HERO'S - PERSEVERANCE: MS can't stop Arizona marathon runner Krista Milne: Tips from Krista & Dr. Timothy Vollmer, her physician at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix." :
"At 5 a.m. when most of us are still hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock, Krista Milne is getting ready to train for San Diego's 26.2-mile Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, work, and care for her 4-year-old daughter Lauren.

On top of it all, Milne has MS and must cope with the the extreme fatigue and vision disturbances it brings.

'I'm wiped out,' Milne said on a recent weekday, sinking into a plush armchair with a glass of iced coffee. Earlier in the morning, Milne went on a 45-minute bike ride with her husband, Mark, who is also running the June 4 marathon....

"Once you've been diagnosed, there are various things that make the symptoms manifest — stress, heat, trauma in your life — so you try to minimize them," Milne says of the relapses. "I have good and bad days."....One day when she ran 22 miles was a mixture of both.

"Physical activity is one of the most challenging things for MS patients," says Dr. Timothy Vollmer, Milne's physician at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.

Due to the rise in body temperature and physical stress, people with MS may develop additional symptoms during the race, and it could take them longer than usual to recuperate from such intense physical activity, according to Vollmer.

Vollmer recommends that athletes with multiple sclerosis pay special attention to keeping their electrolytes in balance and their bodies cool.

Though exercise may temporarily induce an attack of MS symptoms, he also says that "its long-term effects are very positive."

Many experts believe exercise makes the brain find new nerve pathways. This rewiring may restore lost cognitive and motor function. Vollmer says he encourages his patients to exercise regularly.

She remains this active despite the fact that she has had the disease for more than 20 years, which she hopes will prove that someone can have multiple sclerosis and still be healthy and physically active.

"Everybody thinks, 'Oh, MS — isn't that what Richard Pryor died from? Isn't everyone with MS in a wheelchair?' " Milne says before answering, "Well, no."

What has given Milne the drive to intensively train for the marathon in addition to working and doing her regular household activities?

Milne says she recites a mantra she calls the "Five F's" while running. Simply put, the Five F's are foundation, faith, family, friends and flow."......"

HERO'S = PERSEVERANCE: Golf a lifeline in battle with MS - Tony Johnstone is a Senior PGA Championship player:
"....Not long after, Johnstone sat in his doctor's office in London looking at a white blob on a scan of his brain. The doctor explained the blob; multiple sclerosis was attacking the nerves in Johnstone's brain.
Johnstone thought the diagnosis was a death sentence.
His doctor told him about a drug trial for MS patients being done at Cambridge. The researchers had only 120 spots, though, and were about to close enrollment.
'I got the 120th spot,' Johnstone said. 'It was definitely the best cut I ever made.'
The experimental treatment involved Campath-1H, a drug often used in organ transplant patients to shut down the immune system and keep the body from rejecting the new organ. Johnstone went into the hospital for a five-day procedure, then returned a few months later for another three-day treatment.
'They figured if they could switch it off completely,' Johnstone said, 'maybe it could come back without a faulty memory.'
Maybe it would quit attacking his nervous system.
Lo and behold, it did.
'It's just been not a career changer,' he said. 'A life changer.'
He chokes up whenever he talks about the past two years of his life.
'I'm just unbelievably grateful.'
Johnstone just couldn't imagine a life without golf. He enjoys the camaraderie, the joking and the teasing too much. Even though the treatment has allowed him to continue to play, it is still a struggle. Humidity drains him. Ditto for stress."

HERO'S = PERSEVERANCE: MS won't bench Chris Kieser

HERO'S - PERSEVERANCE: "Slugger excels after overcoming adversity:
"Johanna Iwasaki can't help but laugh about it now. Playing her first full year on varsity, she is one of the best hitters in her school's lineup..."

HERO'S - PERSEVERANCE: Former Miss America contestant 'puts it all in the Lord's hands'

HERO'S - PERSEVERANCE: 'Gina's Giants' Raise Nearly $5,600 for MS

PERSEVERANCE=REAL HEROS...
Aaron Solowoniuk of Billy Talent rocks on with MS
"Aaron Solowoniuk is the drummer of the hit band Billy Talent which is recognized around the world for their spirit, attitude and explosive rebel music. Aaron has been with the group from the beginning. He recently posted a letter to fans describing his experiences with MS - you can view the whole letter by clicking above.

