RealTalk MS

Many of our local, state, and national leaders seem to be declaring that the pandemic has ended and it's back to business as usual. But if you're living with MS, how comfortable are you with the idea of being out in a world where everyone isn't fully vaccinated, and mask mandates have been cancelled? Dr. Meghan Beier and Emily Reilly join me to discuss how to manage your fear and anxiety, build re...

With hospital rates starting to decline and mask mandates being lifted in several states there seems to be a general sense that we're seeing COVID-19 becoming an endemic virus.  And we have to wonder what that means for people living with MS. Dr. Nancy Sicotte joins me to talk about the preventative treatments for COVID-19 that are available today for people who are living with MS, the importance...

Research shows that about 50% of the people living with MS will develop another chronic health condition, or comorbidity , in their lifetime. Whether it's high blood pressure, diabetes, or something else, living with comorbid conditions adds extra challenges to living with MS. Joining me to discuss how comorbidities affect people living with MS and what you can do to avoid developing some of those...

Now that Harvard researchers have presented compelling evidence that MS is triggered by the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), what does it mean in terms of ending MS in the world? What does it mean for people already living with MS? And how will this announcement impact MS research? Joining me to unpack the details and implications of this research breakthrough is the Executive Vice-President of Research...

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of MS. It just gets in the way of fully engaging in life, making fatigue one of the most bothersome symptoms of MS. And because MS fatigue is one of the main causes of early withdrawal from the workforce, fatigue is an MS symptom that can impose a hefty financial penalty on a household. Joining me to talk about managing and even reducing MS fatigue is Dr....

This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by EMD Serono and  MS in the 21st Century . In this special episode of RealTalk MS, we're talking with Pieter van Galen and Amanda Montague about that sometimes-challenging conversation with your healthcare provider about MS progression. We're also highlighting My MS Roadmap , a free tool designed to make conversations with your healthcare provider...

Last week, a research team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health presented compelling evidence that the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) triggers multiple sclerosis. So, we're taking a deep dive into the role of EBV and MS. We'll review the breakthrough results of this research and we'll re-share our conversation with one of the researchers in this game-changing study. We'll review the status o...

This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by EMD Serono and  MS in the 21st Century . Cognitive impairment affects more than 50% of the people living with MS. In this special episode of RealTalk MS, we're talking with Dr. Sarah Morrow and Paola Kruger about how people living with MS can work together with their healthcare providers to develop a constructive dialogue about cognition and MS. ...

For some people, getting a headache means experiencing mild discomfort. For others, it can mean debilitating pain, compromised vision, and other serious effects. You don't have to be living with MS to experience a headache. But research has shown that people living with MS are more likely to experience headaches than people who don't have MS. And there's some evidence to suggest that headaches may...

We're four days into 2022 and, for a lot of us, that means that we're four days into a new diet, four days into a new exercise regimen, or four days into some other life-changing behavior. Making healthy lifestyle changes is good for everyone and there's plenty of evidence that shows these kinds of behavioral changes can be especially beneficial if you're living with MS. But too often, we see the...

Today, we're re-visiting my favorite conversation of the entire year and it seems that you and I agree! You've made it this year's most downloaded and listened-to episode. In this episode, Dr. Bruce Bebo, the Executive Vice-President of Research at the National MS Society, briefs us about some of the most interesting and important research shared at ECTRIMS 2021, the largest MS research conference...

I've always believed that the holiday season is an ideal time for reflection. For looking back and looking ahead. And in that spirit, today we're re-visiting two of the most important conversations that we've had this year on RealTalk MS. When you consider the nearly one million people living with MS in the United States, you might conclude that MS doesn't discriminate – it impacts people of all a...

The 2021 holiday season is underway, and the availability of the COVID-19 vaccines means that this year, many of us are getting caught up in cooking, eating, drinking, shopping, and connecting face-to-face with family and friends. For some of us, it also means having that important but sometimes-awkward conversation about vaccine status. For too many people, ' tis the season....to feel stressed ....

If you're living with MS, you know by now that quitting smoking, getting exercise, and making smart food choices have all been shown to improve your physical health and your quality of life. There's one more tool that, when necessary, can be a game-changer.  Joining me to talk about how assistive technology can help people living with MS maintain their independence and improve their quality of lif...

Tamara Kaye Sellman is a poet, short story writer, journalist, and essayist. So, when she was diagnosed with MS in 2013, Tamara did what she does best -- she began writing about it. That writing turned into Intention Tremor , a book of poetry and prose written over the five years following Tamara's diagnosis. In this special episode, we'll talk with Tamara about how she chose to artistically inter...

Eating well is an important part of a wellness plan. At first glance, making healthy food choices seems simple. But with so much conflicting information and opinion masquerading as fact on websites and in social media, what do you believe and where do you begin? Joining me to separate fact from fiction and share smart strategies that will get you started on solid nutritional footing is my guest, M...

Before the availability of MRI technology in the 1980s, MS was frequently misdiagnosed or even missed completely. Today, an MRI exam is a valuable tool in diagnosing MS, following disease progression, and evaluating someone's response to their MS treatment. Recently, a team of international experts updated the MRI recommendations for people living with MS. Dr. Scott Newsome, a member of that exper...

We met Dr. AJ Joshi, Chief Medical Officer at Atara Biotherapeutics, at ECTRMS 2019, when he gave us our first update on ATA 188, Atara's investigational cell therapy for MS. This is the third year in a row that we've connected with Dr. Joshi during ECTRIMS for an update on the progress of ATA 188. This year, he's also sharing news about an unexpected discovery that investigators encountered durin...

Just a couple of weeks ago, 9,000 MS research scientists and clinicians from 100 countries gathered virtually for the annual meeting of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, otherwise known as ECTRIMS. The largest MS research conference in the world lived up to its name, featuring 200 speakers and 1,700 research abstracts. In what has become an annual RealTalk MS...

Research shows that more than 50% of the people living with MS will experience another chronic health condition in their lifetime. These additional health conditions, known as comorbidities , have been shown to negatively affect disability progression and health-related quality of life. In other words, living with comorbidities makes living with MS more challenging than it has to be. Joining me to...

The annual health insurance open enrollment period has begun! And a lot of people tend to get through open enrollment on autopilot, assuming that the health insurance that they had last year will continue to serve them well next year. But policies change. Physician networks change. And prescription drug formularies change. If you're living with MS, you can't afford to be on autopilot when it comes...

After reviewing evidence on the use of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, the National MS Society has concluded that aHSCT is a good treatment option for some people living with MS.  Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, the Director of the Cleveland Clinic's Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, joins me this week to share all t...

Getting a good night's sleep is often easier said than done.  About half of the people living with MS experience sleep disorders. Dr. Abbey Hughes is joining me to talk about how sleep and lack of sleep affects MS, and she'll share some specific strategies that you can use to better manage sleep difficulties and get the rest that your mind and body require. We're also sharing a very encouraging up...

This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by EMD Serono and  MS in the 21st Century . It's often said that MS doesn't just affect individuals, it affects families. And in this special episode of RealTalk MS, we're talking about family involvement in MS care with Dr. Alice Laroni and Trishna Bharadia. Dr. Laroni is a neurologist with over 18 years of experience providing clinical care to MS...

If you're on an MS disease-modifying therapy and you're concerned about how effective your COVID-19 vaccination might be, or you aren't sure whether having MS qualifies you as being immunocompromised and cleared to receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, or you can't begin to figure out whether you qualify to receive a COVID-19 booster, then this podcast episode is for you. Joining me to hel...