Multiple Sclerosis: What to Do about Joint Activities
Because of multiple sclerosis (MS), many couples suddenly find that doing joint activities isn't possible anymore. Imagine what happens when MS occurs in a couple who has always played tennis or golf together [more…]
Multiple Sclerosis: Build and Maintain Healthy Partner Relationships
Multiple sclerosis (MS) can challenge even the best of partnerships. There isn’t a young couple in the world — unless they grew up in families in which someone had a chronic illness or disability — that [more…]
When Your Adult Child Has MS
As challenging as it can sometimes be to have multiple sclerosis (MS), parents say that it’s even more difficult when your child has it. No one ever wants anything bad to happen to their kids. When a child [more…]
Understanding Childhood MS
Of the 400,000 people in the United States with multiple sclerosis (MS), approximately 8,000 to 10,000 of them are children or adolescents. Initial symptoms have been seen as early as 13 months old, with [more…]
Parenting When Your Child Has MS
Parenting is difficult enough without throwing multiple sclerosis (MS) into the mix. The following suggestions should address some of your most immediate concerns and give you some tips to handle it all [more…]
Regional Pediatric MS Centers of Excellence
In 2006, the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society awarded $13.5 million for six regional Centers of Excellence to treat and study childhood MS. This network of centers offer optimal medical and psychosocial [more…]
How to Explain MS Symptoms to Children
Children have a difficult time understanding symptoms they can’t see, such as those you might have with multiple sclerosis (MS). They can see that you trip or lose your balance and need a cane or scooter [more…]
Pregnancy and Multiple Sclerosis
The good news for couples is that women and men with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be effective, involved parents of healthy, happy children. Although the message prior to about 1950 was that women with [more…]
MS and Strategies for Family Planning
Family-planning decisions are never easy, especially when multiple sclerosis (MS) is present. All prospective moms and dads face some uncertainties in their future, but those with MS face even more because [more…]
Childbirth for Women with MS
Despite popular belief, moms with multiple sclerosis (MS) deliver their babies just like other women do (you know, with lots of yelling, grunting, and gnashing of teeth). And just like women without MS [more…]
Breast Feeding for Women with MS
New mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS) who wish to breastfeed are definitely encouraged to do so — it won’t increase your risk of an MS relapse, and it’s great for the baby. The only reason your doctor [more…]
MS Medications and Pregnancy
With or without a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, the goal during pregnancy is always to be taking as few medications as possible in order to avoid problems for your growing baby. Before trying to become [more…]
How to Broach Big MS Issues with Kids
After you decide to talk to your kids about multiple sclerosis (MS), you may be wondering what to say and how to say it. Here are a few basic things to keep in mind: [more…]
Parenting: It Wasn’t Easy Before You Had MS!
As a parent or prospective parent with multiple sclerosis (MS), you’re probably worried about what effect your illness or disability will have on your children. You may wonder if you’ll be able to give [more…]
Multiple Sclerosis: Resources for Kids
The National MS Society offers a lot of good resources to help you explain multiple sclerosis (MS) to your children. Here are a few of them: [more…]
How to Parent around Your MS Symptoms
If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), you’re probably worrying about how MS can or will get in the way of doing stuff with your kids. You probably have some set ideas about what parents ought to be able [more…]
MS and Parenting: “How Can I Discipline ‘Em If I Can’t Catch ‘Em?”
Moms and dads with multiple sclerosis (MS) who can’t get around as quickly or easily as they used to worry about how they’ll be able to discipline their children. In other words, if they can’t outrun their [more…]
MS and Parenting: Handle Little Issues Before They Get Bigger
When your kids are acting up or you’ve noticed differences in their behavior or mood, are they running into problems due to your multiple sclerosis (MS) or is something else is going on? Even though MS [more…]
MS and Parenting: Allow Kids to Be Kids
Moms and dads with multiple sclerosis (MS) sometimes need to look to others — their partners, children, extended family members, and friends — for help with their daily activities or their care. But sometimes [more…]
MS and Future Planning: Assess Your Current Health
Your health is about more than just your multiple sclerosis (MS). So, as you develop your master plan for the future, remember to take into account your overall health and fitness as well as what’s going [more…]
Should I Keep Working If I Have MS?
Even though multiple sclerosis (MS) may affect your employment situation at some point along the way — depending on the types of symptoms you have and the kind of work you do —quitting work doesn’t have [more…]
When Your Job and Your MS Don’t Mix
Depending on your multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, the kind of work you do, and the environment in which you work, you’re bound to run into challenges along the way. Some of these challenges may be related [more…]
Multiple Sclerosis: How to Deal with Attitudes (Yours and Others’)
Sometimes attitudes — your own or other people’s — can get in the way of your job even more than your multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms do. For example, many people mistakenly assume that anyone with a [more…]
Multiple Sclerosis: Employment Resources
When you’re dealing with multiple sclerosis (MS), the legal and financial issues involved in your employment decisions are complex for even the savviest of folks. So, it’s well worth your while to get [more…]
Multiple Sclerosis: Plan Your Workplace Disclosure Strategy
After you’ve decided to disclose your multiple sclerosis (MS) at work, it’s important to plan your strategy carefully. Follow these steps for a smooth disclosure: [more…]
