quality of life

I love the fall. It’s the perfect balance of weather between the summer’s heat and the winter’s snow. I love wearing layers of clothing, and when the leaves on the trees change their colors it means we’re closer to my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. I also love the fall because there…

Problems in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates involuntary bodily processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion, are very frequent among people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a study has shown. All 80 NMOSD patients in the study experienced ANS-related symptoms, and a greater burden…

Children don’t see race, age, wealth, weight, or disability, we’re told. Instead, they look for unconditional love. I believe that’s true until a certain point; then their innocence is forever lost. My 11-year-old daughter, Sophie, has always been a generous person. Even when she began to grow up and realize…

Even though summer isn’t officially over yet, it already feels like the end. This year, I’m feeling a bit emotional about it, and I’m sure my neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) has something to do with that. Living with NMOSD has made me hyperaware of the effects of…

I’ve been trying to stay active, but after a long family bike ride, I was exhausted. I opened my fridge looking for a fast and easy snack and audibly cheered when I found the strawberries I’d washed, chopped, and neatly placed into Tupperware earlier that day. Had I not found…

Living in a big city like Denver has always had its perks. My office downtown is but a 10-minute drive from home, our food scene is incredible, and the city is diverse and always growing. And one of the biggest blessings of living in Denver is having good access…

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients have significantly poorer nutritional status than healthy people which is associated with worse quality of life, a study found. Longer disease duration; poor sleep quality; being a woman; and higher levels of anxiety, depression, or fatigue were found to be significantly associated with…

Summer for most teens is a time to relax, stay up and wake up late, enjoy time with friends, and be free from the demands and stress of high school. For my 15-year-old daughter, Bella, though, summer has been a time to catch up on schoolwork so she’ll pass ninth…

Achieving nine goals could help address inequities with access to properly diagnosing and treating neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a Massachusetts physician maintains. The goals were proposed by Farrah Mateen, MD, PhD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston as a personal viewpoint in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal under…

“It’s like heaven and hell at the same time.” That’s my response whenever I meet another neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patient who asks me about our Canadian healthcare system. Don’t get me wrong: I’m an incredibly proud Canadian. There are wonderful aspects to our “Great North,” including our…