"It made all the difference": a patient perspective on research, with Lois Miller

"The medication that I'm taking today would not have happened if we weren't doing this research 30 years ago," said Lois Miller.   In this episode, she offers a patient's view of research, and how it can change lives. Miller is 52. Once again she's able to walk, to work, and to live a relatively normal life five years after her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis. But that didn't happen overnight, nor was it easy. Miller initially had 'incredibly painful' side effects with the drugs her neurologist prescribed. From welts and burns, to peeling skin, headaches, and crippling abdominal pain, she was on the verge of applying for long-term disability coverage, when she was referred to University of Saskatchewan MS specialists working at Saskatoon's City Hospital. "I didn't know MS medications are not covered in our health system," said Miller. "The only way we get better medications is through research." Miller said researchers and clinicians at Saskatoon's City Hospital brought new medications and treatment protocols to Saskatchewan, which gave her a new lease on life. "I wouldn't be living with the independence that I have today," said Miller. "It made all the difference."