On Monday, I wrote about how breastfeeding may help women with multiple sclerosis (MS) reduce the risk of a relapse in the year after delivery. But, what exactly is multiple sclerosis?
MS is a neurological (nerve) disease that strikes mostly young adults and most of them are women. It’s most commonly found in people who have northern European ancestry and is more common in the northern countries. Canada has one of the highest MS rates in the world.
The disease can be quick but then take breaks (relapse remitting MS) or slow and steady (progressive). People with relapse remitting can quite possible …read more

While some women with multiple sclerosis (MS) — a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system — stop breastfeeding in order to take medications for the disease, a new study explains why that may be a mistake.

A Stanford University School of Medicine study showed that mothers with MS who breastfeed exclusively for at least two months are less likely to experience a relapse of MS symptoms within a year after the baby is born. The suppression of menses is thought to help with MS symptoms.
Study authors advise that women with MS should be encouraged to breastfeed exclusively for at …read more

In response to my post,  Crafts Good for Mental Health, one of my readers shared her  experiences with mixed media art in her struggle with multiple sclerosis. 
“Crafting and art has kept me sane,” she said, in spite of her left hand sometimes experiencing pain. 
I’d imagine her crafting also keeps her hands more agile, even though she does have some pain.  I know this was true of my grandmother.
Nanny’s hands were curled and crippled with arthritis in her later years.  However, she insisted on keeping them busy with snapping beans, shucking peas, mending clothes, stitching quilts, making doll clothes, and crocheting rag rugs.  I recall sitting …read more

Here is a little update on why thing shave been so slow around A Hearty Life lately. I had been having issues with migraines, numbness and eye pain over the last few months/years really. Everything came to a head last month and my vision slowly worsened and my left hand and left leg didn’t want me to feel that they were there as well as my speech sounding more then a bit off- long and short is they are working me up for MS- I have hot spots/flare ups.
I am having another round of scans and more follow up appts …read more