Podcasts about dmds

I dagens afsnit følger vi op på forrige afsnit, og taler om potentielt liv på exoplaneter. Og så har vi tid til en række andre spændende emner, som planet X/planet nummer 9, rumarkitektur, nedfaldende rumskrald og meget mere. Herunder at jorden har fået en sort boks!Her er Karina's notater til dagens afnsiot:1:Tegn på liv på Exoplanet K2-18b (?)K2-18b er en Exoplanet der kredser om stjernen K2-18, som er en rød dværg stjerne (124 lysår væk i stjernebilledet Løven). Den blev opdaget fordi den passerer foran sin stjerne i vores synsvinkel. K2-18b er i den beboelige zone omkring stjernen med et omløb på 33 dage. Den får cirka lige så meget lys fra sin stjerne som Jorden får fra solen. K2-18b har en radius der er 2.6 gange så stor som jordens radius og 8.6 gange tungere. Den er den første exoplanet som vi har undersøgt atmosfæren af. Det kann man ved at se på dens stjernes lys når det passerer igennem planetens atmosfære.Tidligere observationer med først Rumteleskopet Hubble og senere James Webb havde allerede afsløret, at K2-18 b har en atmosfære, der bl.a. indeholder vanddamp samt de kulstofholdige molekyler kuldioxid og metan – sidstnævnte populært kaldet naturgas. Ud fra disse resultater havde forskerne vurderet, at K2-18 b er en såkaldt hycean-planet – en planet med en atmosfære der er rig på hydrogen (brint) og har et globalt ocean af vand. Allerede de tidligere observationer med James Webb havde antydet forekomsten af DMS i atmosfæren på K2-18 b, men først med yderligere observationer er forskerne nu mere sikre i deres sag. De påpeger dog selv nødvendigheden af at foretage yderligere observationer med James Webb for at forekomsten af DMS og/eller DMDS kan definitivt bekræftes.DMS / DMDS:Det handler konkret om svovlforbindelserne dimethylsulfid (DMS) og/eller dimethyldisulfid (DMDS). Her på Jorden frembringes DMS og DMDS kun af levende organismer – primært mikrober som planteplankton i havet. Det er dog vigtigt at sige, at det på det foreliggende grundlag ikke kan bekræftes, at gasserne i K2-18 bs atmosfære er af biologisk oprindelse.Abiotisk oprindelse er også mulig!***** OPDATERING d. 3. maj 2025:En uafhængig analyse af James Webb-observationerne af K2-18 b ser ikke klare tegn på svovlgasserne DMS og/eller DMDS i planetens atmosfære. Yderligere observationer med James Webb er nødvendige for at afgøre om gasserne, der kan ses som et tegn på liv (en såkaldt biosignatur), er til stede på K2-18 b.Kilde:https://arxiv.org/html/2504.15916v1#bib.bib7 En anden dybere artikel:https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/evidence-biosignatures-k2-18b-flimsy/The problem with the detection:The “detection” of DMS in the near-infrared portion of the spectrum was very, very flimsy: at only 1-sigma significance, which means there's greater than a ~30% chance that the detection is a fluke. In all sub-field of physics and astronomy, a “1-sigma detection” is known as a non-detection; there is no meaningful signal seen here.While DMS on Earth may primarily arise from biological production mechanisms, it is found all throughout the Universe and, in those environments, is produced entirely by non-biological means. It's been found in the interstellar medium, including in the galactic center's large molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027. It's been produced abiotically in the laboratory right here on Earth (including since 1995) by simple processes, and can be made photochemically elsewhere in the Universe. And it's been found on comets as well, including on the famous comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which was the target of ESA's Rosetta mission.Hvad kan man egentlig med JWST?En artikel har undersøgt JWST's nøjagtighed og mener ikke at det teleskop er i stand til at give definitivt bevis for noget som dette. “Characterizing rocky or sub-Neptune-size exoplanets with JWST is an intricate task, and moves us away from the notion of finding a definitive “silver bullet” biosignature gas. Indeed, JWST results necessitate us to allow “parallel interpretations” that will perhaps not be resolved until the next generation of observatories.” https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.12946--------------------------------------------2: Hvornår er det okay at trykke på 'BIG NEWS' knappen?Back in 2021, the astrobiology community held a workshop on standards of evidence for biosignatures, which led to a community report discussing responsible standards of evidence and quantifying seven different levels of confidence for announcing biosignatures, with the lowest-confidence levels going to detections that cannot discriminate between different scenarios and mid-confidence levels going to definitive detections that cannot rule out abiotic pathways. To announce “we've found a biosignature” would require multiple, independent, unambiguous signatures of molecules that cannot be produced abiotically at all.Kilde: https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.1429317. April: I en Astronom Facebook gruppe:" This is an appeal. I am very sorry to bring this up in these difficult times, but I think that this latest astronomy news on extraterrestrial life goes very far beyond what in my opinion is responsible science communication. You could argue that this generates excitement in the public that is very much needed, but I think it is very damaging in the long run. Our colleagues from other fields will not take us serious anymore if we go on like this. We are doing fantastic stuff, also the group that has pushed this news. We don't need this, also not now."Og så blev der ellers diskuteret!Hvad jeg mener: Hvis man får opmærksomhed får man funding. Men når man overvurderer et resultat, så skader det troværdigheden. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------3: Planet X eller Planet 9.Vi har måske fået vores første rigtige glimt af Planet Nine! Eksperter siger, at et mystisk objekt, som netop er blevet opdaget i to infrarøde himmelundersøgelser, er det hidtil stærkeste bevis for Planet 9. Planet 9 blev første gang foreslået i 2016 for at forklare de mærkelige baner for islegemer uden for Neptun, og man mener, at den er en massiv, fjern verden - måske mere end ti gange Jordens masse - som lurer langt uden for Pluto. Nu har astronomer under ledelse af Terry Long Phan fra National Tsing Hua University identificeret et svagt objekt i data fra rumteleskoperne IRAS (1983) og AKARI (2006), som ser ud til at have bevæget sig lige akkurat nok til at antyde, at den kredser om solen fra omkring 700 astronomiske enheder væk - ca. 65 milliarder kilometer. Baseret på dens infrarøde lysstyrke ville denne kandidat være mere massiv end Neptun og kan befinde sig i et vildt langstrakt kredsløb, der tager tusindvis af år at fuldføre.Selv om objektets identitet endnu ikke er bekræftet, skiller denne opdagelse sig ud, fordi den er synlig i begge datasæt - noget, som tidligere Planet Nine-kandidater manglede. Der er planlagt opfølgende observationer ved hjælp af kraftige teleskoper som Dark Energy Camera i Chile. Hvis den er ægte, kan Planet Nine give en hidtil uset indsigt i vores solsystems tidlige dage, herunder muligheden for, at den blev dannet nær de gigantiske planeter og blev kastet udad - eller blev indfanget fra et helt andet stjernesystem. Med næste generations observatorier som Vera C. Rubin-observatoriet og Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, der kommer online, siger astronomerne, at Planet Nines skjulesteder hurtigt forsvinder.https://arxiv.org/pdf/2504.17288https://videnskab.dk/rummet/hvor-taet-er-vi-paa-at-finde-planet-9/Bedste billede er sandkorn på en højtaler, der lægger sig i mønstre alt efter resonans frekvens af lyden der bliver afspillet. På samme måde hiver og trækker de store ydre planeter i de mindre objekter (planeter, asteroider, kometer) i solsystemet. Disse resonanser kan have afgørende for dannelse af liv som Uffe var inde på. De kan nemlig være afgørende for hvornår det sidste store bombardament skete.

In Folge 129 schauen wir uns die Sache mit dem angeblichen Nachweis von Biomarkern auf dem Planeten K2-18b genauer an. Da war zwar jede Menge mediale Aufregung und durchaus coole Wissenschaft. Aber am Ende sind wir weit entfernt von einem Nachweis; es ist sogar fraglich, ob man da überhaupt was beobachtet hat. Außerdem gibt es Buchtipps und Evi erzählt von außerirdischen Yetis im Science Fiction Film. Wenn ihr uns unterstützen wollt, könnt ihr das hier tun: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/PodcastDasUniversum Oder hier: https://steadyhq.com/de/dasuniversum Oder hier: https://www.patreon.com/dasuniversum

Dat is een behoorlijk cryptische titel, vindt u niet? Dat gezegd hebbende gaat deze aflevering over die raadselachtige exoplaneet K2-18b en MMB. Dat zijn bacteriën die niet zonder elkaar kunnen leven.Buitenaards leven op K2-18b ?https://www.buzzsprout.com/2096278/episodes/13618776-buitenaards-leven-op-k2-18bIs dimethylsulfide a good biomarker?https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU24/EGU24-16695.htmlNew Constraints on DMS and DMDS in the Atmosphere of K2-18 b from JWST MIRI:https://arxiv.org/pdf/2504.12267Are there Spectral Features in the MIRI/LRS Transmission Spectrum of K2-18b?https://arxiv.org/pdf/2504.15916Multicellular magnetotactic bacteria are genetically heterogeneous consortia with metabolically differentiated cells:https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002638De Zimmerman en Space podcast is gelicenseerd onder een Creative Commons CC0 1.0 licentie.http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0

Pour écouter mon podcast Choses à Savoir Culture Générale:Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/choses-%C3%A0-savoir-culture-g%C3%A9n%C3%A9rale/id1048372492Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/3AL8eKPHOUINc6usVSbRo3?si=e794067703c14028----------------------------Parmi les milliers d'exoplanètes détectées ces dernières années, K2-18b se distingue comme l'un des mondes les plus prometteurs dans la quête de vie extraterrestre. Située à environ 120 années-lumière de la Terre, dans la constellation du Lion, cette planète intrigue par ses caractéristiques physico-chimiques uniques. Classée comme une planète « hycéenne », elle posséderait un océan liquide sous une atmosphère riche en hydrogène, un environnement inédit mais potentiellement habitable.Le 17 avril 2025, l'excitation autour de K2-18b a franchi un nouveau cap. Une équipe de chercheurs de l'université de Cambridge, grâce au télescope spatial James Webb, a annoncé avoir détecté les "indices les plus prometteurs à ce jour" d'une potentielle activité biologique sur cette exoplanète. Deux composés chimiques ont particulièrement attiré l'attention des scientifiques : le sulfure de diméthyle (DMS) et le disulfure de diméthyle (DMDS). Sur Terre, ces molécules sont produites presque exclusivement par le phytoplancton marin, et n'existent pas en grande quantité dans la nature sans activité biologique.Cette détection s'ajoute à d'autres observations précédentes tout aussi fascinantes : de la vapeur d'eau, du méthane et du dioxyde de carbone avaient déjà été repérés dans l'atmosphère de K2-18b en 2019 et 2023. La combinaison de ces gaz, particulièrement dans un environnement tempéré, suggère des réactions chimiques compatibles avec la vie, bien que des origines non-biologiques soient également possibles.Il convient néanmoins de rester prudent. Les résultats actuels ont une signification statistique de 3 sigmas, soit une probabilité de 99,7 % que ces détections ne soient pas dues au hasard. Or, pour qu'une découverte soit considérée comme scientifiquement confirmée, le seuil de confiance usuel est de 5 sigmas (99,99994 %). Les chercheurs estiment qu'entre 16 et 24 heures d'observation supplémentaires seront nécessaires pour atteindre cette rigueur.K2-18b, dont la masse est huit fois supérieure à celle de la Terre, n'est pas une planète rocheuse, mais pourrait abriter des formes de vie adaptées à un environnement riche en gaz et en liquide sous haute pression. C'est une nouvelle frontière dans la recherche de vie, différente des mondes terrestres classiques.En somme, K2-18b représente l'un des candidats les plus sérieux à ce jour pour l'identification de vie extraterrestre. Les indices détectés ne constituent pas encore une preuve, mais ils témoignent des progrès spectaculaires de l'astronomie moderne et ouvrent une ère passionnante dans l'exploration des mondes lointains. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

“太陽系外生命”の有力な証拠　英ケンブリッジ大学などが発見　「人類は宇宙で孤独なのか？」。　英ケンブリッジ大学や米宇宙望遠鏡科学研究所などに所属する研究者らが発表した論文「New Constraints on DMS and DMDS in the Atmosphere of K2-18 b from JWST MIRI」は、太陽系外の惑星において生命活動の可能性を示す有望な兆候を検出した研究報告だ。

Grâce au télescope spatial James-Webb, une équipe de l'université de Cambridge a observé dans l'atmosphère de l'exoplanète K2-18b des signatures spectrales de composés chimiques intrigants, notamment, la détection possible de diméthylsulfure (DMS) et de disulfure de diméthyle (DMDS). Sur Terre, ces molécules sont principalement produites par des organismes vivants tels que le phytoplancton marin. Ces résultats, qui doivent encore être confirmés, pourraient représenter une avancée significative.

¿Vida en el planeta K2-18b? Científicos detectan gases asociados a organismos marinos en un planeta a 124 años luzPor Félix Riaño @LocutorCoLa atmósfera del exoplaneta K2-18b contiene gases que, en la Tierra, solo producen seres vivosUn equipo de científicos ha detectado señales químicas en un planeta llamado K2-18b, ubicado a 124 años luz de la Tierra. Lo emocionante es que estas señales podrían ser el rastro de vida. Detectaron gases que, en nuestro planeta, solo generan organismos vivos, como las algas del mar. ¿Es posible que haya vida más allá del sistema solar? Aunque aún falta mucho para confirmarlo, este podría ser el hallazgo más prometedor hasta ahora. El planeta tiene una atmósfera rica en hidrógeno y podría estar cubierto por un océano cálido. Pero también hay dudas sobre su verdadera composición y si esos gases pueden tener otro origen no biológico.El planeta podría ser tan caliente que tenga océanos de lavaK2-18b fue descubierto en 2015 por el telescopio Kepler y desde entonces ha sido estudiado con atención. Es un exoplaneta más grande que la Tierra, con casi nueve veces su masa. Gira alrededor de una estrella fría en la constelación de Leo y está en la llamada zona habitable, donde podría haber agua líquida. Recientemente, el telescopio espacial James Webb analizó la luz que atraviesa su atmósfera. Detectó compuestos como metano, dióxido de carbono y, lo más sorprendente, dimetil sulfuro (DMS) y dimetil disulfuro (DMDS). En la Tierra, estas sustancias las generan solo los organismos vivos, especialmente microorganismos marinos como el fitoplancton.A pesar del entusiasmo, los científicos son cautelosos. El hallazgo es tentador, pero aún no es una prueba definitiva de vida. Para que lo fuera, la señal tendría que alcanzar un nivel de confianza del 99.99999 %. Por ahora está en el 99.7 %, lo que aún deja espacio para dudas. Además, hay desacuerdo entre expertos sobre si estos gases podrían generarse por procesos no biológicos, como actividad geológica desconocida. Incluso hay quienes creen que el planeta podría no tener una superficie sólida, sino estar cubierto por un océano de magma. También se discute si su atmósfera es demasiado caliente y espesa para permitir vida como la conocemos.El profesor Nikku Madhusudhan, de la Universidad de Cambridge, lidera este estudio. Él cree que, si se confirma que estos gases provienen de vida, el universo estaría lleno de otros mundos habitados. Para lograr esa confirmación, bastarían entre 16 y 24 horas más de observación del telescopio Webb, aunque esas horas podrían tardar años en asignarse. Mientras tanto, se seguirán haciendo pruebas en laboratorios para comprobar si los compuestos pueden originarse sin vida. Lo que sí está claro es que estamos cada vez más cerca de responder una pregunta que la humanidad se hace desde hace milenios: ¿estamos solos?K2-18b es un ejemplo de lo que los astrónomos llaman un “planeta hyceano”: mundos más grandes que la Tierra, cubiertos de océanos y con una atmósfera rica en hidrógeno. Hasta hace poco, se pensaba que solo los planetas rocosos como el nuestro podían ser habitables. Pero los hyceanos amplían esa posibilidad. En 2023, el telescopio Hubble ya había detectado vapor de agua en este planeta. Luego, el telescopio Webb confirmó la presencia de moléculas con carbono, y ahora se suman estas posibles huellas de vida. Aunque hay escepticismo, este descubrimiento está motivando nuevas misiones espaciales y futuros telescopios, como el Observatorio de Mundos Habitables que planea lanzar la NASA en la década de 2040.Científicos detectaron en K2-18b gases que en la Tierra solo produce la vida. Aún no es prueba definitiva, pero es la señal más prometedora hasta ahora. ¿Qué opinas? Escucha más noticias como esta en Flash Diario en Spotify

