For some people, getting a headache means experiencing mild discomfort. For others, it can mean debilitating pain, compromised vision, and other serious effects. You don't have to be living with MS to experience a headache. But research has shown that people living with MS are more likely to experience headaches than people who don't have MS. And there's some evidence to suggest that headaches may be one of the earliest symptoms of MS. Meagan Adamson is a nurse practitioner who specializes in tr...
Jan 10, 2022•30 min•Season 5Ep. 228
We're four days into 2022 and, for a lot of us, that means that we're four days into a new diet, four days into a new exercise regimen, or four days into some other life-changing behavior. Making healthy lifestyle changes is good for everyone and there's plenty of evidence that shows these kinds of behavioral changes can be especially beneficial if you're living with MS. But too often, we see the well-intentioned resolutions that we make in January fade into distant memories by March. It doesn't...
Jan 03, 2022•34 min•Season 5Ep. 227
Today, we're re-visiting my favorite conversation of the entire year and it seems that you and I agree! You've made it this year's most downloaded and listened-to episode. In this episode, Dr. Bruce Bebo, the Executive Vice-President of Research at the National MS Society, briefs us about some of the most interesting and important research shared at ECTRIMS 2021, the largest MS research conference in the world. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! Wishing you a happy and...
Dec 27, 2021•35 min•Season 5Ep. 226
I've always believed that the holiday season is an ideal time for reflection. For looking back and looking ahead. And in that spirit, today we're re-visiting two of the most important conversations that we've had this year on RealTalk MS. When you consider the nearly one million people living with MS in the United States, you might conclude that MS doesn’t discriminate – it impacts people of all ages, sexual orientations, and ethnic backgrounds. However, when you drill down a bit further and loo...
Dec 20, 2021•32 min•Season 5Ep. 225
The 2021 holiday season is underway, and the availability of the COVID-19 vaccines means that this year, many of us are getting caught up in cooking, eating, drinking, shopping, and connecting face-to-face with family and friends. For some of us, it also means having that important but sometimes-awkward conversation about vaccine status. For too many people, ' tis the season....to feel stressed . Stress can feel overwhelming and make everyday life challenging for anyone, but it can be especially...
Dec 13, 2021•26 min•Season 5Ep. 224
If you're living with MS, you know by now that quitting smoking, getting exercise, and making smart food choices have all been shown to improve your physical health and your quality of life. There's one more tool that, when necessary, can be a game-changer. Joining me to talk about how assistive technology can help people living with MS maintain their independence and improve their quality of life are assistive technology experts Alex Burnham and Bill Binko. We'll also share one more reason why ...
Dec 06, 2021•39 min•Season 5Ep. 223
Tamara Kaye Sellman is a poet, short story writer, journalist, and essayist. So, when she was diagnosed with MS in 2013, Tamara did what she does best -- she began writing about it. That writing turned into Intention Tremor , a book of poetry and prose written over the five years following Tamara's diagnosis. In this special episode, we'll talk with Tamara about how she chose to artistically interpret being diagnosed with MS. We'll discuss why she's quite literally invested in MS research. And T...
Nov 29, 2021•36 min•Season 5Ep. 222
Eating well is an important part of a wellness plan. At first glance, making healthy food choices seems simple. But with so much conflicting information and opinion masquerading as fact on websites and in social media, what do you believe and where do you begin? Joining me to separate fact from fiction and share smart strategies that will get you started on solid nutritional footing is my guest, Mona Bostick. Mona is a registered dietician-nutritionist and a multiple sclerosis certified speciali...
Nov 22, 2021•28 min•Season 5Ep. 221
Before the availability of MRI technology in the 1980s, MS was frequently misdiagnosed or even missed completely. Today, an MRI exam is a valuable tool in diagnosing MS, following disease progression, and evaluating someone's response to their MS treatment. Recently, a team of international experts updated the MRI recommendations for people living with MS. Dr. Scott Newsome, a member of that expert panel, is joining me today to talk about some of those recommendations and to help us understand h...
Nov 15, 2021•41 min•Season 5Ep. 220
We met Dr. AJ Joshi, Chief Medical Officer at Atara Biotherapeutics, at ECTRMS 2019, when he gave us our first update on ATA 188, Atara's investigational cell therapy for MS. This is the third year in a row that we've connected with Dr. Joshi during ECTRIMS for an update on the progress of ATA 188. This year, he's also sharing news about an unexpected discovery that investigators encountered during their Phase 1 clinical trial (HINT: It's a pretty interesting discovery!) We'll get an advocacy up...
