Mogil's Mobcast-A Scleroderma Chat

In today's episode, I talk with Ashley Barron. She is the new Celebrity Ambassador for The National Scleroderma Foundation and a newly recording country artist. Ashley also has Scleroderma and has lost her mom to the disease. Ashley has an upbeat personality and is a joy to talk to.

In this episode I finish my conversation with Jessica Farrell. We finish by discussing medications that are used for Raynaud's, the GI tract, Interstitial lung disease, renal disease, and pulmonary hypertension. We will end the discussion with information on how to access medications at affordable prices. You will be well versed on scleroderma medications by the end of this podcast!

In this episode I talk with Jessica Farrell. She is a clinical pharmacist and a professor at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. We discuss the many medications that a scleroderma warrior could take. Jessica has so much information that I decided to divide the podcast into 2 parts. Today in part 1, we first discuss her background and the fabulous contribution she has made to help p...

In this episode I talk with Dr. Brett Thombs, he founded and directs the Scleroderma Patient Intervention program (SPIN) with the help of and in collaboration with over 150 investigators, health care providers, patients, and patient advocates from 8 countries and 50 scleroderma expert centers. The program's philosophy is to help Scleroderma patients live better with the hand that they've...

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Richard Silver. He is the co-director of the Scleroderma Center at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC and has been working in rheumatology with Scleroderma patients for 4 decades.  Today he shares his wealth of knowledge about tests that are available for scleroderma patients and the importance of having them done.

In this episode I talk with Kerry Jeffrey, a clinical therapist. We talk about the grief that can happen when diagnosed with a chronic illness. There are 9 possible stages of grief. Kerry explains what stages people might get stuck at and tips on how to move out of that stage. 

In this episode, I chat with Dr. David Leader. He is a Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry and has a dental public health masters. Dr. Leader is a nationally recognized expert on Scleroderma and oral health. We talk about how the mouth and skin changes with Scleroderma, the effects of medication, periodontal disease, dry mouth, and adaptive equipment.

In this episode, I talk with Christina Loccke whose daughter has juvenile Scleroderma. Christina takes us on her daughter's journey from diagnosis, medical treatment, and lifestyle. We talk in detail about what juvenile Scleroderma is, since it is very rare. Christina is paying it forward by helping other parents whose children are afflicted with this disease. She is also on the board of dire...

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Elizabeth Volkmann. She is an adult Rheumatologist and is the Director of Scleroderma at the University of California-Los Angeles, Scleroderma Program. Her research focuses on the GI tract and looking at the gut microbiome. We start from the beginning of the digestive tract, and work our way down! We talk about causation, medications, nutrition, and ways to handle...

In this episode I talk with Mary Wheatley, the CEO of the Scleroderma Foundation. We talk about the Foundation, its history, philosophy, services being offered, events and how to get involved.

In this episode, I go on another journey with Scleroderma patient Karen Vasquez. Karen and I talk about her battles with Scleroderma and how she was able to find humor in the disease. This led to her passion of becoming a comedian.

In this episode I talk with Jan Nitti, a board member of the Raynaud’s Association who is also afflicted with Scleroderma. We discuss what Raynaud’s is and some myths about it. We also talk about how to deal with this disease, including medicines, lifestyles, and fun products that can be used. I

In this episode, I talk with Renee Andreasen. She is a functional nutrition counselor, a certified AIP coach, and within the next year, she will be a board certified health coach. Her specialty is gut health. We spent a lot of time talking about AIP also known as Autoimmune Protocol or Autoimmune Paleo. We discussed ways to be nutritionally healthier to our bodies. Renee shares so much information...

In this episode I talk with Stephanie Shutes. She is a Scleroderma warrior. She was diagnosed at an early age of 21, although diagnosed incorrectly, it changed the trajectory of her career path of becoming a professional basketball player. She has maintained an upbeat attitude and her positive attitude is contagious, as you will find out.

In this episode I talk with Andrew Botieri, a Scleroderma survivor. He is in the small percentile of men who are diagnosed with Scleroderma. Andrew talks about his near death experience and about how keeping a positive attitude is key to staying ahead of a chronic illness. Andrew has written a book called "A Celebration of Life: A Story of Hope, A Miracle and the Power of Attitude", in w...

In this episode I talk with Dr. Alison Danby, a Naturopathic Doctor, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, and Certified Neuro-Linguistic Practitioner.  We discuss her autoimmune disease Hashimoto, what it means to be a functional practitioner. What she offers at her clinic to help people with autoimmune disease and lastly, some possible causation of autoimmune diseases.

In this episode I talk with Dr. Aly Cohen, Rheumatologist, integrative medical specialist and environmental health expert. She has so much information to share from all of her areas of expertise. We discuss everything from her integrative approach to working with autoimmune patients, to her wellness approach with her patients and the use of chemical products. There is a ton of important informatio...

In this episode I talk with Lori Pierce, a long time Scleroderma patient. She tells her story of battling with Scleroderma and the many hurdles she has overcome. One of the hurdles she mastered was yoga. She discusses how she championed it by becoming a Scleroderma yoga instructor and shares her knowledge through her and her partner's website: Yoga for Scleroderma. A free website we all can e...

In this episode I have a beautiful conversation with a scleroderma warrior, Claudia Sultan. Her journey reveals how much of a warrior she is. She is the small percent who qualify for stem cell transplant and describes how it saved her life. She has chronicled her journey in her book,  A Life with Uncertainty. A link to her book can be found on my website, Mogilsmobcast.

As a part of living with a chronic illness one change many of us take is lifestyle. One lifestyle I changed was how I eat. I talked with Angelina Chilcoat, an occupational and certified hand therapist, about how to navigate in the kitchen when you have a chronic illness. Many Scleroderma patients suffer from Sclerodactyly, which causes the fingers to curl inwards and become difficult to use and al...

Dr. Beldner has extensive knowledge of Scleroderma which he discusses in the podcast. We talk about Raynaud's in detail and hand surgery. He is available for consultation in person or via telemedicine. To contact call:212-434-4263

In this episode I have a heartfelt conversation with my grown children about what it is like growing up with a mom with a chronic illness.

In this episode I will be telling my roller coaster journey ride with Scleroderma of over 20 years.