"The first song on our first record is called "This Is How It Goes". It's a song about one of Ben's friends who has multiple sclerosis. Today I would like to let you know that I am that friend with MS.

It was November of 1997, I had just started a new job at Daimler Chrysler building the new Intrepid, Concorde and 300M. I was making more money, and I could take off more time to play shows with my band Pezz. Days after starting my new job I got a strange numbness in my legs. I couldn't walk for more than five minutes without having to sit down because of this pain in my legs. I thought it was just because this job was a lot more physically demanding then my last job.

After months of tests I was told that I probably had MS but a full diagnosis couldn't be made until I had another symptom within two years.

In November of 1998 the numbness in my legs was gone but I could make it come back by bending my neck forward. This would also send a feeling of an electrical shock to my feet. Just a couple months later in January of 1999, I suddenly got an awful pain in my left eye. It was like being punched in the eye by a ghost. I went straight to my eye doctor; he told me I had optic neuritis.

When I told this to my neurologist, I found out that it's very common for people with MS and the disease was progressing. He wanted me to start a new type of medicine. I had to self-inject myself three times a week in the arm, thigh, stomach or butt – and do this for the rest of my life.

I practically ran out of the doctor's office and into the stairwell with my girlfriend close behind me. We cried in the stairwell for a while and then went right over to my parents' house. Through all of this madness, I was so lucky to have my girlfriend, who is now my wife and the mother of our amazing daughter, beside me.

Coming to terms with the fact that I had to start giving myself needles forever was really hard. A couple of the side effects really hit me once I started the medication. I fell into a deep depression and started seeing a psychiatrist. I really felt like my life was falling apart. I had always wanted to be a drummer in a rock band but was told I should "take it easy". I remember saying "ya right" in my head: none of my dreams had come true and I now had an incurable disease.

It was really rough for the first year and a half but the new medicine started to work. The MS Society of Canada helped me get all the information and tools to get my life back on track. My symptoms were gone, and when they did come back they were just minor set backs.

We changed the name of the band from Pezz to Billy Talent and continued writing music. We released a four song EP and got a record deal. I quit my job and started playing drums full time.

After recording our first record it was time to go on tour. Our first record took us across Canada five times, America four times, Germany five times, the UK four times and a weekend in Japan. I've also met a lot of my musical heroes and even become friends with a couple of them.

I guess the reason I'm telling you this is because I didn't let something like MS get in the way of me becoming who I was suppose to become.

Please share this story with anyone you think it would help. There are a lot of people young and old that are fighting some sort of disease and thinking that they can't win. You really can win if you believe in yourself."

Aaron"

Jan West
"GRATITUDE FOR WHAT WE HAVE - !In June of last year, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. In fact, I spent a couple of hours of my 30th birthday in an MRI machine! (not exactly how I thought my 30th would go!)
I was alarmed when I awoke one morning to find my left hand and arm felt as if they were asleep. I thought to myself, this will go away, but by the end of the day it hadn't and by the end of the week it had spread to my chest and back. I figured it was probably a pinched nerve or something and I started to do some exercises, stretching and having my 3 year old son walk on my back. Nothing seemed to help. Then a few days later, I began to notice other parts of my body with similar strange sensations including my legs and feet and had some trouble walking. At this point, I became very scared. Doctors had a suspicion of what this might be, but had to rule everything else out before they could conclude that this was indeed Multiple Sclerosis. I held out hope that this would pass, and would be just a one time occurrence. They did an MRI and found 2 lesions in my cervical spine and 1 in the brain stem, since my diagnosis I have had 1 more lesion pop up in my cervical spine. I hope that I will follow a benign course with this, but I know that it is very uncertain for me at this point. I didn't know much about MS then, but now I do and I hope that I can do all that I can to help them find a cure.
My recent experience of being diagnosed with MS has given me a deeper understanding of gratitude. Some of you may think that how can she be grateful she just got this terrible diagnosis, I am not. I am grateful because it wasn’t something worse and believe it or not it is helping me to be a better person… Overall, it has been hard to get accustomed to new normals, losses, new sensations or loss of sensations. Emotionally it has been very draining. I have never felt a deeper sadness, hopelessness and despair but yet then again like I have said I have not felt more grateful that this wasn’t something worse, I am also more grateful for those days that I don’t feel that sadness that I experienced, I am more grateful for touch, grateful for every day that I can walk and take care of my children. I am grateful for how this experience is helping me to be a better person, I think that I have become more spiritual, maybe more caring and understanding of others. We are all in this together, and it is nice to know that I am not alone! "

"MS and me: Mark Auld, 31, will not be bowed by an illness that is 150 years old":
"Living life to the full. Mark leads an active life and is determined that MS will fit in with his life instead of his life fitting in with it. It might not be in his nature, but he is fighting back in the best way he can. I was told in October last year that I had the most common strain of MS, an illness which is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young people between the ages of 20 and 40.

