Past Episodes

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...

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'l...

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 Tra...

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 ...

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 h...

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 w...

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 of...

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...

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 wi...

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 living...