It’s time to celebrate. It’s been five years since my Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, and I’ve always thought this particular milestone deserved to be marked — some statistics suggest this is roughly the point where half of people with relapsing-remitting MS transition into the progressive phase. That’s clearly not my story. I haven’t had a single relapse; I have no symptoms, and if anything, I’m probably healthier now than I was the day I was diagnosed, thanks to the diet and exercise habits I’ve built since.

This past year was blissfully uneventful on the health front. Two routine neurologist checkups, no MRI needed this time, and I kept up my monthly Kesimpta injections. Beyond that, I followed through on what I set out to do:

• Kept playing piano
• Kept reading
• Kept my exercise routine and diet largely unchanged

I still feel lucky. My outlook feels brighter now than it did five years ago, and honestly, I feel better than ever. I put in hundreds of miles on my mountain bike this year across rugged terrain near Denver — like at Staunton State Park and Buffalo Creek. I built out a regular MTB peer group to keep myself accountable, and spent a month traveling in Europe (skipped Utah this time around). Now it’s time to get the skis ready and hope for a better snow season than last year’s disappointment. I’m planning to write here more often going forward.

What I Think Made the Difference

Looking back, here’s what I’d credit most for keeping MS at bay:

1. DMT — Kesimpta. It’s worked well for me. The main friction has been cost and the prior-authorization hassle every time I’ve switched insurance.
2. Supplements — Vitamin D3, a B-complex, and CellBB (bioactive phospholipids with an NK cell activator — details here). I owe this one a deeper write-up, which feels appropriate for an anniversary.
3. Diet — Mostly Mediterranean, with a lactose-free, anti-inflammatory lean — less meat overall, and red meat especially- details here.
4. Exercise — A balanced, high-performance routine with occasional short bursts of intensity- details here.
5. Staying mentally and socially engaged — brain exercise, reading, and making time for people.
6. Luck. I try not to forget that some things are simply outside my control.

A Commitment for This Year

I promised myself I’d start sharing more of the actual routines behind all this — starting with CellBB. I’ve launched a YouTube channel @Dr.JakeStaszak as a video log to go deeper on it. Subscribe to the YouTube channel to stay up to date, but I’ll keep posting occasionally here too.

Looking Ahead

Aging is still the thing I think about most. My focus now is less about MS itself and more about protecting my cognitive health as I get older — brain volume naturally declines with age for everyone, but that process tends to be faster with MS, and so is dementia risk. Diet and exercise are my first line of defense there, but I’m also increasingly convinced certain supplements genuinely help. CellBB is one I lean on, partly for its phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and sphingomyelin content — phospholipids the brain relies on and that naturally decline with age. I’m also eyeing creatine after seeing some promising clinical results.

On the physical side, I’ve started working with an athletic physical therapist to correct a muscle imbalance I’ve developed over the years — necessary groundwork before I can safely push harder in upper-body training, given my scoliosis. More on that soon.

Mentally, my work keeps me sharp day to day, but I want to be more deliberate about it too — more piano, and a few ambitious books on the list.

The next milestone hasn’t changed: no progression, for as many years as I can manage. But I’ll admit I’m getting humbler about it as “MS under control” becomes my new normal. So my focus is widening — toward my family’s longevity, getting everyone into the exercise habit with me, and more travel along the way. Stay tuned.