & strength are an inspiration!
Thank you so much! Your words mean so much to me.
You have a very informative site. As someone with MS, I’d be more interested to know how you cope with your symptoms, and how MS effects your life.
Thank you. Actually my writing reflects my life. Occasionally I will write about something I have yet to try but most things I either know through first hand account or have studied in depth. My hope is that I can eventually offer more than what is already out there; or at least put what’s out there all in one easy to read; easy to find place. I do encourage others to contact me if there is something you would like more information on in this site and I will do my very best to incorporate it; this blog is still in its infancy and still very much evolving; my dream is to eventually make it into a fully interactive site. It may not be much; but its my little slice of trying to further the cause. We are all in this fight together.
🙂
Thanks for this blog! I look forward to reading more and getting to “know” you and the rest of the community! – Natasha
Hi Kim,
I just discovered this blog and it seems great! I am the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization called dreamMakerS that works with children whose parents have MS. Our organization was started by Liza Levenson, an adult child of a parent with MS (her dad had it while she was growing up). There are surprisingly few resources for support for these kids. dreamMakerS offers them support in a fun, caring and fully accessible environment. Our events are a wonderful opportunity for the entire family to meet other families living with MS, while having new experiences and a lot of fun! We are based in the Baltimore/Washington area — but also offer a penpal program for kids nationwide. We’d love to be added to your resource list if possible. Our website is http://www.msdreammakers.org