That's So Chronic

The final episode! Thanks for listening and sharing. Today, in episode five of five, we're discussing recent research updates. ** Please note: Brett talks about the upcoming ECTRIMS/ACTRIMS conference in this episode, which has since passed. Find out information about the 2027 event in Toronto here: mstoronto2026.org ** -- Welcome to Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand ’s 5 part series for MS Aware...

Welcome back to episode four of five of this series in collaboration with Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand. It's recently been World MS Day (30 May) so I wanted to share 5 part series here as well. Today, it's all about parenthood. Guests: Jamie, Chris, Fiona D’Young (MS nurse specialist), Mandy, Dr Jennifer Pereira (neurologist) & Sam.  Watch the MS & Pregnancy series here: msnz.org...

In celebration of World MS Day (30 May), I'm releasing the 5 part series I created for Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand here! This is episode three of five, and it's all about travel. -- Welcome to Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand ’s 5 part series for MS Awareness Week 2025. This week, host Jess Brien will be chatting with people who are living with MS, healthcare professionals, and people who...

Yesterday was World MS Day (30 May), so to celebrate, I wanted to share this 5 part series I created for Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand for MS Awareness Week. In episode two of five, we are discussing the different treatment options available in Aotearoa New Zealand for multiple sclerosis patients. ** Please note: Since this episode was created, Ocrevus/Ocrelizumab is now available as a subcutaneo...

Today is World MS Day (30 May) and to celebrate, I wanted to share this special 5 part series I created with Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand for MS Awareness Week. Here's episode one of five. It's all about diagnosis. -- This week, host Jess Brien will be chatting with people who are living with MS, healthcare professionals, and people who have dedicated their lives to making living with MS possibl...

It's World Multiple Sclerosis Day today (30 May) so I wanted to share with you all a project I created for Multiple Sclerosis New Zealand for MS Awareness Week. I'm really proud of how this series came together, and am so grateful for everyone who shared their time and thoughts with me. Over the next 5 days, I will be sharing the 5 part podcast series talking about how Time Matters in MS....

Um, hiiii!  Firstly, I want to say a huge sorry for leaving you all in the lurch here on the That’s So Chronic podcast feed! Like I explain in this update episode, I really did not anticipate this big of a break between new episodes, hence why I didn’t let you know ahead of time!  In this episode I try to explain where the heck I’ve been and how I’ve been feeling, a little bit more of an...

It’s the final Tuesday of the month which means it’s time for a That’s So episode! A chance to chat about a piece of content that’s in our That’s So Chronic world. Today, we’re chatting about the feature documentary Designer $hit directed by Saffron Cassaday.  In Designer $hit, director Saffron Cassaday, who has suffered from ulcerative colitis for nearly a decade, sets off on a journey to de...

Happy Tuesday! When I was passing through London, UK in July I was able to sit down and chat with Miranda Allen about her diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)  In this episode, Miranda looks back with hindsight and explains where it’s possible her symptoms began, the years of not really knowing what was going on, how she got a diagnosis, what on earth ME ev...

Welcome back to That’s So Chronic ! Today - in the middle of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - I was able to sit down with comedian Markus Birdman , to chat about his experience of having two strokes , as well as living with a diagnosis of homonymous hemianopia . In this episode Markus explains how it it felt for him going through stroke number one and then stroke number two ten years later, what ha...

Welcome back to That’s So Chronic ! It’s the final Tuesday of the month which means it’s time for a That’s So episode, where we chat about something that’s in our That’s So Chronic world.  Today, we’re chatting about The Surgeons’ Hall Museums and the Blood & Guts: The Twists and Turns of Edinburgh’s Medical History Walking Tour that I was able to check out while I was in Edinburgh, Scotl...

Welcome to That’s So Chronic !. Today I am chatting to psychiatrist, comedian, and author Dr Jo Prendergast about her diagnosis of breast cancer, as well as her latest book When Life Sucks .  In this episode, Jo talks us through her breast cancer diagnosis and what happened next. We chat about the amount of decisions you have to make after a diagnosis, the stark differences between public vs...