Have you ever wondered how your hormones might affect your MS? We're joined by podcast guests Olivia Mason, a woman diagnosed with multiple sclerosis not long after giving birth, and Professor Ruth Dobson, a consultant neurologist specialising in MS.Together, we explore how periods, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause can influence MS. Here's what we cover•      Can periods make MS symptoms worse?•      Is pregnancy protective for women with MS?•      Can you use disease modifying drugs (DMDs) whilst pregnant?•      Can women with MS safely breastfeed?•      How does menopause affect MS symptoms?•      Plus, Olivia shares her personal experience and insights on navigating an MS diagnosis as a new mother. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to understand more about how periods, pregnancy, breastfeeding and the menopause can affect multiple sclerosis.Listen now for all of the latest information, tips and more!Episode notes- MS Trust  A-Z on MS and Hormones: mstrust.org.uk/a-z/hormones- MS Trust  A-Z on MS and pregnancy: mstrust.org.uk/search/pregnancy- MS Trust  A-Z on MS and breastfeeding: mstrust.org.uk/a-z/breastfeeding- MS Trust  A-Z on MS and menopause: mstrust.org.uk/search/menopause- MS Trust  Podcast on  MS and menopause: mstrust.org.uk/information-support/podcasts/how-does-menopause-affect-ms- Can the menopause affect MS - Research update: mstrust.org.uk/research/research-updates/update151013-menopause-MS-UK guidelines for treating multiple sclerosis symptoms during pregnancy - Research Update: mstrust.org.uk/news/research/230515-uk-guidelines-treating-multiple-sclerosis-symptoms-during-pregnancy- Why I created The Twelve Day Marathon - Blog by Olivia on MS Trust website: mstrust.org.uk/news/stories/why-i-created-twelve-day-marathon- UK MS pregnancy Register: ukmsregister.org/pregnancy

Welcome to Living Well with MS, where we are pleased to welcome Dr Stefano Pluchino as our guest! Dr Pluchino is a Professor of Regenerative Neuroimmunology at Cambridge University and has been researching stem cell therapy for progressive MS. In this episode, Dr Pluchino speaks to Geoff about what advanced cell therapy is, the success of his phase one trial and what the future of DMTs looks like indicating what people with MS may experience. Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways. Topics and Timestamps: 01:31 Dr Pluchino's background and research into stem cell therapy for progressive MS. 02:52 The difference between types of MS. 05:09 Navigating DMT options for progressive MS. 08:40 Dr Pluchino's advanced cell therapy research trial: The success of phase one and plans for phase two. 21:05 How advanced cell therapy compares to HSCT or bone marrow transplants. 26:02 What it means for the future of DMTs. 33:39 How you can be part of groundbreaking MS research and trials. Selected Key Takeaways: There are nuances in types of MS beyond ‘relapsing' or ‘progressive'. 04:23 "It is becoming more complex between active and non-active types of primary and secondary progressive MS where activity is attributed to other episodes. Clinical episodes of disease or radiologically evident episodes of disease, which can be identified by the use of contrast agents at the time of the MRI. So, they are very complex very heterogenous types of disease, with or without activity, which inevitably undergo accumulation of neurological deficits.” The next generation of DMTs will target progression rather than relapses. 06:39 “What's becoming very interesting is that [over the last] few years, there is a general worldwide consensus that progressive MS is becoming and has become a clinical unmet need. The old MS world is concentrating on financing, funding and efforts towards stopping MS through the development of a new generation of DMDs which will eventually target progression rather than relapses.” The future of advanced cell therapy research will look at remyelination, reduction of inflammation and neuroprotection. 19:10 "There is space for assessing whether a proportion of the injected cells [can] differentiate in vivo into new myelin-forming cells. There is a space to assess whether some of the cells [can] increase the survival of neurons in the brain. There is space to assess whether the transplanted cells [can] reduce the type of inflammation which characterises progressive MS, which is what we call a smouldering inflammation. These highly diffuse homogeneous, low-level activations of microglia (immune cells of the central nervous system) and astrocytes (star-shaped cells that hold nerve cells in place) might be reduced by means of advanced cell therapy and the reason why I am specifically alluding to these three major biological mechanisms of disease, remyelination, reduction of inflammation and neuroprotection is because we have managed to identify each of these mechanisms in clinically relevant animal disease models in the last 25 years. So, there is [an] expectation that a clinical trial designed in a way that will allow us to establish the efficacy of the treatment will reveal what we have established already in one of these models.” Want to learn more about living a full and happy life with multiple sclerosis? Sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips. More info and links: Video on Early-stage stem cell therapy trial shows promise for treating progressive MS Dr Pluchino's website Dr Pluchino's bio If you have progressive MS you may be eligible for the Octopus trial Learn about HSCT from Professor Richard Burt in Season 5 Episode 25 Read about the Shinya Yamanaka  and John Gurdon'a Nobel Winning iPSC technology Find out more about the latest research in progressive MS from the International Progressive MS Alliance New to Overcoming MS? Visit our introductory page  Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub Visit the Overcoming MS website Follow us on social media: Facebook Instagram YouTube Pinterest Don't miss out:  Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS episodes here. If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review. Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org. Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS. Support us:  If you enjoy this podcast and want to support the ongoing work of Overcoming MS, we would really appreciate it if you could leave a donation here. Every donation, however small, helps us to share the podcast with more people on how to live well with MS.

Disease modifying drugs (DMDs) are a group of treatments for people with multiple sclerosis. Most DMDs are for people with relapsing remitting MS (RRMS), but there are some that are licenced for use by people with progressive MS. For people with RRMS, disease modifying drugs reduce the number of relapses you might experience as well as reducing the severity of any relapses you do have.There are a wide range of drugs approved for use by the NHS in the UK. Each drug offers a different combination of benefits and possible risks.In this podcast we are going to be chatting to neurologist Kate who is going to explain the ins and outs of DMDs and how you can go about choosing one. Then we will be talking to Sam, who shares her personal journey of choosing DMDs.Episode notes:- Disease modifying drugs - MS Trust A-Z: mstrust.org.uk/about-ms/ms-treatments/disease-modifying-drugs-dmds- Frequently asked questions about DMD - Information from the MS Trust: mstrust.org.uk/about-ms/ms-treatments/ms-decisions/frequently-asked-questions-faqs-MS Decisions  DMD Tool - Information from the MS Trust: mstrust.org.uk/about-ms/ms-treatments/ms-decisions-aid- Disease modifying drugs- MS Trust booklet : shop.mstrust.org.uk/publications/disease-modifying-drugsNext episode Our next two podcasts will be on the topic of sex and MS. One for men and one for women, or people who identify as either. Now we know that this is a topic that not everyone will feel comfortable talking about, but we want that to change as it's a very important subject. If you have any questions or stories you would like to share, we'd love to hear from you. Your comment may even be featured on the episode! You can drop us a voice note or message via WhatsApp on 07458303326. Alternatively, you can email mystory@mstrust.org.uk. It can be totally anonymous, if you wish.WhatsApp messages aren't monitored by our MS Enquiry Service and Helpline team so if you've got a question about life with MS that needs answering, please contact them directly on 0800 032 38 39 or email ask@mstrust.org.uk.

