Episode 477: One Year After CAR T-Cell Therapy with Jan Janisch-Hanzlik
RealTalk MS
Jan Janisch-Hanzlik was the first MS patient to receive CAR T-cell therapy as part of a clinical trial. We met Jan last year, in episode 424 of RealTalk MS, when she gave us a first-hand report on how she was responding to this treatment. This week, Jan is back with an update on how she's responding to CAR T-cell therapy one year later. We're just two weeks away from the U.S. midterm elections. We're sharing some resources that will help you get ready to vote. And we'll remind you that MSToronto 2026 begins tomorrow, and you still have time to register for...
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Episode 476: MS in the Workplace with Dana Foote
RealTalk MS
What happens when you’re diagnosed with a chronic, unpredictable condition just as your career is taking off? That's exactly what happened to my guest, Dana Foote. This week, Dana joins us to share her journey from hiding her MS diagnosis as a young auditor at one of the largest accounting organizations in the world to becoming National Managing Partner for Audit & Assurance Operations and a leader in the MS community. We'll also update you on the status of a disease-modifying therapy that has been submitted to the FDA for review as a potential treatment for relapsing MS...
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Episode 475: New Tools and Strategies for Managing MS-Related Cognitive Changes with Dr. Elizabeth Gromisch
RealTalk MS
Whether it’s walking into a room and blanking on why you’re there, struggling to pull up a word that’s right on the tip of your tongue, or losing track of daily tasks, cognitive fatigue and brain fog can turn simple routines into exhausting hurdles. What makes cognitive changes particularly challenging is their invisibility. They don’t show up on a routine check-in like mobility issues do. Family members might misread them as distraction. Employers might see them as disengagement. And all too often, clinicians don’t have immediate, actionable tools to offer beyond standard advice. ...
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Episode 474: The House That MS Built with Sarah Timmerman
RealTalk MS
Most people don’t think about home accessibility until mobility changes force the conversation. But what if you decide to take control of the unknown and design your living space for whatever the future might bring? My guest, Sarah Timmerman, explains how she took total control of her future by designing and building what she calls The House That MS Built—a home engineered from the foundation up to future-proof her independence through smart, universal design and relentless self-advocacy. We'll also tell you about a research team that identified 4 biomarkers that,...
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Episode 473: The National MS Society -- A CEO Briefing with Dr. Tim Coetzee
RealTalk MS
RealTalk MS is celebrating our ninth anniversary, and we’re marking the milestone with a special guest! Dr. Tim Coetzee, President and CEO of the National MS Society, returns to the show for a candid, forward-looking conversation about why today represents one of the most promising moments for advancing MS research and transforming clinical care. We’re taking a hard look at the game-changers on the horizon: what it will take to shorten the diagnostic journey from years down to mere hours, why it’s time to retire outdated disease labels in favor of true precision medicine, and the...
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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...
info_outlineFor decades, an MS diagnosis came with outdated advice and significant uncertainty regarding starting a family. Today, the conversation has shifted from "Is it possible?" to "How do we optimize the journey?" This week, we're taking a deep dive into the essential considerations for family planning, managing MS during pregnancy, and the crucial postpartum period.
We're joined by Dr. Riley Bove, an Associate Professor of Neurology at UCSF and a leading expert in hormonal influences on MS. Dr. Bove brings her extensive research background and clinical expertise to help us understand how to navigate disease-modifying therapies while planning a family, the biological shifts that occur during pregnancy, and how to build a robust support system for the "fourth trimester."
We're also sharing study results that provide some optimistic news for people experiencing MS-related depression.
We'll tell you about a study that explains the actual changes in the immune system that occur when someone with MS exercises.
If you get your health insurance on the Affordable Care Act online marketplace, we'll explain why health economists feel certain that your premiums will be going up again next year.
And we're also sharing some sobering research that highlights systemic inequities that prevent people with MS who rely on Medicaid from accessing high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies.
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!
This Week: MS and family planning, pregnancy, and postpartum :22
STUDY: High-efficacy disease-modifying therapies are not available to all Medicaid recipients 1:08
Millions have failed to renew their ACA individual health insurance plans 5:05
STUDY: Cognitive-behavioral therapy improves MS-related depression 9:32
STUDY: Researchers identify the biological mechanisms that are impacted when people with MS exercise 11:29
Dr. Riley Bove discusses family planning, pregnancy, and postpartum issues that affect women with MS 14:48
Share this episode 35:31
Next week 35:50
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LINKS
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STUDY: Access to High-Efficacy Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis Under Medicaid: Variation in Coverage and Utilization Across States
https://aan.com/msa/Public/Events/AbstractDetails/61520
STUDY: Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2026/04170/effectivess_of_cognitive_behavioral_therapy_for.27.aspx
STUDY: Physical Exercise Modulates T Cell Activity and Mitigates Synaptic Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis Through Vagus Nerve Engagement
https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159126002710
UCSF Clinical Trials: Pregnancy Registry, Infants, Serum/Milk Analysis (PRISMA)
https://clinicaltrials.ucsf.edu/trial/NCT06940323
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https://ablenow.com
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RealTalk MS Episode 453
Guest: Dr. Riley Bove