13 msfocusmagazine.org MS Focus Activities Sept. 24 - Brooklyn, N.Y. Neuroplasticity: Heal Your Brain With Exercise Herb Karpatkin, PT, DSc, NCS, MSCS, spoke about the importance of physical activity and how having an active, healthy body is critical in the fight against MS. “In MS, weakness can be primary, meaning it's caused by the MS itself, or secondary, caused by deconditioning. Most people with MS experience some weakness due to deconditioning. That is good news. You can be conditioned.” Nov. 13-14 - Providence, R.I. and Norwood, Mass. MS as a Partnership MS-certified nurse, Cherie Binns, headlined two events in the Northeast and spoke about overcoming the struggles of daily living with MS. Her husband, Dave, also spoke about his role as a caregiver, and how their relationship and communication changed over the years. “Find something you enjoy doing, and just find a way to do it. Or learn something new and do that. Make adjustments as you need them. It is important to occupy your time, but more important to occupy your time with something you will enjoy doing.” Nov. 11 - Gainesville, Fla. IV MS Therapies Dr. Aaron Carlson, a neurologist from the University of Florida, took an evening to talk about the good and bad aspects of IV MS therapies to people with MS on Veteran’s Day. “Medications are meant to keep people stable. When you create stability, you create opportunity. Early on, you may not notice anything different, but that doesn't mean it's not working. Four, five years down the road, you'll notice it created stability. Perspective is important.” This program was sponsored by: EMD Serono, Genentech and Biogen. [TAKEAWAYS