I’m pleased to announce a new website that was created for the multiple sclerosis community. Its name is LiveWiseMS and it’s become a popular and trusted resource for patients and care partners searching for credible information from MS experts.

Partnering with the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses (IOMSN) this platform is an exciting one. Why? Because it covers a wide array of important subjects written by contributors who are MS experts. All content is reviewed and approved by IOMSN.

This is a safe place to lean into.

“LiveWiseMS was designed to serve as a resource for patients, families and all those interested in multiple sclerosis. It contains state-of-the-art information about topics of importance to those striving to live a life of wellness while dealing with the challenges of a chronic neurologic disease. It is a tool for empowerment and positive approaches.” ~June Halper, APN-C, CEO of Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, Executive Director of IOMSN

The mission of LiveWiseMS is to promote healthy living, improve quality of life and enhance patient interactivity. From newly diagnosed patients to those who’ve lived with MS for years, LiveWiseMS offers something for everyone.  

“LiveWiseMS is a website that people living with MS, care partners, and health care providers will find useful for high level information.  Created by IOMSN, the goal is to provide a link between information about MS and the medical literature from which it is derived. This allows the person searching for information access to article abstracts, original articles, textbooks, and medical illustrations that are otherwise difficult to find and/or expensive to access. Features that I find particularly helpful are the hot topics, the viewpoint of a person living with MS, and video discussions from MS Experts.  IOMSN is excited to develop and offer this service in collaboration with Wolters Kluwer publishers, and thanks to a grant from Serono.” ~Megan Weigel, DNP, ARNP-c, MSCN, IOMSN president

It’s simple to search for what you’re looking for. You can either enter a keyword in the search box or use one of three drop-down menus: SYMPTOMS, SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT or RESOURCE TYPE.

“I think one of the main goals of the site is to educate the patients on a higher level and therefore to empower them in this fight against MS. To me, having the proper information from a reliable source is key to living well with MS, and I can’t think of a more reliable source than the nurses who have dedicated their profession to caring for the MS population. It is extremely important that one is armed with the correct information about managing their illness, and to use that information to live better with MS.” ~Kim Fryling-Resare, contributing editor of LiveWiseMS, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2003

Once you log onto the site, take a look at the following:

RESOURCES - Explore and gain a better understanding of MS and its accompanying symptoms.  

From fatigue, emotional health, comprehensive MS care and reproductive health to bladder and bowel concerns, physical activity, cognitive changes, care partners and ethnocultural issues you’ll find answers to many of your questions.

And don’t miss out on the informative videos at the bottom of the page.

TOPICS - Learn more about MS symptoms and symptom management. Subjects include stem cell transplantation, bladder and bowel concerns, cognitive changes, emotional health, dizziness/vertigo, fatigue, sensory changes, sexual/gender/intimacy, spasticity, vision problems, and weakness.

COMMUNITY - Take a moment to interact with others, share your insights and find support here in the community. Start a new thread if you don’t find what you’re looking for. You can also visit LiveWiseMS on their Facebook and Twitter pages.  

BLOG - Gain valuable insights not only from articles written by IOMSN nurses, but also ones written by MS peers. Feel free to submit questions that will be answered by an IOMSN nurse.

SITEMAP -  This is your roadmap to find what you’re looking for. Links here include FAQs, a glossary, “Connect with Us,” and videos.   

BONUSES:

• Printable Patient Template Letters - To help you contact your health insurance company or voice an opinion to elected officials. 
• Emerging Therapy Collaborative - Find out how this collaborative is committed to "developing and disseminating timely, evidence-based resources to persons affected by multiple sclerosis and health care professionals, in order to promote optimal, individualized treatment of the disease by facilitating effective communication and medical decision-making."
• Multiple Sclerosis Coalition - Find out more about the MS Coalition (MSC) whose objectives are to "educate, advocate, collaborate, and improve the efficiency of services for individuals with MS and those who are close to them."

There’s so much to explore on this amazing new site. I hope you’ll take time to become familiar with LiveWiseMS. Remember to bookmark it so you can visit again and again. But wait! Before you go don’t forget to subscribe to the LiveWiseMS monthly newsletter.

Please keep in touch through the LiveWiseMS blog or on our social media pages. We’d love to hear from you!

NOTE: I am a LiveWiseMS committee member. I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are, as always, completely my own.