Multiple sclerosis for dummies

Foreword Introduction: About this book Conventions used in this book What you're not to read Foolish assumptions How this book is organized: Part 1: When MS Becomes Part Of Your Life Part 2: Taking Charge Of Your MS Part 3: Staying Healthy And Feeling Well Part 4: Managing Lifestyle Issues Part 5: Creating Your Safety Nets Part 6: Part Of Tens Icons used in this book Where to go from here Part 1: When MS Becomes Part Of Your Life: Meeting MS Face To Face: Introducing the roles your immune and nervous systems play in MS: Immune System: Your body's frontline defender Nervous System: Your body's CEO What happens in MS Taking advantage of the body's natural healing process Exploring possible MS triggers: Gender clues Ethnic or racial clues Geographical clues Lifestyle clues Understanding why your MS is as unique as your fingerprint: Distinguishing the four disease courses Scanning the possible symptoms Reviewing the MS treatment menu Recognizing how your MS affects your loved ones: Talking about the tough stuff Keeping daily life on track Maintaining healthy partnerships Becoming confident parents Minimizing the impact of MS on work and play Protecting your quality of life So, Doc, What Do I Have? Getting A Diagnosis: Clarifying the diagnostic criteria Getting familiar with the Neurologist's diagnostic tools: Medical history Neurologic exam Various medical tests Identifying a clinically isolated syndrome Understanding why the road to diagnosis can have detours You Have MS: So Now What?: First things first: sorting our your feelings: Shock: What just hit me? Denial: This isn't happening Confusion: Why me? Anxiety: What's going to happen to me? Anger: This just isn't fair! Relief: Finally! Now I know what's up! Deciding on the next steps: Catch your breath before making any major changes or decisions Have a heart-to-hart conversation with you neurologist about treatment Begin talking about MS with the people in your life Make commitment to your health Facing the longer-term challenges of a chronic illness: How-to of healthy grieving Living with unpredictability Making treatment and lifestyle choices that work for you: Minimizing the stress of decision-making Getting the professional help you need Reaching our for emotional support Getting The Right Players On Your Healthcare Team: Working with your physician: Finding a neurologist with the qualities you value Establishing a pattern of routine care Making the most of our doctor visits Knowing when to call in the MS specialist Getting a second opinion Rounding up other key players: Nurse for education, guidance, and support Rehabilitation specialists to help you keep on truckin' Mental health specialists to help you keep your head on straight Other important specialists Considering comprehensive MS treatment centers Part 2: Taking Charge Of Your MS: Developing A Plan To Take Charge Of Your MS: Using multiple strategies to manage MS: Modifying the disease course Managing acute relapses Taking charge of your symptoms Enhancing function through rehabilitation Engaging psychosocial support Taking care of your health Tapping your creativity and flexibility Creating your own treatment template Managing The Disease Course And Treating Relapses: Managing the diseases course: Understanding the whys and wherefores of early treatment Getting to know the first-line options Turning to the plan B options Setting realistic expectations for the DMTs Carefully considering benefits and risks Word about progressive forms of MS Managing relapses: Defining a relapse Treating an acute relapse Feeling confident about your treatment decisions Managing Fatigue, Walking Problems, Visual Changes, And Tremor: Foiling your fatigue: Identifying and dealing with the causes of fatigue Managing your energy bank to help put your sleepiness to bed Envisioning solutions to vision problems: Managing visual symptoms Exploring longer-term management strategies Getting around walking problems: Addressing the sources of the problems Using medication to improve walking Using aids to take charge of your mobility Taming tremor Handling Problems With Bladder And Bowel Function, Pain, Speech And Swallowing, And Sex: Eliminating elimination problems: Managing your bothersome bladder Dealing with your bowel symptoms Sidestepping sensory symptoms and pain Sorting out speech and swallowing problems: Speech and voice problems: articulating the facts Watching out for swallowing problems Sizing up sexual symptoms: Identifying the changes you may be experiencing Silence isn't golden: talking is the first step Treating your sexual symptoms Getting Your Head Around Problems With Mood And Thinking: Managing the emotional ups and downs: Dealing with depression Controlling moodiness and irritability Getting a handle on uncontrollable laughing or crying Handling problems with thinking and memory: Defining cognition Understanding how MS an affect your cognition Deciding when an evaluation is in order Knowing what to expect during an evaluation Identifying treatment options Employing practical strategies for managing daily cognitive challenges Considering Complementary And Alternative Medicine: Defining CAM Understanding the allure Putting CAM to the test: Understanding the role of the FDA Sorting out the wheat from the chaff Identifying Cam interventions that may be useful in managing symptoms: Herbs, vitamins, and other CAM options that go into the body Exercise, prayer, and other CAM options done independently or in a class Acupuncture, massage, and other Cam options performed by a practitioner Looking at Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI): Understanding the CCSVI firestorm Ongoing efforts to clarify the relationship between CCSVI and MS Recommendations from the MS experts Becoming a cautious CAM consumer

