Neil Cavuto
I wish I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) within the last 15 years like Neil Cavuto ("Business as (Mostly) Usual"). There are many treatments options now, and real hope. I was diagnosed 40 years ago, when I was 24 years old, married, and had two children. Information and support were the only things out there. When asked if I could have more children, the doctor said "Two is nice." No mention of diet or exercise! Thankfully, research has finally found some things that help the symptoms and course of the disease.
It's great to read stories about people with MS, like Neil, who are living so actively. It would also be nice to read stories about people who have had the disease for many, many years—like me—and how they cope. - Sally Moseley, Moline, IL
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your letter and your suggestion, Sally. We will look to feature more people in the magazine who have lived with MS and other neurologic conditions for many years.
Ask the Experts: ADHD
In "Ask the Experts" (August/September 2012), Dr. Denckla could have suggested a third non-pharmaceutical approach for help with ADHD: the elimination of certain food additives, such as petroleum-based dyes.
The Sept. 6, 2007, issue of the British medical journal The Lancet published results from Southampton University's double-blind study of nearly 300 children from the general population looking at whether certain food additives affected behavior. It concluded that some of these additives, such as sodium benzoate, did in fact increase hyperactive behavior—even in so-called "normal" children.
In February 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics reviewed the Southampton study and commented, "For the child without a medical, emotional, or environmental etiology [origin] of ADHD behaviors, a trial of a preservative-free, food coloring-free diet is a reasonable intervention." - Carolyn Allen, Benbrook, TX
Hydrocephalus
I have been reading your magazine for a while now, and I have yet to see anything on hydrocephalus. I first became a subscriber when I saw Neurology Now at my neurologist's office for my migraines. I love reading all of the stories that are in the magazine, but I would like to see something on hydrocephalus. I was born 11 weeks early and had a serious bleed on my brain. As a result, I developed hydrocephalus, and I had a shunt placed shortly after birth. I have had a total of 15 brain surgeries, all due to a blockage in the shunt tubing. I am currently attending a community college, working towards my nursing degree. I have some memory problems, due, I think, to all of the operations, but I will succeed.
Thank you for the magazine and all the work that you put into it to bring these issues to the public. - Casey Edds
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: We appreciate your suggestion, Casey. Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus?" href="/link/d21983c930b3477db79c5d28c07ec476.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read one of our previous stories on hydrocephalus.
Speak Up for Stroke
I am a Neurology Now subscriber. Mostly it was to keep current on my son-in-law's epilepsy and my granddaughter's migraine problems.
However, your recent article on stroke and the importance of getting to the hospital for evaluation was not lost on me ("Speak Up for Stroke"). I had a mild stroke four weeks ago. Sitting and reading, I felt my left arm and leg go dead and useless. I asked my husband to look at my face as I stuck out my tongue and smiled. That didn't go well.
I got to the hospital within 30 minutes and was immediately evaluated. It is five minutes from my home and happens to be a stroke hospital. Who knew?
Anyway, I got the TPA shot in time and I am already home after 10 days in rehabilitation. I will have another four weeks of out-patient and should be fine. Thanks for what you do! - Caryn Lazar Amster
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your letter, Caryn! Our entire staff was moved to hear that the article was helpful to you in recognizing the signs of stroke and getting to the hospital right away. We wish you the best of luck with the rest of your rehabilitation.
Speak Up: Alzheimer's disease
The Speak Up essay from August/September 2012 ("The Mother I Knew: What Alzheimer's has changed—and hasn't") was excellent. As we are approaching more changes in my mother due to Alzheimer's, this essay made me realize that she is so much more than the disease. Thank you. - Shellie Hunter
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
One night I grabbed my Neurology Now magazine to learn more about multiple sclerosis. I could hear my husband, Todd, snoring upstairs—another night apart. I read "Your Neurologist Has Sleep Apnea" and mentally made check marks regarding obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms. I went upstairs, lay beside him, and counted to 40 between breaths. The next morning, we made an appointment with a doctor. Todd was diagnosed with severe OSA. I have no doubt this article saved his life and possibly our marriage. Weeks after using a CPAP, I see the years peel off my cowboy, and I am grateful beyond words. - Becky