Move It or Lose it - The Podcast

My guest today, Ricky Bytel, is someone I've gotten to know through working with him (remotely) in my Disrupt Move and Transform (DMAT) Program.  His story is a really interesting one so I wanted to feature him on the podcast. Ricky was 12 at the time of his mother's diagnosis with MS, and when his father left home he had to step up to manage the household finances.  At a very young age...

I know it's not just people with Multiple Sclerosis or other auto-immune conditions who have problems sleeping, especially not over recent years. But it is something I hear a lot about from clients - whether it's something they've been dealing with for decades or if they're trying to adjust to a new diagnosis. I know it's something that I can struggle with! Abbey Hughes, P...

I'm continuing my exploration of what the MS diagnostic and treatment processes are like for MSers of color. As I mentioned previously, MS is considered a white person's disease. So how does it feel to go through it all when people don't believe that you can have it? For the second part of this series, Dawn Morgan is joined by Tyler Campbell and Mike Stafford.  We talked about my gu...

For some reason, MS is considered a white person's disease. So I wanted to find out how that might affect the diagnostic process - and treatment options - for MSers of color.  For the first part of this short series, I spoke to comedian Rosani Christy, Dr. Folake Taylor, and MS advocates Dawn Morgan and Damian Washington.  We talked about their own diagnosis stories, the effect of the pandemi...

Inspired by my recent chat with Adam Powell, I share some personal thoughts about Courage, my word of the year. In my experience, people within the chronic illness community don't give themselves enough credit for all of the courageous things that they do. Or they don't realize how courageous the everyday things that they do truly are! In this episode, as well as sharing thoughts on what...

Once again I’m gathering some of my favorite women from the MS world to share our stories and experiences with you. This month I’m joined by Bernadette Judge, Dr. Folake Taylor, Terry Hord, Tamara Kahn, and Dawn Morgan. This time around we're talking about all the hormonal changes that we ladies have to deal with and how they are affected by autoimmune conditions in general and MS in particul...

Before his MS diagnosis, Adam Powell was an athlete, workaholic, partier, and concertgoer, just doing whatever he wanted to do. Over the course of five weeks, he lost the ability to walk and drive, which, combined with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, turned his world upside down. However, Adam fought back with physiotherapy, yoga, and an intense fitness routine. In our chat, Adam talks about h...

Today's Interview is an Encore Episode originally aired in October of 21  with Brittany Quiroz - A Hot MS - MS Influencer -  Brittany is a Singer - Songwriter,  Motivational Speaker and Cancer Previvor In Britany's own words -  Being diagnosed with a neurological disability at the age of 30 is enough to make anyone climb into a hole, curl up and start burying yourself alive. The initial...

If you’ve ever felt exhausted by having to explain what MS (or any chronic health condition) is, you’re going to love meeting Dr. Meghan Beier. She’s a psychologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who specializes in MS. Her passion for improving care led her to create Find Empathy, which provides continuing education for mental health professionals on how best to serve patients who...

 Today's Encore Interview (originally aired in Oct. 2021) is with Mike Stafford _ New Blogger, Author and MS Patient Mike is a fellow MS Warrior and recently started a new Blog which depicts his positive views regarding his MS journey.  While Mike might be new to blogging and an up and comer as an MS Influencer, Kathy has found inspiration in Mike's Blog and felt you would appreciate it...

My guest today is Dr Rudrani Banik. Dr. Banik is internationally known for her expertise in ophthalmic and neuro-ophthalmic care. She manages a wide spectrum of conditions affecting vision, as well as the complex connections between the eye and brain.  What first got me interested was how she combines traditional medical and surgical treatments of the eye with nutritional and lifestyle approaches...

Today is a special episode, marking one year of the Move It Or Lose It podcast! As well as thanking a few people who've helped along the way, I also introduce a short season of some of the most popular episodes of the past 12 months. A huge thank you goes to you for joining me on this journey - thank you so much for listening! You can find Kathy Chester at disruptfitnessgym@gmail.com moveitor...