Nov 09, 2021•41 min•Season 5Ep. 219
Just a couple of weeks ago, 9,000 MS research scientists and clinicians from 100 countries gathered virtually for the annual meeting of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, otherwise known as ECTRIMS. The largest MS research conference in the world lived up to its name, featuring 200 speakers and 1,700 research abstracts. In what has become an annual RealTalk MS tradition, Dr. Bruce Bebo, the Executive Vice President of Research at the National MS Society, joi...
Nov 01, 2021•35 min•Season 5Ep. 218
Research shows that more than 50% of the people living with MS will experience another chronic health condition in their lifetime. These additional health conditions, known as comorbidities , have been shown to negatively affect disability progression and health-related quality of life. In other words, living with comorbidities makes living with MS more challenging than it has to be. Joining me to talk about living with MS while managing and even avoiding comorbidities is Dr. Alissa Willis, Chai...
Oct 25, 2021•39 min•Season 5Ep. 217
The annual health insurance open enrollment period has begun! And a lot of people tend to get through open enrollment on autopilot, assuming that the health insurance that they had last year will continue to serve them well next year. But policies change. Physician networks change. And prescription drug formularies change. If you're living with MS, you can't afford to be on autopilot when it comes to making health insurance decisions. Those decisions can cost you -- in time, money, and unnecessa...
Oct 18, 2021•31 min•Season 5Ep. 216
After reviewing evidence on the use of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, the National MS Society has concluded that aHSCT is a good treatment option for some people living with MS. Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, the Director of the Cleveland Clinic's Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, joins me this week to share all the details about aHSCT and explain who is and who isn't an ideal candidate for this treatment. We'll ...
Oct 11, 2021•33 min•Season 5Ep. 215
Getting a good night's sleep is often easier said than done. About half of the people living with MS experience sleep disorders. Dr. Abbey Hughes is joining me to talk about how sleep and lack of sleep affects MS, and she'll share some specific strategies that you can use to better manage sleep difficulties and get the rest that your mind and body require. We're also sharing a very encouraging update on ATA 188, Atara Biotherapeutics experimental stem cell therapy. Investigator Dr. Anthony Trabo...
Oct 04, 2021•31 min•Season 5Ep. 214
This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by EMD Serono and MS in the 21st Century . It's often said that MS doesn't just affect individuals, it affects families. And in this special episode of RealTalk MS, we're talking about family involvement in MS care with Dr. Alice Laroni and Trishna Bharadia. Dr. Laroni is a neurologist with over 18 years of experience providing clinical care to MS patients and more than 13 years of experience in neuroimmunological research. Dr. Laroni is also an A...
Sep 30, 2021•31 min
If you're on an MS disease-modifying therapy and you're concerned about how effective your COVID-19 vaccination might be, or you aren't sure whether having MS qualifies you as being immunocompromised and cleared to receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, or you can't begin to figure out whether you qualify to receive a COVID-19 booster, then this podcast episode is for you. Joining me to help us make sense of the flurry of recent announcements by the CDC and provide us with an update on hi...
Sep 27, 2021•28 min•Season 5Ep. 213
Early in your MS journey, it's not uncommon to experience minor walking and gait issues. And people living with advanced MS often face more serious mobility challenges. The good news is that rehabilitation can help people on either end of the "mobility spectrum" improve. But different mobility challenges require different approaches to rehabilitation. Joining me to talk about mobility rehabilitation for people who are more recently diagnosed with MS as well as rehabilitation for people living wi...
Sep 20, 2021•44 min•Season 5Ep. 212
Having a job matters. Most obviously, employment provides the economic resources that people need to more easily manage every other aspect of their lives. Perhaps less obviously, we tend to define ourselves through our work. And without work, we not only face potential economic hardship, we sometimes lose that inner sense of purpose or identity...of understanding who we are. The majority of people living with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 45. And these are the years when you're oft...
Sep 13, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 211
Cognitive issues affect a majority of people living with MS and experts often recommend a cognitive assessment as the first step in managing cognitive dysfunction. But what's that cognitive assessment all about? Patient advocate Cathy Chester has been living with MS since 1986 and she just recently underwent her own 3-hour cognitive assessment. Cathy is joining me to walk us through her experience. And if you're wondering what a cognitive assessment is all about and how it might help you , you w...
