Best places to live with MS

[Pablo_Morphy]

I am curious:  What would be the best places to live with MS, and why?  I guess weather is the first issue.  I am from a very hot town, and I currently reside in a place that gets very hot summers and there is a high risk of hurricanes.  Another issue would be healthcare.  Family and friends are an absolute priority as well.  What places would you consider?  

[johnnymutt]

Now that sounds like a loaded question, hehe. Remember, I don't have MS, but given what I know about it, I'd think you want a cooler climate. That being said, I am really curious if moving closer to the equator after getting MS would have any benefits.

I have to think about it, but this I can see that this could be a tricky question to try and come up with one single answer. I'm hoping someone else will chime in and give some advice.

[Sarahsmom46]

I would say the Washington DC metro area, but I'm a little prejudice since I live in the area. The good side would be the access to medical care and research being done on MS as well as the great opportunities to stay independent after disability sets in.  We have a good transportation system, disability programs, and networking with others going through similar health issues.  I am not so sure about the local MS Society though since my only experience with them has been really minimal.  

The down side of it is the horrible humidity for the months of June through August.  Oh well, I guess you can't have everything.  

That's my 2-cents worth.

Julie

[Sarahsmom46]

Forgot 2 more down sides...The expense of living here is high and the other is maybe you won't be close to family.  But family can come visit and they often love to as well as friends since there is so much to do here.  

J.

[kmunier]

I live on Maui. I live on the rainy side of the island but then when I have to go to the store its hot and so my body goes nutz with the temp change daily.

[Maggie512]

Good thoughts on the temp change...

[kmunier]

Oh yeah for Healthcare Hawaii is out!!! I am considering Georgia. Anyone from Georgia with advice about living there with MS?

[Quixotic1]

BIG vote for the Pacific Northwest!!  Very Temperate, mild winters, cool summers except for 6 weeks when it gets into the 90's sometimes, but most places have A/C.  Always cool at night.  Great breezes.  Great Healthcare west of the Cascades. (Basically talking Seattle and Portland).  I moved here from Nevada and it is lush and cool and wonderful.  House prices are decent.  I wouldn't live anywhere else.  (I have lived in Wichita,  Chicago, Yuma, So Cal, Boulder, Palo Alto, Reno, and here.)

Quix

[aespe]

Yay Washington and Oregon too.  Blessed be

[TallSky]

I can vouch for the Pacific Northwest, cooler on west side of Cascades yes - lots of places to hike too, if you have use of your legs.

[Lulu54]

It sounds like the best place to live is with Quix!  

I don't mind being in the midwest - we get all 4 seasons, though summer heat can be oppressive. Spring and fall are wonderful.

We have easy access to major medical centers.  Cleveland clinic and Mayo are in the midwest.  Then you can throw in all the university medical centers (there are lots!) for variety.

The cost of living is relatively low and you can buy a very affordable house. with land.  But I'm a bit biased because I grew up here and most of my family is within an easy driving distance.  

And my grandchildren are here, so moving is out of the questions, even though Quix makes a rather appealing picture of the Pacific Northwest.

I have a spare bedroom and with the cost of  this MeSsy disease perhaps I will take in a boarder!  LOL

be well, Lulu

[Sailorsong]

Well let's see I have lived in just about every part of this country at one time or another. Now if I can remember those times I could probably give a pretty good assessment of them.

New England :

Hot and muggy in  the summer and cold a miserable in the winter. Spring and fall are nice especially the fall with the leaves. Winters would be very treacherous if you have balance or walking difficulty.  You would also have trouble with the language as they speak another one. For example a "milk shake" is call a frappe and a basically chocolate milk is called a "milk shake".  That took me forever to get use to.  I first developed symptoms while living there. Oh and driving, forget it you wouldn't stand a chance.

South:

HOT HOT HOT.  and don't forget to throw in a lot of HUMID as well. I lived in Florida for 13 years after I developed symptoms. Basically you live indoors year round there. There are some great medical facilities and universities there as well. Also on those cloudy days ( which a far and few between) there are lots of things you can do outside such as amusement parks and the like. Getting around is also fairly easy unless they happen to be working on a road you need to take. It will be at least 3 years before they finish and once they do the next year they will start working on the road again.

Midwest:

It has been a while since I lived in that area of the country. Then it was WI, ID, IL. As such I'll have to defer to Lulu on this area.

Pacific Northwest:

Here I have both newer and older time references to deal with. I lived in OR, and WA at one time or another. I only have spent any time at all in Southern OR, but it was not nice at all. Loved the fishing though on the rouge river. Also loved the water falls up by Portland the one time I came through there. When I first moved to southern OR it was mostly the pollution from all of the lumber mills that drove me crazy, the last time the altitude was the killer. Quix is right in that there is usually a cool breeze when it gets hot. But WA was a delight to live in. I lived near Seattle and loved every minute there. It was while living there that I fell in love with nature.