Part 3: Staying Healthy And Feeling Well: Paying Attention To Your Health: It's Not All About MS: Enhancing your wellness by paying attention to the whole you Scheduling routine checkups to protect your health Making healthy eating a priority: Taking MS into account when planning your menu Battling the barriers to healthy eating Improving you MS and overall wellness with exercise: Overcoming the hurdles Exercising your options Maximizing your comfort and safety during exercise Increasing your chances of success Handling Stress Without Giving Up Your Life: Understanding the relationship between stress and MS Recognizing your own signs of stress: Feeling the physical signs of stress Feeling the emotional signs of stress Identifying your major stresses: Dealing with stress on the job Handling family stress with composure Managing you MS stress Creating your stress management plan: Figuring out your priorities Setting realistic goals Cutting yourself some slack Taking some practical steps Tapping available resources Zoning in on your "MS-free zone" Practicing stress management techniques Coping With Progressive Forms Of MS: Scouting out the treatment scene: Understanding your treatment options Exploring ways to feel and function at your best Taking steps to prevent unnecessary complications Maintaining your quality of life: Holding on to what's important to you Staying connected with other people Establishing goals and enjoying the satisfaction of meeting them Keeping your self-image well-polished Finding your "MS-free zone" Helping yourself by helping someone else Discovering long-term care services (just in case): Defining long-term care Getting help in your home Looking into adult day care Identifying assisted-living options Considering nursing home care Important tips for care partners Part 4: Managing Lifestyle Issues: Explaining your MS to others: Providing the basics Dealing with common reactions Remembering that MS is part of you but not all of you Disclosing your diagnosis to a prospective partner Communicating your needs: Giving clear messages Staking out your independence PS doctors can't read your mind either Making MS A Part Of The Family: Addressing your family members' feelings about your diagnosis Communicating effectively with adult family members: Recognizing communication barriers Getting the ball rolling toward more open communication Keeping the family rhythm going so your MS doesn't steal the show: Coping with the direct and indirect costs Managing energy and time Establishing family priorities Problem-solving: many heads are better than one Building and maintaining healthy partner relationships: Making time for each other Keeping the intimacy alive Maintaining a balanced partnership What to do when one partner can't participate in joint activities Turning a caregiving relationship into a care partnership When your child has MS: Helping your adult child with MS Young children and teens get MS to And Baby Makes Three, Four, Or More: Planning A Family Around Your MS: MS and babies: here's the good news!: Fertility isn't affected by MS Pregnancy hormones reduce disease activity Pregnancies don't increase a woman's long-term disability level Childbirth isn't a piece of cake for anyone but women with MS do just fine Parents with MS have healthy babies Breastfeeding is definitely an option Considering key issues when making family-planning decisions: Minding your medications Remembering that babies don't stay babies very long Facing the uncertainties: the future doesn't come with guarantees Strategies for smart decision-making: Consult your MS doctor Evaluate your financial situation Take a good look at your teamwork Check out your support network Have a heart-to-heart with your partner Talk to other parents living with MS Remember that your plans can change Parenting: It Wasn't Easy Before You Had MS!: Keeping the communication lines open: Telling the kids about your MS makes a good sense Finding ways to broach the big issues Explaining those pesky symptoms Parenting around your MS symptoms: I'm so tired; I'm in bed before they are! How can I be a good dad if I can't even play ball? How can I discipline: if I can't catch'em? Employing effective parenting strategies: Call a spade a spade: let MS take the blame when it needs to Come up with a creative backup plan Call on your support network Remember, MS isn't always to blame-other people's teenagers are a pain too Handle little issues before they get bigger Allow kids to be kids