We've been talking a lot recently about depression, cognition, and Multiple Sclerosis. It makes sense that, as MS can affect the brain, it's probably going to change what's going on up there. But it's still a relatively recent idea that physical changes to the brain are going to affect the way we feel, how we think, and how we interact with others.  My guest today is Dr. Anthon...

Dr. Aviva Gaskill is another example of something which I didn't know existed until a short while ago. Dr. Gaskill is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in treating MS patients. Not only that, she is a designated Partner in MS Care for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Dr. Gaskill's interest lies in the convergence of medical issues and psychology. So in this interview we tal...

Pelvic floor dysfunction is something that many people with MS (both men and women) will experience. But not everyone is comfortable talking about it. Luckily, my guest today LOVES talking about this important issue! Erin Glace PT, MSPT, PRPC is a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic health. She has over 25 years of experience treating women with pelvic floor problems and has lectured loca...

Yet again I’m gathering some of my favorite women from the MS world to share our stories and experiences with you. This month I’m joined by Folake Taylor, Jen Phegely, Julie Stamm, Tamara Kahn, and Jamie aka LoveWarriorHugs. This time around is slightly different as Dr. Megan Beier led a discussion about anxiety and mental health. We talk about neuroplasticity and cognitive decline, and various wa...

Dr. Folake Taylor is an internal medicine physician by training and practiced in the outpatient landscape in this capacity for 15 years, and in her last 7 years in post, she began to increasingly infuse holistic wellness into her practice. Now she is moving into the holistic wellness space as the MS Educator, based on her experience and success in living with Primary Progressive MS. That’s right -...

The biggest news in the Multiple Sclerosis community recently is the link between the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and MS. So in order to get to the bottom of it, I wanted to speak to an expert. Dr. Brandon Beaber is a board-certified neurologist with subspecialty training in multiple sclerosis. In this conversation, we talk about why he chose MS as his focus, why he started his popular YouTube channe...

In the final part of my interview with Tyler Campbell, Tyler opens up about his faith, his marriage, and what he views as his mission. He also talks about his experiences as an ambassador for The National MS Society, and how his experiences of therapy led him to write his book, The Ball Came Out: Life From The Other Side Of The Field. I loved spending time with Tyler - thanks to him for being so g...

In the second part of my interview with MS Society Ambassador Tyler Campbell, we cover his struggles to accept his MS diagnosis as a college footballer. We also talk about the low levels of minority representation within the MS space and the deal he made with his neurologist - that he would give up playing football if he had another relapse. Links and resources: Visit Tyler Campbell Connect with T...

I recently had the honor of speaking to Tyler Campbell, the son of Hall of Fame legend, Earl Campbell. Tyler was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis while playing football at San Diego State University, but he feels that his MS journey was prepped for him a long time before his official diagnosis. In the first of a three-part interview, we talk about Tyler’s childhood, his “Introvert-Extrovert” natu...

Anyone who knows me - or has listened to this podcast! - will know the importance I place on the mind-body connection. And I think that dance is a perfect way to develop this while also expressing yourself. But sadly many people with disabilities don’t see dance as something for them.  On today’s podcast I’m talking to Sofia Blasco, co-founder and Executive Director of The Dancer Movement. This gr...

Yet again I’m gathering some of my favorite women from the MS world to share our stories and experiences with you. This month I’m joined by Brooke Slick, Jen Phegley, Melody Sapien, Dawn Morgan, Julie Stamm and Terry Hord.  This time around there are two big topics that we discuss - how people with chronic health conditions are feeling about returning to work as COVID restrictions are being lifted...

If you’ve ever felt exhausted by having to explain what MS (or any chronic health condition) is, you’re going to love meeting Dr. Meghan Beier. She’s a psychologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who specializes in MS. Her passion for improving care led her to create Find Empathy, which provides continuing education for mental health professionals on how best to serve patients who...

When I met with Tamara Kahn and Terry Hord of Twins Coast 2 Coast, we had so much to say that we had to split it over two episodes! In this second part, we talk about how it was for Tamara to get her MS diagnosis, after seeing how it had impacted the life of her twin sister. As well as talking more about their advocacy work, the twins also discuss learning to accept mobility aids, the need to Move...