Bio:   Dr. Mikhail (Misha) Kogan, MD, ABIOM, RCST is a leader in the newly established field of Integrative Geriatrics.  He is the chief editor of the first definitive textbook of the field entitled “Integrative Geriatric Medicine”, published by Oxford University Press as part of Andrew Weil Integrative Medicine Library series and is frequent speaker at a variety of international conferences on the topics of Integrative Medicine, Geriatrics, healthy aging, as well as medical cannabis.   While Dr. Kogan's main medical cannabis expertise is in treating older patients and palliating symptoms at end of life he also treats a wide arrange of internal medicine problems from chronic GI problems to cancers where use of medical cannabis can be very beneficial.  In October 2021 Dr. Kogan, in collaboration with Dr. Joan Liebmann-Smith and Penguin Random Publishing House, published Medical Marijuana, Dr Kogan's Evidence-Based guide to the health benefits of cannabis and CBD. Dr. Kogan currently serves as medical director of the GW Center for Integrative Medicine, associate professor of medicine in the division of Geriatric and Palliative Care, and associate director of the Geriatrics and Integrative Medicine Fellowship Programs and director of Integrative Medicine Track program at the George Washington University (GWU) School of Medicine. Dr. Kogan is also the founder and the executive director of AIM Health Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that provides integrative medicine services to low-income and terminally ill patients regardless of their ability to pay.  Questions:   Background   You have a diverse and impressive background, including integrative medicine, serving as an Associate Professor of Medicine at George Washington University, founder of a health nonprofit, and author. So cutting to the chase, what has gotten you to the place where you're one of the leading medical experts on cannabis? People have all sorts of associations with cannabis, mostly around its reputation as an illicit substance. Of course now it's being legalized for recreational use in many places around the world. Can you speak to its use for medicinal purposes? What's the medical backstory of cannabis? Maybe we can shift to a little rudimentary chemistry and biology to understand how cannabis works medically. Can you provide a layman's explanation of the human endocannabinoid system, how the cannabis plant interacts with it, and the difference between CBD and THC?   Dispelling Myths   There are a number of perceptions around cannabis and its use, and I wanted to see if we could validate or dispel some of them: Firstly, is cannabis a gateway to harder drugs? Is it safe to use? Are there side effects? What about the argument about how effective it truly is for medical use? Can you speak to the efficacy ranges for cannabinoids? Is there an evidence base to suggest cannabis is effective as a medical treatment?   Cannabis and MS   If we shift the focus to MS, can cannabis be helpful? How does cannabis impact MS spasticity? And what about using it for pain management. Does it alleviate pain that may be associated with MS? So are there any downsides to using cannabis as part of an MS treatment regimen? Perhaps adverse interactions with DMDs? Which cannabinoids should someone be taking to get an anti-inflammatory effect? How do you prescribe or recommend the use of cannabis in your own medical practice? Maybe put another way, how does someone determine if they're a good candidate to use cannabis medically? The organization behind this podcast, Overcoming MS, is a big advocate of healthy lifestyle choices. How does cannabis fit with healthy lifestyle choice in your view, Misha?   The Future of Cannabis   What is the current research activity around cannabis? Anything we should be aware of down the pike? What does the future hold for using cannabinoids for disease modification? And lastly, your book. You've just released a new book called Medical Marijuana. There's a link in the show notes for more information and where to buy it. Can you tell us a bit about the project, what it's about beyond what the title implies, what kind of impact you hope it will have? Thanks so much for being our guest on Living Well with MS, Dr. Misha Kogan. We are thrilled to learn about the amazing work you're doing to help people navigate the intricacies and benefits of medical marijuana. And I encourage everyone to learn more about you and your work by checking out the links and more in our show notes for this episode. Thanks again, Misha.   Links:   Kogan'sbio Kogan's new book,Medical Marijuana, selected as one of the summer 2022's best science reads Kogan is Medical Director of theGW Center for Integrative Medicine Kogan isAssociate Professor of Medicine, George Washington University Kogan is Founder and Executive Director,AIM Health Institute, a DC-based nonprofit delivering integrative services to underserved Kogan's personal website can be found here Kogan can be found on social media here: Facebook and YouTube   Coming up next:   Join us for the 35th installment of the Living Well with MS Coffee Break series, and get to meet Ann Coulson, who has been part of the OMS community even before such a thing existed and has been following the work of Professor George Jelinek dating back to its inception. Ann is undertaking an exciting adventure – sea kayaking around the Isle of Wight – to raise awareness of and funds for OMS. You won't want to miss this dynamic discussion!   Don't miss out:   Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. You can catch any episode of Living Well with MS here or on your favorite podcast listening app. For your convenience, a full episode transcript is also available on all platforms within 72 hours of each episode's premiere. If you like our program, don't be shy and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break #28, where we are pleased to welcome Claes Nermark as our guest!   Our Coffee Break series is your chance to get to know members of our diverse OMS community. In each episode, you'll join Geoff Allix for an intimate chat with a different member of our global community. Our guests will share their personal stories and talk about their challenges and victories, large and small. We hope you find common cause and a source of inspiration from the stories of these very special people.   As always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org. We hope you enjoy this episode's conversation with Claes, coming to you straight from Sweden.   Claes's Bio:   Claes lives in Sweden. He is happily married to Malin, and they have three grown children. At university, Claes trained to become a physical education and biology teacher. In addition to teaching, he has added the following skills to his CV: software trainer, fitness and yoga instructor, event manager, sports club administrator, operations manager, vice principal, and employee wellness manager.   In 2002, during a stressful period as an event manager, Claes was diagnosed with optic neuritis. A scar in the brain where the optic nerve branches to each eye was found, and he was diagnosed with a stroke as the disruption of sight was very similar in both eyes. But was it really a stroke?   In 2010, it was time for a career change from sports club administrator to operating manager at a start-up in holistic health. During the stressful preparations for his new role, he noticed obvious double-vision when driving home one day. The MRI scan showed multiple lesions in the brain, and Claes was diagnosed with MS.   Malin, Claes's wife, learned about OMS on the internet and this was the first step on an amazing journey to health and recovery. Apart from reading the book and adopting the program, Claes is forever grateful that he got the opportunity to attend the first OMS retreat in the northern hemisphere at Launde Abbey in 2013. The amazing people Claes and Malin met at Launde Abbey have all become their OMS family.   Without any DMDs, Claes has now been relapse free for eight years (and counting). Today he runs his own business, Do Your Thing, as a health creator doing public speaking, teaching, coaching, fitness classes, and personal training.    In 2021, Claes became the first OMS Circle Ambassador in Sweden.   Questions:   Claes, welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break. We're so pleased to have you on our program. The purpose of this series is to better get to know some of the diverse members of our community from around the world, and today you're in the hot seat. Can you tell us a little about your day-to-day life? When were you diagnosed with MS? Can you provide some context on that? When were you diagnosed and how did you initially deal with it? At which point did you come across the OMS program? How was that experience for you? Why did you decide to start following it? I understand that stress was a big factor leading up to your diagnosis. How do you manage it now? What are some of the challenges you faced at first in adopting the OMS program, and how did you overcome them? When did you first start to see any kind of positive indicators in following OMS guidelines? What were these? You're currently very involved in the OMS community, particularly as the ambassador of the OMS Circle in Sweden. Can you talk to us about the OMS Circles experience, and what that's meant to you? I also understand you're a contributor to the newly published Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis Handbook. I believe you contributed the chapter on exercise. What do you have to say on the subject? One of your personal interpretations of MS is Mental Strength. It takes a lot of that as well as physical ability to do triathlons, long distance running and biking, all of which you've done since your diagnosis. Now we know not everyone can accomplish these feats, but what advice would you give to our community in general about harnessing their inner strength to make progress on their own paths to improving their health? Claes, thank you so much for being on Living Well with MS Coffee Break and allowing our community to get to know one of its own a little better. One last question before you go, and it's a bit of a tradition in that we ask it of all our Coffee Break guests. If you tap into your experience with MS generally and OMS specifically for a nugget of wisdom that would help people ease into and better adopt the OMS program, what would that advice be?   Three Important Lessons Claes Learned in 2021:   Sweden had a uniquely open Covid strategy. One supportive call with someone newly diagnosed with MS can make all the difference. You can use avocado to replace butter/margarine in many recipes for baked goods.   Three Interesting Facts About Claes:   Claes loves travelling and meeting new people and learning about new cultures. He lived for a year in Santa Barbara, California as well as a year in Christchurch, New Zealand. He has circled the globe both east- and west-bound. Since being diagnosed with MS, Claes has completed in an Olympic triathlon (1500m open water swimming, 40km cycling, and 10km running), a 30km cross-country run and a 300km biking event. Claes interprets MS as Mental Strength (during gym sessions it occasionally turns into Maximal Strength).   Claes's Links:   Check out Claes's profile on LinkedIn, where he posts a weekly video in Swedish (though body language counts for a lot, so you may not even need to speak the language). Claes likes Brain Tools for Teens on Instagram. Claes also likes Mind Valley, a global platform for personal development.   Coming up on our next episode:   On the next episode of Living Well with MS, premiering February 23, 2022, meet Chris Cerillo, an OMSer from the United States who discusses living life to the fullest with MS, including the peaks and the valleys. You won't want to miss this intimate first person POV on life with MS.   Don't miss out:   Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. You can catch any episode of Living Well with MS here or on your favorite podcast listening app. Don't be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.   S4E47b Transcript Coffee Break #28 with Claes Nermark   Geoff Allix (41s): Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break, a part of the Overcoming MS podcast family from Overcoming MS, the world's leading multiple sclerosis healthy lifestyle charity, celebrating its 10th year anniversary serving the MS community. I'm your host, Geoff Allix. Today, you'll meet someone living with MS from our global Overcoming MS community. Our Coffee Break series invites into the lives of each guest. They share their personal MS journeys and speak openly about their challenges and victories, large and small. We hope you find some common cause and a source of inspiration from the stories of these very special people. You can check out our show notes for more information and useful links. You can find these on our website at www.overcomingms.org/podcast. If you enjoy the show, please spread the word about us on your social media channels or leave a review wherever you tune in to our podcast. Finally, don't forget to subscribe to Living Well with MS on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Get your favorite beverage ready and let's meet today's guest on Living Well with MS Coffee Break. Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break #28, where we are pleased to welcome Claes Nermark as our guest. Claes lives in Sweden, he is happily married to Malin, and they have three grown children.   Geoff Allix (1m 21s): At university, Claes trained to become a physical education and biology teacher. In addition to teaching, he has added the following skills to his CV: software trainer, fitness and yoga instructor, event manager, sports club administrator, operations manager, vice-principal, and employee wellness manager. Claes, welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break. We're so pleased to have you on our program. The purpose of this series is to better get to know some of the members of the community from around the world, and today you're in the hot seat, so could you tell us a little bit about your day-to-day life?   Claes Nermark (1m 57s): Well, of course. Great being here. Today, I'm doing the final training to become a personal trainer. Well, it's quite a bit of a study right now and starting up being a public speaker, doing the training at the same time. I have, in my days, been busy, starting up in the new year.   Geoff Allix (2m 22s): When were you diagnosed with MS? Could you tell us a bit about that and how you initially dealt with it?   Claes Nermark (2m 29s): Yes. Let's go back to May 2010, a very busy time in my life. I was transitioning from an administrative position at a huge sports club in Sweden into a startup in education about holistic health. For a couple of days, I was simultaneously doing more or less two jobs, commuting like an hour down south for meetings at my old job in Malmo, two hours in the car up north to meetings with my new managers, and an hour back home. Probably did some workout in the evening, and then next morning, down to Malmo and up north again.   Claes Nermark (3m 10s): When I got into the car, I suddenly had double vision, but if I held my head on the ride, it almost narrowed it to one road. I was just three quarters of the one hour back home and two takeoffs from the freeway almost back home. Sitting at the dinner table, my wife said, "Well, you have to see the doctor. This is no good." I was like, "Well, I'm so busy, not tomorrow," and she said, "Maybe next week, but please call the advice line, at least." I did. I called the advice line and I said, "Hi, my name is Claes and I have this double vision out of nowhere."   Claes Nermark (3m 50s): My wife reminded me before making the call to tell them you had a stroke eight years ago, so I said, "Okay, and I had a stroke eight years ago so what's your suggestion." They said, "I think you should call an ambulance and come in right away." That was quite different from my view of not having time to see the doctor the next day or the next week, but my wife took me there. They did all sorts of the regular neurological scans and a regular x-ray. I was a fully fit man, and they didn't find anything wrong with me. They said, "Well, you may stay tonight.   Claes Nermark (4m 31s): You might get a return appointment for an MRI scan during the weekends." With my double vision, I realized I couldn't do much proper job the day after anyway, so I stayed at night. I got an appointment for an MRI scan, and it turned out I have active lesions in my brain. The doctor said, "This is one sign of multiple sclerosis, and we would like to make a number of punctures as well to rule out some other alternatives." I have that one down as well, and I found one out of two indicators for MS.   Claes Nermark (5m 12s): I got the preliminary diagnosis and, straightaway, got onto intravenous cortisol. I stayed for a few days, got very tired, got back home, and slept for days. I was lucky because I didn't have any experience of knowing anyone with MS, so I didn't have any real picture of what MS really meant because I was so focused on getting into my new job. It was kind of, "Okay, let's fix these so I can get on with my life."   Claes Nermark (5m 52s): “But my wife had quite another vision because her grandma ended her life in a wheelchair due to MS so that was her picture of having MS. Seeing me going down that route was not a future scenario for our family and things.” She said, "Okay, you're not a good reader with your double vision. I'll scan what I can find, and I'll order some books." She got tons of books and started reading. Well, I was on sick leave as I couldn't do much. It was just tiring walking and doing things.   Claes Nermark (6m 33s): If I just walked down the path, should I take the right or the left one with my double vision? Once in a while, I used the patch for one eye to ease off the double vision and things like that, but it was very tiresome, but luckily, I never got afraid of getting the MS diagnosis. We've been working a lot with mental training, doing visualization, things for sports events, and doing various things in life. That's one thing I used before, so my diagnosis was then in 2010, but looking in the rearview mirror, the stroke I mentioned from 2002 was another very hectic period in my life when I was working more than full-time as an event manager, trying to be the best dad and husband ever.   Claes Nermark (7m 34s): At the same time, I ended up with optic neuritis, and back then they did all sorts of examinations, but it took like six or seven weeks until I got to do the MRI scan. When those results came back, they found one score or lesion, probably a score as it was weeks later, that was situated just before the optic nerve divided into each eye. My optic neuritis was very similar to before and they said, "Okay, we diagnose this as a stroke."   Claes Nermark (8m 15s): But some years ago, I got to read all my old journals. In that journal from 2002, there was a little note, "Multiple Sclerosis?" As they found this scar and my vision was back to normal weeks later with no other symptoms, I got the diagnosis of stroke. Then again, between 2002 and 2010, I had others like numbness starting in my toes, slowly reaching just mid-thigh. Before it was turning back, I went to an acupuncturist to treat this weird thing.   Claes Nermark (8m 60s): I had tingling in my hands and things like that during these years up to my official diagnosis in 2010. Officially, I was diagnosed in 2010, but probably I had my MS debut in 2002 with the optic neuritis.   Geoff Allix (9m 18s): Then you probably never had a stroke.   Claes Nermark (9m 20s): Probably not.   Geoff Allix (9m 21s): That's fascinating when you say it because you look incredibly fit and I think that you don't look like someone who's had a stroke, but actually, that's amazing.   Claes Nermark (9m 35s): Yes, I was just 40 years old having a stroke, being a fitness instructor didn't really come along with what I knew about fitness and health even though I now know a lot more. If I haven't got my MS diagnosis in 2010, I would most likely have had the opportunity to have a stroke or something similar later in life due to the lifestyle I had back then. I thought it was healthy, but wow, I've learned a lot since.   Geoff Allix (10m 8s): Yes, likewise. I thought because I was slim and I could run a long way, I was healthy. I could eat anything as long as I burnt off the calories by doing exercise. That was my thinking. Anyway, when did you come across OMS and why did you decide to follow the OMS program?   