Part 5: Creating Your Safety Nets:

Keeping Your Place In The Workforce:

Understanding the high rate of unemployment in MS

Counting the reasons to keep on truckin'

Speed bumps ahead: recognizing the job-related challenges:

When symptoms get in the way

When attitudes get in the way

Knowing your rights under the ADA:

Disclosing your MS in the workplace

Understanding the terms used in the law

Requesting reasonable accommodations

Calling in the EEOC

Thinking about leaving your job:

Exhausting your short-term leave options

Looking into long-term disability options

Making the choices that are right for you

Getting A Grip On Insurance:

Considering your health insurance options: it's all about eligibility

Employment-based insurance programs

Public health insurance programs

Insurance plans for the self-employed

Options if you don't have health insurance

Holding on to your health insurance:

Continuing coverage with COBRA

Protecting your coverage with HIPAA

Seeing COBRA and HIPAA work as a team

Understanding the ins and outs of your health insurance plan

Filing successful insurance appeals:

Step 1: Check your coverage

Step 2: Confirm why coverage was denied or was less than expected

Step 3: File an appeal

Replacing your income with disability insurance:

Commercial disability insurance

Public disability insurance: SSDI

Brief word about life and lone-term care insurance

Planning For A Future With MS:

Preparing for the worst while hoping for the best:

Facing those scary "what-ifs?"

Taking charge of your future

Navigating the planning process: it's as easy as one, two, three:

Where are you now?

What might the future bring?

What can you do now to be ready?

Part 6: Part Of Tens:

Tens MS Myths Debunked:

MS is fatal

Everyone eventually needs a wheelchair

Because there's not cure, there's nothing you can do about your MS

People with MS can't handle stress

People with MS shouldn't have children

Having a relapse means your medication isn't working

Natural treatments are safer

No one can understand how you feel

Scientists aren't making any progress

If you can't walk, your life is over

Ten Questions About Exciting Leads In MS Research:

Can vitamin D help prevent MS?

How many genes play a role in MS?

What medications are on the horizon?

Could worms become an MS treatment?

Can exercise improve your memory?

Can the nervous system be repaired?

Could brain tissue loss alter mood?

What might MS in children tell researchers about the causes(s) of MS?

Can a brain damaged by MS rewire itself to compensate for the loss?

What does the future hold?

Ten Tips For Trouble-Free Travel:

Tap the right resources

Calm your medical concerns

Save energy for the fun stuff

Check ahead for accessibility

Rent accessible vehicles

Keep your cool

Navigate air travel with confidence

Safely pack you prescriptions

Get vaccinated

Look for adventure

Glossary

Index.

When MS becomes part of your life. Meeting MS face to face ; So, what is it, Doc? Getting a diagnosis ; You've been diagnosed : so what's next? ; Creating your healthcare team

Taking charge of your MS. Developing your management plan to take charge of your MS ; Managing the disease course and treating relapses ; Managing fatigue, walking problems, visual changes, and tremor ; Handling problems with bladder and bowel function, pain, sex, and speech and swallowing ; Getting your head around problems with thinking and mood ; Considering complementary and alternative medicine

Staying healthy and feeling well. Paying attention to your health : it's not all about MS ; Handling stress without giving up your life ; Coping with advanced MS

Managing lifestyle issues. Presenting your MS face to the world ; Making MS a part of the family ; And baby makes three, four, or more : planning a family around MS ; Parenting : it wasn't easy before you had MS!

Creating your safety nets. Keeping your place in the workforce ; Getting a grip on insurance ; Planning for a future with MS

The part of tens. Ten must-do's for living with MS ; Ten MS myths debunked ; Ten tips for trouble-free travel.