Every day, 12 more Canadians are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Facing one of the highest MS rates in the world, spread across a geographically large country, the MS Society of Canada is the only national voluntary organization in Canada that supports cutting-edge MS research while providing services and support to more than 90,000 people living with MS. Joining me as my guest is Dr. Pamela Valentine, who is not only the president & CEO of the MS Society of Canada but also a multi-award ...
Dec 07, 2020•34 min•Season 4Ep. 171
MS-related pain is one of those invisible symptoms that can have a profound impact on your quality of life. So we're devoting this entire episode of RealTalk MS to taking a deep dive into assessing and managing MS-related pain with my guests, Dr. Dawn M. Ehde and Dr. Heidi Maloni. Both of my guests are experts at assessing, treating, and managing MS-related pain, but each approaches pain from a slightly different perspective. Dr. Ehde is a clinical psychologist and professor of rehabilitation me...
Nov 30, 2020•29 min•Season 4Ep. 170
Joining me this week is Brett Drummond, a scientist in Australia who stepped away from his lab to develop an online resource designed to bridge the gap between the MS patient community and the MS research community. The result of his efforts is MSTranslate. We're talking about this excellent curated MS information resource, and Brett even shares some insights into the MS research that he finds particularly exciting. We're also talking about the research team that used human stem cells to create ...
Nov 23, 2020•39 min•Season 4Ep. 169
Today, remyelination holds real promise as a strategy for restoring lost function and slowing or even stopping MS progression. This week, we're taking a deep dive into the current state of remyelination research. Joining me are Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, the Hazel Prior Hostetler Professor of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic and the director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, and Dr. Ian Duncan, a neuroscientist, and Professor of Neurology at the Univ...
Nov 16, 2020•34 min•Season 4Ep. 168
November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States, giving us an opportunity to honor the men and women who have served in America's armed forces. More than 70,000 U.S. veterans are living with MS, and joining me on the podcast is Karla Clay, an Air Force veteran, and a National Veterans Wheelchair Games multiple medal winner. We're talking about the life-changing turn that Karla's MS journey ended up taking. As of today, the fate of the Affordable Care Act and the legal protections for people wit...
Nov 09, 2020•33 min•Season 4Ep. 167
Fatigue is considered to be the most common MS symptom and also one of the most disabling because fatigue can interfere with every aspect of someone's life -- at home, at work, in their relationships -- in every way, fatigue can have a profound impact on your quality of life. We're talking about how to best manage MS-related fatigue with two experts on the subject, Dr. Bardia Nourbakhsh, and Dr. Kathy Zackowski. Remembering Karen Jackson We're also remembering Karen Jackson, an MS activist, tire...
Nov 02, 2020•47 min•Season 4Ep. 166
Almost everything that we've learned about multiple sclerosis is the result of people with MS choosing to participate in clinical research. When it comes to MS and most every other chronic illness, clinical research is the common denominator of all medical progress. This week, we're breaking down the details of MS clinical research with my guests, Dr. Sandi Cassard, a research associate in the Neurology department at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Diane Kramer, who has participated in mor...
Oct 28, 2020•38 min•Season 4Ep. 165
MS doesn't only affect individuals. It affects families. And that's probably most clear when we're talking about pediatric MS. The National MS Society estimates that there are about 5,000 diagnosed cases of pediatric MS in the United States and less than 10,000 cases worldwide, but those numbers become far less important when your child is one of those diagnosed cases. We're taking a deep dive into pediatric MS with Hannah Schnitzler, who lives with pediatric MS, Hannah's mom, Melissa Fisher, an...
Oct 19, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 164
The ECTRIMS (European Committee for Treatment & Research in MS) meeting is the largest MS research conference in the world. This year, of course, the ECTRIMS conference was virtual, and so was my conversation with Dr. Bruce Bebo, the Executive Vice President of Research at the National MS Society. Join us in this special episode of RealTalk MS as we take a deep dive into the research breakthroughs that will lead to treatments designed to stop MS progression, restore lost function, and end MS...
Oct 12, 2020•29 min•Season 4Ep. 163
We're in the midst of the fall MS conference season, and while all the conferences are virtual, there's still lots of news to share. This week, we're talking with EJ Levy, the Founder and President of MS Hope for a Cure, about Big October 2020. We're also talking about MS rehabilitation science with Dr. Kathy Zackowski, the Senior Director of Patient Management, Care, & Rehabilitation Research at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Our wide-ranging conversation includes updates from the...
