RealTalk MS

Welcome to Episode 100! In this special episode, we're talking with Jodi Michele Cooley, the winner of our "Be Our Special Guest on Episode 100" contest! At the age of 7, Jodi became an MS caregiver. And at the age of 34, she received her own MS diagnosis. In one way or another, MS has almost always been a part of Jodi's life. And yet, she is the very definition of the word "resilience."     We're...

My guest is Jenny Freeman, Professor of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at the University of Plymouth, in the United Kingdom. Professor Freeman's research has appeared in more than 150 journals and publications. And she's the co-author of Multiple Sclerosis Care -- A Practical Manual , the reference book for all aspects of MS care. We're going to be talking with Professor Freeman about the just-p...

Applying for social security disability benefits can be difficult. It's a stressful and challenging process with an outcome that seems fraught with uncertainty.   My guest, Jamie Hall, has represented social security disability claimants before administrative law judges and the Appeals Council in 24 different states. He is also a strong supporter of the National MS Society, where he's conducted nu...

My guests this week are 2 exceptional MS warriors, Mike Zimits and Cat Tsigakos. When Mike was diagnosed with MS, he decided he could best help himself by getting into shape, so he got on a bike. And then he convinced his friend's sister, Catherine, to get on a bike. Cat was serving as her brother's caregiver after he was diagnosed with progressive MS.   So these 2 people, who had each been affect...

Do you ever wonder how or why your neurologist recommends one disease-modifying therapy instead of another? For some people, their first disease-modifying therapy is a mild drug with few side effects. For others, their first disease-modifying therapy might be a more high-powered drug that carries the risk of more possible side effects. But how do neurologists really know when it's appropriate to u...

How do you adjust every aspect of your relationship when the partner you've known seems to be vanishing right before your eyes, yet they're still very much there? If you're a caregiver for someone with progressive MS, or any chronic illness, it's very likely that you're living with the trauma of ambiguous loss .      My guest is Dr. Pauline Boss, who not only coined the phrase ambiguous loss, but...

This week, we're talking about shady stem cell clinics and their shady clinical trials. We'll tell you about a study that makes a connection between stress-related disorders and autoimmune disease, and a research team that may have identified the possible genetic causes of MS.   My guest is Dr. Laura Rice, an expert in rehabilitation science and technology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Cha...

Stem Cells are in the news, and we're talking about the U.S. District Court decision that will impact hundreds of stem cell clinics in the United States and the FDA's ability to regulate them. We'll also share two breakthroughs in stem cell research that will likely impact the future of stem cell therapy.     My guest on the podcast is Dr. Karen Lee, the Vice-President of Research at the MS Societ...

MS research scientist Dr. Jeffrey Huang is this year's recipient of the Harry Weaver Neuroscience Scholar Award from the National MS Society. On this week's podcast, we're talking with Dr. Huang about his potentially groundbreaking research, and we'll even ask him how one becomes an MS research scientist.   We're also talking about the lectures, presentations, and education sessions that took plac...

We're at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, talking about mental health care for people living with MS, coping with anxiety, and the real advantages of telerehabilitation. We even sat down to talk with with artist and MS Activist Lydia Emily.     We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

We're at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, and we're talking about community based programs to enhance comprehensive MS care, understanding the MS care partner's perspective, improving MS treatment outcomes, and more. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

We're at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, and we're talking about MS Navigators, Myelocortical MS, a new paradigm in how patients and doctors should be communicating, and more. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

The International Progressive MS Alliance is an unprecedented and unparalleled global effort to understand and treat progressive MS.   Last week, I was in Copenhagen, Denmark, for an important meeting of the Progressive MS Alliance Scientific Steering Committee. And in today's episode, I'll update you on the status of three potentially breakthrough progressive MS international research projects.  ...

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, or MSAA, provides programs and resources designed to improve the lives of people affected by MS. Whether it's financial assistance for an MRI exam, a new computer, mobility equipment, or even a cooling vest, the MSAA can help.   My guest today is Gina Murdoch, the President and CEO of the MSAA, and we're talking about the organization's almost 50-year...

I get a lot of listener questions about exercise and MS. And a lot of those questions come from people living with progressive MS, wondering whether the conversation about physical activity and MS applies to them.   My guest this week is Dr. Lara Pilutti,  an expert in the role of exercise in the management and treatment of disability arising from multiple sclerosis. We're talking about how you wa...

We're at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, and we're talking about teleneurology, stem cells, a new algorithm, and a new research network with ambitious goals. Today, it's a real peek into the future! We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

Get the latest news from the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting. We're looking into the future of applying precision medicine to treat MS. We're talking about an artificial intelligence application that's designed to predict the course of your MS and recommend the best treatment plan for you We'll also tell you about a "digital prescription therapeutic" designed to treat depression in pe...

It's my first day at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, and we're talking about a great presentation on Progress in Progressive MS and some eye-opening news about the amount of money we're spending in the U.S. on prescription drugs to treat neurological conditions.

My guest this week is Yvette Brisco. Yvette is an MS activist and an MS warrior. And when Yvette talks about the fight to find a cure, she means it literally! We're also talking about the European Medicine Agency's safety review of Lemtrada. We'll tell you about the 20 million American caregivers who are performing medical or nursing tasks for which they've received no training. We'll give you a r...

Robots?? Really??? The answer is YES! World renowned robotics expert Dr. Maja Mataric joins us on the podcast, and we're talking about how socially assistive robots could be real game-changers for people living with MS and other chronic conditions, as well as their caregivers. We're also talking about the $24.4 million investment by the National MS Society that will support 64 new MS research proj...

We're at a point in time when there's a tremendous amount of interest as well as confusion surrounding cannabis-based treatments for MS. My guest is Aryn Sieber, the CEO and Founder of the CannaCauses Foundation and Cannaisseur Brands.  Aryn is a strong advocate of using cannabis-derived treatments to help relieve symptoms of disease processes, particularly MS. And he's partnered with MS centers a...

In less than a decade, Meat Fight has actually grown from a backyard barbecue to a non-profit organization that hosts several different fundraising events, offers some unique programs for people affected by MS, and has raised more than $1 million dollars for the National MS Society. My guest today is Alice Laussade, the creator of  Meat Fight , and the very definition of a real MS Warrior. We're a...

If someone is being treated for MS, their neurologist is using the Expanded Disability Status Score, or EDSS, to indicate their level of disability. What if there were a better, easier, and more accurate way to measure mobility and evaluate disability?      My guest today is Dr. Valerie Block, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Neurology at University of California San Francisco.  As a phy...

March 28th is Progressive MS Day. While only about 15% of the people diagnosed with MS are initially given a diagnosis of Primary Progressive MS, about 65% of the people who are diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS will eventually develop Secondary Progressive MS. And the difference between progressive MS and relapsing-remitting MS is that, usually, people diagnosed with Progressive MS don't expe...

MS is an equal opportunity neurological disease. It doesn't seem to discriminate against any particular ethnic or racial group. It affects Latinos and African-Americans, as well as Caucasians. And if you're an MS research scientist, who's hoping to create a viable treatment that's going to be safe & effective for the diverse population living with multiple sclerosis, then having that diversity rep...