Claes Nermark (10m 31s): Well, luckily, one of the books, Marlin, my wife found when scanning the market was Overcoming MS, the big book by George. She started reading it and, we started it. I actually say "we" because she was on the same journey from the very beginning. We adopted most of it at once, but not most of it as she bought more books that were other alternatives. On top of the OMS program, we took gluten away and God knows what else we had to take away or adapt.   Claes Nermark (11m 13s): For the first couple of months, we opened the fridge and said, "There's nothing we can eat," but slowly we realized, "Okay, probably the OMS program is 'the one' to trust." We went more and more into that one, even though there were some things. We've been into raw food for a while before my diagnosis, so we used a lot of cold-pressed coconut oil. We've read all about the benefits of that one, but then again, it's all fat fats, but we keep that one because we've heard from other sources that's a good thing, along with dark chocolate.   Claes Nermark (11m 59s): With all the antioxidants, that's got to be good for you. We kept the dark chocolate. We were probably like 90+ percent into the program. As we've been in New Zealand for almost a year with the kids when they were small, Marlin found out about the retreat, mainly in Australia and New Zealand. We thought that was a good reason to go back to New Zealand. I wrote it down to the golden foundation, I think it's called. I asked, "Okay, when is the next retreat scheduled for New Zealand so I could see if I could get some funding from some grants or something here in Sweden to support the trip."   Claes Nermark (12m 46s): I got some dates, but just maybe a month or so after I got an email saying, "Hey, you've shown interest in our retreat down under. We've just decided to set up the first in the Northern hemisphere, so you got another two weeks to decide whether you want to leave early bird applications." I just told them all, "Well, we just have to go. We can't miss this opportunity." In 2013, we were among the lucky ones getting into the Launde Abbey retreats.   Claes Nermark (13m 32s): We referred to it as our second family that built up during that week. It was a week with George, , his wife, Sandra, a yoga instructor, and some other amazing people. I think we were about 35 people with MS, primary progressive, and like me, relapsing-remitting, and maybe 10 partners coming along as well. We actually lived the program for a week. When we had the retreat for ourselves, so they set up the menus and things like that.   Claes Nermark (14m 19s): George went through everything from medications to meditations, and a lot of the research backing up all the claims in the book. I talked to George, and I said, "What about these coconut oils?" He said, "Well, it's saturated fats. I haven't found any studies separating animal or vegetable fats. As I haven't found any studies proving it's safe, I choose not to be the Guinea Pig." I was like, "Kind of a good point of view."   Claes Nermark (14m 59s): Seeing George being so vital, fully fit, no signs of MS whatsoever, I realized, "Okay, let's drop the coconut oil." We actually dropped the chocolate at that point. From that retreat, we really have truly believed in the OMS program.   Geoff Allix (15m 24s): Yes. It's true that the saturated fats from plant sources, we just don't know, do we? It's just one of those things that hopefully there'll be more research on because they know it is different. There are big chemical differences between coconut oil and meat fat, but like you say, do you really want to be the Guinea Pig to find out if it's okay or not? Maybe, in the future, we will be having coconut oil and we will be having chocolate.   Claes Nermark (15m 55s): Yes. There were many nuts and seeds containing lots of fat as well, even though they've got other fats, but it's not fat alone. It comes in combination with other good things as well.   Geoff Allix (16m 9s): I've had people actually have a very small amount of chocolate, very dark chocolate because there are benefits to chocolate. They weigh it up, but yes, it's very difficult. Hopefully, there will be, in the future, more research because the more I think it's becoming normalized that diet and lifestyle have a factor, then hopefully, there'll be more research done. It's difficult because the drug companies clearly aren't going to pay lots of money for it.   Claes Nermark (16m 41s): Those kinds of studies, no, unfortunately.   Geoff Allix (16m 45s): You mentioned you had a very stressful life. How do you manage stress now that you've been diagnosed?   Claes Nermark (16m 54s): Well, in the beginning, I was just doing nothing for a while, but then I gradually managed to get into meditation. I think I managed to do that thanks to taking a Xi Gong course. My wife read an article about a guy saying now he dares to hold his daughter because he got his MS diagnosis when his daughter was born, and he got a malfunction in his arms, so he really didn't dare to hold his daughter. He went on to a Xi Gong course and got enormous benefits out of that one.   Claes Nermark (17m 36s): I joined the same organization, went for a weekend, and started doing Xi Gong 20-30 minutes almost daily. That was one way for me to actually, more or less, do nothing even if you do some with very dedicated movements during the Xi Gong session. Before that, I had a hard time just sitting still for five minutes, but since then I've been adding it on, I'd say a couple of years now, I don't know when I really got into habits. I start my day by getting out of bed into my yoga or meditation sofa and sitting for 20-25 minutes before taking a glass of lemon water and taking 30-45 minutes morning walk, depending on the weather, before having breakfast.   Claes Nermark (18m 36s): I start my day in a very relaxed way. With meditation, setting up myself for a stress-free day. I think this is the key to being so much more aware of where I am right now every day. Nowadays, I can so much earlier realize like, "Okay, there's a lot of things going on right now. How can I stop this stressful cycle from coming up?" Realizing, "Okay, yesterday I had my yoga class and then I had one meeting and then I should have my Sunday chat with my brothers, spread out in the world."   Claes Nermark (19m 19s): I realized coming into the afternoon I don't have time for that meeting before meeting my brothers, so I just canceled that meeting. Actually, one thing, I've learned a magic word since my diagnosis. It's not a four-letter word. It's a two-letter word and it's spelled N-O. I've learned to say no to things, even though they're very exciting things. I really have to see what's in my calendar. Could I add this one as well? I am an active person. I used to have a laser focus on my calendar way back when we all had paper calendars.   Claes Nermark (19m 59s): Someone could ask, "Could you help out with this fitness class on Wednesday?" "Okay. What week?" "Next week," and then narrow down. "What date?" "Wednesday." "What time?" Then squared in the hour for the class. "Yes, there's nothing in my calendar. I could have like one class the day before, I had one class in the morning, and all other sorts of things, but no, that was perfectly fine. I could squeeze that in as well." Nowadays, I realized if I say no to some things, I can say yes to my health, I can say yes to my partner, I can say yes to my family. That is so much more important than pleasing everyone else because, that way, I will be here for the long run, and that way, I can please more people in the long run than pleasing everyone right now.   Geoff Allix (20m 47s): That's a fantastic way of looking at it. I think it was actually my neurological physio who said to me a similar thing. He said, "You just need to consider that you're not an ambulance driver or a fireman. You can be late for things, or you can say, 'No, I'm not doing things,' and it won't actually cause a problem." If you don't do something, if you say, "No, I'm not going to do that," what's the worst that can happen? If you're five minutes late for a meeting, what's the worst that will happen? If you're doing something that's critical, like if you're an emergency paramedic, then yes, you need to do that thing right now, but you're not."   Geoff Allix (21m 28s): Then you think, "Actually, yes," because there are people I know who are always late to things. You think, "They're always late," but it doesn't matter. They don't get stressed about it and you think, "Okay. Just don't get too stressed about things." So do you have any problems adopting OMS? What parts of the program did you have any trouble with?   Claes Nermark (21m 56s): The problem, in the beginning, was actually that we did more than the OMS program. I was once, again, lucky because we attended the Unleash the Power Within seminar with Tony Robbins in London, 2007. The fourth day in that seminar is called living health. In the end, we got a 10-day challenge quitting, I think, meat and dairy for 10 days. I was definitely a meat eater and I love dairy, yogurt so it was a challenge for me, but my wife's been a pescatarian since before I think she was 16 or something.   Claes Nermark (22m 36s): It was her almost everyday life, but it was a challenge to me. I said, "Okay, I can do this for 10 days," but after 10 days, I realized my stomach wasn't as upset and weird as it used to be. I didn't have this lack of energy in the afternoon having to have that afternoon snack or something. I thought, "Could this really be it?" For 10 days, I was not having meat or dairy, so I thought, "Well if it is, I'll try a little bit more." I haven't had meat since. I actually got back to having dairy when it was present in whatever kind of food you had out in the restaurant or seeing friends.   Claes Nermark (23m 24s): I used to have some yogurt because I believe in beneficial bacteria in yogurt and things like that. I had taken huge steps towards the OMS diet in 2007. The diet thing wasn't that much of a giant step for me. It wasn't a total turnaround of my everyday diet. The most challenging thing I'd say was actually the meditation part. As I said, I had a hard time just being restful for more than a few minutes. I had to move around and things like that, but now, half an hour, no problem.   Geoff Allix (24m 4s): When did you start to see positive benefits of the OMS program and what were those?   Claes Nermark (24m 12s): I'd say, in a weird way, after about six months, my vision went back to normal like six to seven weeks. I was all fine until I think it was Christmas day or something. I got some weird senses in my eyes again. The day after, it was a full-blown double vision. I thought, "No, this doesn't work." I went to the emergency, went to see a neurologist who said, "It was most likely a relapse so let's get you on intravenous cortisol," but we'd read the book and read about taking it orally in pills instead of intravenous, that way you could take it at night, adding onto the natural cortisol that your body's producing.   Claes Nermark (25m 4s): I asked, "Well, is it possible to get it as pills as we had plans to go to see relatives before New Year in Stockholm?" She's like, "Well, if we have it," so she had to find out whether they had the option to give it as pills, but they did. I got the prescription for a five-day course. I took them at night, even though the prescription said, "Take them in the morning so it will not disturb your nighttime sleep," but I followed the suggestions in OMS. Went to Stockholm, was a bit discouraged about the OMS program not working as it was a full-blown double-vision like the diagnosis in May, but after three days, I thought, "I feel a little bit better today."   Claes Nermark (25m 55s): We were out. The crazy in between Christmas and New Year shopping with all the sales and things. It was chaotic walking on the sidewalk with double vision. It's enough people caught on the regular day, but with the double vision, that was stressful. On the third day of the five-day course, it feels a little bit better but that can't be. It took like two months last time so now, it's just an illusion. The day after, I felt even a little bit better, like almost normal. The fifth day, we were driving back home or actually my wife was driving back home, but I felt like my double-vision has gone.   Claes Nermark (26m 42s): I sat in the passenger seat pretending to be a driver, looking at the rear-view mirror. Could this really be? After an hour or so, we went for just a meal break and I said to my wife, "Well, you might not believe me, but my double vision is gone. Is it okay for you if I drive for a little while and make sure it's gone? Because I've been sitting here as a copilot for the first hour of the drive." She said, "Why don't we? It's just the freeway. You don't have to overtake anyone." I drove nonstop for two hours, nothing coming back, and double vision didn't come back. Then I realized, "Okay, the first time it took seven or eight weeks for my double vision to disappear. Now I've been on this program for six months and I'm taking those pills at night instead of intravenous, maybe that helped me to get back so much quicker."   Claes Nermark (27m 35s): I took that as a true sign of there's something happening here. From that, getting the double vision again was really a backlash, but up to five days getting back to normal so quickly, I took it really as a sign that something is happening. I continue to have a few more relapses, a few issues with my sight, tingling in my hand, neglect that for about three years from diagnosis. During the year when we went to the retreat and I remember George saying, "It's usually between maybe two to four years before you see full results from being on the program because every single day or every single minute, you are renewing yourself."   Claes Nermark (28m 28s): Sitting here talking, cells are dying in our bodies, and new cells are created, but if you feed them good building materials, they're not building out of old crap because you're building a new body with good, solid, proper, natural material that will not trigger things that might cause damage. I've now been relapse-free for almost nine years now so it's amazing.   Geoff Allix (28m 57s): You're the ambassador for the OMS Circle in Sweden so could you tell us a bit about the OMS Circle there?   Claes Nermark (29m 6s): I'm from this family of friends from the Launde Abbey retreat. I heard about their Circles and they're meeting people, but actually, I didn't meet anyone, and OMS wasn't present at all in Sweden. I said, "Okay, let's see what happens." During the pandemic, by a friend of a friend, got to meet a guy that was newly diagnosed. He was a carpenter, but also on sick leave. He was very low in energy. I'm just giving some starting advice on getting on to OMS on top of his medication because he was, of course, on disease-modifying drugs like everyone else in Sweden as the first route of the treatment or rather the only route of treatment if you're not aware of OMS.   Claes Nermark (29m 52s): I talked to him a couple of months later and he was just a new person. He was so full of energy and was so grateful for whatever advice I've given him. He was back to working half time and things like that. At that moment, they were talking about the OMS Online Circles. I was like, "Okay, we can actually meet online. We don't have to meet in person." I contacted OMS and said, "I'd like to be in a Circle, but I have to start up digital to spread it in Sweden. It's a big country, we're spread out, and there's not much knowledge about it.”   Claes Nermark (30m 33s): It started almost a year ago and I think we're about 10 people now. I've just met three of them in real life. Otherwise, we've just met digitally. One thing that I have to say in common, here, is you can get some hope compared with other Facebook groups or MS groups, you meet and discuss your problems. You never meet and discuss your opportunities. I'd say OMS is really an organization of hope and possibility.   Geoff Allix (31m 16s): You contributed to the newly published Overcoming Multiple sclerosis Handbook. Could you tell us a bit about your contribution to that?   Claes Nermark (31m 27s): Well, I got the honor to write my personal story about exercise. I was a lucky one because I was fairly fit when I got the diagnosis. When I got back from my relapses, I could fairly quickly get back to more or less normal fitness routines. I realized now becoming a personal trainer, the word exercise is, to many people, challenging. Now, when I think about it, it's sad. The chapter is called exercise instead of movement because what every person needs is getting out of an activity and that everyone more or less can move at their level.   Claes Nermark (32m 16s): Even if you got MS sitting in a wheelchair, if you can push yourself around, do that because that will get your heart rate up a little bit and help push things around in your body that helps you heal as well. If you can walk, do the walk. If you can run, well, continue running or biking or swimming, whatever. Sometimes people say, "I have to exercise." Just the word, attitude, and exercise, it's not a good combination. Then they wanted so much, and they listened to so many others and it's a must and it becomes a stress.   Claes Nermark (32m 57s): Stress is no good for, well, not anyone, especially for us with MS obviously. That way we should talk more about movement. My message is whatever you can move, keep moving it because our bodies are so exceptionally clever, they adapt to what you do and what demands you put on your body. If you put the demand on lying down on the couch, the body's clever, "I don't have to. I don't have to have this capacity to move around as I'm not moving around." Once you start moving around your heart and everything starts to adapt? There are healing processes of movement.   Claes Nermark (33m 41s): Once you get into a decent amount of movement, maybe then you get enough energy to exercise as well.   Geoff Allix (33m 47s): Thank you so much for being on Living Well with MS Coffee Break and allowing the community to get to know one of its own members a bit better. One last question before you go, we have a tradition to try and tap into your experience of MS and specifically OMS. Could you give a piece of wisdom to maybe help people who are newly diagnosed better adapt to the program?   Claes Nermark (34m 18s): I would say I have two pieces of advice. First, I'd like to quote a quite famous sports brand and say, "Just do it," because in the Facebook group for the newly diagnosed, they come in and say, "Well, maybe I should wait for a little." Then people jump in, "Start right now," because the sooner you start, the sooner you will reap some benefits. As it will probably take a couple of years before you have a full-blown effect of whatever you do with the OMS program, so just do it. Get into it, but on the same note, do not do it all at once.   Claes Nermark (34m 59s): That might be overwhelming. When you get newly diagnosed, just make sure you add good things like flaxseed oil and check your vitamin D levels. That way they can add good things without taking anything away. It's not a threat. It's not a turnaround of your life or anything like that. Becoming a trained health coach, they talked about crowd-outs. You add good things instead of focusing on taking things out. If you add good things and add good habits, suddenly the old bad habits are just crowded out of your life. Step-by-step, but just do it.   Geoff Allix (35m 39s): Thank you very much for that. Claes, thank you for joining us on the Living Well with MS Coffee Break.   Claes Nermark (35m 45s): Thank you. It's an honor being on the show.   Geoff Allix (36m 27s): Thank you for listening to this episode of Living Well with MS Coffee Break. Please check out this episode's show notes at www.overcomingms.org/podcast. You'll find all sorts of useful links and bonus information there. Do you have questions about this episode or do you or someone you know want to be featured on a future Coffee Break episode? Then email us at podcast@overcomingms.org. We'd love to hear from you. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, so you never miss an episode. Living Well with MS Coffee Break is kindly supported by a grant from the Happy Charitable Trust. If you'd like to support the Overcoming MS charity and help keep our podcast advertising-free, you can donate online at www.overcomingms.org/donate. To learn more about Overcoming MS and its array of free content and programs, including webinars, recipes, exercise guides, OMS Circles, our global network of community support groups, and more, please visit our website at www.overcomingms.org. While you are there, don't forget to register for our monthly e-newsletter so you can be informed about the podcast and other news and updates from Overcoming MS. Thanks again for tuning in and see you next time.  

