Hello friends --I hope this finds you and yours doing well.  I have a favor to ask of you: would you kindly hit reply to this email and share your thoughts with me on how valuable (or not) this FUMS 6-Pack newsletter AND the FUMS Podcast is to you?  I would really appreciate your honest opinion.  I am looking at all aspects of FUMS in an effort to streamline, reduce redundancy and only expend energy on those things that truly benefit my community.  I have MS too, and as I'm confident you understand, there is a need for energy conservation. I am committing to do only that which truly benefits my community this year. So - what say you??  And thanks, in advance, for your honest, unvarnished truth. Let's get to what's up in MS this week, shall we?1.  A protein in the virus that causes COVID-19 is structurally similar to several proteins targeted by the immune system in MS, a new study shows. The results provide a potential mechanism for how COVID-19 could trigger MS-like disease in susceptible individuals.  Interesting stuff:  COVID-19 Could Trigger MS Via ‘Molecular Mimicry2.  In the "completely counterintuitive department" we have a study that finds increased physical activity decreases MS fatigue.  Weird, right?? Agreed. But it's true for me too. Read all about it - here: Lifestyle Changes to Increase Physical Activity Improved MS Fatigue3.  This ought to stir the pot: People with progressive multiple sclerosis had higher levels of protective molecules in their spinal fluid two years after being injected with stem cells from a fetus. Whether this translates into improved symptoms over time is unclear.  Fetal stem cell treatment for multiple sclerosis shows promising signs4.  Anybody else love this time of year - because of the Consumer Electronics Show??  I LOVE seeing all the innovations - and what can help MS'ers in particular.  Here's a good one (looking at you "L'Oreal.  Good on you!):  L’Oréal unveils 'smart' lipstick tool for people with limited hand, arm mobility5.  Information is POWER.  According to a paper published in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences in December 2022, MS patients who display increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and abnormal carotid blood flow on ultrasound are at an increased risk of risk of more aggressive progression of disability. Experts involved in the study indicated that these sonographic findings could be used to prompt earlier interventions in patients most at risk to potentially blunt the impact of disabling symptoms.  Vascular ultrasound findings offer clues into disability progression in MS patients6.  In MS Celeb news: Selma Blair Gives Candid Update About Life With MS: 'I'm So Much Better, but It Haunts My Physical Cells'Well - that's all folks. I hope this 6-Pack has given you something to think about!!  I appreciate you taking the time to reply to me and give me an honest assessment of both this newsletter and the FUMS podcast.  And - Happy New Year.  I can't still say that, right??Cheers -- Kathy#FUMS

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