RealTalk MS

Too often, care partners remain invisible as they deal with the emotional, physical, and even financial burdens that go along with supporting a loved one who's living with multiple sclerosis.  November is National Family Caregivers Month, and I'm devoting this entire episode to a roundtable discussion with four remarkable care partners as they share their insights, experiences, and lessons learned...

There are some people who, once you meet them, it's impossible to forget them. They seem to leave an indelible impression. Lydia Emily is one of those people. Whether it's through her art that occasionally escapes the canvas to be expressed as massive urban murals proclaiming End MS , or through her outspoken MS advocacy. Lydia Emily is a force. Now, along with co-author Lenlee Keep, Lydia Emily h...

MS affects almost 3 times as many women as men, often affecting women of childbearing age. In this special episode of RealTalk MS, Dr. Riley Bove answers some of the important questions about the impact of MS on a woman's pregnancy and the impact of pregnancy on a woman's MS. This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by Viatris. SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste...

On this podcast, we tend to talk a lot about new technologies, emerging treatments, the most recently approved disease-modifying therapies, and even some DMTs that haven't yet been approved.   And in the midst of all that cutting-edge research and evolving science, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that expressive therapies like dance and movement therapy, music therapy, and art therapy have all...

Being a teenager is hard. So, imagine for a moment that in addition to everything else that teenagers have to endure, you're a teenager who's been diagnosed with MS. Your ability to participate in after-school activities or just hang out with your friends is impacted by MS-related fatigue. The typical adolescent anxiety over something someone posted on social media evolves into depression. And cog...

Learning to live with MS is learning to live with loss. For some, those losses may be minor and seem relatively insignificant. For others, those losses can be huge and life-altering. The definition of grief is an emotional response to a significant loss . It's not unusual to grieve over those things in your life that have been lost due to MS. In fact, healthy grieving is a necessary emotional step...

Now that he's had a chance to digest all of the research presented at ECTRIMS, Dr. Bruce Bebo, the National MS Society's Executive Vice President of Research, is back to share the key research presented at the largest MS research conference in the world. This episode of RealTalk MS is the perfect follow-up to my initial conversation with Bruce, which occurred just minutes after ECTRIMS ended. (If...

Open enrollment is underway! And if you're one of the 25% of people living with MS who get their coverage through Medicare, there are some major changes coming in 2025. So, it's especially important that you review your prescription drug coverage to make sure you're enrolled in the Medicare Part D plan that's best for you.   Sarah Anderson, pharmacist and senior director of clinical resources and...

In the seven years that I've been hosting RealTalk MS, no one has ever described a mobility device as life-changing . That is until listener Dee Ecklund reached out to tell me about her experience with the Alinker.  One of my goals in producing this podcast is to introduce the RealTalk MS listener community to people who are difference-makers. And Dee's initial DM led to my conversation with Dee a...

With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2024 ECTRIMS meeting in Copenhagen was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my  ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Dr. Jiwon Oh. Dr. Oh is a neurologist...

In 2020, the National MS Society convened the Pathways to Cures Think Tank. I shared news and interviews from what I considered a historic meeting back in Episode 125 of RealTalk MS.  The information shared and the work generated by that Think Tank led to the Pathways to Cures Global Summit in 2023. In Episodes 297 and 298 of RealTalk MS, I shared news and interviews from what I described as yet a...

With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2024 ECTRIMS meeting in Copenhagen was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my  ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Dr. Peter Calabresi. Dr. Peter Calabr...

With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2024 ECTRIMS meeting in Copenhagen was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my  ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Rachel Horne and Professor Kerstin He...

ECTRIMS 2024, the largest MS research conference in the world concluded last week, and in this week's episode, we'll be hearing two slightly different perspectives on which news, announcements, and presentations stood out at this year's meeting.   The ECTRIMS conference can feel almost overwhelming. You find yourself among 9 or 10 thousand other attendees, trying to determine which of the more tha...

With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2024 ECTRIMS meeting in Copenhagen was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my  ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Dr. Fred Lublin. Dr. Fred Lublin is t...

Living with the unpredictability of MS sometimes feels like riding a rollercoaster. As you experience the twists and turns of life with MS, you can sometimes feel unmoored from the person you thought you were. You can sense your priorities, motivations, and values shifting. And, in those moments, it becomes easy to lose your sense of purpose.   Clinical assistant professor and rehabilitation psych...

Living with MS is expensive. A recent study funded by the National MS Society found the average cost of living with MS in the United States is $88,487 a year.  Even with insurance, that can turn out to be a heavy lift. One thing you don't need is to be worrying about money while you're already worrying about MS. So, when I think about discussing budgeting and managing your personal finances when y...

Most of us know Medicare as health insurance for Americans who are 65 or older, but when they qualify for Social Security disability benefits, people younger than 65 automatically qualify for Medicare. Today, between 25 and 30% of the people living with MS are Medicare beneficiaries. Whether you already have Medicare or you'll be signing up for Medicare in the future, getting the right coverage re...

If you're a regular listener, you know that I rely on the RealTalk MS listener community to let me know which topics you'd like to hear about on this podcast. A few years ago, in episode 264, listener Dawnia Baynes did a podcast takeover, and interviewed me. Since then, I've heard from a bunch of you who, for some reason, want to hear more about me. So, when listener Kyra Millich asked if she coul...

Getting an MS diagnosis is not always the quick, straightforward process we'd like it to be. For some people, the process can drag on for years. But getting that diagnosis only happens when you and your primary care physician recognize that something's going on. It might be a sudden vision issue. Maybe it's unexplained tingling in an arm or leg. Or maybe it's something more acute that gets your at...

For some people, getting in their car and heading for, well, anywhere represents freedom and independence. For others, it's a way to get to their jobs, get to their medical appointments, get the kids to school, and run necessary errands. MS can change all of that.  Occupational Therapist and Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist Jenny Nordine joins me to discuss how to preserve your independe...

Integrative medicine brings conventional and complementary treatments together in a coordinated way. This approach to health and wellness represents a growing trend across the United States, especially among people who live with a chronic disease like MS. Dr. Lynne Shinto joins me to explain what integrative medicine  is and how to safely incorporate complementary treatments into your MS care plan...

Less than two weeks ago, the National MS Society announced the appointment of Dr. Tim Coetzee as its new President and CEO. The MS Society's board chair, Peter Porrino, commented, " Tim is a trusted voice of the global MS community, a highly respected scientist, and we are excited for him to bring his transformative leadership to drive us into our next era to achieve a world free of MS ." I though...

It's hard to imagine any area of our lives that hasn't been transformed by digital technology. That's certainly true for healthcare in general and MS diagnosis and treatment in particular. Dr. Riley Bove joins me to discuss the role that digital technology already plays in the diagnosis and treatment of MS and to share a preview of what's coming next. The National MS Society has named its new Pres...

As Harvard Fellow Dr. Nara Michaelson treated women who had been recently diagnosed with MS, she recognized they shared characteristics that she had observed in victims of violent domestic abuse. Dr. Michaelson's observation led her to write The Unraveling , an essay that highlights the fear that can accompany the uncertainty of living with MS.  Dr. Michaelson joins me to discuss the experiences t...