Move It or Lose it - The Podcast

Sexual dysfunction is any problem that prevents a person or couple from experiencing satisfaction from sexual activity. Some 43% of women and 31% of men report some degree of sexual dysfunction, according to the Cleveland Clinic. And if you add in an autoimmune condition like Multiple Sclerosis, that number can go as high as 69%. So to talk frankly about this important issue, particularly from the...

Sexual dysfunction is any problem that prevents a person or couple from experiencing satisfaction from sexual activity. Some 43% of women and 31% of men report some degree of sexual dysfunction, according to the Cleveland Clinic. And if you add in an autoimmune condition like Multiple Sclerosis, that number can go as high as 69%. So to talk frankly about this important issue, particularly from the...

Lyndsay Watterson has designed walking sticks used by Selma Blair and Christina Applegate. And if that's not impressive enough, she also performed death-defying circus moves at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. While Coldplay performed! After having arthritis since her teens, Lyndsay had knee replacement surgery at age 39. But an infection left her in more pain, so...

One of my favorite things about doing this podcast is meeting young people who are taking on MS and using all of the tools at their disposal to shed light on this crappy disease. Antonio Perez was diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS (PPMS) in 2022. As a young queer man, he was disappointed by the lack of LGBTQIA+ voices within the MS community. So Antonio uses TikTok to talk about his experience...

Many people I've spoken to on the podcast have struggled to get an MS diagnosis, but Roxy Murray's story is especially frustrating. A UK-based podcaster, MS advocate, and fashionista, she first presented with MS at 18, waking up one day with double vision and intense headaches. They were rushed to hospital, undergoing an MRI and a Lumbar Puncture - standard tests for MS. However, Roxy wa...

When the COVID pandemic started, I was very aware that otherwise-healthy people were experiencing things that we in the Chronic Illness Community have known about for a long time - notably the loss of cognitive function. And with cases of Long COVID, these problems are seemingly here to stay. Dr. James “Jim” Jackson is an internationally renowned expert on Long COVID and its effects on cognitive a...

When the COVID pandemic started, I was very aware that otherwise-healthy people were experiencing things that we in the Chronic Illness Community have known about for a long time - notably the loss of cognitive function. And with cases of Long COVID, these problems are seemingly here to stay. Dr. James “Jim” Jackson is an internationally renowned expert on Long COVID and its effects on cognitive a...

Today I'm talking to some amazing young people from Address MS, a student-led organization that is dedicated to raising money for and educating the community about Multiple Sclerosis. The students involved with Address MS don't have MS, they're just really passionate about raising awareness of the disease. And, as a non-profit, any money that they raise goes straight to the National...

I'm delighted to have Dr. Rudrani Banik returning to the podcast today.  Dr. Rudrani Banik is a Board-certified Ophthalmologist, fellowship-trained Neuro-Ophthalmologist, and Functional Medicine expert. She is internationally known for her expertise in ophthalmic and neuro-ophthalmic care.  Dr. Rudrani manages a wide spectrum of conditions affecting vision, as well as the complex connections...

When the time came for Ardra Shephard to start using mobility aids, she was frustrated to note that there was no representation – in fashion or the media – of disabled people using their mobility aids, while looking GOOD. So she decided to change the narrative. Ardra is now a sought-after writer, consultant, and speaker, whose award-winning blog Tripping On Air has an international reach and reput...

As we all know, MS can seem to be the gift that keeps on taking. And if there comes a time when you need to use a mobility aid, it can be a hard pill to swallow. When that time came for Ardra Shephard, she was frustrated to note that there was no representation – in fashion or the media – of disabled people using their mobility aids, while looking GOOD. So she decided to change the narrative. Ardr...

We've previously talked about what it is like to have an Autoimmune Disease, such as MS, while being single. How can you meet new people? And how do you know if - and when - you will feel able to reveal your health story? After becoming disabled due to chronic illnesses as a teenager, Jacqueline Child was quickly exposed to the ableist behaviors and expectations perpetuated by society. In par...

