Spring has sprung and summer is already on its way! It’s time to start turning an eye towards summertime adventures like traveling to new places, staying cool and training for Bike MS! Keep up with everything going on at the National MS Society this summer by visiting MSnorthwest.org.
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Travel: Going Someplace New
After she was diagnosed with primary-progressive MS, Kendra L. Williams, a travel editor for a monthly magazine, was not willing to give up her travel addiction. “Traveling would still be a part of my life, even if I had to do it differently,” she writes. In this article, Kendra shares her experience exploring a state park near her home with her son, her dog and her shiny purple walker.
More travel resources:
American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting
Nearly 13,000 neurologists and other researchers convened at the American Academy of Neurology 2015 Annual Meeting this past April to share progress in understanding and treating neurological diseases like MS. Updates on trials in progressive MS, diet and lifestyle research, and myelin repair strategies took center stage with some exciting, new results.
As of January 1, 2015, Social Security beneficiaries received a 1.7% cost of living adjustment, or COLA. However, COLA affects more than the monthly benefit check that Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients receive. It also affects certain work incentives that may prove useful when people with multiple sclerosis attempt to return to work.
Advocacy 101 wrap-up & resources
Current and future activists came together last month for the Society’s Advocacy 101 webinar, where they discovered tools and resources to help share their story, influence elected officials, and effect real change. Now, the materials are available for you! View the webinar recording and workbook on the new Advocacy 101 webpage.
More than 12,000 participants and 360 volunteers joined us at 23 Walk MS events this spring. Participants rallied, cheered and connected with others in the MS movement to demonstrate the power of our connections in creating a world free of multiple sclerosis. We’re getting close, but have not yet achieved the $2.1 million fundraising goal. Stay tuned for the final tally in next month’s eNews!