Southwest:

Here I have lived in CA all the way from Dan Diego up to Santa Rosa. It isn't so bad when it comes to weather in CA. The main problem is pollution especially in LA. How and how can I forget the traffic. YUCK!  But there are many great medical facilities there and probably many resources but with their economy that may be a thing of the past soon. Some parts of CA you really wouldn't want to live in because of the heat (Bakersfield for example), but other wise not too bad.

Dennis

[NZer1]

Have a look on the Atlas of MS it shows prevelance.
New Zealand is good to me

[meg321]

I live in No Calif in Lake County and its not too bad but even in the summer it will get into the 90' and 100's...but it has not been bad at all so far.  We don't have the humidity.

The central coast of Calif is the best place I have lived...on the beach..

meg

[Khiba]

I have lived in Houston, TX area for 30 years. It's just horrible in the summer time, starting about June 1- through the end of September. Humid as all git out with highs staying in the mid 90's and often getting over 100. Not a great place for MSers, although we have great medical in Houston.

Not recommended! Will move in a year or so I hope to a cooler climate and drier one.

[Pablo_Morphy]

Thank you so much for your comments.  Although it's mainly out of curiosity, I will be applying to long-term jobs over the course of the year, so I might need to move (I am currently in Louisiana and I love it here, but I think the weather might be nastier and affect me more over the course of years).  I have also heard places like Colorado and the Appalachians are really good (Tennessee/Western North Carolina/Virginia).  I wonder what our friends overseas (Canada, Australia, Britain, etc.) have to say about it!

[Eddurden02]

Eat Tennessee is good. Humidity is not that bad and there is only a couple weeks in the 90s. I used to live in middle GA and it was horrible. I could not function when heat and humidity were high. East TN is the best for me.

[Fluffysmom]

I live in Portland OR, not all that far from Quix, and I agree that this is the perfect place to be.  I love it, too, though there is a fair amount of pollution.  Luckily, it's not far to drive to either the ocean or mountains.

I had considered moving to Maui since I've loved my 3 visits there, but as my symptoms have worsened, I'm realizing it's not right for me.  I'm still going for my first two weeks of 2011 there!  In a timeshare overlooking the ocean... It is lovely, all that fresh fruit and fish and such, and I can always head up-country if I can't stand the heat and/or humidity.

I just returned from a visit to Colorado Spring where it was incredibly lovely.  It got to between 85 and 90 degrees on several days, and I was at 6000 ft. in elevation.  Low humidity, some high winds.  That's just a small area of the state, though.

I have a friend that lives in Pinehurst, North Carolina and she adores it; golfs almost every day.  I visited, and it was very nice.  Don't know much about health care there though; she's not much of a doctor-going person.

I hope you find the perfect job and place to live.

Kathy

[jensequitur]

I'm starting to wonder the same thing myself - it's been really hot this month, and it won't get any better until October.  This weekend they say it'll be 106° - that's way too hot for any normal human, let alone somebody with MS.

Of course, my crappy job is here, and my family is in Texas - I'd have to uproot everything, and that's very difficult.  Just refinanced the house, too!

[JemmAus]

I would have thought anywhere with (a) family and (b) universal health care, which of course rules out the USA!  Considering the cost of your private insurance and drugs, I'd dread being ill there.....let alone all the stories one hears about being denied insurance cover if one has a "pre-existing condition". UGH.

Off you all go to Canada! oh, and take family with you!

[Ufrustrated2]

>> I moved here from Nevada and it is lush and cool and wonderful.  House prices are decent.  I wouldn't live anywhere else.  

i may not be far behind!! you have an ocean too and i like cold water diving. not sure if i can dive anymore, but the weather sounds great. TREES!!!!! there aren't any in NV. LOL

[jaegergirl]

I also vote for the Pacific NW. I live just outside of Seattle in a little bedroom community and I love it!  Lots of lakes (I live just off one), rivers, mountains and trees.My back yard is a wooded area. The weather is very mild. You do have to build up a bit of a tollerence to the rain.  I have to remind myself that the clean air and all the green comes from the rain. I have also heard (but never tested) that the NW is one of the major MS capitals of the world so we have alot of really wonderful healthcare and research here.  

[Ufrustrated2]

>...alot of really wonderful healthcare and research here.  

by chance, do you know of any good VA ms clinics/hospitals in the area?

i could go on the web and look, but, someone on the list may know first hand?

[Pablo_Morphy]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your comments!  

In a personal note:  The good news is that my wife has sisters and uncles in the NW, and we had already considered moving there before my CIS diagnosis (especially Seattle).  We would like a place where she can also have good job prospects (now more than ever, since keeping two sources of income and insurance is critical).  Re other countries, I know Canada has plenty to offer, though I have heard mixed reviews about the health care system.  I was also considering a position based in Australia, so I would certainly appreciate the comments and input from our friends from that side of the world (if you wish, contact me via a personal note).

It's interesting that nobody so far has mentioned the largest cities in the country as places to consider (since these cities offer excellent health care options).

[jean_619]

I have traveled often to Seattle and I love it.  I've never been their more than 2 weeks -- but I've been there different times of the year and it was great weather.  It never rained very hard when I was there -- just a lot of light rain and misting.  But everything was so green (and there were even flowers in the winter) that I could easily get by even with the rain.  