Oct 05, 2020•39 min•Season 4Ep. 162
A lot of us may have to think back to a time before the pandemic to remember what it felt like to get a good night's sleep. But if you're someone living with MS, you might have to think back even further. Research tells us that more than half the people living with MS report significant disruptions in their sleep and difficulty maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. And that can lead to additional health issues along with an overall decline in quality of life and wellbeing. My guest is Dr. Kat...
Sep 28, 2020•37 min•Season 4Ep. 161
Of all the people living with MS, you might assume that people living with progressive MS have experienced the highest levels of anxiety and depression related to the threat of COVID-19. A research team found themselves at the right place at the right time -- conducting a different progressive MS study. They quickly pivoted to investigate the emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people living with progressive MS. My guest is Dr. Anthony Feinstein, a professor of psychiatry at the Univers...
Sep 21, 2020•25 min•Season 4Ep. 160
This past weekend, 8,000 MS research scientists and clinicians gathered virtually for the joint meeting of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis and the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis. Known as ECTRIMS, this year's conference was appropriately re-branded as MSVirtual2020. We're talking about great presentations on the MS prodrome (and we'll explain what that is and why it's important), when it might be time to discontinue MS ...
Sep 17, 2020•42 min
You can't control the weather, but you can learn to dance in the rain. And developing resilience teaches you how to dance in the rain. My guest is Dr. Dawn Ehde, a clinical psychologist and professor of rehabilitation medicine at University of Washington Medicine. Dr. Ehde is an expert in understanding resilience, and she's joining us to explain why having resilience is central to improving the well-being of people affected by MS, and how to go about building your resilience -- even in the midst...
Sep 14, 2020•43 min•Season 4Ep. 159
Disease-modifying therapies are the cornerstone of any effective MS treatment plan. But with more than 20 approved prescription medications available today, the choices can seem overwhelming. People living with MS have questions -- Do you start out with a safe but less effective medication, or do you hit MS hard with a high-efficacy drug that may carry more risks? When is the right time to consider switching medications, and how do you have that conversation with your neurologist? Do things like...
Sep 07, 2020•37 min•Season 3Ep. 158
One of the very few bright spots to emerge during the COVID-19 pandemic is the overall effectiveness and efficiency of telemedicine. And although people living with MS and their doctors have largely hailed telemedicine as a success, there are significant obstacles to overcome before it can become a permanent part of our healthcare system. My guest is Mei Wa Kwong, the Executive Director of the Center for Connected Health Policy, and we're talking about the things that need to happen to ensure th...
Aug 31, 2020•27 min•Season 3Ep. 157
Whether you call it brain fog, cog-fog, or you don't happen to have a name for it, cognitive dysfunction affects more than half of all the people with MS. Joining me once again is Dr. Meghan Beier, a Rehabilitation Neuropsychologist and Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Beier specializes in cognitive rehabilitation and neuropsychological assessment and intervention and she's back to answer more of our questions about managing the cog...
Aug 24, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 156
Being a caregiver can be stressful in the best of circumstances. And life certainly doesn't get any easier or less burdensome for a family caregiver during a global pandemic. Research shows that COVID-19 is adding to the long list of things that caregivers worry about, adding a whole new layer of stress and anxiety to the situations they face every day. My guest this week is MaryAnne Sterling. MaryAnne is an expert on the challenges of family caregiving. And we're talking about ways that MS care...
Aug 17, 2020•37 min•Season 3Ep. 155
One of the things that people affected by MS seem to worry about every year is the flu vaccine. And the question is always the same -- is it safe for someone with MS to get a flu shot? This year, that question and its accompanying anxiety are compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Is it safe for someone with MS to get a flu vaccination during the pandemic? Is it safe for someone with MS to get a COVID-19 vaccination when one becomes available? And what about the impact of MS disease-modifying ther...
Aug 10, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 154
MS patients experience better treatment outcomes when they actively participate in their own care. And that requires high health literacy. One of my guests is health literacy expert Dr. Kalina Sanders and we're talking about how being an informed patient can have a significant impact on the healthcare you receive. A well-rounded MS treatment plan will include wellness practices like making smart food choices and adding exercise to your routine. But making changes to our health behaviors is chall...
