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Past Podcast Episodes

Bonus Episode: MS21: Are We Meeting the Needs of Individuals at the Time of Their MS Diagnosis with Prof. Alice Laroni and Rachel Horne


This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by EMD Serono and is only intended for a U.S. audience. EMD Serono is the healthcare business of Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in the United States and Canada.

Professor Alice Laroni and Rachel Horne

In this special episode of RealTalk MS, Professor Alice Laroni and Rachel Horne join me to explore  what happens at the time someone receives their MS diagnosis, What the conversation with their neurologist is like, what kind of information they receive, and where they might turn to learn more about their diagnosis.

We're also exploring what should be happening at the time of diagnosis and what needs to come next.

Professor Alice Laroni is a neurologist with over 19 years of experience providing clinical care to MS patients and more than 14 years of experience in neuroimmunological research. She is also an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Genova, in Italy.

Rachel Horne is a professional journalist with a focus on medical issues, as well as someone who's living with MS, herself. Rachel is a regular contributor to The MS Blog, and has also contributed to articles published in science journals including The BMJ, Annals of Neurology, and Neurology.

Both Professor Laroni and Ms. Horne are active members of the MS in the 21st Century initiative. MS21 is a Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, initiaitve involving healthcare professionals and patient advocates. To learn more about MS in the 21st Century, please visit www.msinthe21stcentury.com.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Episode 335: Know Your Employment Rights If You’re Living With MS with Christina Forster


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.

Disability Rights are Civil Rights

MS Navigator Christina Forster joins me to answer these questions and more as she shines a bright light on your rights in the workplace.

I'll also remind you why I consider the MS Navigator program to be the gold standard when it comes to customized, one-on-one problem solving and support for anyone affected by MS. (And did I mention there's no charge???)

I hear your questions, so we're taking a moment to review what the RealTalk MS show notes are all about, and where to find them.

We're sharing study results that show a wheat-free diet may reduce MS severity (and it's not about the gluten!)

We'll tell you about a call by experts to adopt a new framework for describing Parkinson's Disease (and we'll explain why that's relevant to the MS community)

Scientists have identified 4 variant genes that place an individual taking some common MS disease-modifying therapies at higher risk of contracting PML. There's a test for that, and we'll tell you how to have that genetic testing done at no cost.

We're talking about research that uncovered new details about how cells in the central nervous system communicate with the cells that produce myelin. And we'll tell you why zebrafish are the key to this research.

And we're sharing a change in strategy for treating MS contained in the updated guidelines published by the Spanish Society of Neurology

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!


This Week: Successfully navigating the health insurance maze  :22

Why the MS Navigators are the gold standard when it comes to support for people affected by MS  :56

Everything you need to know about the RealTalk MS show notes  2:12

STUDY: A wheat-free diet may reduce MS severity  5:28

Experts call for a new framework for describing Parkinson's Disease  8:31

A test to determine who is at high risk for contracting PML is available…at no cost  11:36

STUDY: Researchers identify specific proteins and signals involved in myelin formation in zebrafish  14:08

The Spanish Society of Neurology has updated its guidelines for treating MS  15:42

MS Navigator Christina Forster discusses your rights in the workplace   19:35

Share this episode  30:37

Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  30:57


SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/335

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION

I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: jon@realtalkms.com
Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!


LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

Contact an MS Navigator
Phone: 1-800-344-4867
Web via chat: https://nationalmssociety.org
Email:
contactusnmss@nmss.org

STUDY: Attenuation of Immune Activation in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis on a Wheat-Reduced Diet: A Pilot Crossover Study
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17562864231170928

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Genetic Risk Variants for Pharmacovigilance of Immunosuppressive Therapies
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371965313_OPEN_ACCESS_EDITED_BY_Progressive_multifocal_leukoencephalopathy_genetic_risk_variants_for_pharmacovigilance_of_immunosuppressive_therapies

No Cost PML Risk Genetic Test
https://pmlrisktest.org

STUDY: Synaptic Input and Ca2+ Activity in Zebrafish Oligdodendrocyte Precursor Cells Contribute to Myelin Sheath Formation
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-023-01553-8

Consensus Statement of the Spanish Society of Neurology on the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis and Holistic Patient Management in 2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2173580824000191

Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Devices
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk

Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review


Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.

RealTalk MS Episode 335
Guest: Christina Forster

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

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