ActiveMSers is designed to help, motivate, and inspire those with multiple sclerosis to stay as active as possible—physically, intellectually, and socially—regardless of physical limitations.
> Unbiased reviews and tests of gear [ActiveMSers has reviewed and tested MS aids including cooling vests, trekking poles, sun-protective umbrellas, walking sticks, medication coolers, clothing, and more so you can get the best value for your investment.] > Expert advice on multiple sclerosis exercises [With input from physical therapists and MS experts, ActiveMSers will show you how to fight dropfoot, reduce spasticity, lessen fatigue, maximize mobility, and boost brain power through exercise and stretching.] > 100's of helpful tips and tricks on living with MS [You’ll find hundreds of tips about living with multiple sclerosis, from how to best deal with heat to coping with fatigue to traveling the world. Get motivated by compelling stories from fellow MSers dealing with the disease.] > Forum, blog, and free newsletter [You are not alone in this fight. Connect with fellow MSers for advice and tips through our interactive web forum. Learn about how to deal with MS symptoms, how to stay active, and how to give yourself shots at our active blog. Sign up for our free e-newsletter.]
Recently Added
+ BLOG: Always Being, Gulp, Prepared. What, wear diapers because of my multiple sclerosis? Well, if I was going to commit, it was going to be whole hog—I’m talkin’ the huge 72-pack of Depends from COSTCO. Hell, I alone could soak up a quarter of that oil in the Gulf. And you know what? It wasn't the nightmare I feared—it was liberating.
+ ActiveMSers Plugged in Motor Trend. I rarely let an opportunity to promote ActiveMSers slip by. I was pictured in the May 2010 issue of Motor Trend getting, of all things, a Tysabri infusion. Check it out.
+ From Barely Walking to Ironman! When Mark Van Meter was diagnosed at age 20 with multiple sclerosis, he thought he wouldn't make it to age 40. He could barely walk, much less write his own name. Today, at age 47, he is working at qualifying for the most grueling Ironman in the world. Read his courageous story.
+ New Study: Being Highly Fit Protects the MS Brain. Ohio State researchers just completed a study that found, to their surprise, that highly fit MSers (aerobically) had significantly better cognitive function than the typical multiple sclerosis patient. If you have the ability to raise that heart rate—swim, jog, row, bike, UBE, hike, climb, square dancing, anything—you could be doing your gray matter a huge favor. Click here for the full story.
+ Stay Cool Tips while Biking. It can be tricky to manage the heat while exercising outdoors. Active MSer AMFAdventures of Colorado has put together an indespensible guide for cyclists and casual bike riders that will help you ride harder and longer on the trail or road. Look for more great advice (and share your own experiences) on our friendly forum.
+ Carpe Diem! Multiple sclerosis can royally muck up the best-laid vacation plans. The trick? Don't let it. Carpe diem—seize the moment. I did just that when a relapse threatened to turn my dream Italy trip into a bad Chevy Chase movie even the Grizwalds would have avoided. Not only was the holiday a success, I even got to sit on the Pope's toilet! Read how you, too, can guarantee a great trip (almost) every time regardless of your disability.
+ Your WORST travel pet peeves! Having just returned from a European vacation, I acquired a whole new level of appreciation for the American's with Disabilities Act... and a growing list of travel pet peeves. Here are my newest travel horror tales, starting with the toilet you see here. What are yours?
+ Updated Travel Tips. Each time I jet off I gather a few extra nuggets of travel advice, either from personal experience or from chatting with fellow multiple sclerosis travelers. Click here to read my newest additions so you can prevent your next holiday from being "ruined," pardon the pun.
+ Your Stories: Ashlea Deahl Keeps Moving. "Forget about what you can’t do – do whatever you can to keep moving." So says a defiant Ashlea Deahl, the editor of Phoenix Magazine who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001 at the age of 22. Her motivating story about controlling her MS, fighting through fatigue, and "running" her first marathon should be a mandatory read for MSers.
