Living With MS Episodes

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 t...

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 co...

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...

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 chal...

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 b...

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 ...

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 co...

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...

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...

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 th...