Getting pregnant is a topic that often spawns many questions, but this is especially so when you have MS and must balance health and lifestyle considerations against the desire to have a healthy pregnancy and starting a family. Pregnancy and MS is an area that Overcoming MS covers extensively, but to really delve into this important discussion we at Living Well with MS thought there's nothing better than getting a firsthand account. That's where Ingrid Adelsberger comes in. Ingrid has followed the OMS program for several years. She is the editor of the OMS cookbook, the former ambassador of the OMS Circle in Los Angeles, and the current co-ambassador of the global OMS Circle. Ingrid is also a proud mom to a two-year-old daughter named Romy.   Questions:   Welcome to Living Well with MS, Ingrid. We're here to discuss your experiences with pregnancy, but first off, can you tell our audience a little bit about yourself? When were you first diagnosed with MS and how long was it till you came across the OMS program? How has the experience of following the OMS program been for you? Can you share some of your ups and downs, and any lessons you've learned? On to the topic of pregnancy. I understand you welcomed Romy, your lovely daughter, into your life over 2 years ago. But when you first started thinking about getting pregnant and starting a family, what were your initial concerns as it pertains to having a healthy pregnancy while having MS? How much of a consideration was your MS in your decision to try to get pregnant? Did you take any specific precautions or measures to ensure your pregnancy would be smooth without flaring up any MS symptoms? Was it hard to maintain the OMS program while being pregnant or immediately thereafter? Are there any tips you can share with our audience about doing so? What was the experience of being pregnant like, in the sense of how it impacted, if it did at all, your MS? Did you consult any specialists before or during pregnancy to enlist their aid? And if so, did it help? Did you have any expectations about how the pregnancy would go, and was the reality what you expected or different? Is there anything you would have done differently in hindsight? Did the pregnancy or the time immediately thereafter see any kind of impact on your MS symptoms or general state of physical or mental health? Having a newborn makes a dramatic impact on your life under any circumstances. How did you stay centered and keep your stress levels as low as possible while facing the challenges of being a new mom? Thanks so much for being on our program, Ingrid, and enlightening many mothers to be with your experiences with pregnancy and MS. As a final thought, if you could offer some key suggestions or advice for women with MS who are considering getting pregnant, based on your own personal experiences and what worked really well for you, what would these be?   Bio:   Ingrid was born in Vienna, Austria and moved to New York in 2005 where she lived until 2016. She then moved with her husband Dat to Los Angeles where her daughter Romy was born in 2018. Her first career in New York was event planning, but her experiences with MS and especially OMS, focused on the power of lifestyle change, made her want to change careers. She started a course in health coaching in 2016 which led her wanting to learn more, so she completed a master's degree in health coaching in 2019. Ingrid wanted to apply her newly acquired skills as a health coach, which she did by working independently as well as for a health services company. She currently resides in Vienna with her husband and daughter. Ingrid is also the editor of the OMS cookbook and served as the ambassador of the OMS Circle in Los Angeles before moving back to Austria. She is currently the joint ambassador (with Sean Kressinger) of the global OMS Circle.   Links:   Ingrid used The Bump as a tracking tool throughout her pregnancy, and still uses it today. Ingrid gained much insight about pregnancy from a classic resource, What to Expect When Expecting. Now there's a website, too! Ingrid practiced hypnobirthing, which you can learn more about from this book.   Coming up on our next episode:   Buckle up and jet (the virtual kind, with zero carbon footprint) to New Zealand to meet OMSer and mountain climber extraordinaire Katy Glenie on Coffee Break #24, premiering on October 4. You'll want to hear all about her OMS journey, as well as her latest adventures scaling a 3,000m peak in New Zealand. Also, the final installment of Ask Jack for 2021 premieres on November 10, and it's our special holiday cooking edition. Remember, you can submit your questions early for the next and all future Ask Jack episodes by emailing them to podcast@overcomingms.org.   Don't miss out:   Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. You can catch any episode of Living Well with MS here or on your favorite podcast listening app. Don't be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.   S3E42 Transcript Pregnancy and MS: A Firsthand Account   Geoff Allix (1s): Welcome to Living Well with MS, the podcast from Overcoming MS for people with multiple sclerosis interested in making healthy lifestyle choices. I'm your host Geoff Allix. Thank you for joining us for this new episode. I hope it makes you feel more informed and inspired about living a full life with MS. Don't forget to check out our show notes for more information and useful links. You can find these on our website at www.overcomingms.org/podcast. If you enjoy the show, please spread the word about us on your social media channels. That's kind of viral effect we can all smile about. Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.   Geoff Allix (44s): Now without further ado, on with the show. Welcome to Living Well with MS. Today, we're talking about pregnancy and MS, with Ingrid Adelsberger. Getting pregnant is a topic that often spawns many questions, but this is especially so when you have MS and must balance health and lifestyle considerations against the desire to have a healthy pregnancy and start a family. Pregnancy and MS is an area that Overcoming MS covers extensively, but to really delve into this important discussion we at Living Well with MS thought there's nothing better than getting a firsthand account. That's where Ingrid Adelsberger comes in. So, Ingrid, welcome to Living Well with MS. We're here to discuss your experiences with pregnancy.   Geoff Allix (1m 27s): But initially, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?   Ingrid Adelsberger (1m 30s): Yes. Thank you so much for having me. I am originally from Vienna, Austria, and then I moved to New York in 2005. I've lived there for a little over 10 years and then moved with my family, with my husband because his family is in Southern California, so we moved in 2016 to LA. And I worked in New York as an event planner for 10 years. And then throughout my MS experience and OMS, I wanted to change careers and I studied another time and started health coaching. And this is kind of the career that I have been doing starting late 2016, and then obviously most importantly on today's topic in 2018, my wonderful daughter, Romy was born and she's almost three years old now, which I cannot believe.   Ingrid Adelsberger (2m 22s): And we currently are in Vienna for the past [inaudible].   Geoff Allix (2m 25s): And when were you first diagnosed with MS?   Ingrid Adelsberger (2m 28s): I was diagnosed in 2011. March 2011.   Geoff Allix (2m 33s): And when did you come across the OMS program?   Ingrid Adelsberger (2m 36s): So, I pretty quickly found Swank and I remember that day very well and checked the internet out right away, because I read no chocolate and I was like, that's not for me. And then, but it somewhat worked in my, in the background of my mind, and so I started an elimination diet just a couple of months later, until the two months I really cut out wheat and dairy and everything, meat and all kinds of stuff. And then I found Swank again. And then the second time I was looking at it, I was like, you know, maybe that is the way to go. So, I started Swank then and on the Swank forum within a month, I'd found OMS and that changed my life because so many people were saying, you know, honestly it's very positive, it's stricter, but it has better chances and stuff like this.   Ingrid Adelsberger (3m 26s): So, I decided to move over to OMS, and I did that in September or October of 2011. So, I didn't get started right away, but I would say with everything before I almost started a couple of months later.   Geoff Allix (3m 42s): And how have you found the OMS program. What have been the good things and the bad things about OMS?   Ingrid Adelsberger (3m 50s): Yeah, so I would say, like many people in the beginning, I struggled with the diet, and I was super strict for a year. And then I had "relapsed" and, you know, I bounced back, and I ate, you know, many non-OMS compliant things for a little while, until I realized that I'm not the only one. And that happened during my OMS retreat in England, in 2013. And that's also when the idea for the cookbook was born, but-- and then obviously it got easier because knowing that others have a similar experience and working on the cookbook made it much, much easier.   Ingrid Adelsberger (4m 38s): But in the beginning, I struggled very much with the diet. I never struggled with the workout, I believe. Like working out because I started already working out in my mid-twenties before that, not so much, but then, you know, I just did, I continued to do that. And I had different phases throughout OMS where I did yoga or where I was running, or I did a lot of gym exercises and it definitely got difficult throughout the pandemic. And so now I'm doing a lot from home, either like it's a seven-minute HIT workout or it's yoga.   Ingrid Adelsberger (5m 20s): And I do a lot of walking. I've always done a lot of walking because that's the thing that I really love.   Geoff Allix (5m 27s): And you touched on it there, but you're the editor of the OMS cookbook. So how did you find that editing a book and dealing with all the recipes?   Ingrid Adelsberger (5m 38s): The first thing I, if I knew what I'm getting myself into, I would have never done it. But the experience was really amazing because I met so many people and lots, you know, including you, emailing with people about the recipes, so many other things. And there were some really long exchanges with different people from all over the world. That was really, really nice. And I would also say that was, hopefully not the peak, but it was around five years after I started OMS which is the time that they say this is when the diet really comes to full.   Ingrid Adelsberger (6m 23s): How do you say the full fruition?   Geoff Allix (6m 25s): And you must've like, because you tried all the recipes, didn't you? So, you must have, like from around the world, must be really interesting to try.   Ingrid Adelsberger (6m 34s): It was great. And it also minimized eating out, right? Because there's nothing that I craved, you know, I mean, I made more cakes every week then I should have eaten and all other things. So, I think I was super clean OMS and very tasty and lots of fun, lots of work too, but it was great. It definitely was great. That is actually my up-- I meant to say that, that is my up. When we talk about ups and downs, that was definitely one of my greatest OMS ups that I can say.   Geoff Allix (7m 9s): And so, we're talking about pregnancy and MS on this podcast. So, on topic of pregnancy, you mentioned that you welcomed, is it Romy, your daughter? When you first started thinking about having a family? What were your concerns about being pregnant while having MS?   Ingrid Adelsberger (7m 33s): I must say ignorance is bliss. So even though I knew that there could be some negative flare ups or negative implications, is that the right word to say? But I really didn't think too much before getting pregnant at all, things like this. When we started to talk about having a family, I was 35 and I had Romy when I was 37. So, at this point I was more concerned about being an old mom. And it wasn't necessarily about what implications would the MS and the pregnancy have, because I always understood that pregnancy was really good.   Ingrid Adelsberger (8m 24s): It's more the postpartum that I was worried about, and I was worried about her developing MS. So, I was definitely thinking a lot about that. And we started already during the pregnancy I remember reading a lot on the OMS website and asking people and you know, what can I do that she will not get OMS. I'm sorry, that she will not get MS. So, I try, you know, the first year super strict having her on OMS, which I don't know if that's completely the right thing, because you know, when they're so little, they need more. So now that she's three, we are doing that, she's not a hundred percent OMS, but I do try to offer her much vegetables.   Ingrid Adelsberger (9m 15s): You know, I have all these great thoughts of like, you know, I'm a health coach and my daughter is going to eat all the vegetables and not cheese. But I do my best to offer and over and over again and making sure that she eats as healthy as possible. And everybody that I talk to says, like, you know, I bet she's doing really well better than others.   Geoff Allix (9m 36s): I mean, I think with my kids, I try to rank how bad things are in that, that we shouldn't eat in a diet. And so, my kids are dairy free, they don't have any red meat, they have some chicken. So, they have basically my diet plus chicken. They do have some vitamin D supplementation. They're very sporty and active anyway. So, they're -- the way I see it is I think, well, that's got to be much, much better than a typical diet and certainly a diet I had growing up and they're aware as well, and they wouldn't dream of smoking or, you know, they know that because my father had MS.   Geoff Allix (10m 21s): So, they know their grandfather had MS. Their father has MS. So, to them, there's an obvious pattern. Like, okay, if I don't do things right, I'm the next generation.   Ingrid Adelsberger (10m 33s): But you can wait till they're older so they can--   Geoff Allix (10m 37s): Yeah. I think there's a risk if you go too strict that they could rebel as well.   Ingrid Adelsberger (10m 41s): Exactly. So that's what I'm trying to do, right now, and she's allowed, she doesn't drink milk, so she drinks soy milk, but she does get, you know, a croissant or something like that, now and then, because she loves it, and you can't cut everything it's not like that. We have sweets at home and we really, I'm trying to give her as little chocolate and sugar as possible. So, for example, I have this, actually, I bought that for myself, these bars that are made out of dates and cocoa powder, and she loves those too. So, I think it's like when you offer her stuff like that, then she doesn't know the difference from this to a Twix bar.   Ingrid Adelsberger (11m 27s): So, I think before I was pregnant, I always say, at home we eat what mama eats and when you're out, you can also have other stuff. So that's kind of how we've been doing it. And she eats almost no meat because we don't eat meat at home, now and then she eats chicken. There were really some rare occasions that she would eat some other meat, but she's not used to it. So, she doesn't really like that.   Geoff Allix (11m 53s): And during pregnancy, are there any special precautions that you took during pregnancy?   Ingrid Adelsberger (12m 1s): I tried pretty much only OMS and try to stay as true to OMS as I can, especially when we talk about diet. Diet, so definitely that it was sometimes difficult because obviously people tell you, you know, you need dairy, you need meat, you need eggs, all those kinds of things. And so, there were many times that I was like, what if I'm doing the wrong thing for my child? And then I would go back to OMS, ask somebody, and would come back and say that was okay. But she was a small baby when she was born, and she was pretty light. So, I blamed myself for a long time that it's my fault because I'm fairly tall and so is my husband. And so, she was not a big baby when she was born.   Ingrid Adelsberger (12m 42s): So, I was really scared that it's my fault, but it means they're starting to prove that it's all turning out how it should be turning out, and that's good. So, there was also a nurse that I had during, from my insurance during pregnancy that I said, like, you should be eating fish oil and stuff like that. And then again, went back to OMS, is a bit of flax oil not enough, and got back into like, continue what you're doing, you're fine. So, I kept on doing all these things, but I did worry about it. So, if you are doing OMS and you are pregnant or want to get pregnant, just trust, trust and believe that OMS is the right thing.   Geoff Allix (13m 25s): Yeah. I think there's a lot of-- in the health system that they, there's a lot of belief in the way they've always done things. And in the UK certainly we have dairy as a food group, as a required food group. But then when you think about it, the dairy one, when it was explained to me, and I've said this many times, but it's just not normal to have breast milk from another species. No animal on earth does that apart from you. I can't believe that's normal.   Ingrid Adelsberger (14m 2s): Yeah. That is actually the one thing that just came up with a conversation with a friend that I'm realizing, Romy has been a hundred percent breastfed. She has never had one single formula. And that was one of my wishes and goals that she would not have dairy when, like very early on. As I said, now, obviously she has a little bit of a croissant or something here and there, but she has not had dairy. And I probably breastfed her over two years. So, she has not had any of that early on.   Geoff Allix (14m 39s): And that's shown to be good anyway, isn't it? Just generally for the general population?   Ingrid Adelsberger (14m 44s): Luckily, I think they say six months, but then the World Health Organization says even two years. So, I think the longer you do it, the better it is. I believed that that was one of the things I can do to start her off the best way in this life. I hope it's true.   Geoff Allix (15m 8s): So how did you find it having MS and being pregnant? Did it, did having MS affect your pregnancy or being pregnant and affect your MS during and after pregnancy?   Ingrid Adelsberger (15m 21s): So, during pregnancy, I would say, no, at the very end, I had some days where I had a little bit of symptoms, but it wouldn't be like days and days, all day long. It would bend like once or twice, and I could feel something and then it was, that was it, that was the only thing. I must say I had, I think, a dreamy pregnancy. I really, I worked out until month seven. And the last couple of months I did maybe yoga and walking. I did hypnobirthing.   Ingrid Adelsberger (16m 2s): I prepared myself with hypnobirthing for the actual birth. So, then I did those type of meditations, during that time. I slept so much, I wish I could sleep like this again. I just really, really, especially being "an old mom", I had a fantastic pregnancy. It was really a good time. Unfortunately, afterwards, maybe not so I think very much what the book says, six months after pregnancy is when I had, looking back now, maybe a relapse or definitely flare up of old symptoms and stronger.   Ingrid Adelsberger (16m 50s): And I think that I didn't, I was so well for so many years that I didn't even think, oh my gosh, this could be something really bad. So, I was like, okay, I'm just going to see and wait, wait it out. And it went away. So, then a few weeks after that, I got vertigo and that, again, I know a bunch of people that have vertigo, and they don't have MS. So, I went and at the time I was working, I was studying, I had a newborn baby. Maybe it was the stress that's what I was thinking. And so again, that went away after a few days and I was like, okay, I'm fine.   Ingrid Adelsberger (17m 33s): You know, that has nothing to do with MS, well maybe it's postpartum or other stress or something like that. And so, looking back that may have been the time to talk to a neurologist, which at the time, I didn't maybe think about DMDs, because I have not taken them.   Geoff Allix (17m 58s): And did you get any specialist advice from your obstetrician about having MS or from your neurologist about being pregnant? Was there any specialist advice you got?   Ingrid Adelsberger (18m 9s): So, I did not see a neurologist throughout pregnancy. I actually wanted to, but it was one of these things that didn't happen until actually day 12 of Romy being alive already. I do remember exactly because the neurologist actually told me “Congratulations on your daughter." And so during the pregnancy, I didn't see a neurologist and I had a great doctor for throughout pregnancy and he was there for work. He didn't, we didn't, we did talk a little bit about it, but not crazy. He was very much about, okay, so you seem like, you know a lot about what you should be doing and how you are handling your MS.   Ingrid Adelsberger (18m 53s): And you just continue to do what you are doing. And then I did have a doula during birth, I mean, during birth. And that again was not MS related, but that was to help that I kind of looked at to have a natural birth and to have somebody that supports me in a positive way, because I didn't want-- you hear all these stories on my, you know, this is, what's your pain level, how is this, all these kinds of negative things about childbirth, and I didn't want that. And I kind of surrounded myself with people that were very positive.   Ingrid Adelsberger (19m 32s): And I was lucky that my gynecologist did follow my wishes and worked with me on all of them.   Geoff Allix (19m 39s): And is there anything you would have done differently?   Ingrid Adelsberger (19m 43s): Yeah, I think what I did, the biggest thing that I think back that I would have done differently is that I would have seen a neurologist right after this relapse or flare up or whatever it was. And maybe I would have done things differently back then. We're talking about 2019 now. Yeah.   Geoff Allix (20m 8s): And so, and now it's a couple of years later, do you think that being pregnant and then having a baby in the long-term has it caused any effect on your MS symptoms, do you think?   Ingrid Adelsberger (20m 23s): How do you mean in the long run?   Geoff Allix (20m 25s): Because you said, so during pregnancy, you think actually you didn't, it probably-- and often it's said actually it could be a positive effect. It's actually protective of you as a mother. And then maybe afterwards, you might've had some flare ups or minor relapses, and then if you went forward another year, would you say actually, do you think that having a baby has actually changed your MS prognosis?   Ingrid Adelsberger (20m 55s): Prognosis? I don't know. I don't know if anybody can say that, right. Because they always tell us they don't know what's going to happen, but I sadly must say that before April 2019, when these flare ups happened, I would say I barely had anything from MS. And that doesn't mean that I didn't have occasional symptoms. Like something, like, let's say you have to catch an early flight and you get up at four o'clock in the morning. Then I would drive myself to the airport. And I feel like my legs, a little weaker or a little tingling in here and there, I catch a two hour flight.   Ingrid Adelsberger (21m 36s): I sleep on the plane, I get off and I'm fine. So, I would have things like this or as I said, I would have a normal sign here and there. A little bit of tingling, but that was it. But now, now I have certainly, symptoms. And--   Geoff Allix (21m 56s): But you couldn't say that was due to pregnancy or, I mean, it's difficult, isn't it? Because this it's not just pregnancy, it's having a child as well. That's a kind of major change.   Ingrid Adelsberger (22m 9s): It is especially difficult. And that is maybe one thing that I would do differently too. I didn't get MRIs for many, many years because I didn't feel the need to actually get MRIs. I was doing fine, and I felt if I do have a new lesion, I will be disappointed and depressed. But now looking back, if I would have done this, and every year I go for an MRI and every year I have a new lesion, then I probably would have done something, which I didn't because I didn't see the need to, and I felt fine.   Ingrid Adelsberger (22m 51s): And I did, but now I went for an MRI last year. And then obviously there were some more lesions than in the first year. And so, nobody knows when they came, right. Did they come in 2015 or did they come during or afterwards? So, if I have something that I can give to, if I have any advice to give to people that are listening to this podcast and they want to get pregnant or they are pregnant and, please don't do what I did when it comes to doing MRIs. And I'm sure many don't do that, actually what I did, but just make sure that you are in a situation where, you know what's going on and you can do something.   Ingrid Adelsberger (23m 38s): Because looking back, I would probably, I mean, you don't have, in hindsight, you all are smarter, but I would probably have started taking something in 2019.   Geoff Allix (23m 51s): And if you have a newborn baby, as it was quite a long time ago for myself and my wife, but it's incredibly stressful. And for me, it was certainly before I was diagnosed with MS. Certainly before the noticeable symptoms. So how did you deal with the stress, and having MS is stressful, but how did you deal specifically with the stress of having a newborn while having MS? How did you manage the stress levels?   Ingrid Adelsberger (24m 24s): I think, I don't know if I manage this really well to be honest, we were in a difficult situation in the sense that we were in LA and we were just us, my husband and me. And my husband is a really wonderful, involved dad and so he supported me a lot. One thing that I remember is I breastfed her at 6:00 AM, and then again at 10:00 AM and in between, he let me sleep. So, stuff like that, that I got enough rest, because I think for any new mom, but especially for us with stress, sleep is really important to us. That is one thing that I tried to have.   Ingrid Adelsberger (25m 5s): As I mentioned earlier already, I slept throughout pregnancy, like 10 hours every day. I love sleeping and resting, and then suddenly you can't do that anymore. And so, I tried to sleep as much as I could. And I also think if you can get the help, whatever that means, you know, family, friends, if you can afford getting extra help. I think that was really important and really, really helpful for any new mom, but especially with MS. So, I think whatever help I could get, it wasn't as much as I would have loved, but it helped to get that little bit of rest. And they always say when the baby sleeps you sleep, but that's really not always doable because you need to get something done and you want to get something done.   Ingrid Adelsberger (25m 55s): And as I said, I was studying at the time. And so very often when she slept, I would write a paper, or I would read something. So as much as I could, I got the rest that was possible. So, I think my stress levels, I didn't meditate as much, like as I wanted to, definitely not daily. Like I do it now pretty religiously, but that was not right away. And I think that is something that is important, and I would have done differently.   Ingrid Adelsberger (26m 34s): Does that answer your question?   Geoff Allix (26m 37s): Yes, absolutely. So, thank you very much for answering these questions and enlightening mothers and prospective mothers about your experiences. Just one final thing, if you were to, to talk to someone who was considering going through the process and thinking about having a baby, would you say that it was overall a positive thing? So, given someone with MS, they're thinking about having a child, would you say, yes, it's been overall positive or actually maybe should avoid it completely?   Ingrid Adelsberger (27m 17s): Absolutely. I mean, I don't think you have a child, and you look back, I should not have done it unless it was maybe an accident, but in our case, it wasn't. So, I would definitely, I mean, I'm so glad she's around. I think she teaches us so many things and it's just wonderful. I would not have wanted to miss out on that experience. With my MS in a different place right now without having a child maybe, but I don't know. Nobody really, nobody knows. And that would not be my life.   Ingrid Adelsberger (27m 57s): That would not be the take home message, even that you shouldn't have a baby that may not, but I would, you know, they say it takes a village to raise a child. And I think that is true. And it's especially true when you have MS. So that is not the time to be shy so you should be asking for help, and you should take the help. You should maybe cook when you were still pregnant and you feel okay because when the first month you certainly don't feel like standing in the kitchen and making OMS friendly food, things like this. Kind of like prepare yourself as much as you can and ask questions. Like, I think I did ask a lot of questions, when I am looking back.   Ingrid Adelsberger (28m 39s): And I said, like, there are so many things that I didn't ask questions about. So, OMS taught me to not believe anything or anybody, but do research for myself and [inaudible]. And so that's what I did with pregnancy too and I have a partner that is exactly the same way. So, we read up and we talked to people and we asked questions. And that is definitely something that I would say is really important that you are a hundred percent there. You know, because sometimes I feel like the kids run, they run on the side, right? You have your career, and you have your partnership and you have your hobbies and stuff, this and that.   Ingrid Adelsberger (29m 20s): But for us it's like, I say, like, because we are family, right. So, my husband and I, we really, we were there and we researched a lot and we still do, and we make many changes in our lifestyle because we want to be there for our daughter. And I think that is hopefully wonderful for her, that we breastfed.   Geoff Allix (29m 44s): Okay. With that. Thank you very much for joining us, Ingrid.   Ingrid Adelsberger (29m 54s): Thank you for having me.   Geoff Allix (29m 54s): Thank you for listening to this episode of Living Well with MS. Please check out this episode's show notes at www.overcomingms.org/podcast. You'll find all sorts of useful links and bonus information there. Do you have questions about this episode or ideas about future ones? Email us at podcast@overcomingms.org. We'd love to hear from you. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, so you never miss an episode. Living Well with MS is kindly supported by a grant from the Happy Charitable Trust. If you'd like to support the Overcoming MS Charity and help keep our podcast advertising free, you can donate online at www.overcomingms.org/donate.   Geoff Allix (30m 40s): Thank you for your support. Living Well with MS is produced by Overcoming MS, the world's leading multiple sclerosis healthy lifestyle charity. We are here to help inform, support, and empower everyone affected by MS. To find out more, subscribe to our e-newsletter. Please visit our website at www.overcomingms.org. Thanks for tuning in and see you next time.

