Hello friends --I hope this finds you all doing well.  Let me start by thanking so many of you that reached out to tell me stories of how FUMS has helped you over the years and those of you that were able to contribute financially. I have cried more than once realizing that those 9 years of work is truly valued and valuable - and has, in fact, helped people. That's always been the goal.Right after I sent out that request for help on Monday (see Patreon campaign), I got a call that my husband, who was traveling for business, was in the ER in Florida.  That turned into emergency surgery and as I type this, I'm sitting next to his bed in the hospital. He's been through a tough time and will have quite a recovery period. Since I dropped everything when I got that call and got myself to Florida, I failed to bring my podcasting equipment so I won't be able to get another pod episode out for a time. I'm so sorry about that - and I'll get one out just as quickly as possible. OK - enough of that. Let's get to the good stuff:1.  Almost half of  MS patients either change or stop their DMTs due to the high financial burden. Anyone here surprised?? Yeah - me neither.  Here's the article: This Shit Costs Too Much 2.  A new study has found a link between the amount of fat in the blood and changes to the arteries surrounding the necks and skulls of people with multiple sclerosis (MS).  Read all about it: You Mean My Blood's Too Fat Too?3.  Good news for our European FUMS'ers: Mayzent Approved in Europe as First Oral Treatment for Active Secondary Progressive MS4.  People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who complete training through a method called the modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT) show a decrease in brain activity after training, which could indicate more efficient brain processing, a recent study shows. Train Your Brain!!5.  This is big: early research in animal models and human samples reveals how loss of communication between nerve cells contributes to the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), and shows how gene therapy could be used to preserve such connections and protect against vision loss.  Gene Therapy Is Cool! 6.  And in the cool column: MedRhythms is planning to soon open a pilot clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of its MR-004, its investigational product that uses rhythmic sounds to improve walking abilities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).  Tee hee: The Rhythm Method That's all folks. Hope you found this information helpful. If you find value in this weekly email, in the daily Facebook and Twitter posts, in the twice monthly podcast episodes, in the monthly online FUMS Positivity Support Group Meeting, in the blog posts, in the ebook, and would like to show your support, please visit the FUMS Patreon Page to learn more about how you can support FUMS and get some cool benefits as well!!  Warmly -- Kathy#FUMS

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