Hello friends --I hope you and yours are well and happy on this the first day of February in 2022.  How did that happen exactly??  I apologize for not getting a 6-pack out last week.  I flew to Florida to be with the rest of my family as we said goodbye to my brother Denny who opted to stop treatment for colon cancer and go into hospice.  His is not the first bedside I've sat on in these circumstances - and I'm always struck by the realization that we can take our pets in when they are suffering and with 1 shot, they fall asleep and are delivered of their pain.  But we require our people to suffer - those dying and those watching.  This is an issue that I plan to address at a legislative level. I'll keep you updated if anyone is interested in joining me in this fight.  OK - so what's up in the world of MS you ask??  Let's see:1.  This is the most moving podcast episode I've ever recorded.  It's with Jenny Angus, an MS'er with an especially aggressive case of MS who has tried everything - and considered suicide - and, as of today, is in Mexico to undergo HSCT stem cell transplant.  It's a very important episode and I invite you to listen here:  Jenny Angus2.  Did you see the study out of Harvard that showed a causal effect of the Epstein-Barr Virus on MS??  That's right - they use the word "CAUSE"!!  I was supposed to interview Dr. Aaron Boster about this study this past weekend but he had to cancel.  Working on getting that rescheduled now.  THIS.  IS.  HUGE.  EBV = MS3.  In a study done in the UK, researchers found that people with MS have a higher risk of long COVID.  Lucky us!  Get your vaccinations and boosters!!!  Higher Risk of Long COVID Possible With MS4.  Interesting study - "MS patients who consumed more meat had more severe symptoms in some cases."  WOW.  Read more here: Multiple sclerosis: meat eating may affect severity, new research suggests5.  Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) did not increase the risk of MS development and were not associated with worse clinical outcomes, a recent study reported.  I hadn't heard that that was a risk factor - had you??  Good to know.  Here's the article:  Adverse Childhood Experiences Don’t Influence MS Risk: Study6.  I LOVED being pregnant.  I felt so damned good when I was pregnant - as a lot of women with MS report.  In fact, if it wouldn't result in another child, I'd be pregnant the rest of my life - that's how good I felt!!  Here's the lowdown on pregnancy and MS:  Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy: A guideOK - that's all folks.  Hope you find this newsletter helpful.  May I ask a favor?  Would you please share it with someone that you think could benefit from it?? The mission is to help as many people as possible - I need YOUR help to spread the word.  Thanks in advance.Warmly -- Kathy#FUMSP.S.  If you're interested in finding and creating flexible, remote work where you can accommodate your health and generate an income, please, check out Patients Getting Paid - a membership community to learn how to do just that.  Things like Patient Advocacy, Voice Over Work, Photo Organization, ecommerce, affiliate marketing, etc. Learn more - and join us on the inside - here:  Patients Getting PaidP.S.S.  There's a rumor that the price of the membership is going up soon.  FYI.  😉 

Sometimes it helps the stress, just to say "F-U-M-S"