AN OFTEN INVISIBLE BUT DEBILITATING SYMPTOM OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Austin Tang — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 15:57:18 +0000

Listen to “AN OFTEN INVISIBLE BUT DEBILITATING SYMPTOM OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS” on Spreaker.

http://goodnewsplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/multiple_sclerosis_2.mp3

Hear from Azure Antoinette, the “Maya Angelou of the Millennial Generation,” …
On Living Well with MS for Black Americans. https://www.moretoms.com/

Azure Antoinette is a commissioned poet, entrepreneur and arts education advocate. She has been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) for over a decade. Azure will be joined by Board-Certified Neurologist and world-renowned MS Specialist Dr. Mitzi Joi Williams, who is an advocate for living well with MS, especially for Black Americans, who may be more at risk for MS than previously thought.

Azure was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) at age 28. In her early twenties, she began having spasms, tingling in her hands and feet, and had trouble walking. She felt so tired that it was difficult to stay awake, to watch a movie or drive a car, even after sleeping for 16 hours some nights.

The fatigue experienced by MS patients is much different from an everyday tired feeling, and it can come on with no warning. Managing MS fatigue is an ongoing challenge because it isn’t a one-size-fits-all symptom.

Just ask Dr. Williams, who partners with patients to create personalized treatment plans for their distinctive MS experiences, including:
 Feeling excessively tired or weary
 Having trouble with memory or mental focus
 Experiencing muscle weakness or trouble with coordination

In a public service announcement (PSA) launching in February, Azure encourages Black Americans living with MS to pay attention to their symptoms and advocate for their health. She also shares her first-hand experience as a Black woman living well with MS in a documentary alongside Dr. Williams, who explains what symptoms to watch out for and advice on staying active while managing often overwhelming MS symptoms.

MS is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks itself, making it difficult for the brain to communicate with the rest of the body.2 Approximately one million adults live with MS in the U.S., a majority of whom are diagnosed with RRMS. Women are three times more likely than men to develop RRMS, and Black Americans have an increased risk of developing progressive symptoms.2

Azure and Dr. Williams discuss the upcoming PSA and documentary launch – in time for Black History Month in February and MS Awareness Month in March – and More to MS, an educational resource to help patients and their caregivers learn more about and better manage MS symptoms like fatigue.

Interview courtesy: Janssen

References
1 The National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Fatigue. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms/Fatigue. Accessed January 2021.
2 Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. Who Gets Multiple Sclerosis. https://mymsaa.org/ms-information/overview/who-gets-ms/. Accessed December 2020.

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The post AN OFTEN INVISIBLE BUT DEBILITATING SYMPTOM OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS appeared first on Good News!.

THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION EMBRACES WELLNESS, BUT HOW DO THEY DEAL WITH SERIOUS CHRONIC DISEASES?

Austin Tang — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 20:12:25 +0000

http://goodnewsplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/multiple_sclerosis_1.mp3
Many Millennial-aged People with Multiple Sclerosis Put Their Own Health Challenges on the Back Burner, Not Fully Understanding the Implications of Proactively Managing their Condition
It’s no secret that the millennial generation embraces wellness and has helped bring health-mindedness to the forefront of pop culture today. But when it comes to taking care of more serious health challenges, many experts are noticing people in their 20’s or 30’s are approaching healthcare differently and often prioritizing “living their best lives” over thinking about their health.
For younger people with serious health issues, putting off talking to a doctor or not getting on an effective therapy after the diagnosis of a chronic disease can have irreversible implications in the long-term. This is especially true with chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common debilitating, progressive disease, which affects one million U.S. adults – striking in the “prime of life” when people are starting careers and families, and eventually leading to irreversible physical disability for many people. With the average age of onset at 34, most people newly diagnosed with MS over the next 10 to 15 years will be millennial-aged people (ages ~22-39).
According to the National MS Society many people newly diagnosed with MS react with shock and denial, often leading to them not taking proactive steps to manage their disease or connect with the broader MS community. It is important for millennial-aged people to be proactive in their care and pursue early treatment to slow disability progression as they are at an age and point in their disease when a disease-modifying therapy may offer greater impact.
Channing Barker, a millennial-aged person living with MS, who will shed light on her experience of living with MS and working with her doctor to take control of her health. Anne Gilbert, Director of Programs at Can Do MS, a national MS advocacy group known for their work with younger people living with MS, will also share her perspectives on the need to better connect with and support this younger generation of people living with MS.
When you book, we’ll provide you with guest bio & list of suggested questions. Interview courtesy: Genentech

The post THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION EMBRACES WELLNESS, BUT HOW DO THEY DEAL WITH SERIOUS CHRONIC DISEASES? appeared first on Good News!.

millennial Archives - Good News!

AN OFTEN INVISIBLE BUT DEBILITATING SYMPTOM OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION EMBRACES WELLNESS, BUT HOW DO THEY DEAL WITH SERIOUS CHRONIC DISEASES?