Past Episodes
25
March 26, 2018
RealTalk MS Episode 25: Progressive MS Day With Dan & Jennifer Digmann
March is MS Awareness Month, and tomorrow we'll be observing the first ever Progressive MS Day, which is being celebrated by several MS advocacy groups and state governments around the United States. My guests on the podcast are Dan and Jennifer Digmann. Jennifer was diagnosed with Progressive MS in 1997, and Dan was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 2000. Dan & Jennifer met at a National MS Society event in 2002, and they were married in 2005. Together, Dan & Jennifer write an award-wi...
24
March 19, 2018
RealTalk Episode 24: MS & Depression? There's An App For That!
Depression affects over one million people around the world who are living with MS. And when you fail to treat depression, every other aspect of life seems to get worse - and that can include your MS symptoms. My guest on this week's podcast is Dr. Athena Robinson, the Chief Clinical Officer at Woebot Labs, and we're talking about Woebot -- a breakthrough app that lives on your smartphone and has been proven to be effective in treating depression. We're also talking about a robotic arm brace t...
23
March 12, 2018
RealTalk MS Episode 23: Accelerating the Cure for MS
The Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis is a national non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating advances toward a cure for MS. My guests on this week's podcast are Dr. Robert McBurney, the President & CEO of the Accelerated Cure Project for MS, and David Gwynne, who manages their Alliances & Collaborations. We're talking about some of their major initiatives, their recent announcement about a new collaboration, and you'll even learn how you can be a part of MS research. We'r...
22
March 5, 2018
RealTalk MS Episode 22: All-Star MS Researchers & Their Work
To kick off MS Awareness Month, we'll go inside a private VIP research briefing where you'll hear 3 award-winning MS research scientists tell us how their work is impacting our understanding of multiple sclerosis. Then, you'll meet my special guest, Emily Blosberg, founder of Oscar, the MS Monkey. Emily is an amazing young lady who's making life better for some of the youngest folks who are living with MS today and their families. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS?
21
Feb. 26, 2018
RealTalk MS Episode 21: MS Advocacy: What It Is & Why It's So Important
Decisions made by our legislators can have a direct impact on our healthcare, our financial well-being, and our overall quality of life. That's why next week, 300 MS Activists will be in Washington D.C. to hold more than 400 conversations with our elected officials about the legislative issues that are likely to have the greatest impact on people living with MS. My guest on this week's podcast is Bari Talente, Executive Vice President of Advocacy for the National MS Society. This week's entire ...
20
Feb. 19, 2018
RealTalk MS Episode 20: Help at Home From Helping Hands
While we're tracking the breakthroughs and discoveries that move us closer to solving the riddle of multiple sclerosis, it's also important to remember that people living with MS need help today. Some of them need help with even the most basic sorts of daily tasks. My guests on the podcast are Angela Lett and Alison Payne from Helping Hands, a non-profit organization that helps adults with MS and other mobility impairments live independent lives by providing them with a very special service anim...
19
Feb. 12, 2018
RealTalk MS Episode 19: MS Navigators - A Seriously Remarkable Service You Need To Know About
If you're looking for no-cost customized, personalized, one-on-one expert advice on all sorts of issues that people with MS encounter, you're going to want to pay attention to my conversation with Kay Julian, Executive Vice-President of Services at the National MS Society. We're also talking about the demographic imbalance in MS clinical trials, and why that matters. (And you can find the Accelerated Cure Project's MS Minority Research Engagement Report here). We're discussing the initial resu...
18
Feb. 5, 2018
RealTalk MS Episode 18: Meet the MS International Federation
Multiple sclerosis doesn't respect borders, and that's why a global response to MS is so necessary. And that's where the MSIF comes in. My guest this week is Mr. Peer Banake, CEO of the MS International Federation. ACTRIMS -- the largest MS research conference in the United States -- took place last week in San Diego, California. We were there, and we're talking about the news and the research announcements that were made at the conference. We have a lot to talk about this week! Are you ready ...
17
Jan. 29, 2018
RealTalk MS Episode 17: Open Sesame -- A Life-Changing App
Sometimes, important breakthroughs can come from unexpected places. This week, our guest is Oded Ben Dov, an Israeli game developer who ended up creating life-changing technology designed to help people living with MS, ALS, and other disabilities. We're talking about some exciting news in Progressive MS research. We're also talking about a possible treatment for MS fatigue. Researchers in Australia have patented a molecule that's designed to protect the central nervous system and support myelin...
16
Jan. 22, 2018
RealTalk MS Episode 16: Robots & Rehabilitation With Dr. Maja Mataric
Robots?? Really??? The answer is YES! Dr. Maja Mataric joins us on the podcast, and we're talking about how socially assistive robots could be real game-changers for people living with MS and other chronic conditions, as well as their caregivers. We're breaking down the specific ways that the new U.S. tax code will impact people living with MS. We're also talking about how the FDA just raised a red flag for one stem cell treatment for MS that made promises it wasn't keeping. And we'll tell you ...