Aug 03, 2020•36 min•Season 3Ep. 153
Cognitive decline and depression are two of the more common invisible symptoms of multiple sclerosis, impacting at least half of all the people living with MS. My guest is Dr. Meghan Beier, an Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and a Rehabilitation Neuropsychologist. Dr. Beier specializes in cognitive rehabilitation and neuropsychological assessment and intervention, and she's going to share some specific strategies that you can use to be...
Jul 27, 2020•34 min•Season 3Ep. 152
Pain and fatigue are two of the most common and challenging symptoms of MS. These are the symptoms that can stop you from fully engaging in your life at work, at home, with friends, or family. My guest is Dr. Heidi Maloni. Dr. Maloni is a nurse practitioner and the National Clinical Nursing Director for the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence East at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, DC. And Dr. Maloni is an expert on treating pain and fatigue in MS. Dr. Maloni will share so...
Jul 20, 2020•45 min•Season 3Ep. 151
Conversations about MS almost always get around to the high cost of MS disease-modifying therapies. Joining me on the podcast is the CEO of Genentech, Alexander Hardy. Genentech is a biotech company that many of you know as the manufacturer of Ocrevus, the first approved disease-modifying therapy that treats both relapsing-remitting MS and primary progressive MS. During our wide-ranging conversation, Alexander and I get into the cost of MS prescription medications, the real costs of bringing a n...
Jul 13, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 150
The International Progressive MS Alliance is about to publish a paper that recommends advancing research on a specific biomarker to predict MS progression, and we're getting a pre-publication preview of what that paper is all about. My guests are Dr. Robert Fox, a neurologist and Vice-Chair for Research at the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute, and Caroline Sincock, who lives with progressive MS. Both Doctor Fox and Caroline are members of the International Progressive MS Alliance Scientif...
Jul 06, 2020•45 min•Season 3Ep. 149
The guidance for using MS disease-modifying therapies during the COVID-19 pandemic has been updated. My guest is Dr. Aaron Miller, the Chair of the National MS Society’s National Medical Advisory Committee, the Medical Director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, and a Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and we're talking about the new guidance for each and every MS disease-modifying therapy that's currently available. Last week, i...
Jun 29, 2020•27 min•Season 3Ep. 148
Integrative medicine combines evidence-based alternative medicine with conventional medicine. My guest is Dr. Allen Bowling, an internationally renowned neurologist who specializes in integrative medicine for MS. When it comes to care and treatment for MS, Dr. Bowling has published over 100 articles in clinical and basic science journals. He's been involved in research related to nutrition, dietary supplements, and other non-pharmacologic therapies for the past 30 years. And our conversation cov...
Jun 24, 2020•46 min•Season 3Ep. 146
Over the past several weeks, the United States has been forced to re-visit, re-examine, and reconsider its own history of racial inequality. This difficult but necessary national conversation has been driven by instances of racial injustice that have their origins in much broader systemic or institutional racism. Our conversations on RealTalk MS typically focus on multiple sclerosis research and multiple sclerosis care. So how does the subject of racial inequality find its way onto today's episo...
Jun 22, 2020•30 min•Season 3Ep. 147
MS changes as we age and it follows that managing MS should change, too. We're talking about managing MS through different stages of life with Dr. Jennifer Graves, an associate professor of neuroscience at UC San Diego Health, Director of the UC San Diego Neuroimmunology Research Program, and the Director of the Rady Children’s Hospital Pediatric MS Clinic. There's also lots of news to share about MS disease-modifying therapies including the availability of a newly-approved DMT, an extended FDA ...
Jun 08, 2020•29 min•Season 3Ep. 145
Don't miss our recap of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Annual Meeting with Internationally Certified MS Nurse, Cherie Binns. We're talking about aging with MS, managing mood and depression, the latest information on diet and exercise, and more. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!
Jun 06, 2020•35 min
My guest this week is Dr. Amy Sullivan, a Clinical Health Psychologist and the Director of Behavioral Medicine at the Mellen Center for MS Treatment and Research at the Cleveland Clinic. We're talking about fighting feelings of isolation, building resiliency, caregiver emotional wellness, and how we should be thinking about living in a " new normal " world. Massachusetts General Hospital and iConquer MS surveyed more than 1,000 people living with MS about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on t...
Jun 01, 2020•45 min•Season 3Ep. 144
