9 msfocusmagazine.org Have Your Say At MS Focus we take our cues from you, the members of the MS community. The services we provide, the topics we address, and the changes we advocate for are all guided byyour concerns. So have your say. We welcome your questions, suggestions, opinions and feedback. Reach us at editor@msfocus.org, call 800-225-6495, or use the contact form on www.msfocus.org. frustrations, and that you found useful suggestions for dealing with the problem in the article. Ifourreadershaveothersuggestionsforhow todealwithpeopledownplayingyoursymptoms, please send them to editor@msfocus.org and we will pass them along to Kevin, or publish them in a future issue! Dear MS Focus, The article in the Fall 2017 edition of MS Focus Magazine titled, “When a Caregiver has MS,” was needed. I found solace when I read it. I am a caregiver with MS who works part-timeasanursingassistantinhomehealth. There were many work shifts that took a toll on me and forced me to deal with my own health. The responsibility that comes with working in the nursing field while dealing with MS is an everyday challenge. Although my client and I both have health issues, we have found a way to work together. The onset of MS for me is increasingly unfortunate, but I am learning every day to make the best out of it all. Helping others has healing virtue and takes our minds off of self. Thank you for the empowering literature, Dr. Gayle Lewis and the editor at MS Focus. Anthony Clark, Lynchburg, Virginia Greetings MS Focus, Thank you for all the information and knowledgethatgoesineachMSFocusMagazine. They say knowledge is power, so thanks for enlightening me more. On this snowy day in Upstate New York, I find that reading the magazine and waiting for the washer to finish is a good way to spend my time right now. I have been exercising for about six days a week for a number of years, and still I have balance issues. MS is a challenge, but I would rather go on exercising than not. One of my strong motivators is the fact that I am fearful to stop exercising. I know I have to keep moving as much as I can. Thanks again for the time you take to read all of these emails. Jim, Via email Dear Jim, Kudos to you for preserving your strength and flexibility through exercise! As Dr. Herb Karpatkin explained in our last issue (TheTwoTypes of Exercise forPeople with MS, Winter 2018) not all exercise is created equal. Exercising for wellness is important, but for specific symptoms like balance impairment, a healthcare professional maybe able to helpyou improve byprescribing specific exercises. Research also indicates that practicing yoga can improve balance for people with MS. Participants in yoga classes funded through MS Focus’ Health and Wellness Grant often report that this is true for them. See what they have to say about it in the article on page 36, and learn how you can benefit from this grant in your community