@Momentum
Everybody is different
I feel that it is as much my responsibility as Momentum’s to reach a balance in article content and tone. I read only what appeals to and informs me in Momentum, as well as four other MS magazines and one spinal cord injury magazine. After 20 years with MS, I am challenged to complete a 3-mile MS Walk with mobility aids, but I have friends that can manage the 50-mile Challenge Walk and a 60-year-old friend who died from her MS a couple of years ago. We are all different, and no one magazine can be everything to everyone.
Heather Mansfield, Virginia
Real facts of life
Thank you for the “Fired up” article by Nicole Bradley-Bernard (Fall 2019) — real facts of life with MS. We do need to be more prepared by doctors about how this can and does affect us daily. We fight a daily battle with an enemy that is silent in attacks and strikes at any time. Add in the roller coaster of emotions, and the picture becomes much clearer on dealing with MS. Hearing about how unkind MS can be is a hard thing to hear, but knowing is much better than being in the dark. You can prepare yourself with a backup of friends and family to be there for support. Sometimes, the only question they need to ask you is, “How can I help you deal with this?”
L. Taylor Paris, Tennessee
More than nicknames
After reading the Spring 2020 letters in Momentum, I want to talk about MS devices — a word I find offensive, by the way. In my experience — three power chairs in the last 20 years — adapting to a device can be very frustrating. Although these chairs are lifesavers, they present many new challenges. It takes acceptance, adjustments and determination to master these functions when you have MS, not just affectionate nicknames. With respect for this struggle, let’s tell it like it is.
Mary Stella Lamont, Florida
A voice for us all
Kimberlee Zabawa’s voice is heard by all of us, to perfectly describe our “slow processing” incidents (“Still Unshakable,” Spring 2020). I love, love, love this story. It reinforces our feelings that we are OK, just please have patience with us.
Annemarie Rainka, Massachusetts
State of limbo
I just read “State of Limbo” (Summer 2019). I thought I was the only one! I do not feel so lonely and depressed after reading this article. I have been in a state of limbo since 1990, when my first neurologist diagnosed probable MS. Over 15 years, he would always order an MRI and it always came back negative. At least the physician I saw for a second opinion suggested medicine to relieve my pain. I am now seeing another neurologist annually, but all he can do is treat my symptoms. I wish I had been able to take one of the MS medications to see if that would have had an effect. Thank you for this article! This is why I am so happy to receive Momentum.