Sep 06, 2021•34 min•Season 4Ep. 210
Madison Copot was diagnosed with MS about 9 years ago, just before turning 13. And when she received her diagnosis, Madison was also told that she was too young to be seen by an MS specialist. Today, Madison is a 21-year old young woman, and if you want to hear what a real-life superhero sounds like, you won't want to miss my conversation with Madison. While we're on the subject of superheroes, we'll tell you about Darkhawk, who debuted last week as the first Marvel superhero to be diagnosed wit...
Aug 30, 2021•28 min•Season 4Ep. 209
The FDA has authorized a third dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. What does this mean for people living with MS? Are you eligible for a third dose now? Are you eligible in September? How will your disease-modifying therapy effect that third dose? What if you received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine? And who is that Regeneron monoclonal antibody cocktail for? Dr. Nancy Sicotte joins me with an update on vaccines, variants, boosters, and antibodies, explaining how they all may impact people liv...
Aug 23, 2021•41 min•Season 4Ep. 208
Imagine being able to see improvement in cognition, motor function, and self-esteem, while enhancing neurological functions like walking and speech without taking another pill or even breaking a sweat. Joining me to talk about the evidence-based benefits that people living with MS can gain through music and art therapy are Dr. Meera Rastogi, Veronica DeNoma, and Betsy Hartman. We're also talking about the shocking and deeply concerning outcome of a study used to validate the reliability of a new...
Aug 16, 2021•35 min•Season 4Ep. 207
If you've ever wondered about whether MS advocacy makes a real difference, please consider that last year alone, MS Activists helped to bring about these changes: $10 Million increase in funding for the Congressionally-Directed MS Research Program $3 Billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health Sustained funding for the CDC's National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System ( studying MS is one of the first 2 pilot projects for this new program ) Passage of the CREATES A...
Aug 13, 2021•33 min•Season 4Ep. 206
Just a few weeks ago, life sciences company Abata Therapeutics came out of stealth mode, unveiling a $95 million dollar investment in a novel cell therapy to treat progressive MS. Joining me to talk about this potentially transformational treatment for progressive MS are the President and CEO of Abata Therapeutics, Samantha Singer, and Dr. Richard Ransohoff, one of the company's co-founders as well as its Chief Medical Officer. We'll also give you a sneak peek at a study that measured the impact...
Aug 02, 2021•32 min•Season 4Ep. 205
Research shows that members of minority communities often experience MS differently. And by differently, we mean worse. -- more severe symptoms, shorter time to disability, and greater levels of disability. That's why ensuring greater diversity in clinical research is of urgent importance. At the same time, the conversation about putting the patient at the center of MS research has grown louder and more pronounced. Major pharmaceutical companies have gotten both of these messages and joining me ...
Jul 26, 2021•29 min•Season 4Ep. 204
Summertime traditionally means getting out of the house, enjoying outdoor activities, and being active. But if you're living with MS, outdoor activity and summertime temperatures can raise red flags when it comes to your day-to-day quality of life. My guest is Dr. Colin Lenington, an Occupational Therapist and Clinical Specialist at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System and we're talking about getting outside, staying safe, and keeping cool while you enjoy your summer activities. We're joining the...
Jul 19, 2021•26 min•Season 4Ep. 203
In medicine, a prodrome is a set of signs or symptoms that can appear years before the major symptoms of an illness develop. Recognizing the prodromal phase of MS could mean that, one day, someone who is highly likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis could receive proactive treatment years in advance and, perhaps, never develop any MS symptoms. Dr. Helen Tremlett, a professor, and the Canada Research Chair in Neuroepidemiology and Multiple Sclerosis at the University of British Columbia, ...
Jul 16, 2021•30 min•Season 4Ep. 202
Every two years, the MS International Federation awards the Charcot Award, recognizing lifetime achievement in outstanding research into the understanding and treatment of MS. My special guest is this year's recipient of the Charcot Award, Professor Alan Thompson, who is being honored for what is truly a remarkable body of work. We'll also share some encouraging news from the FDA about a biomarker for progressive MS clinical trials. We'll tell you about the outcome of a study that shows high-eff...
Jul 05, 2021•33 min•Season 4Ep. 201
We're celebrating the 200th episode of RealTalk MS by sitting down with Cyndi Zagieboylo, the President and CEO of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and looking at some of the most vital initiatives ever undertaken by the National MS Society, including the launch of the International Progressive MS Alliance, the MS Society's efforts to support diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the MS movement and in MS clinical research, and the groundbreaking Pathways to Cures blueprint. Over t...
Jun 28, 2021•33 min•Season 4Ep. 200
