Past Episodes

You've probably heard me say more than once that the things people affected by MS want most -- access to quality healthcare, affordable prescription medications, and funding for MS research -- are, to a large extent, all functions of public policy. The people who decide whether we get these things are our elected officials. That's why advocacy is so critically important. The National MS Society's Public Policy Conference gets underway on March 4th, and joining me with a preview of this year's c...

We're all living longer and that includes people living with MS. And as they age, people with MS are asking new questions. Is there a need to stay on disease-modifying therapy after the age of 60? How do we know whether a new symptom is a symptom of MS or a symptom of aging? Does an additional age-related health condition make treating MS more difficult? Does treating MS make treating that new health condition more difficult? How can we best offset the social isolation that's often associated w...

When people living with MS find themselves unable to continue working due to disability, they turn to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). And when they do, many are surprised to find the long, winding, sometimes confusing road that lies ahead. This week, disability law expert Jamie Hall joins me to demystify the process of applying for SSDI benefits. Jamie specializes in social security and long-term disability law. And he, literally, wrote the book for the National MS Society on apply...

How, and to whom, should you disclose your MS at your job? And if you decide to disclose, is that information confidential? What does reasonable accommodation mean? If you need a day or two to bounce back after an infusion, is that part of your PTO? And what do you do when you no longer have days off available? If you're living with MS and you're employed, you absolutely need to know and understand your rights in the workplace. MS Navigator Christina Forster joins me to answer these questions a...

Living well with MS means learning to plan ahead. And, while planning ahead may not solve every issue that crosses your path, taking time to understand some of the details and making the right choices when it comes to your health insurance can make a huge difference in your MS care and treatment. MS Navigator and insurance resources specialist Carla Turechek joins me to share strategies for successfully navigating the health insurance maze with a minimum number of "surprises." We're also shari...

You've just had your appointment with your neurologist or MS Specialist and you're on your way home, feeling like you weren't heard. Maybe there wasn't sufficient time. Or it might feel like your opinion simply isn't valued. Your frustration could even be the result of language issues and cultural barriers that make communication difficult. Whatever the reason, it doesn't have to be this way. Dr. Luis Manrique-Trujillo joins me this week to share tips and strategies that will improve the qualit...

If you remember your Economics 101 class, the introduction of generic and biosimilar drugs should cause prices to drop. Yet, when it comes to MS disease-modifying therapies that isn't always the case. MS Navigator Robin LaRue joins me this week to discuss how to manage the sometimes crazy costs of MS prescription medications. We're also sharing results from a study that show there is absolutely no association between consuming dairy and gluten products and MS disease activity. We'll tell you ...

This is the week that a lot of us make resolutions for the coming year. And I'm hoping that after you hear my conversation with Dr. Claire Riley, many of you will resolve to become donors to the National Multiple Sclerosis Brain Bank. Resolving to donate brain and tissue to the National MS Brain Bank is a new year's resolution that goes far beyond the standard eat better and exercise more promises that so many of us make to ourselves every year. It's deeply meaningful, profoundly personal, and,...

This week, I'm revisiting the proposal from the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in MS that recommended adopting a new framework that leverages what scientists are continuing to learn about MS and redefines how we talk about MS, how we research MS, how we diagnose MS, and how we treat MS. This proposed framework holds the promise of taking MS care to the next level. This new framework was first proposed in a paper published in November 2022, and last January, I spoke with the...

The holiday season provides me with an opportunity to indulge in what's become a RealTalk MS tradition. I reserve the last two episodes of the year to revisit the most compelling,and important conversations that I've had over the past year. This week, I'm revisiting the conversations I had at the Pathways To Cures Global Summit that took place in New York last May. The National MS Society brought together the best and brightest minds in MS research, the CEOs of major MS Societies, representativ...