Welcome back to That's So Chronic! Today I am joined by Dr Saimun Singla and we are discussing her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis as well as her work as a paediatric rheumatologist and integrative medicine physician.  In this episode, Dr Saimun shares her story of working for years in rheumatology and then going through her own rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis process. We chat about how she...

Welcome to That's So Chronic . It’s the final Tuesday of the month, which means it’s time for another That’s So episode. Today I am chatting to Olivia Shivas, the editor of The D*List - the home of disability culture in Aotearoa. The D*List is an online culture magazine that creates space for disabled people to tell their own stories through features, columns and news reporting. It’s quickly becom...

Today I am chatting to Nick Allen who is living with a diagnosis of functional neurological disorder (FND) and fibromyalgia . However, this was not always the case… In this episode Nick talks us through the long process of initially being diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, and the lifestyle changes that he implemented to manage his condition (one of these being the overcoming M...

It’s my favourite day of the week again! Welcome back to That’s So Chronic! Today’s episode is with Audrey Zannese and we are discussing her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). In this episode Audrey opens up about how in denial she was when she first heard that her symptoms might be MS, and then the journey it took for her to make the decision to begin treatment. She also talks us through the p...

Welcome to That’s So Chronic ! Today I am chatting to Sophie Ricketts , and she talks us through a hymenectomy surgery that she had while she was at drama school. In this episode Sophie explains the process of discovering that she had a thick hymen, which involves several people telling her “she wasn’t ready” for sex, a gut feeling that wasn’t initially followed through, and a gynaecologist drawin...

Welcome back to That’s So Chronic ! Today’s episode is with Dr Kara Wada, MD , and we are discussing her diagnosis of Sjogren’s syndrome and her work as an allergist, immunologist, and lifestyle medicine physician.  In this episode Dr Kara shares her diagnosis story, as well as the symptoms that - with hindsight - are also pieces of the Sjogren's puzzle. She explains what Sjogren’s is (spoile...

Welcome back to That’s So Chronic . It's the final Tuesday of the month, so we take a break from regular interviews. For today’s Spotlight On episode, I’m chatting to pain researcher and sole Survivor, Dr Hayley Leake. In this episode Hayley chats about the pain research work that she is working on, her PhD, what excites her about the future of pain research, and of course, we chat about how she w...

Welcome back to That’s So Chronic ! Today’s episode is with Elizabeth , and we are chatting about her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) .  In this episode Elizabeth shares the diagnosis process that eventuated after a bout of optic neuritis, how she felt when her symptoms had a name, her management plan including diet and Natalizumab/Tysabri infusions, and why she felt inspired to share he...

Yay! It’s Tuesday! Which means a brand new episode of That’s So Chronic ! Today’s episode is with Ruby Quinn , and we are chatting about her diagnosis of ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome), endometriosis, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) .  In this episode, Ruby starts by sharing her story of her ME/CFS diagnosis, and takes us through how she got a...

Ahhhh!!!! WE’RE BACK! BRAND NEW EPISODES! Sorry for shouting but I’m SO EXCITED! Welcome back! Today’s episode is with Allie Sharples , and we are chatting about her diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) , as well as being born with a cleft lip and palate.  In this episode, Allie takes us all the way back to the beginning and explains the countless surgeries th...

Welcome to That's So Chronic (or if you're a long time listener, welcome back!) a weekly podcast where Jess Brien ( @jessssbrien ) interviews people from around the world who are thriving - and sometimes only just surviving - with chronic illnesses, life changing injuries, and potentially disastrous diagnoses... all while having a laugh along the way. You can expect new patient stories every Tuesd...

It’s the final Tuesday of the month which means a That’s So episode! Today I am chatting about Dr Paul Biegler ’s latest book Why Does It Still Hurt? Throughout the book Paul begins to unpack the reasons behind why it might still be hurting, using his own chronic pain journey, as well as other patients’ stories, and interviews with some of the top pain researchers, scientists and doctors in the wo...

Welcome back to That’s So Chronic ! Today, after a couple of technical difficulties, I’m joined by singer songwriter Annie Vander, and we’re talking all about her diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) In this episode Annie shares the accident that subsequently changed the course of her career, the diagnosis process, her definition of CRPS, how she manages her symptoms, the inspiration...