+ Seize the Moment! Mild or Spicy. Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable beast that can be as mild as a green pepper or as spicy as a Naga Jolokia, the world's hottest chile pepper. So when faced with an opportunity, well, read what I did by clicking here.
+ Staying Fit on the Water: Kayaking with MS. Suzanne Wilk was used to 9-hour kayaking day trips. But when she was diagnosed with MS just weeks after her 50th birthday, she didn't even know if she would still be able to kayak at all. She can and she does (although the trips are a bit shorter). Here's her story.
+ Exercise can help the brain? That is what studied are starting to show. Exercise may slow brain atrophy, another reason to get (and stay) in shape. Visit the ActiveMSers' forum for more fitness discussion and advice—including how working out can help reduce fatigue and improve your quality of life. Click here!
+ REVIEW: Portable Freezer Impresses. With the summer bearing down on us, staying cool while traveling can be a pain in the rear. Which is why the Engel MT35F freezer, which works in your car, could be considered a Godsend. Click here to read why.
+ YOUR STORIES: Marathoner Keeps Running. Margaret Finelt has run six marathons, two after her MS diagnosis, and she is training for her seventh. She just keeps on running. Click here for her inspirational story.
+ ActiveMSers FORUM is all new. With the help of volunteers, ActiveMSers has launched an all-new, robust forum. We invite you to particpate, chat about fitness, gear, or anything MS-related. There is also a section where you can connect with fellow MSers in your area and announce local events. Plus, buy/sell/trade/gift your gear in our Classifieds section. Click here to visit the new forum.
+ Life (and Maybe Death) Decisions in the Himalayas. When I went to the Kingdom of Bhutan, I was faced with a difficult quandry: try an insanely tricky route (stairs, no railings, with drops of 1,000 feet) or take a pass on the country's most fabled and holy site. Here's what I decided to do.
+ Best exercise tips for multiple sclerosis. After months of research, ActiveMSers has put together a comprehensive list of the best exercise and stretching advice for people with MS. The tips are also in a downloadable Word document so you can print out and save a personal copy (or forward it to friends). This list will be updated on a regular basis. Click here for the top MS exercise tips.
+ MS attacks can sneak up on you like a hungry shark. Facing my first major relapse in over two and a half years, I should have been more prepared. But sometimes you just can't prepare for the unpredictability that is multiple sclerosis. Here's how I handled it.
+ Hope on the Slopes. ActiveMSer Susannah Wright was diagnosed five years ago with MS at the age of 35. "Within months of my diagnosis, all the outdoor activities I once enjoyed seemed out of reach. Injuries from spastic muscles, tripping and falling had ended my marathon training. Fatigue and dizzy spells made caring for my family's horse ranch exhausting. I had lost the ability to do the things I loved...." And then Susannah discovered snowboarding. Click here for her inspiring story.
+ Brooks Donates Quick-Dry Ts.Brooks Sports, the popular running shoe company, has donated a dozen high-quality quick-dry T shirts to ActiveMSers (retailing for $25/each). The olive green Ts received the official ActiveMSers logo imprinted in white on the front of the shirt. Order your limited-edition ActiveMSers Brooks T by clicking here.
+ Dressing up your cane with Kickin' Cane Covers. Darlene was diagnosed with MS in 1995. Since then she has come up with an innovative idea to blend fashion with function: Kickin' Cane Covers. Click here to read her story.
+ Today I hit a pedestrian with my truck. He was trying to commit suicide. Stress can ramp up MS symptoms and few things are more stressful than hitting a person while driving 45 mph in a big SUV. Fortunately the suicidal man lived, indeed walked--and then ran--away. Click here to read what happened.
+ Test Complete! Walking Aides: What's Best. With reviews of poles from Leki, Black Diamond, and REI, ActiveMSers has finished its testing on hiking and walking poles. The results are telling--poles can be a huge asset (and better than any traditional cane). Here's what to look for in a trekking pole.
