Episode 448: At the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with David, Cliff, and Michelle
Release Date: 03/30/2026
Episode 472: ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Patient Community Day Preview with Brett Drummond and Dr. Jennifer Graves
RealTalk MS
We are less than 40 days away from MSToronto2026—the joint ECTRIMS/ACTRIMS Scientific Congress. While the congress brings together the world’s leading MS researchers and clinicians, Patient Community Day —in person and online—is designed specifically for people affected by multiple sclerosis. This week, Dr. Jennifer Graves and Brett Drummond join me to preview what to expect from Patient Community Day 2026. With less than 50 days until the midterm elections in the United States, the National MS Society is hosting a webinar you can't afford to miss, titled MS...
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Episode 471: Navigating an MS Relapse with Dr. F. Gabriela Karolidis
RealTalk MS
Relapses make life with MS unpredictable. Understanding what they are, why they happen, and how best to manage them can make a relapse less scary and easier to navigate. This week, Dr. Gabriela Karolidis, a board-certified neurologist and neuroimmunologist at Thomas Jefferson University, joins us for a deep dive into MS relapses. The MS International Federation has just updated the Atlas of MS, showing more than 3 million people living with MS worldwide. We're sharing the details behind the new numbers. We'll also share a study showing how wearable activity trackers add a...
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Episode 470: 42 Marathons in 42 Days with Benji Wilkins
RealTalk MS
Wise men and women remind us that life is a marathon, and not a sprint. Joining us this week is Benji Wilkins. Benji is a magician in the U.K., and for 42 days this summer, his life was quite literally a marathon. In the process, Benji raised money to help his mom, who lives with MS, and he raised awareness of MS across the U.K. and around the world. We're also sharing results of a study that focused on gait training using a powered exoskeleton for people living with MS. We'll tell you how you can participate in the MOMENT-MS study and help researchers develop a smartphone app...
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Episode 469: Maintaining and Even Improving Cognitive Function If You're Living with MS with Dr. Anna Kratz
RealTalk MS
Cognitive changes in MS—fluctuations in processing speed, memory, and executive function—can significantly impact daily life, yet they're often misunderstood or overlooked in routine clinical exams. This week, we are joined by Dr. Anna Kratz, clinical psychologist and Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan, to discuss actionable, evidence-based ways to navigate cognitive challenges. Dr. Kratz breaks down the latest findings from the CogDetect-MS study, exploring how daily symptom fluctuations, complex medication regimens,...
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Episode 468: You've Been Given a 15% Chance of Living and Your Spouse Gets Diagnosed with MS with Kathleen Silva
RealTalk MS
Imagine your spouse or significant other has been diagnosed with MS...shortly after you were diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer, and given just a 15% chance of survival. All of a sudden, the roles of patient and care partner are up for grabs -- and they change with almost daily frequency. That's exactly the scenario my guest, Kathleen Silva, faced. Kathleen is joining me to discuss how she and her husband, Rick, survived and thrived amid that frightening chaos. (Spoiler alert -- no one died!) We'll also tell you about an investigational drug that's the first to promise...
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Episode 467: Making Shared Decision-Making Work with Dr. Aliza Ben-Zacharia and Linda Lachman
RealTalk MS
If you Google the term "shared decision making", you'll find it defined as a collaborative process where patients and clinicians work together to select tests, treatments, and care plans based on clinical evidence and the patient's personal values and goals. But shared decision-making isn't an automatic happy pill. It takes work, it takes discipline, and it takes a clear understanding of both the patient's and the clinician's roles. This week, Dr. Aliza Ben-Zacharia and Linda Lachman join me to share how shared decision-making has worked for them over the course of their longtime...
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Episode 466: Everything You Ought to Know About Diet and MS with Dr. Tyler Titcomb
RealTalk MS
We get more listener emails about diet and MS than almost any other topic. If you're curious about how some of the well-known diets for MS actually stack up, or you're interested in understanding the connection between diet and MS-related fatigue, or you want to know what the biggest obstacle to staying on a new diet is (and this may surprise you), then this is the episode for you. We're devoting this week's entire episode to my conversation with Dr. Tyler Titcomb, an assistant professor in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, and a registered dietitian with a PhD in Nutritional...
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Episode 465: On Being an MS Specialist In A Country That Believed MS Was Non-Existent with Dr. Avinash Chandra
RealTalk MS
During his fellowship in the United States, Dr. Avinash Chandra trained to become an MS specialist at a world-class MS center. Then he returned home to Nepal and discovered that MS was largely considered non-existent. But Dr. Chandra knew it wasn't. In this week's episode, Dr. Chandra discusses his experience creating a framework for MS care in Nepal that hadn't existed before. He also explains the necessary trade-offs in providing costly medical treatment in a country where the average family of four lives on an income of $500 a month. It's been well-established that males...
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Episode 464: Sharing Her MS Journey Graphically with Liat Shalom
RealTalk MS
If you’ve spent any time at all living with or caring for someone with multiple sclerosis, you know that medical textbooks and information-filled websites can give us facts, figures, and symptoms, but they rarely capture the sometimes messy, sometimes overwhelming, and sometimes darkly funny reality of what it actually feels like to get a diagnosis of MS and realize your life has suddenly shifted under your feet. Our guest, Liat Shalom, was diagnosed with MS in 2021, at the age of 30. Instead of letting that diagnosis define her, Liat picked up her pen and created Unravelled—a...
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Episode 463: A Novel Approach to Treating MS-Related Depression with Dr. Robert Motl and Kelly
RealTalk MS
Living with depression has been described as "like living under a wet, heavy blanket". It can stop someone from showing up at work, meeting up with friends, and even connecting with their family. One out of every two people living with MS will experience depression at some point in their MS journey. The METS for MS study is focused on a novel approach to treating major depressive disorder among people with MS -- one that doesn't require another infusion, injection, or pill. This week, Dr. Robert Motl, principal investigator for the METS for MS study, joins us to explain what the study...
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The National MS Society has invested $2.3 million in 11 research projects focused on women's health issues and MS. We're sharing details of each new research initiative being funded.
You'll learn about a clinical trial for a novel investigational therapy for MS and other autoimmune diseases.
And we'll tell you about a study that you can participate in from home...and get compensated for your participation!
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!
This Week: We're at the Public Policy Conference :22
Survey results show the human consequences of losing Congressional funding to support enhanced premium tax credits for ACA Marketplace Enrollees 4:45
The National MS Society invests $2.3 million dollars in research projects focused on women's health issues and MS 7:23
The first healthy participant is dosed in the clinical trial for ICP-538 11:24
An opportunity to participate from home in a clinical trial (and there's compensation!) 12:41
MS Activists David, Cliff, and Michelle share their thoughts on attending the MS Society's Public Policy Conference 15:27
Share this episode 30:10
Next week 30:30
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LISTEN: RealTalk MS Episode 446 -- MS Advocacy and the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference with Steffany Stern
https://realtalkms.com/446
SURVEY RESULTS: Cost Concerns and Coverage Changes: A Follow-Up Survey of ACA Marketplace Enrollees
https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/a-follow-up-survey-of-aca-marketplace-enrollees
PARTICIPATE: A Study to Determine How Well Different Fall Prevention Programs Work for People with Spinal Court Injury and Multiple Sclerosis
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RealTalk MS Episode 448
Guests: David Silbaugh, Cliff Currie, and Michelle Constantine Hibbs