Foreword xv

Introduction 1


Part1: When MS Becomes Part of Your Life 5

Chapter 1: Meeting MS Face to Face 7

Chapter 2: So, What Do I Have? Getting a Diagnosis 25

Chapter 3: You Have MS - So Now What? 39

Chapter 4: Getting the Right Players on Your Healthcare Team 57


Part2: Taking Charge of Your MS 73

Chapter 5: Developing a Plan to Take Charge of Your MS 75

Chapter 6: Managing the Disease Course and Treating Relapses 83

Chapter 7: Managing Symptoms That Impact Sensation 101

Chapter 8: Managing Symptoms That Impact Motor Function 111

Chapter 9: Managing Invisible Symptoms 125


Part3: Staying Healthy and Feeling Well 165

Chapter 10: Paying Attention to Your Health - It’s Not All about MS 167

Chapter 11: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices 177

Chapter 12: Handling Stress without Giving Up Your Life 189


Part4: Managing Lifestyle Issues 203

Chapter 13: Presenting Your MS Face to the World 205

Chapter 14: Making MS a Part of the Family 219

Chapter 15: And Baby Makes Three, Four, or More: Planning a Family around Your MS 241

Chapter 16: Parenting: It Wasn’t Easy Before You Had MS! 251

Chapter 17: Coping with Progressive Forms of MS 269


Part5: Creating Your Safety Nets 287

Chapter 18: Keeping Your Place in the Workforce 289

Chapter 19: Getting a Grip on Insurance 305

Chapter 20: Planning for a Future with MS 319


Part6: The Part of Tens 333

Chapter 21: Ten MS Myths Debunked 335

Chapter 22: Ten Tips for Care Partners 341

Chapter 23: Ten Tips for Trouble-Free Travel 347

Glossary 353

Index 365