I love vacationing in Maui -- but I've only done that when the weather was mild.  And I'd be concerned about the health care availability -- the main hospitals are probably on Oahu, which I didn't care for much.

One thing I know for sure ... don't bother with metro Detroit.  People that live here already tend to like it or are stuck here with a family or job.  I think there is lots to see and do, but the main drawback is the weather.  Very cold and snowy in the winter, and hot and humid on the summer.  It rarely gets above 95, but the humidity will practically kill you.

One plus -- the housing is really cheap!  You can get a home for a dime -- especially if it is already foreclosed on.  But then again, you somehow have to find a job.    =)

Jean

[doublevision1]

Not exactly 'overseas' lol, but here is a submission from your neighbour to the north.  

I'll preface this by saying it's hard to take familiarity bias out of the equation; we tend to prefer that which we know firsthand.  Thus, not a shocker when I say I think in terms of best country, Canada at the top of my list.  
Several reasons:

Access to treatment
Specifically, for RRMS and in some instances SPMS, I think any of the 10 provinces and three territories would do, as all jurisdictions provide, for nominal or free of charge, the approved DMDs on the recommendation of a neuro/MS specialist.  As far as I know, no Canadian should go without  treatment for financial reasons; big difference compared to USA, and even UK, where DMD access seems to be more constricted and less of a given than in Canada.,  UKers, correct me if I’m wrong please.
For access to the best neuros, all of the major cities have MS clinics associated with medical schools, and I’d feel confident with any of them: Edmonton (where I go); Calgary; Vancouver; Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax.

Canada Health Act
Which guarantees universal coverage for all medically necessary hospital and physician services, without co-payments.  This does not preclude one from having private individual or group supplemental health insurance; in fact very common for employers to offer this coverage.  And the Act does not mean in any way that the government makes your medical decisions, a common misconception.  These decisions are made between patient and doctor.  

Employment
Employers in provincial and federal jurisdictions are held to a high standard with respect to accommodating employees with disabilities.  Failure to do so results in financial penalties.  I work in HR and some of our employees who are on assignment here who are from the USA are astounded at the lengths we go to (accommodate employees in new jobs; provide full re-training; provide ergonomic and other equipment as required, ie: for me, voice activated software; provide flexible work schedules; allow employees to work from home; reduce wages only to a minimum of 2/3 of regular earnings, even if the accommodated position normally would pay much less;  pay for private medical testing to speed up the diagnostic process; etc).  Not all employers go to this extent, I am lucky to work for one that does, but even with that said, employees with disabilities do have greater protection of employment related rights in Canada than many other countries.

For employment opportunity, I would say Alberta (where I live) is in the best shape, mostly associated with the oil and gas industry.  Another plus for Alberta is no provincial sales tax, which is more money in your pocket to buy the expensive gas to drive to your medical appointments, lol.

Quality of Life
Canada ranks 4th on the last U.N. Human Development Index, after Norway, Australia and Iceland.  This index measures life expectancy, literacy, education standard of living, well being include health care and child welfare.  It is used to measure the impact of economic policies on overall quality of life for all countries worldwide.

Weather
Being a land of extreme temps, from way too cold to way to hot and humid; I’d have to settle on Vancouver as the best place in Canada for someone with MS.  It does rain a fair bit; very comparable to Seattle actually.  Very mild temps winter and summer, so always comfortable/tolerable.   It’s a large but very accessible city, gorgeous scenery, and has the other benefits mentioned above.  I can't live there now, but someday, probably at retirement, I'll get to live there again.  Lucky me :)

[Pablo_Morphy]

Thanks for the comments about Canada.  I think Canada and the Scandinavian countries might be the best equipped countries against MS, because of the high incidence of the disease.  I am originally from Latin America, and I wouldn't mind moving back home, but I'm worried about having little support for my MS there.      

[JemmAus]

Pablo, I seriously don't know, if I were you, that I would be prepared to even consider moving half way across the world, into a different hemisphere, leaving friends and extended family, while unwell.

I was living 1300km from friends and family when I became unwell and it was seriously awful, and I felt very alone.

Health care here is good, everyone contributes 1.5% to 2.5% (depending on income) of their annual tax to medicare, and everyone has equal access to its resources. One can also pay for private health insurance, but I find that is overepriced for-profit nonsense, and stick with medicare and pay privately myself for some things - which I can claim at least 50% of back from medicare anyway.

Hard to explain in a forum....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_(Australia)

[Pablo_Morphy]

Thanks, Jemm.  Yes, it's not an easy decision.  I already had a tough decision to make regarding staying abroad or moving back to Latin America before the diagnosis came up.  On one hand, being away from family if I get worse would be really tough.  On the other hand, being there limits your access to treatment alternatives and care, and salaries are much lower.  

I'm no longer as stressed about making the choice to stay abroad or move back as I used to be.  Now the choice will be.... different, contingent on how my condition goes and so many other factors!  I will keep my fingers crossed the best outcome for us takes place...