Ritu Kaur is no ordinary woman. She is creative, accomplished, life-loving and, after getting diagnosed with MS, has made it her single-handed mission to educate people about MS to reduce the stigma around it and lessen undiagnosed and misdiagnosed cases. MS is not the same for everyone. Nor does MS define a person; only their courage and strength do. With love and kindness in her heart, Ritu has taken to spreading awareness about MS and building community around the globe to create acceptance of MS among people with MS and their families, friends, colleagues, and society. Through her deft use of social media, Ritu is building a platform where people with MS and their supporter can get counsel and emotional support… where they feel loved, accepted, and confident.   Questions:   Welcome to Living Well with MS, Ritu! I believe your full name is Surjeet. Is Ritu a nickname? There are many thousands of people around the world that know the name Ritu thanks to the work you've undertaken to build a community around the cause of raising MS awareness. First off, can you share a little bit about your personal background and connection to MS? After receiving your diagnosis, what were some of the chief factors that pointed you in the direction of the work you do to raise awareness of MS? Why do you think it's so important for MS awareness to improve? How does what you're doing supplement the work of MS organizations like the MS Society? Where's the gap that you saw from your own personal experience with MS? You've been quoted as saying “through my efforts I am trying to remove the fear about MS and the taboo associated with the disease.” Can you speak to the stigma around MS you've witnessed and how you've decided to confront and overcome it? You've built an amazing global community of over 17k people on Instagram, the link to which can be found in our show notes, and as I understand it you have 121 personal relationships with many of them. Why do you feel community is so important? How do you feel the community you've built has made a difference in the lives of people with MS? You're based in India. What do you see as the specific challenges there in terms of MS awareness and acceptance, and how are you working to address this closer to home? Shifting gears a bit, you have a background in marketing, and I know you've applied some of these skills to creating some pretty amazing awareness campaigns, the links to which can be found in our show notes. How have these made an impact? If all the work you do building community and raising MS awareness isn't enough, you're also giving me a run for the money by being a creator and host of a podcast, 10 Minutes for MS. I suppose that's yet another great way to reach people with your message, but since we're chatting as part of a podcast, what do you think that platform provides you for advancing your cause that others don't? On a personal note, how do you find time to stay healthy and balanced given how much time you dedicate to the cause of MS awareness? Your motto is to “spread awareness with love and happiness”, which is beautiful. But sometimes, and hopefully rarely, you might find yourself suffering the blues. How do you personally cope with that, and what advice would you give to others? Thanks so much for being on our program, Ritu. You are truly an inspiration to the MS community, and the work you've done has already helped transform the MS landscape. On a final note, if you look back 5 or 10 years from now, what is the single greatest change or impact you would have liked to have made with the work you're doing?   Bio:   Since her diagnosis in 2012, Ritu has gone on to create a global community for MS patients and caregivers. Ritu has created a hub for education, awareness and acceptance of MS amongst the PwMS' families, friends, colleagues and society. Through her efforts, she is also trying to remove the fear, social stigma and taboos associated with MS to create acceptance. She believes that anything can be overcome with Love and Positivity and that is her motto: Spread Awareness with Love and Happiness. With the support of her family and using her marketing skills, she has single-handedly taken up this mission of bring a change to the way MS is perceived today around the world.   Links:   Ritu and multiplesclerosis.awareness on Instagram Ritu's story as featured in Rare Revolution Magazine Ritu's YouTube channel Ritu's Facebook page Ritu's podcast, 10 Minutes for MS Check out some of Ritu's global MS awareness campaigns: #BeatMSWith #WeSwitchMS #WorkOutMS #HowMSFeels Some of Ritu's live interviews with doctors on IGTV and MS Warriors: Ingels:MS and Covid 19 Michael Murray:Diet & MS Tom O'Bryan:Gut Health & MS E Stem Cells Therapy:Part 1 , Part 2   Coming up on our next episode:   Pack your listening bags for Surrey, England on the next episode of Living Well with MS Coffee Break #21, premiering August 30, 2021, when we introduce you to entrepreneur and philanthropist Julie Pankhurst. You won't want to miss her fascinating personal story, and hopefully her shared experience with MS and the OMS program will enlighten and inspire you!   Don't miss out:   Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. You can catch any episode of Living Well with MS here or on your favorite podcast listening app. Don't be shy – if you like the program, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.   S3E40 Transcript Ritu Kaur: A One-Woman MS Awareness Machine   Geoff Allix (1s): Welcome to Living Well with MS, the podcast for Overcoming MS and people with multiple sclerosis interested in making healthy lifestyle choices. I'm your host, Geoff Allix. Thank you for joining us for this new episode. I hope it makes you feel more informed and inspired about living a full life with MS. Don't forget to check out our show notes for more information and useful links. You can find these on our website at www.overcomingMS.org/podcast. If you enjoy the show. Please spread the word about us on your social media channels. That's the kind of viral effect we can all smile about. Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.   Geoff Allix (44s): Now, without further ado, on with the show. Ritu Kaur is no ordinary woman. She's creative, accomplished, life-loving, and after getting diagnosed with MS, has made it her single-handed mission to educate people about MS to reduce the stigma around it and lessen undiagnosed and misdiagnosed cases. MS is not the same for everyone, nor does MS define a person. Only their courage and strength do. With love and kindness in her heart, Ritu has taken to spreading awareness about MS and building a community around the globe to create acceptance of MS among people with MS and their families, friends, colleagues, and society. Through her adept use of social media, Ritu is building a platform where people with MS and their supporters can get counsel and emotional support, where they feel loved, accepted, and confident.   Geoff Allix (1m 32s): Welcome to Living Well with MS, Ritu.   Ritu Kaur (1m 35s): Thank you so much.   Geoff Allix (1m 36s): I believe your actual name is Surjeet. Is Ritu a nickname?   Ritu Kaur (2m 6s): Yes, Geoff. Ritu is my nickname, but people love this name Ritu. It's just easy to pronounce. They feel that it's more comfortable for people to say Ritu. They feel that closeness to me when they call me Ritu so yes. Surjeet Kaur is my official name, but people call me Ritu as well.   Geoff Allix (2m 25s): Okay. If you see the two names, it's the same person. There are many thousands of people around the world that know the name Ritu, thanks to the work you've undertaken to build a community around the cause of raising MS awareness. First off, could you share a little bit about your personal background and connection to MS?   Ritu Kaur (3m 10s): Thank you so much for this wonderful introduction. When it comes to me, I was diagnosed with MS in December 2012. I got this as a Christmas gift from God. I know that it was given to me for a reason, and the reason was to help people all around the globe. That's why I took up this mission of spreading awareness. Yes, MS was unknown to me, and I was too scared. I did not know if I'll be able to see my birthday coming up the next month in January, but it all passed.   Ritu Kaur (3m 50s): I sailed through everything. I sailed through the storms, through horrible symptoms I had, everything. I believe the support of my family and God's blessing really helped me through that. When I was diagnosed initially, I had symptoms. I had my right-side numbness. The symptoms got so bad that I could not even pick up a spoon to eat. My mom had to feed me with her hands. I had sensitivity over my right side that even with a strand of hair touching my skin, I would scream out in pain.   Ritu Kaur (4m 39s): All these symptoms lasted over three weeks' time and doctors could not diagnose them initially. Then I met the right doctor in Mumbai. He did my MRI and he said, “It looks like MS. We will have to do your lumbar puncture as well.” It was all quick. He did my lumbar puncture; my report came within two to three days. It said I had MS. I spent Christmas celebrating it in the hospital. From the New Year, I started DMDs, which was Avonex. Ever since then, I have been on a mission to spread awareness.   Ritu Kaur (5m 19s): The main thing here was I felt very lucky to know that I was diagnosed with a problem. I know what I had. My sister is a neuro-specialized physiotherapist. She was a valuable help with my complete diagnosis and contacting the doctors. I had guidance but what about the people who do not have people to guide them to the right doctors to meet? They are not in the right city wherein they have such qualified neurologists, especially in India. I also realized that the treatment is so expensive in India.   Ritu Kaur (6m 11s): My one Avonex injection would cost me 10,000 rupees. How many people can afford that? There are people who have a salary of just 10,000 rupees. All those things really touched me. I said, “I have to do something.” One more thing I saw, when I was diagnosed, there were so many friends and colleagues who said, “You should not talk about these kinds of problems to people. Those issues, keep it to yourself.” Some of the people also said, “You should get married immediately because you can't live alone.” I said, “No. Even though I have MS, I want to be independent the way I have always been. Trust me, I will prove to be stronger than I ever was.” I have two challenges here.   Ritu Kaur (6m 57s): I had to prove to myself that I am perfect. I'm fine, there's nothing wrong with me. I also had to face a society who said, “You should keep your identity hidden. You should not tell people that you have MS,” because people see someone with a disease, they feel, “She has a problem. Let's stay away from that person. Maybe I'll get it. Maybe it's contagious. You never know. Maybe you'll have problems getting married. You will not get a guy who would like to marry you in the later years of life so get married immediately.” Why is there so much social stigma? Why is there so much of a misconception? Why don't people come to know that they have MS for years of staying with this disease? If someone has MS, will that person ever know they have MS at the right time? Also, the expensive treatments. It was all, together, running in my mind. That's what inspired me to take up this challenge and do something.   Geoff Allix (7m 34s): How do you think what you do fits with big organizations like MS Society around the world? How is your work different from theirs? Has it supplemented them?   Ritu Kaur (8m 17s): MS Societies are societies. They have lots of contacts. They are politically driven. They are doing their own jobs but I, as an MS patient myself, understand what MS feels like. It's a different game altogether. How I connect to people personally is something maybe the societies cannot give. If you write a message to the MS Society, maybe one of the employees will message you. They will connect you with someone else and the other person. Yes, of course, they have more contact with doctors.   Ritu Kaur (8m 58s): They might be able to help in more detail but what I give it to MS patients personally is precious. Tomorrow, if someone writes a message to me, I have the responsibility to answer them myself, not a second, third, or fourth person. They get answers from me. It's just me here. That is the personal connection, the personal touch, and the language I can give which the other societies do not give. Trust me, when some other patients messaged me, they have a problem and they are in Africa, India, or any other country, even in Pakistan, or any place, I message their respective MS Societies and connect them.   Ritu Kaur (9m 45s): This is a patient in your place, in your area, can you help them with the required doctor, required facility, medical assistance, financial assistance, or anything that they are asking for. Here, I'm a connection between the societies and the patients. Whatever I can give them personally, like mental support, I'd give them. Of course, I know that something is beyond my capability. I can't have a connection with doctors in South Africa. I don't know who to connect with. For that, of course, you must reach out to the societies.   Geoff Allix (10m 4s): You've talked about your relationship as an individual, but you've got a community of over 17,000 people on Instagram. As well as being an individual, do you feel that there's a community between those people?   Ritu Kaur (10m 46s): Yes, of course. There's a strong community between those people as well. What I do is I just provide them with a platform wherein all MS patients can meet and connect with each other. Sometimes, I take Zoom meetings wherein I invite people to join and we have a community forum there. People can discuss their problems, guide each other. That is one way. Otherwise, if someone has a problem, I post it on my page and there are other people answering with some tips they have to that problem. They interact with each other.   Ritu Kaur (11m 35s): The introduction that you see on my page, I think I'm very proud of that. In fact, I know that MS Patients in my community have become such good friends, they have met each other offline, and they are like best of friends. Not just them, it was me also because I'm an MS patient myself. Even I have made friends and families all over the world now. Tomorrow, if I go to the US or UK, anywhere, I know I have a sister there, or maybe I have a best friend. That's the kind of community I have created. You can feel comfortable in that community. You have people who can understand you and love you.   Geoff Allix (11m 52s): You're based in India. What do you see as specific challenges in India in terms of MS awareness and acceptance? Are there things that you can do to address those in your homeland?   Ritu Kaur (12m 36s): Yes, absolutely. When I got the MS initially, I did not know MS. That is the first thing that there is no awareness about MS. When I had visited New York previously, I saw that there were banners and posters about multiple sclerosis in the metros. People could read that there is something known as MS. We do not have a banner or anything like that in India. I have not seen it, at least. The other thing is that the MS Society should shout out and see we are doing MS Walk, MS Marathon. It is also done in India but on a smaller scale. It has not given much of the media limelight.   Ritu Kaur (13m 28s): That is something that should have been here, I feel. Initially, when people are diagnosed with MS, they don't want to talk about MS. They have a lot of fear. Like I said, to me, people are advising, “Get married,” or they were saying, “Keep it to yourself. Don't share the news that you have a problem or a disease.” That's the social stigma that is in India. I think that is the biggest challenge right now, but I'm happy to see that people are now breaking away from that social stigma. When I had started this stage, I started it on Twitter and Facebook initially, and then on Instagram. I saw for so many years, I had not gotten a single follower from India.   Geoff Allix (13m 44s): You've mentioned about fear of a stigma. Is it a fear of a stigma or is there actually taboo? Do you get treated differently in India because of having MS?   Ritu Kaur (14m 24s): Yes, it's a very important question. It is taboo, of course. That's the reason why people don't want to talk about it. They feel, “If I tell someone that I have the disease, they will not hire me.” If I am a working professional, they will say, “She or he is not capable. Tomorrow, something wrong can happen. Why should we take responsibility for that person?” Of course, it's a big taboo. At the same time, the taboo gives rise to fear in a person. Once someone is diagnosed with MS, they don't want to talk about it because they don't want to be treated differently.   Ritu Kaur (15m 7s): That's the thing. That's why people are scared to disclose that they have MS. When I had started these pages earlier on Twitter and Facebook, and then on Instagram, I did not have any of the Indian followers. Now, I'm very proud to see that I've got so many Indian followers. It really feels good to receive messages from some of the followers saying, “Thank you for being an Indian and raising this kind of awareness because this really gives us a lot of strength that someone, a person like me, is doing this social work.”   Ritu Kaur (16m 10s): This is the kind of strength I am personally giving to the Indian people, which I'm really happy about. In fact, I also do live sessions on my Instagram page, wherein I invite MS Warriors to come and share their stories. I was very happy to see that some of the Indian patients also joined my live Instagram and shared their stories, which earlier, they did not even want to talk about or accept the MS. Yes, India is a different country with lots of cultures and lots of different thoughts and different kinds of perceptions to deal with. I think it's getting quite modern now and people want to talk about the things which are once considered to be taboo. I'm just really proud to be one of them to bring that change to India.   Geoff Allix (16m 30s): Just to change the subject, you've got a background in marketing, and you've applied some of your marketing skills to some pretty amazing awareness campaigns. There are links to all those in the show notes, as well as your social media channels. How do you think those awareness campaigns have made an impact?   Ritu Kaur (17m 13s): Yes, I'm a marketing professional and I have done a lot of video campaigns. This was the aim of spreading awareness in a fun manner. We do see videos wherein someone comes and sees, “MS is bad. MS gives me this kind of problem. I'm having this kind of pain.” We had those kinds of crowdsource videos. What about showing people a different side of MS? “Yes, I have a problem, but you know what? MS can't stop me. I still can do and achieve the dreams that I want to.” That's what my campaigns are mostly about.   Ritu Kaur (17m 56s): My recent campaign was we switched MS, which showed initially that I've got pain in my leg. I've got numbness in my leg, but the next flip of the switch was, I'm running. I'm still running in the marathon. This kind of fun campaign is actually admired. People really liked to participate in it worldwide. I've got an audience from the US, UK, Australia, India, Africa participating in these kinds of campaigns. The other campaign was “Beat MS with a campaign.” It was on the similar lines that I have problems, but do you know what, I beat MS with a proper diet.   Ritu Kaur (18m 36s): I beat MS With proper exercise. I beat MS with just music or just dancing. I think these kinds of campaigns have a very strong meaning. With these kinds of campaigns, I can actually change the perception of how MS is seen now all over the world. It is seen as a serious illness or chronic disease, but it is not seen as MS is there, but it cannot stop and cannot crumble anyone's spirit. The message of all the campaigns is this. It cannot crumble a spirit.   Geoff Allix (19m 1s): As well as all the things you've talked about already, building community and raising awareness, you're also like me, a host of a podcast, 10 Minutes for MS, which is presumably for you and another great way to get your message out to people. What do you think that podcasts provide to advance the cause compared to other media?   Ritu Kaur (19m 45s): I've always been talking about community building and creating awareness. This podcast is not just about awareness but it's also about education. It is about educating people about MS. That's the reason why I've got doctors worldwide talking about different factors of MS. Some doctors are talking about fatigue. The other doctor is talking about exercise. The other is talking about diet, stem cell therapy, or different kinds of treatments available. This is more focused on education. Other podcasts are also there. It is in the MS community. They are also very good podcasts talking about inspiring stories and creating awareness. Mine is totally focused on educating people about MS, which I think is very much required. In fact, I've got feedback from many people that they have learned so much from my podcast. They said, “We don't even hear from the nurses and the doctors.” That's the kind of education I'm providing. The podcast is for education and my pages are for awareness and community.   Geoff Allix (20m 19s): So, on the personal note, how do you personally find time to stay healthy and balance? Given how much time do you spend on your MS awareness work?   Ritu Kaur (21m 11s): They say you should practice what you preach so that's what I follow. When I say that workout is important, no matter what, I have to take time even if it is late at night, even after dinner. If I have to walk, it means I have to walk. I have to clock my timing that yes, I have to definitely do two hours of workout every day, whether it is yoga, strength training, or just walking. It has to be a workout. I have disciplined myself that way. My health is my priority, so I have to take care of it. My workout schedule is very much strict as is my diet. I'm an Indian.   Ritu Kaur (21m 52s): They say that gluten is very much of a staple diet for us because we have rotis, chapatis, parathas. Trust me, I love those. It was difficult for me to leave aside gluten and wheat, but where there is a will, there's a way. I managed to do that. For example, I replaced my gluten, my wheat with quinoa flour. We have alternatives available. Only if you want to really look for it, you will. That's how I have done. I have when taking care of my diet, my exercise, my sleep pattern. It has to be eight to 10 hours of sleep definitely.   Ritu Kaur (22m 41s): Like I said, I give priority to my health. I stay away from stress as much I can. I do whatever makes me happy. If something is giving me stress or burden, I just want to quit that thing. I'm not a quitter, I'm a fighter I know, but my health is my priority. I don't want to disturb it in any way. Other than that, I am still on DMDs. Like I said, my first DMD prescribed by the doctor was Avonex. I'm still on that. It is a weekly injection that I had to take myself so I'm following that.   Geoff Allix (23m 3s): You mentioned about avoiding stress but is there anything specific that you do day-to-day to keep your mental health? There's definitely a mental side to MS as well and there's a tendency for people to get depressed or feel blue. Do you do anything the day-to-day to help with that side of things?   Ritu Kaur (23m 42s): I just feel that my positive outlook has really helped me through this journey. I believe in looking at things from a positive aspect. If something is going wrong, I see it as wrong, but if I look at the other side of the picture, maybe it's something for good. I just believe in three things. Whatever happens, it's for good. This is one mantra. The second is if God is putting you in a trouble, then it's his responsibility to take care of all of it so you don't have to worry about it. He will take care of you. You are his child, so you don't worry about anything. The third thing is, of course, my family environment is really good.   Ritu Kaur (24m 22s): I have a very supportive family. My parents, my siblings, my husband, everybody's very supportive. They know how I am. They, themselves, help me keep my positive spirits alive. I am today, a 36-year-old lady, a woman. If you see me at home, I don't behave like anybody older than 20. I still dance and jump around in my house like I'm 20 years old. Keep yourself young with all the positive ways that you can. Meditation is really important, I have to say that. I do 45 minutes of exercises including meditations every day. It not only calms the mind, but it will also help to gain a lot of patience and it really helps you cool down your mind. That is one thing which I think a person should follow. So, keep yourself young or by all the positive ways that we can.   Geoff Allix (25m 17s): Well, thank you so much for being on our program, Ritu. You are truly an inspiration to the MS community. The work that you've done has helped transform the MS landscape. On a final note, if you looked forward five or 10 years into the future, what would be the single greatest change or impact you would have liked to have made with the work you're doing?   Ritu Kaur (25m 57s): I have already started seeing the change. Like I said, I am seeing the changes that people have started accepting this as a disease that cannot stop and crumble them. I'm changing the perception of how it is seen in India. Now, people are talking about MS as a disease in India. I really pray to God that someday, this taboo just breaks away. There's no more there. There is no problem for MS patients to find jobs. There is no problem for MS patients to have partners in their life. There is no problem for MS patients to live confidently because MS is not a punishment. It is definitely not your fault so why shy away or be scared? Live confidently. I think I'm getting closer to this, and I really want to see a 100% change or total turnaround from what it is right now in the next five to 10 years.   Geoff Allix (26m 34s): Thank you very much for joining us.   Ritu Kaur (26m 37s): Thank you so much, Geoff, for your wonderful time.   Geoff Allix (27m 16s): Thank you for listening to this episode of Living Well with MS. Please check out this episode's show notes at www.overcomingMS.org/podcast. You'll find all sorts of useful links and bonus information there. Do you have questions about this episode or ideas about future ones? Email us at podcast@overcomingMS.org. We'd love to hear from you. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, so you never miss an episode. Living Well with MS is kindly supported by Grant from the Happy Charitable Trust. If you'd to support the Overcoming MS Charity and help keep our podcast advertising free, you can donate online at www.overcomingMS.org/donate. Thank you for your support. Living Well with MS is produced by Overcoming MS, the world's leading multiple sclerosis healthy lifestyle charity. We are here to help inform, support, and empower everyone affected by MS. To find out more and subscribe to our e-newsletter, please visit our website at www.overcomingMS.org. Thanks again for tuning in and see you next time.