Stuart Schlossman was traveling for work when the first symptoms of what was later diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis knocked him off his feet. Since receiving his diagnosis in 1998, he has been an active and vocal voice in the MS community. In 2009, Stuart launched MS Views and News, a national organization that provides educational programs, patient advocacy, and resources to empower and enhance th...

Robbie Gillett was at work when he became unable to move as he was installing a kitchen unit. He was convinced that he was dying or having a stroke but eventually, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis - twice! As a way to process his new reality, Robbie began writing poetry, which has been published in his first collection, Thoughts of a Warrior: Beneath the Tracksuit . In the final part of my...

Robbie Gillett was at work when he became unable to move as he was installing a kitchen unit. He was convinced that he was dying or having a stroke but eventually, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis - twice! As a way to process his new reality, Robbie began writing poetry, which has been published in his first collection, Thoughts of a Warrior: Beneath the Tracksuit . In the first part of a...

I'm delighted to share another interview with my favorite Multiple Sclerosis-specialist psychologist, Dr. Meghan Beier. We all know that life with MS can lead us to seek help for our mental health at some point. And when the primary cause of emotional symptoms is a medical condition, you want the mental health specialist to understand your condition. However, these professionals can be diffic...

Often on this podcast, we feature people with MS, talking to other people with MS, about living with MS. But this time, I wanted to provide an inside look into what it's like when your support person is the person you love and who lives with you. How do we make our relationships work so we can stay together, despite everything this crappy disease can throw at us?  My guests are some of my fav...

Often on this podcast, we feature people with MS, talking to other people with MS, about living with MS. But this time, I wanted to provide an inside look into what it's like when your support person is the person you love and who lives with you.  How do we make our relationships work so we can stay together, despite everything this crappy disease can throw at us?  My guests are some of my fa...

The legal use of cannabis and CBD as a treatment for all manner of chronic illnesses continues to be something that is big news - patients increasingly request it but legislators are either slow to recognize the benefits or availability is inconsistent throughout the US. My guest today is Dr. Mikhail (Misha) Kogan, who previously appeared on Episode 71 of the Move It Or Lose It podcast. He describ...

The legal use of cannabis and CBD as a treatment for all manner of chronic illnesses continues to be something that is big news - patients increasingly request it but legislators are either slow to recognize the benefits or availability is inconsistent throughout the US. My guest today is Dr. Mikhail (Misha) Kogan, who previously appeared on Episode 71 of the Move It Or Lose It podcast. He describ...

Jennifer and Dan Digmann have been married since 2005 and have lived with Multiple Sclerosis throughout their relationship - Jennifer was diagnosed in 1997, Dan in the year 2000. They met at a National Multiple Sclerosis Society event in 2002, and since then, they have dedicated their lives to MS activism and helping others to live their best lives.  In the final part of this two-part interview, D...

Jennifer and Dan Digmann have been married since 2005 and have lived with Multiple Sclerosis throughout their relationship - Jennifer was diagnosed in 1997, Dan in the year 2000. They met at a National Multiple Sclerosis Society event in 2002, and since then, they have dedicated their lives to MS activism and helping others to live their best lives.  In the first part of a two-part interview, Dan...

Darrell Wordelmann, the face of Rooney’s Oceanfront Restaurant, loves the mental and physical challenge that the restaurant business brings.  After caring for his mother, who had Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, he received his own MS diagnosis in 2020. Darrell and his brother Bobby were blessed that, growing up, their father was around but that is not the case for all families. So nowadays, Darrel...

Darrell Wordelmann has been the face of Rooney’s Oceanfront Restaurant for the last 27 years, and he loves the mental and physical challenge that the restaurant business brings.  He grew up in a house where his mother had Progressive MS. Because of this, Darrell has been an advocate for Multiple Sclerosis for over 20 years, before receiving his own diagnosis in 2020. In the first part of a two-par...

In this three part series, Dr. Jera Tolliver-Scott, an expert in the field of sexual intimacy for people with multiple sclerosis, who isn’t afraid to tackle this tricky subject. With years of research and studying, she’s compiled data from patients about common sexual dysfunction problems, like vaginal lubricants, physical pain, vaginal pain, erectile dysfunction, and communication when it comes t...