How Many Kinds of Diabetes Are There? Lots. Explore Type 1, Type 2, LADA And More

Confused about the different types of diabetes? Never heard of other forms of diabetes beyond “1” and “2”? You’re not alone. As American Diabetes Month comes to a close, we’re shedding some light on this topic. Overall, more than 30 million Americans (9.4 percent of the U.S. population) have diabetes. Here’s a guide to help you and… Continue reading How Many Kinds of Diabetes Are There? Lots. Explore Type 1, Type 2, LADA And More

“What do you mean I can’t bring my service animal in?” Member Craig talks life with fibromyalgia and service dogs.

Craig Braquet (woofhound) is living with fibromyalgia and severe degenerative disc disease, the result of a multi-car accident in 1979. We first introduced Craig when he joined the 2015-2016 PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors, but today we introduce his dogs, Luna, Oliver and Dakota. See what Craig has to say about training his own service dogs, taking… Continue reading “What do you mean I can’t bring my service animal in?” Member Craig talks life with fibromyalgia and service dogs.

Breaking the silence on incontinence

A guest blog by member Shannon   MS gives me a lot to write about, which is a wonderful coping mechanism when certain aspects of the disease are difficult to talk about. Initially, I wrote about stress and the heavy toll it’s played in my life, and on my body, in the last month. But, as often happens… Continue reading Breaking the silence on incontinence

Psychotherapy and PTSD symptoms: Your questions answered

Recently, a number of PatientsLikeMe members shared some of the questions they had about psychotherapy and  remission from PTSD symptoms, so we asked Meaghan Zisk, R.N. M.P.H., a nurse and Health Data and Patient Safety Clinical Specialist, to investigate. She took a deep dive into variations of PTSD, psychotherapy types, how they work and resources to help… Continue reading Psychotherapy and PTSD symptoms: Your questions answered

Practicing Reiki and Qigong with Parkinson’s disease: Karl Robb shares the benefits of these complementary therapies

What kinds of complementary treatments can help people with Parkinson’s disease (PD)? PatientsLikeMe blog partner Karl Robb recently shared with us about his complementary therapies of choice: Reiki and Qigong. Karl has been living with young-onset PD for more than 30 years and practicing Reiki for nearly 20 years. He and his wife, Angela, are… Continue reading Practicing Reiki and Qigong with Parkinson’s disease: Karl Robb shares the benefits of these complementary therapies

From tomatoes to turmeric: Can foods fight inflammation?

Inflammation is a hot topic. What’s it all about? And what’s the scoop on certain diets, foods and supplements, such as turmeric, when it comes to fighting inflammation? What is inflammation? Not all inflammation is “bad.” Acute inflammation is part of the body’s natural way of defending itself from foreign substances like viruses, bacteria, cuts and splinters.… Continue reading From tomatoes to turmeric: Can foods fight inflammation?

Marijuana and MS: Get the scoop

From legality to availability, recreational use and potential use as treatment, marijuana is a hot topic. In the MS forum, members are talking about marijuana and its potential to relieve symptoms of MS like pain, tremor and spasticity. We wanted to know more, so we asked our Health Data Integrity team to take a look… Continue reading Marijuana and MS: Get the scoop

How to be your best health advocate

PatientsLikeMe is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Cathy Chester, a wife, mother, advocate and the voice behind her blog, “An Empowered Spirit: Living a Healthy and Vibrant Life After 50.” You might’ve already seen Cathy’s #MoreThan story about her diagnosis and how she’s much more than MS. Here, Cathy dives into the importance of being your… Continue reading How to be your best health advocate

How cancer affects diet + pointers for trying to eat well

Many PatientsLikeMe members have talked in the forum about the dietary impact of lung cancer treatment and how it has hindered their eating. As many as 40 to 60 percent of patients with lung cancer experience unintentional weight loss. Eating well (or as best you can) during and after cancer treatment can help you keep… Continue reading How cancer affects diet + pointers for trying to eat well

MS and Bowel Incontinence

More than 14,000 members living with MS report bowel problems (difficulty in passing feces including constipation, bowel incontinence [loss of bowel control], and diarrhea). So, what’s the deal with bowel incontinence and MS? What can you do to manage symptoms? We checked in with Meaghan Zisk, RN MPH, a nurse and Health Data and Patient… Continue reading MS and Bowel Incontinence