From that day to this, I still hold the view that this illness will fit in with my life and not my life fitting in with it. But that can be easier said than done at times.

I have taken up the ancient Chinese art of Tai Chi, which helps tremendously in MS and improving balance.

I have also succumbed to carrying a pedometer about my waist and walk as much as I can – normally about four to five miles in the course of a day.

I know that stress can be a major factor in MS flare ups, but if I have not walked the distance I have set myself, or spent 20 minutes on the exercise bike in the morning, I am normally in a cold sweat.

I try to set realistic targets and I get down if I can’t make them, but the alternative I dare not contemplate.

At times I feel withdrawn and depressed and, to my family and friends, I can only apologise and hope that is a temporary blip......."

Parenting with MS: "Sometimes, I'm mad at the MS"
How parents with MS and their kids - adapt and get stronger

"After Decades Of Battling MS, This Woman Still Sparkles": "A morning chat with Kathy Aeschliman, who has been battling MS since 1980, pretty much makes your day. 'I'm feisty,' she said. 'But then, I'm surrounded by all the right people.'She's been using a wheelchair lately, instead of her walker, but it is not the MS that put her there. It is a herniated disk in her back. Still, her 'my glass is half full, not half empty' attitude shines through in her sparkly voice."

VIDEO - Interview: Teri Garr
PBS..."I figure if you get a diagnosis of something like this, there's one of two ways to go. You go down or you can go up. You can look at the funny side of it, you can laugh or you can cry. So I figured I might as well be up about it....."

"Barbara Steinfelder, who was diagnosed with MS in 2004, holds yoga classes for people who have MS. She is shown teaching a class...":

VIDEO: "People go, oh, my gosh. M.S., you're dead. You're out of here. .... You're in a wheelchair...None of that stuff is true"
“When I got a diagnosis for M.S., I go, ‘oh, this is not stopping me. I'm not letting this stop me.’

"And I think to go around and talk about it and tell people that that's what I did and that they can do it, too, it helps people. It helps a lot of people feel better. So that makes me happy.” - And if she can do it, so can others. - “I think it's good for me to be functioning and okay and come out there and say, look, I have M.S., And if you have M.S., it's not so bad.”

For the past four or five years, Garr has been taking a powerful immunity-boosting drug called Rebif. And it seems to be working. She says her most recent M.R.I.s show no there’s been no progression of the disease.

“Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.” comic uses his MS battle for laughs:
"Katz was one of the creative minds behind the pop hit animated series “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.” He also starred as the voice of the therapist. Katz claims to be the only comic who uses his MS, for laughs. He was first diagnosed with MS in 1996"

We are currently adding security to our web-sites: some photos & news-stories will temporarily not be viewable!

I AM SORRY! WE HAD A PROBLEM YESTERDAY !

We are in the process of adding more security to our websites to prevent hackers from accessing them. We are converting all photos so that we can host them on our own website. The good news is that we have have had 92,200 visitors as of today!

Sincerely,
Stan Swartz

"Mother with MS Does Double Duty on Mother`s Day":

The New Faces of MS - Perseverance/True Heros: JORDAN SIGALET...24 years old...BOSTON BRUINS OF THE NHL...[click for "Jordan's Story"]

CLICK TO READ MORE: "Carolyn Richens feeds a flake of hay to one of her American quarter horse geldings while making the rounds in her stable in Pittsfield on Monday afternoon. Richens was diagnosed with MS nearly 10 years ago. With the help of drugs she remains a competitive barrel racer"

EN ESPAÑOL...HAZ CLIC AQUI PARA MAS...

Pilates for MS
"...The benefits of this type of exercise program carry over into daily life as well. Della Reynolds, who has multiple sclerosis, met Ms. Morgan at the FMH Wellness Center. She explains that it is one of the few exercise programs that she can do and feel successful. "It has helped me learn how to sit and walk and drive in a more comfortable way," she says....."

"Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. was honored with the AAN Foundation's 2006 Public Leadership in Neurology Award for his work raising public awareness for MS.":

MS HEROS-PERSEVERANCE: Her goal: Put MS out of business
"Martha Crowninshield brokered high-stakes business deals all the time as a venture capitalist. But never before had she been involved in a deal with a payoff that could help millions of people worldwide. Crowninshield is a major player in a landmark effort to search the human genome for genes that put people at risk for multiple sclerosis.

Crowninshield, a former partner at the investment firm Boston Ventures, is banking on the project. She, like an estimated 2.5 million people worldwide, has MS,

She believes the team effort, which involves scientists from all over the world, eventually will lead to improved treatments and maybe something better. In 2002, Crowninshield learned about the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium. After researching the project, she put $1 million of her own money into the project. "I wanted to be able to say I believe in this," she says. She also helped the scientists involved put together a business plan, which was crucial in selling the project to private investors as well as the National Institutes of Health and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

So far, the team has raised $15 million — just $5 million short of the money required for a massive five-year gene hunt for MS..."

"FACES OF MS" Marissa Romanella: "When I was diagnosed with MS, the first thing I though was, "I have NO time for this nonsense". I am a student in my third year of the social work program at Ramapo College of New Jersey and I have a job, an internship, school, and a life to deal with. When my head finally stopped spinning I realized that as much as I could view this disease as a burden, it could also be seen as a push in the direction that my life should take. I am a social worker, I live for a challenge, and I will NOT let this disease define me. I began treatment and have been doing well, and next year, with any luck, I will be interning with the National MS Society"

The New Faces of MS - Perseverance/True Heros

"Montel Williams on MS....15 Years of Making Television History

"FACES OF MS"- Andrea Holley: "I was diagnosed with MS thirteen years ago. The doctor put it all into perspective when she said "The lesion on your brain could either be a brain tumor (that would be inoperable because of its location) or MS, HOPE FOR MS! I have two children, Ryan is 9 and races dirt bikes, Sarah is 13 and plays competative volleyball. I am a full-time Realtor with REMAX. Sarah is my caregiver and gives my Avvonex shots to me once a week."

The New Faces of MS - Perseverance/True Heros
"I thought MS was an immediate sentence to a wheelchair, and having been very athletic all of my life, this terrified me. However, I very quickly realized that this was not the case. I was just beginning my life, and I was not going to allow MS to end it."....[MORE]

The New Faces of MS - Perseverance/True Heros: Mandy Bunn - "I was diagnosed with MS when I was 21 years old. At the time I was working full time, a full time student and most importantly a full time single mommy! ...With the strength of my mother and the unknowing strength of my child I began my fight. I started treatment and plowed through and now 6 years later I am here telling my story. Not saying that I don't hate it somedays where I feel like I have been ran over by a truck or just want to lay in bed, but I am better of then some and that I am grateful for! I still have everyday, I can still walk and type this letter. I can work, finish college and also help my son do his homework ( by the way is a lot harder then when I was in second grade). To me its okay to have bad days it makes me appreciate my good days, which I hope I have more of! Anyway I will take this challenge all the way, I will fight this fight because MS will never bring me down. [FACES OF MS]

The New Faces of MS - Perseverance/True Heros:

Firefighter lives a normal life despite MS:
"Shawn Gingrich, 37, receives support and inspiration from his older brother who, more than six years ago, was also diagnosed with MS"

The New Faces of MS - Perseverance/True Heros

Kelly Sutton..."Her hope is to better the 17th place finish in the 2005 Daytona 250 and to improve her final standings of 29th last year. The lady racer who battles MS every day holds the honor of being the top-earning female in the history of the Truck series...."

Trey Fortner and Potter are part of Shannon Hoelzel’s strong support group as she fights multiple sclerosis with a positive attitude
Meeting one of life's big challenges
"At first Shannon Hoelzel just felt tired. Really tired. The kind of tired that doesn't go away, not even with eight hours of sleep. Next she started to get migraines and then her vision started to blur and double, even when she didn't have a headache.Not knowing what was wrong or not being taken seriously when she knew something was wrong was even harder than hearing the diagnosis: MS....."

