Living With MS Episodes

Fire, flood, record-setting heat, tropical storm, earthquake -- we've seen it all in the past several weeks! Natural disasters can present a whole series of unique challenges for people affected by MS. Last year, I had an opportunity to talk about disaster preparedness for people affected by MS with Mary Casey-Lockyer, the Senior Medical Advisor to Disaster Operations at the American Red Cross. As extreme weather events become a more frequent and regular occurrence in our everyday weather patte...

Contrary to what was once believed to be true, we now know that exercise and physical activity can deliver several important benefits for people living with MS, and actually improve your quality of life. Experts recommend exercise and physical activity for everyone living with MS, at every level of ability. Dr. Gretchen Hawley joins me this week to talk about what kinds of exercises you can and should be doing -- at your level of ability. We'll also tell you about an experimental Epstein-Barr ...

Rehabilitation can help people regain, keep, or improve the physical or cognitive abilities they need to successfully navigate their daily lives, which makes it an important aspect of managing MS. In this episode of RealTalk MS, we're focusing on a concept that may not be as familiar to you -- prehabilitation, a proactive approach to maintaining your mobility and independence longer. Returning to RealTalk MS to discuss the value and benefits of prehabilitation is the National MS Society's Assoc...

The ability to speak is something so basic to our day-to-day lives that you may not ever stop to consider it until you realize something about your speech may be changing. And swallowing is something that's so automatic, we take it for granted. Until, that is, something changes, and you find yourself choking on a sip of water. Speech and swallowing problems are fairly common MS symptoms. And joining me to discuss some of the most common speech and swallowing disorders people with MS might encou...

Experiencing difficulty walking is one of the most common mobility challenges faced by people living with MS. The good news is that there are things you can do -- both with a physical therapist and by yourself, at home -- that can make a real difference. Joining me to discuss improving your gait, avoiding falls, and what experts are learning from the latest research in this area is the Director of Research for the Department of Health Care Sciences at Wayne State University School of Medicine, ...

Learning to effectively manage stress and anxiety is important for everyone. And if you're living with the unpredictability of MS, it may be doubly important. Joining me to discuss the impact that stress and anxiety can have on your physical and mental health, along with strategies you can use to manage the stress and anxiety in your life, is Dr. Bree Wannamaker. Dr. Wannamaker lives with MS, and she's a Licensed Professional Counselor and Chief Therapist & Consultant in her practice, Just Us C...

Living your best life with MS often means planning ahead and, when circumstances require, knowing when and how to adapt. Many of us find ourselves in the kitchen every day. And, while cooking can be pleasurable, it can also be a chore that only gets worse if you're dealing with pain, fatigue, mobility issues, tingling in your hands and arms, unsteady balance, or other MS symptoms. Award-winning author, chef, and blogger, Trevis Gleason joins me to talk about how planning ahead and adopting new ...

When you're living with MS, air travel can sometimes get complicated. We're heading into the summer vacation season, so the timing couldn't be better to talk with Dr. Scott Crawford. Dr. Crawford is a neuropsychologist who lives with MS and has extensive experience as a passenger on commercial airlines. Dr. Crawford is also an MS Activist and he's joining me to walk us through how to de-stress airline travel and to explain your rights as an airline passenger if you're living with a disability. ...

Disclosing your MS to your employer is an important decision that can sometimes be tricky and can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. Joining me to discuss some of the things you want to be thinking about when it comes to disclosing your MS in the workplace is a Manager on the Benefits, Employment, and Insurance Team at the National MS Society, Christina Forster. We're also extending an invitation for you to spend a quick couple of minutes taking the RealTalk MS listener survey...and we'...

You've told me that the subject of diet and MS is one of your top three interests. And a quick scan of social media platforms reveals that a lot of people living with MS agree! This week, Dr. Ilana Katz Sand, the Associate Director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Mount Sinai, joins me with an update on what the latest research is revealing about the impact of diet on MS, and to answer that eternal question -- Is there an MS diet? We're also talking about the...