RealTalk MS

It's MS Awareness Week! And the single event that is likely going to have the most impact in raising awareness of MS in the United States is the recent announcement of the MS Prevalence Study results.   The results of this study corrected the decades old notion that there were only about 400,000 people living with MS in the United States. We now know that the number of people living with MS in the...

My guest this week is Diane Whitcraft, a retired middle school teacher who had been taking the same MS prescription medication  for more than 20 years. But once Diane retired and her health insurance changed, that same medication became unaffordable.   Diane traveled to Washington D.C. last month, as Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin's guest at the President's State of the Union address. She is back...

No matter what sort of challenge a caregiver may be facing -- financial, emotional, or just trying to find the right resources at the right time, every caregiver challenge is made more difficult by that accompanying feeling of isolation that so many caregivers experience. My guest is Heidi Telschow, manager of Fairview Health Services' Caregiver Assurance program, a unique program designed to seam...

Over the past year, we've seen our access to affordable, quality healthcare come under unprecedented attack. We've seen a federal judge declare the Affordable Care Act to be unconstitutional. And we continue to see our access to affordable prescription medications -- the medications that have been shown to delay the progression of MS and extend the quality of life for everyone living with MS -- th...

George Pepper was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2009, at the age of 22. He initially found it difficult to connect with others his own age who were living with MS, so George set up a website where people living with MS could meet and share their experiences. That website evolved into an online community called shift.ms, and today, more than 18,000 people participate in the shift.ms communit...

One of the best ways to maintain physical function, manage the effect of some MS symptoms, and even offset depression is exercise. My guest is Dr. Deborah Backus, the director of Multiple Sclerosis Research at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. We're discussing the importance of early rehabilitation, the difference that exercise can make for people living with MS, and STEP FOR MS -- an important clin...

One of the fundamental questions on the minds of just about everyone living with MS is How did I get it?   What causes MS?   It's a question that's still awaiting a definitive answer. But as we wait for that answer, science is uncovering more and more information about MS risk factors -- the things that can make living with MS better or worse.   My guest is Dr. Farren Briggs, an epidemiologist who...

We know about the importance of disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in managing MS and slowing its progression. But you may not know that there are two very different schools of thought when it comes to how and why your neurologist may recommend one DMT over another. My guest is Dr. Aaron Boster, the System Medical Chief for Neuroimmunology at OhioHealth, and we're talking about an important conversat...

Recent research suggests that loneliness is one more  invisible symptom of MS. But social outreach and interaction have never been more accessible.  My guest is Mary Pettigrew, an MS Warrior and social media phenom . In 2014, Mary launched MSPals , a Twitter group that has evolved into a community of more than 5,000 followers. We're talking with Mary about the benefits of connecting online and the...

Some people living with MS may find that their attention span is shorter than it used to be, or that it takes them longer to process information. Learning directions can be hard, and decision-making may become more difficult. These are all examples of impaired cognition, or cognitive dysfunction .  Cognitive dysfunction can impact people living with relapsing-remitting MS, and it impacts almost ev...

It's our final episode of the year, and we're taking a look back at what you decided were the most important RealTalk MS podcast episodes of the past year. These are the episodes that received the highest number of listener downloads.       We're also polishing our crystal ball, taking a look ahead to 2019, and talking about some of the research that we can expect to be hearing about. We'll even s...

The holiday season seems to carry with it the message of hope, and of finding the best side of who we are. So one of the gifts that I'm going to unwrap with you is a replay of a conversation that I had earlier this year, with 2 people who epitomize hope, humanity, and love. To me, that's what the holiday is all about, and that's what Dan and Jennifer Digmann are all about.    Jennifer was diagnose...

The logistics involved in traveling can be cumbersome, and that's twice as true if you're living with MS. Mobility issues and other special requirements can make travel challenging. But whether you're out exploring the world or just checking into a local hotel for a pampered staycation, travel can add so much to your quality of life. My guest on the podcast is Tarita Davenock. It's been 20 years s...