Guest presenter and MS Trust volunteer, Will, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2015. Here he raids our archive to talk about disease modifying drugs (DMDs). Featuring input from MS nurse advisor, Nikki Embrey, Will covers key questions including how to tell whether a treatment is working, how long to stick with a DMD that is causing intolerable side effects, and whether you can have the flu vaccine when you're on a DMD. All views are Will's own.Will's references:- Source video: youtube.com/watch?v=AjVWf4tFjns- Brain Health: Time Matters in Multiple Sclerosis report: msbrainhealth.org/report- MS Trust page on disease modifying drugs (DMDs): mstrust.org.uk/dmd

This week's Ranch Local Spotlight shines on...Bruce Worthington!!Jackie and Bruce chat about what he's been up to throughout the pandemic, his brand new single "The Ice Is Breaking Up and so Should We," and a new EP that's in the works!"Bruce is a one of a kind talent in the the world: a theologian of significant note who has published books and numerous articles on topics related to the Christian bible; while at the same time writing and recording fun loving, heartfelt country songs for release on country radio. Bruce's music can be heard on over 70 stations across the country of canada, including CBC Radio, and across the world on Sirius xm satellite radio. He has released two singles to radio, both of which have reached top 10 on yangaroo DMDS countdowns for their respectively release dates. Bruce typically plays over 70 shows per year, to audiences ranging from Nashville Tennessee to Arviat nunavut.bruce has recently completed his phd dissertation (wycliffe college, university of toronto) so be sure to look out for that new title when it arrives from Fortress Academic press. the title will be "Christianity appears first as itself: Alain Badiou and the study of christian origins." The book will be released in the fall of 2021. finally, bruce has been in the studio over the pandemic and will be releasing a new ep called "Hot and ready," with the lead track heading to radio in the spring of 2021. Look out for the title track, it will be called "the ice is breaking up, and so should we." Fun!!"

