Although the scientific community has known that testing for antibodies for the JC virus can give us information that will help determine our risk for PML if we take Tysabri, no test was commercially available. Now, Quest Diagnostics has developed STRATIFY JCV, a blood test for anti-JC virus antibodies. So, why should we get this test if we are on Tysabri or considering taking it?

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Many of us want to do way more than we can, as we are limited by our multiple sclerosis symptoms. This often leads to guilt - the idea that we should be better, we should be able to finish things, we should not have to ask for help.

I'm trying to work on this myself. The naps that I have to take in the afternoon are not as nice if I feel guilty about them. My husband is probably sick of me saying that I am sorry all the time for not being able to make a nice meal. I'm tired of thinking about how I should be better at stuff.

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In my latest post, Are You a Vegetarian with Multiple Sclerosis?, I discussed wanting to eat less meat overall, but being restricted by the guidelines of the Best Bet Diet.

Writing this post reminded me that vegetarians, especially vegans, often need to take supplements of vitamin B12. Studies have shown that people with MS have a higher rate of vitamin B12 deficiency than the general population, probably due to a problem with binding and transport of this vitamin.

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I think, with very few exceptions, those of us living with multiple sclerosis can always benefit from learning more about out disease. Whenever I have thought that I am pretty knowledgeable about MS and that my learning is done for awhile, I have been humbled by a piece of new information that I have stumbled upon that has made me realize that the amount that I understand is but a tiny percentage of the gigantic body of knowledge that exists about MS. Furthermore, information about MS is a moving target - there are few absolute "knowns" about this disease.

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