S3_E21: Ursula - The Marathon Before MS, The Ride After
The Other Side of MS
Running Into MS with Ursula Forrester Ursula has always been a runner - marathons, half-marathons, and miles that measured more than distance. But in October 2014, after years of unexplained symptoms, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Suddenly, endurance meant something entirely different. She is a wife, a mother of two, and a professional in advertising who still chooses to see the glass half full. But behind that optimism lies the daily reality of MS modifying, compensating, and sometimes surrendering to the fatigue that doesn’t show up on finish line photos. Ursula and her family...
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S3_E20: Steve - Both Sides of the Bed: A Trauma Nurse Living with MS
The Other Side of MS
Steve: From Trauma Nurse to MS Warrior Steve was 30 years old, working as a travel nurse in Idaho, when numbness crept up his leg and refused to go away. A ski accident had rattled his body, but what scans revealed was something else entirely: lesions on his brain and spine. In 2002, Steve entered a world he had once only witnessed from the other side of the hospital bed, the world of multiple sclerosis. As a trauma nurse, Steve knew the language of medicine. But living it was different. He walked away from graduate school, leaned on his family in Colorado, and began reshaping his life around...
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S3_E19: Brad Romp - Stronger Than He’ll Ever Let You See
The Other Side of MS
What Strength Really Looks Like Brad was diagnosed with MS at 45. Now 64, he’s a speaker, a cyclist, and a face of strength for others living with the disease. But behind the workouts, the travel, and the public optimism is a more complex truth—one that doesn’t always fit into a social media caption or a feel-good campaign. In this episode, Brad sits down for a different kind of conversation. One that doesn’t ask him to inspire, perform, or push through. Instead, we talk about the days he can’t move. The pressure to keep showing up. The identity that forms around always being the...
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S3_E18: Dan - I do what I can when I can while I can
The Other Side of MS
School Dan - I do What I Can, When I Can, While I Can Dan has been a teacher for over 20 years, a school spirit leader, a cyclist, and a quiet force in his Florida community. His energy is infectious. His optimism is constant. But behind the vibrant classroom persona is a man living with relentless, invisible pain—and the pressure to never let it show. In this episode, Dan opens up about how MS has shaped every part of his identity, from the walking stick he once felt ashamed of to the pride that makes asking for help harder than it should be. He talks about the dual realities of living with...
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S3_E17: Teresa, Jax Bourbon Social: The Power Behind the Pour and MS
The Other Side of MS
Teresa, Jax Bourbon Social: The Power Behind the Pour and MS Teresa Eichner is more than the co-founder of Jax Bourbon Social—she’s the relentless force behind one of Jacksonville’s most impactful fundraising events for the National MS Society. After a sudden MS diagnosis in 2016, Teresa’s world shifted. But instead of retreating, she channeled her decades of experience in PR and politics into advocacy, community-building, and bold visibility. In this raw, deeply honest conversation, Teresa opens up about the private cost of public recognition, the invisible weight of fatigue, and...
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S3_E16: Curt's Riding Against MS: The Road to One Million
The Other Side of MS
One Rider, One Team, One Million Dollars — Curtis’s Story Curtis was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his twenties. What began as fear quickly turned into action. A chance connection to a support group sparked the creation of Team CCC — a cycling team that would go on to raise nearly $1 million for MS research and support. With every mile, Curtis has redefined what leadership looks like in the face of a chronic illness. In this episode, Curtis reflects on the moment a fellow rider convinced him to try Bike MS, the early days of hiding his diagnosis, and how polka dot jerseys became...
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S3_E15: Emma’s Story — “At 17, I Thought My Life Might Be Over”
The Other Side of MS
S3_E15: At 17, Emma Thought Her Life Was Over Emma Archuletta, from Utah, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2019 at just 17 years old. One day, she was preparing for high school graduation. The next, she was sleeping 20 hours a day, vomiting without explanation, and using a wheelchair. There was no slow decline—only confusion, fear, and the quiet thought that her life might already be over. In this episode, Emma talks candidly about the chaos of her early diagnosis: missing senior prom, crawling up stairs, and finishing school from a hospital bed while juggling college-level...
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S3_E14: The Art of Becoming – Hannah Garrison’s Story
The Other Side of MS
The Art of Becoming — Hannah Garrison’s Story Hannah Garrison was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2017, but her journey started long before that; in the silence of being dismissed, the guilt of cultural and religious expectations, and the quiet ache of never quite feeling seen. In this raw and intimate conversation, Hannah shares how MS forced her to confront not only her body, but her identity. We talk about the years she was misdiagnosed, the weight of family history with mental illness, and the internal battle between acceptance and perceived weakness. Through her art, Hannah...
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S3_E13: W.T.F., I Have MS? — Chris Brown’s Story
The Other Side of MS
W.T.F., I Have MS? — Chris Brown’s Story Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of depression, alcohol misuse, and suicidal thoughts, which may be distressing for some listeners. Just three months after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Chris Brown sits down with us to talk about the weight of a life that hasn’t let up. He’s faced childhood trauma, infertility, the loss of triplets, depression, and addiction. And now, MS. In this conversation, Chris shares what it’s like to process a life-changing diagnosis in real time. He speaks openly about fear, identity,...
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S3_E12: Allie - MS Didn’t Break Me. Silence Almost Did
The Other Side of MS
Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of childhood trauma, depression, and suicidal ideation, which may be distressing for some listeners. What happens when you spend your life holding it all together—only to realize it’s been breaking you inside? In this powerful episode, Allie Schmidl shares what it meant to live in silence after her 2022 MS diagnosis—buried beneath shame, fear, and the weight of a lifetime of unspoken trauma. But MS wasn’t the only battle she was fighting. We talk about the weight of vulnerability, the fear of being seen as broken, and what happens...
info_outlineWhat happens when your body betrays you—but you still show up like nothing’s wrong? In this unforgettable episode of The Other Side of MS, host Casey Murphy sits down with Becca, a Nashville nonprofit leader, yoga-lover, and corporate change maker who’s lived the invisible chaos of MS for the past two years.
But this isn’t your average “inspiring story.”
Becca talks about the diagnosis she never saw coming, the moments that broke her, and the parts of MS no one wants to say out loud—including how it’s reshaped her identity, her sex life, and her relationship with herself.
She shares what it’s like to run meetings while quietly negotiating with her bladder, why “you’re so strong” can feel like a slap, and what she would say if MS were a person sitting in front of her.
If you’ve ever wondered what resilience really looks like—or felt alone in your struggle—this episode will stay with you long after it ends.
🎙 Tap in. Listen close. You won’t forget Becca’s story.
🎁 Support Becca’s Bike MS fundraiser:
https://events.nationalmssociety.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donate.participant&participantID=620049