"Breathing New Life: Tai chi exercises help Gary Paruszkiewicz fight MS":

PERSEVERANCE: TRUE HEROES...
AUDIO : Caregiver Role Brings Purpose to Kids
Ashleigh Rehs' story is one of hope. It reveals how a young woman can rise to the occasion, becoming more able and more self-reliant. She's 15. Her mother, Valerie, has MS

PERSEVERANCE: TRUE HEROS...
TIPS: "David Lander speaks out about the struggles of living with MS" :

CLICK FOR MORE:
"At age 33, Nancy Davis was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and told there was nothing she could do about it....Fourteen years later, Davis is not only still living a full and energetic life, she is helping others take control of their treatment. She has become a nationally recognized speaker about Multiple Sclerosis and founded the Center Without Walls, a national medical research organization. In her new book, Lean on Me, she talks about the important steps patients must take to gain control of their health and lives."

PERSEVERANCE: True Heros...
Craig Coleman and his wife, Joyce Merritt, climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, this January to raise money for MS research.:

PERSEVERANCE: True Heros...
"In a twist of fate for their marriage, both Betty and Randy Gard found themselves stricken with MS.":

PERSEVERANCE: True Heros...
"Angelee Smart (right) and her mother talk about being diagnosed with MS, making her one of the youngest people in the United States with it.":

PERSEVERANCE-True Heros: "Sylvia Perez rides for two Pedal Partners, people in her life MS: her best friend's brother and another good friend, and she is one of the top fundraisers ":

Heather Johnson - Top Fundraiser: 2005 MS WALK ON THE WILDSIDE AT THE ZOO: $12,544.89

CLICK HERE FOR HEATHER'S TEAM: "HOPE"

PERSEVERANCE:HEROS- Woman manages MS by staying positive, taking medication, walking for a cure

Inns open doors for free to those with MS...If you or a partner suffer from the debilitating disease, from May 7-11 you can stay two nights free while attending a variety of educational workshops and social events hosted by the Inn at Jackson, the event's creator. Don and Joyce Bilger created "MS Week" after Joyce discovered she was one of the 400,000 people in the USA that suffers from MS,

"Thomas Beasley is back i one more time to try and reach his goal. He has been biking across America for 15 years raising money forMS. His goal is $100,000 and he is only $1,425 short.":

MORE PHOTOS...JK Rowling made a rare public appearance when she hosted the ball on behalf of the MS Society..Ms Rowling has said that the loss of her young mother to MS in 1990 inspired her to make Harry Potter an orphan

: "John Latecki Jr. will resume a cross-country canoe trip in late April to promote MS awareness and set a world’s record for longest solo canoe trip by touching all 48 continental states. His sister, Julie McAfee, has MS.

The New Faces of MS - Perseverance/True Heros:

STRENGTH IN KNOWLEDGE - Seth Gunderson: "I was diagnosed with MS in September of 2004. Before I was diagnosed I never thought I would have to face an obstacle like this during my life. After my diagnosis I realized that I wasn't going to let this change my life plans, not as long as I can do something about it. Luckily I haven't had any major problems with my health. As thankful as I am for this I still think about all those who are living with MS and aren't able to fulfill their dreams and live their lives like they planned. We need to do all we can to help end the suffering and difficulties associated with this disease and help people achieve their dreams and aspirations once more. I pressed forward with my goals and am currently attending medical school in Missouri; like I said before I'm not going to let this change my life plans. As I learn more and more about the human body and disease processes during my schooling I become more and more aware that knowledge truly is power. It enlightens us, inspires us, and brings light to dark places...."(Face of MS)

"I GAVE MYSELF MY 500TH SHOT THIS MONTH....HERE'S A QUICK LESSON FOR YOU"...Andrew Kinney


Click to Listen


MP3 File

Kim Strydom, a 31 year old MD who does full time pharmaceutical research, shares her first trimester with us.

I've had a fairly high relapse rate in the year or 2 leading up to the pregnancy - about 3 new symptoms per 12-month period. I had only 1 new (sensory) symptom early on in the pregnancy, around the time I had … a cold. Other "buzzies and tinglies" have been well-behaved, I can't exercise hard enough to trigger muscle fatigue due to "pregnancy-related shortness of breath", so all's well at this stage

CLICK FOR KIM'S STORY

Being able to cope with a diagnosis from a doctor is as much about expectation as anything else. In my case, a sense of uneasiness had been haunting me for a long time. But that diagnosis was nonetheless a life-altering event for me. And to some extent, like most people, I went through the five stages of grief theorized by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book, "On Death and Dying."...MORE...Scripps Howard News Service