+ Spelunking challenges for the MSer. Dave revisits a hairy situation 100 feet underground in his blog. How hairy? Think multiple abysses. Then mix in whacky eyesight, fuzzy balance, and the tighest of squeezes: only a scant 10 inches of room! Click here to read!
+ What's Better: a Cane or a Staff? ActiveMSers "fell" into the question, pardon the pun, and came up with some practical advice. We've included a section on canes and staffs at the bottom of our trekking pole review. We'll be investigating this topic in more detail in the future. Here's what we discovered.
+ Order Your "MS is BS" T-shirt today! Yes, MS is BS--Multiple Sclerosis is Beatable Someday. And that's why we stay active. Our first ActiveMSers T-shirt was designed by the acclaimed graphic design studio Ripe Inc. (www.ripeinc.com) out of Albuquerque, NM. We have women- and men-specific T-shirts with a full range of sizing. Click here to get your T-shirt now.
+ How the "urge" could save lives. Unless you are purchasing a 2008 Infiniti EX35 with Lane Departure Prevention, having an MSer riding shotgun on a road trip is the next best thing when it comes to safety. Yet another one of the 1,001 advantages of having multiple sclerosis. Dave explains why in his blog.
+ A Quest to Get Healthy (and Lose 70 lbs). Donna James was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005. Now she's on a quest to lose 70 lbs (she's lost an incredible 51 lbs so far) to get healthy with MS and raise money for a great cause. Click here to read her story.
+ Cooling Vest Buying Guide. Summer can be a brutal time for us MSers--staying cool is a big deal. So ActiveMSers has put together the most comprehensive review and comparison of multiple sclerosis cooling vests (sometimes called ice vests) on the web. Click here for our advice on the best cooling systems on the market today so you can make an educated decision.
+ Horseback riding means therapy for one Active MSer. Martha Skye Martin writes of her fondness for horses and how horseback riding has become an essential form of therapy for her multiple sclerosis. Click here to read her story.
BLOG
+ MS Musings Blog. ActiveMSers has launched an official blog page called MS Musings. Subscribe to the RSS feed, comment on my (mostly) humorous posts, or just read and explore. Click here to visit the blog!
+Front Page Coverage. The Los Alamos Monitor newspaper put ActiveMSers on the cover of their February 27 edition with a great stories about teen MSers learning how to snowboard. Click here to read.
+Snowboarding with Teen MSers. Even an 18-year-old with balance and fatigue issues gave snowboarding a go, and those actions speak louder than a Guns and Roses concert.
+Giro Omen Helmet: Dave has tried many a snow helmet when snowboarding. But only one has ever truly impressed. And now that he has MS, getting the right helmet is critical. Click here to read our full Giro Omen review.
As seen in the The Wall Street Journal. (click image to enlarge)
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Brain atrophy in MS starts very early in the disease (often before you even have symptoms) and is one of the most debilitating results of MS. The best ways to battle atrophy: medication that slows the disease, physical exercise, and... puzzles! Studies have shown that by doing daily puzzles, you can sharpen your mental abilities and shave up to a decade off your "brain age." Below is a daily Sudoku. They start out very easy, and then get harder as the week goes on. HINT: If you are new, start on a Monday or Tuesday puzzle. Good luck!
1001 Advantages of MS! Little did you know that there are so many advantages to having MS. I'm even talking super powers! On Staying Active Sure, you might be slowing down, but there are myriad ways to stay active (and maybe decrease your fatigue). On Getting Diagnosed Getting diagnosed with multiple sclerosis sucks. Freaking out? Ha, you are not alone. Welcome to the club. On Dealing with Symptoms Multiple sclerosis symptoms can be a bear to deal with day to day. Here's how I look at it and cope. On Giving Yourself a Shot So you have multiple sclerosis and have to give yourself regular injections. Trust me, it ain't that bad. On Friends How your friends and family handle your MS is a crap shoot. It's also a form of entertainment for the MSer. On Whatever Sometimes there just isn't a right category. Like when some guy jumps out in front of your SUV trying to commit suicide.
