Ian Franks has MS and, because he has severe mobility problems, he is also a wheelchair user. Today he says don't be afraid to use wheelchairs, they are tools to help you get around and improve your independence.
neurologist
Birthday presents: True diagnosis and a possible treatment
It was a strange day, well, certainly out of the ordinary! I am talking about last Friday, November 8, 2019. First of all, it was my birthday (yep, now 67, getting on a bit) but it was also the day I had to see my neurologist for my regular MS check-up. Not the day I … Continue reading Birthday presents: True diagnosis and a possible treatment
Diagnosis: You have MS, but what type – and what does that mean?
A leading neurologist has talked about giving patients the news that they have multiple sclerosis and their reactions. He has also described the different types of the disease. Dr Neil Lava, a neurologist at Atlanta’s Emory University School of Medicine, was interviewed by Everyday Health. Everyday Health, Inc. is a digital media company which owns … Continue reading Diagnosis: You have MS, but what type – and what does that mean?
Shocking: Neurological misdiagnosis fears prompt patient reviews
People living with multiple sclerosis, and other neurological conditions, are among thousands of patients being recalled for case reviews. They were all treated by consultant neurologist Dr Michael Watt and the reviews have been triggered by fears of possible misdiagnosis. I am shocked and horrified that the reviews are necessary but delighted that the powers … Continue reading Shocking: Neurological misdiagnosis fears prompt patient reviews
Meeting with neurologist in Spain, after MS Nurse blocked me in UK
People with serious illnesses need specialist medical care. That may be stating the obvious but my experience leads me to believe that it is not always true. I received my diagnosis of having multiple sclerosis in 2002 in the UK and began by seeing a neurologist every six months. However, after just a couple of … Continue reading Meeting with neurologist in Spain, after MS Nurse blocked me in UK
Self-advocate: Take control of your own treatment
Becoming a self-advocate may be the best way of getting the treatment any MS patient may want. Stem cell transplants are known as aHSCT or just HSCT, and interest in them as a therapy for MS has never been higher. First there were stories from the annual meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers … Continue reading Self-advocate: Take control of your own treatment
Getting to see neurologist proves not so simple
Three or so years ago, I was sitting in a North Wales regional meeting of the UK’s MS Society and distinctly remember a society staffer saying that everyone with multiple sclerosis had a right to see a neurologist. If we wanted to see one, we only had to ask. Well, in my case, I had not seen … Continue reading Getting to see neurologist proves not so simple
Neurologists’ difficulty with HSCT for MS
Concerns are often expressed about difficulties in getting approval or agreement of neurologists for patients with multiple sclerosis to have Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT). Reports have been published via social media of neurologists telling people with MS that the treatment would not benefit them as they have the ‘wrong type’ of MS – … Continue reading Neurologists’ difficulty with HSCT for MS
Remembering life before MS diagnosis
Gwynedd Hospital, Bangor, and the Walton Centre, Liverpool. Just the other day, someone asked me what my life was like before I had MS – to which I replied that I had the illness some 25+ years before it was diagnosed in the spring of 2002. I asked her what she wanted to know and … Continue reading Remembering life before MS diagnosis