Living With MS Episodes

This category covers personal stories and practical advice for navigating daily life with multiple sclerosis, including mental health, family dynamics, and caregiving.
244
May 2, 2022

Episode 244: Financial Planning For People Living with MS with Financial Advisor Dick Bell

Planning for your financial future is good advice for everyone. But when you're living with MS, financial planning is an important part of the game plan for living your best life. Joining me to talk about the things you'll want to keep in mind as you develop your personal financial roadmap is Dick Bell, a professional financial advisor who has worked with more than 600 clients who are living with MS. We're also talking about how Russia's invasion of Ukraine is impacting MS clinical research. ...
Episode 244: Financial Planning For People Living with MS with Financial Advisor Dick Bell
RealTalk MS
Episode 244: Financial Planning For People Living with MS with Financial Advisor Dick Bell
243
April 25, 2022

Episode 243: The Economic Burden of MS with Dr. Bruce Bebo and Bari Talente

Living with MS is expensive. And if you're curious about how expensive living with MS is, why it's so expensive, and what can be done about it, then you're going to be interested in the results of a study that was commissioned by the National MS Society. Joining me to talk about what this study revealed and what it means to individuals and families affected by MS are Dr. Bruce Bebo, the Executive Vice-President of Research at the National MS Society, and the MS Society's Executive Vice-Presiden...
Episode 243: The Economic Burden of MS with Dr. Bruce Bebo and Bari Talente
RealTalk MS
Episode 243: The Economic Burden of MS with Dr. Bruce Bebo and Bari Talente
242
April 18, 2022

Episode 242: No Masks or Proof of Vax? Staying Safe in the Next Normal If You're Living with MS with Dr. Nancy Sicotte

Mask mandates have mostly ended, and bars, restaurants, public buildings, and other businesses no longer require proof of vaccination. It looks like the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Except for the fact that we're seeing cases of the latest COVID subvariant continue to rise in cities across the country and around the world. So, how do we navigate this post-pandemic world? And if you happen to be immunocompromised, how do you stay safe? Joining me as she has throughout the pandemic, with an update ...
Episode 242: No Masks or Proof of Vax? Staying Safe in the Next Normal If You're Living with MS with Dr. Nancy Sicotte
RealTalk MS
Episode 242: No Masks or Proof of Vax? Staying Safe in the Next Normal If You're Living with MS with Dr. Nancy Sicotte
237
March 14, 2022

Episode 237: Raising MS Awareness with Marti Hines

It's MS Awareness Week and my guest is Marti Hines. Marti is a successful event producer, entrepreneur, film producer, and director. She was diagnosed with MS in 2018, and Marti has been very transparent in sharing the highs and lows of her MS journey on her social channels. Like so many people living with MS, Marti has an amazing energy and a seemingly endless supply of resilience. You're going to enjoy meeting her. We're also talking about why increasing diversity in clinical trials is so vi...
Episode 237: Raising MS Awareness with Marti Hines
RealTalk MS
Episode 237: Raising MS Awareness with Marti Hines
236
March 7, 2022

Episode 236: How MS Affects Mind, Mood, and Memory with Dr. Anthony Feinstein

If you're living with MS, there's a good chance that, at some point, you're going to deal with depression, cognitive issues, or both of these common MS symptoms. We're taking a deep dive into how these symptoms can impact your everyday life at home and at work with the author of Mind, Mood, and Memory: The Neurobehavioral Consequences of Multiple Sclerosis, Dr. Anthony Feinstein. We're also highlighting some of the MS research that was presented two weeks ago at the ACTRIMS Forum, the annual m...
Episode 236: How MS Affects Mind, Mood, and Memory with Dr. Anthony Feinstein
RealTalk MS
Episode 236: How MS Affects Mind, Mood, and Memory with Dr. Anthony Feinstein
235
Feb. 28, 2022

Episode 235: National MS Society Public Policy Conference Preview with Bari Talente

I've always believed that the things people affected by MS want most -- things like access to quality healthcare, affordable prescription medications, and funding for MS research -- are all functions of public policy. The people who decide whether we get those things are our elected officials at both the state and federal level. That's why advocacy is a priority. The National MS Society's Public Policy Conference is taking place on March 7th. Joining me with a preview of what we can expect to s...
Episode 235: National MS Society Public Policy Conference Preview with Bari Talente
RealTalk MS
Episode 235: National MS Society Public Policy Conference Preview with Bari Talente
234
Feb. 21, 2022

Episode 234: Managing Your Emotional Health As COVID-19 Becomes Endemic with Dr. Meghan Beier and Emily Reilly

Many of our local, state, and national leaders seem to be declaring that the pandemic has ended and it's back to business as usual. But if you're living with MS, how comfortable are you with the idea of being out in a world where everyone isn't fully vaccinated, and mask mandates have been cancelled? Dr. Meghan Beier and Emily Reilly join me to discuss how to manage your fear and anxiety, build resilience, and deal with the emotional impact of living life in a world where COVID-19 is considered...
Episode 234: Managing Your Emotional Health As COVID-19 Becomes Endemic with Dr. Meghan Beier and Emily Reilly
RealTalk MS
Episode 234: Managing Your Emotional Health As COVID-19 Becomes Endemic with Dr. Meghan Beier and Emily Reilly
233
Feb. 14, 2022

Episode 233: COVID-19: Going from Pandemic to Endemic When You're Living with MS with Dr. Nancy Sicotte

With hospital rates starting to decline and mask mandates being lifted in several states there seems to be a general sense that we're seeing COVID-19 becoming an endemic virus. And we have to wonder what that means for people living with MS. Dr. Nancy Sicotte joins me to talk about the preventative treatments for COVID-19 that are available today for people who are living with MS, the importance of receiving 4 doses of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines if you're living with MS, and some of the things ...
Episode 233: COVID-19: Going from Pandemic to Endemic When You're Living with MS with Dr. Nancy Sicotte
RealTalk MS
Episode 233: COVID-19: Going from Pandemic to Endemic When You're Living with MS with Dr. Nancy Sicotte
232
Feb. 7, 2022

Episode 232: Managing MS and Comorbidities with Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie

Research shows that about 50% of the people living with MS will develop another chronic health condition, or comorbidity, in their lifetime. Whether it's high blood pressure, diabetes, or something else, living with comorbid conditions adds extra challenges to living with MS. Joining me to discuss how comorbidities affect people living with MS and what you can do to avoid developing some of those comorbidities is one of the leading experts on the subject, Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie. We're also talkin...
Episode 232: Managing MS and Comorbidities with Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie
RealTalk MS
Episode 232: Managing MS and Comorbidities with Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie
230
Jan. 24, 2022

Episode 230: Managing MS Fatigue with Dr. Elizabeth Gromisch

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of MS. It just gets in the way of fully engaging in life, making fatigue one of the most bothersome symptoms of MS. And because MS fatigue is one of the main causes of early withdrawal from the workforce, fatigue is an MS symptom that can impose a hefty financial penalty on a household. Joining me to talk about managing and even reducing MS fatigue is Dr. Elizabeth Gromisch, a neuropsychologist at the Mandell Center for Multiple Sclerosis in Hartford, ...
Episode 230: Managing MS Fatigue with Dr. Elizabeth Gromisch
RealTalk MS
Episode 230: Managing MS Fatigue with Dr. Elizabeth Gromisch