Artificial intelligence is about to change the entire healthcare landscape. And that might very well include how MS is diagnosed, treated, and managed. It's even beginning to impact the way some MS research is being conducted. My guest is the founder and CEO of iQuity, Dr. Chase Spurlock. iQuity is using its expertise in machine learning to improve patient care, drive the creation of new therapies...

Research is the engine that drives us toward better understanding MS, better treating MS, and one day, curing MS. My guest on the podcast is Dr. Larry Sherman, who plays a vital role on the front lines of MS research. We're talking with Dr. Sherman about some of his most significant research and his unique research lab.      We're also talking about two  important victories for MS Activists. We'll...

We're into the final few days of National Family Caregivers Month, and my guest on the podcast is Scott Williams, Vice President, Head of Global Patient Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships at EMD Serono. We're talking with Scott about EMD Serono's commitment to MS caregivers.      We're also talking about creating a caregiver protocol that becomes part of the conversation in the neurologist's offi...

I've received some great questions from some of my listeners. And this week, Cherie Binns, an Internationally Certified MS Nurse and the co-chair of the iConquerMS Research committee, is joining me to answer listener questions. She's even going to share some of her tips for living well with MS!      We'll also explain why the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to sports arenas, but not to you...

Patient-centered research is based on an understanding that patients themselves have unique perspectives that can help to mold, change, and improve the work of finding answers to clinical questions. My guest on the podcast is Laura Kolaczkowski, the co-Principal Investigator for iConquerMS. We're talking about the impact this people-powered research network is having on MS research, and how the fi...

Caregiving carries a lot of challenges. And for some people, it can feel overwhelming. So, what are the things that make being a caregiver for someone living with a chronic illness like MS so challenging?   We're kicking off National Family Caregivers Month with my guest, Dr. Amy Sullivan, Director of Behavioral Medicine, Research and Training at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis at the Cle...

Cognitive dysfunction can profoundly affect people living with MS, yet it's frequently overlooked and left untreated. That's why the National MS Society convened a working group of world-class experts to explore how cognitive dysfunction was being assessed and to develop a set of guidelines designed to improve the process of cognitive screening and management in MS care.      My guest is Dr. John...

We're 2 weeks away from an event that's going to have an impact on every person in the United States who's living with MS...or any other chronic illness. Because in 2 weeks time - on November 6th - an election's taking place, and healthcare is on the ballot. Maybe not directly...maybe not explicitly...but make no mistake, the choices that voters in America make on election day are going to have a...

I'm back from Berlin, Germany, where I attended the 34th annual ECTRIMS Congress, and the single biggest challenge that I faced during the 3-day conference was trying to decide which sessions I wanted to attend. With 80 live presentations, more than 1,000 poster presentations, and any number of meetings and even casual conversations that seem to pop up everywhere , it's challenging trying to take...

It's the 3rd and final day at ECTRIMS in Berlin! Today, we're taking you to a special documentary screening that we've been keeping under wraps! (You can watch the trailer as part of the "Bonus" content in the RealTalk MS app!) We're talking about the amazing changes in almost every aspect of how we look at MS that have all taken place within just 25 years. We'll walk you through a couple of the s...

It's Day 2 at ECTRIMS in Berlin! Today, we're talking about the Shift.ms booth in the Exhibition Hall, where you can take part in a virtual reality demonstration of what it might be like to accomplish even the simplest tasks if you're living with MS. And if you've downloaded the RealTalk MS app from the Apple App Store for iOS or the Google Play Store for Android, I hope you enjoy the bonus video...

Greetings from Day 1 at ECTRIMS in Berlin! Today, we're talking about pharmaceutical company Novartis seeking approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for siponimod , a once-daily oral medication that significantly reduces disability progression for people living with secondary progressive MS.   This is important news, as 80% of the people living with rel...