Smokez, Wes & Big Romez get into the top 5 uk street bangers debate followed by a discussing on link up tv and it gets very heated between Smokez & Romez over the fifth placed on the list and it's between kano & Big Shaq, Lock in to see who goes for what songs on the list. DILEMMAS: "10 out 10 but the toes are peak" We are also on the following Social Media, Video and Audio Platforms : ► Twitter : twitter.com/dmdpodcast/ ► Instagram: www.instagram.com/dmdpodcast/ ► FaceBook : www.facebook.com/dmdlive/ ► Tumblr : dmdlive.tumblr.com/ ► Soundcloud : soundcloud.com/dmdpodcast/ ► Website : dmdlive.co.uk/ ► Spotify : open.spotify.com/show/1PFUqTDLlkCIVXe52frOH2/ ► Youtube : www.youtube.com/channel/UCmA06nl1umOazi-bgjbRn7w/ ► Subscribe to DMDTV : www.youtube.com/channel/UCmA06nl1…b_confirmation=1/ ► TuneIn Radio : tun.in/pjpRWtopicId=130308529 ► Enquires : demmandere1@hotmail.com Hosts : ► Twitter : @SMOKEZ_OFFICIAL ► Instagram : @SMOKEZ_OFFICIAL ► Twitter : @BIGROMES1 ► Instagram : @NORTHLONDONPOWER > Instagram : @BIGWEZZLE

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.10.02.323527v1?rss=1 Authors: Lachetta, M., Sandmeyer, H., Sandmeyer, A., Schulte am Esch, J., Huser, T., Müller, M. Abstract: Digital micromirror devices (DMDs) are spatial light modulators that employ the electro-mechanical movement of miniaturized mirrors to steer and thus modulate the light reflected of a mirror array. Their wide availability, low cost and high speed make them a popular choice both in consumer electronics such as video projectors, and scientific applications such as microscopy. High-end fluorescence microscopy systems typically employ laser light sources, which by their nature provide coherent excitation light. In super-resolution microscopy applications that use light modulation, most notably structured illumination microscopy (SIM), the coherent nature of the excitation light becomes a requirement to achieve optimal interference pattern contrast. The universal combination of DMDs and coherent light sources, especially when working with multiple different wavelengths, is unfortunately not straight forward. The substructure of the tilted micromirror array gives rise to a blazed grating, which has to be understood and which must be taken into account when designing a DMD-based illumination system. Here, we present a set of simulation frameworks that explore the use of DMDs in conjunction with coherent light sources, motivated by their application in SIM, but which are generalizable to other light patterning applications. This framework provides all the tools to explore and compute DMD-based diffraction effects and to simulate possible system alignment configurations computationally, which simplifies the system design process and provides guidance for setting up DMD-based microscopes. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Assist Your New Patient Growth Success By Building Over 2000 Google Reviews! Boom! Receive A Complimentary 1 Hour Dental Practice Marketing Diagnostic. Txt “DDSCARE” to 503-482-9321. Help Fund Our Continued DDS Market Research. Order “The Basic Book of Marketing” on Amazon:  https://amzn.to/32RD5gV.#dds #dmd #fagd #dentist #ddshowlive #ddssurfin #ddssurf #ddspodcast  #ddssurfing  #ddsgooglesurfing #dentistry #dental #ddstips #ddsmarketing […]

In this week's episode Katt and Sam discuss treatments and medications other than DMDs are share their experiences with these, from pain relief to bladder control. Instagram: @whatms_   @deadliftsarebae  @_chronically_courageous_ WhatMSpodcast@gmail.com

Join Katt and Sam as they discuss their experiences with different DMDs and chat about why the believe treating MS with medication is the best option.  Contacts: Email: WhatMSpodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @whatms_ @deadliftsarebae @_chronically_courageous_  

this episode I chat with dan Davidson about his new single "Church", what it's like being a Canadian in Nashville, and what happens when you google your name. Dan Davidson and the entire team would be incredibly grateful if you can download Dan's new single "Church" here on DMDS at your earliest convenience with the hope that it might make some of your music meetings this week. "Church" is an uptempo, high energy, vintage Dan Davidson song that is a fan favourite and has already accrued more than 203,000 streams on Spotify alone.On behalf of Dan, Louis O'Reilly, Jim Cressman, Tiffany Astle, Jason Furman (Feldman), Jennifer Mitchell (Red Brick Songs), Jeff Dalziel and my humble self... Thank You for downloading out-of-the-box, listening and sharing sharing your insights.  FUN FACTS:- Members of Brett Kissel’s band, Meghan Patricks band, and my band all played on this. 4-5 CCMA award winners on this song AND Tyler Beckett (my fiddle player) is a former Bluegrass Fiddle champ- Video shot in and around Palm Dessert California (Ghost town was Randsburg)- Song is a fan fav, released on the Juliet album but never promoted until now and already has nearly a quarter of a million streams.- Dan is currently working on establishing the UK’s first Country Music Songcamp. Has an upcoming gig in France.- Dan is on schedule to release more music than anyone else in Canadian country music. 10 videos this year.- Was on the cover of Billboard online and featured on Revolver, Kerrang and several other blogs with millions of followehttps://www.dandavidsonmusic.com  or on instagrm @itsdandavidson

In this episode of The MS Gym Podcast, the host becomes the guest, when comedic actor and MSr, Damian Washington, interviews Brooke Slick about HSCT (hematopoietic stem cell transplant) for MS. Brooke, a 6+ year veteran of the treatment, explains what HSCT is, how it works, who it's for, where you can get it done and why it's currently considered your best chance at halting your disease progression. In addition to this podcast episode, starting next week, you will be able to hear portions of this interview on Damian Washington's weekly YouTube vlog (link below) where he chronicles his journey with MS and Ocrevus as  well as discusses a plethora of MS lifestyle topics. It's important to note that although HSCT has continued to gain exposure recently, the MS Gym was way ahead of the game when over 2 years ago, Coach Trevor Wicken designed a 30-day "Rebuild" program that's designed specifically for HSCT veterans and available in the membership. EPISODE NOTES: - What is HSCT? - The logistics of HSCT - The role stem cells play in HSCT? - The two types of HSCT protocols - It's all about the chemotherapy - Safety precautions after HSCT - Symptomatic improvements - Criteria for acceptance - What is EDSS and why it matters? - DMDs slow disease progression. HSCT halts disease progression. - How long should you wait to get HSCT? - Recovery & expectations - Statistics/success rates - Does insurance cover it? - The cost - Mortality rates - The best online resources for HSCT information Damian Washington's Weekly Vlog on Multiple Sclerosis: https://www.youtube.com/user/DigitalRidiculous Brooke Slick - https://brookeslick.com/ The MS Gym - http//www.themsgym.com/ HSCT Resources: General HSCT Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/hsctworldwide/ Russia HSCT Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/404629779644453/ Mexico HSCT Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/mexicohsct/

Andrew and Michelle are launching a new mini-series on specialty, this week is part 2 on orthodontics. At first glance, this topic doesn't seem to have a lot of apparent crossover with dental hygiene, but listeners will be surprised to learn how really does relate to the field. This is a must listen for dental teams and front office staff too! Bryan Green, DMD, is an orthodontist based out of Boiling Springs, SC. Bryan has been practicing orthodontics for the last decade, and prior to that worked in periodontology for three years. He believes that patient compliance is essential for braces to be effective and that hygienists are the first line of defense in treating orthodontic issues. In this episode, Bryan explains how his periodontology background has been a boon to his current orthodontic work, discusses why it's better to delay orthodontic treatment rather than start too early, and tells us if Invisalign is all it's cracked up to be. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Interview starts: 4:15 - The added benefit Bryan believes a combined periodontology-orthodontic background brings to the table.  - What kind of different residency programs are there for orthodontics and what can you learn from each? - The surprising longevity of orthodontics and why it's so important in dentistry.  - Why wouldn't one pursue orthodontics?  - The processes that cause tooth asymmetry and create a need for orthodontics.  - How early should children be brought in to address orthodontic concerns?  - The assessments Bryan makes during a patient's typical first orthodontic appointment. - The confusing that arises from dentists' and orthodontists' differing tooth numbering systems.  - Why all the orthodontic treatment in the world won't matter if patients aren't willing to comply with your instructions.  - The reason teenagers prove to be more difficult patients than children. - Weighing the merits and drawbacks of brackets vs. trays/aligners. - Do as-seen-on-TV aligners like Invisalign actually work?   QUOTES:   “I never understood why all dentists are not considered DDS's or DMDs... but at the end of the day it doesn't matter; you're all dentists.” “Nobody ever died because of crooked teeth.” “Hygienists are like our first line of defense.” “I've never been sorry for waiting with treatment, but I've been sorry that I started too early.” “If you want to be successful in orthodontics, you've got to have compliance.” “The [kids] that are breaking brackets, they typically have poor hygiene.” “Communication is the key.”   LINKS: Bryan's email: bryangreendmd@gmail.com   Thank you to Paradise Dental Technologies aka PDT for providing sponsorship for this episodes CE credits! THIS EPISODE COUNTS FOR CE! - but read the disclaimer below as it might not count for your state. Go here to take the test and get your CE Credit! Approved Pace Program Provider FAGD/MAGD Credit Approval Does Not Imply Acceptance By A State Or Provincial Board of Dentistry Or AGD Endorsement. 1/1/18- 12/31/19 Provider #373236 Be sure to thank the sponsor for CE for this episode by heading over to www.PDTDental.com and picking up a new instrument or telling them thank you in person at one of the conferences! A Tale of Two Hygienists homepage - https://ataleoftwohygienists.com/   AToTH on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aTaleOfTwoHygienists/   AToTH on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ataleoftwohygienists   AToTH on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/atoth/?originalSubdomain=ca  

Andrew and Michelle are launching a new mini-series on specialty, this week is part 2 on orthodontics. At first glance, this topic doesn't seem to have a lot of apparent crossover with dental hygiene, but listeners will be surprised to learn how really does relate to the field. This is a must listen for dental teams and front office staff too! Bryan Green, DMD, is an orthodontist based out of Boiling Springs, SC. Bryan has been practicing orthodontics for the last decade, and prior to that worked in periodontology for three years. He believes that patient compliance is essential for braces to be effective and that hygienists are the first line of defense in treating orthodontic issues. In this episode, Bryan explains how his periodontology background has been a boon to his current orthodontic work, discusses why it's better to delay orthodontic treatment rather than start too early, and tells us if Invisalign is all it's cracked up to be. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Interview starts: 4:15 - The added benefit Bryan believes a combined periodontology-orthodontic background brings to the table.  - What kind of different residency programs are there for orthodontics and what can you learn from each? - The surprising longevity of orthodontics and why it’s so important in dentistry.  - Why wouldn’t one pursue orthodontics?  - The processes that cause tooth asymmetry and create a need for orthodontics.  - How early should children be brought in to address orthodontic concerns?  - The assessments Bryan makes during a patient’s typical first orthodontic appointment. - The confusing that arises from dentists’ and orthodontists’ differing tooth numbering systems.  - Why all the orthodontic treatment in the world won’t matter if patients aren’t willing to comply with your instructions.  - The reason teenagers prove to be more difficult patients than children. - Weighing the merits and drawbacks of brackets vs. trays/aligners. - Do as-seen-on-TV aligners like Invisalign actually work?   QUOTES:   “I never understood why all dentists are not considered DDS's or DMDs... but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter; you’re all dentists.” “Nobody ever died because of crooked teeth.” “Hygienists are like our first line of defense.” “I’ve never been sorry for waiting with treatment, but I’ve been sorry that I started too early.” “If you want to be successful in orthodontics, you’ve got to have compliance.” “The [kids] that are breaking brackets, they typically have poor hygiene.” “Communication is the key.”   LINKS: Bryan’s email: bryangreendmd@gmail.com   Thank you to Paradise Dental Technologies aka PDT for providing sponsorship for this episodes CE credits! THIS EPISODE COUNTS FOR CE! - but read the disclaimer below as it might not count for your state. Go here to take the test and get your CE Credit! Approved Pace Program Provider FAGD/MAGD Credit Approval Does Not Imply Acceptance By A State Or Provincial Board of Dentistry Or AGD Endorsement. 1/1/18- 12/31/19 Provider #373236 Be sure to thank the sponsor for CE for this episode by heading over to www.PDTDental.com and picking up a new instrument or telling them thank you in person at one of the conferences! A Tale of Two Hygienists homepage - https://ataleoftwohygienists.com/   AToTH on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aTaleOfTwoHygienists/   AToTH on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ataleoftwohygienists   AToTH on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/atoth/?originalSubdomain=ca  

In this episode, the Rejects play the button-mashing classic, Space Zap. They touch on the LED vs LCD debate on color DMDs and we get a new batch of listener voice mails. Oh, and some game room updates to finish it all off.

Jordan Worley is a long time DMD member and an integral part of running the Admin Moderator Committee for the organization. He has been primarily a stay at home dad since his 3 boys under 6 were born. Being a social person coming from an IT and Sales background, it was a big transition for Jordan to stay at home full time with the kids. He figured out some ways to make it work which we discuss in this episode. One of those ways he mentions is connecting with other DMDs at our annual retreats. Learn more about our upcoming retreat at http://retreat.dmdlifestyle.com.As the kids have gotten older, Jordan has also started pursuing another passion of his, landscape/real estate photography. Learn more about his aerial drone business here: https://www.facebook.com/nlrep

Curtis and Dr. Allison Webster have been married for 12 years and have been doing life together for over 17! In this episode, we discuss our background and our DMD PMG story. Undergrad to Medical School where we had our first daughter, to Residency in another state where we had our 2nd daughter, to our current Attending / Post Residency life with our 3rd daughter. Life is busy but life is good!Along the way, we learned some life lessons to help us manage the crazy and have some fun. Here's our story and every other Wednesday, you'll get to hear stories from other DMDs or experts in a particular topic all with the goal of helping our community live what we call the DMD Lifestyle better!

Ben Hudson is a country singer-songwriter from Uxbridge, Ontario. His smooth, rich vocals have been compared to Josh Turner and Brothers Osborne although his country-rock influenced songwriting is similar to that of Eric Church and Aaron Lewis. His self-titled EP was released in early 2016, gaining the attention of CMT Canada who made him their Fresh Face artist and also earned him a nomination at the 2016 CMAO Awards for Rising Star. In June of 2016, he released his first single “Redneck Summer” to country radio. In its first week, the single was in the top 5 DMDS downloads and added into rotation at many major market stations across Canada. This strong debut helped secured a spot at the inaugural CMT Music Fest. Topcountry.ca named him one of their top artists to watch in 2017 and the Country Music Association of Ontario selected him as their January 2017 “Artist of the Month.” Ben recently opened for Juno Award Winner Brett Kissel on his 2017 “Ice, Snow & 30 Below” tour and his 2018 “We Were That Song” tour. He is currently in studio working on his debut full length album set for release in early 2018.

Are you familiar with the various types of complementary (alternative) medicine that benefit MS patients? We have a guest, Dr. Kevin Flythe, who is a doctor of chiropractic care in Atlanta Georgia, discussing the benefits of chiropractic care and various complements to DMDs. Maybe what you're thinking isn't all that it's "cracked up" to be. (Yes, the pun was intended...my feeble attempt at being funny).

I talk about a toy invented in the woodrail era that is still in use today - the Pop Bumper.   Tech: Changing pop bumpers, and how to increase pop safely (by cleaning).

Don Murdock, Don't Call Me A Hero, The Story In December 1986, Firefighter, Canadian singer/songwriter Don Murdock received high honors with Canada's “Medal of Bravery” from Jeanne Sauve, Canada's Governor General for his actions during two separate house fires where Don exhibited valor and brave actions. For many years Don rode the Rescue Truck with Canada’s Whitby Fire Department. During that time he witnessed many terrible and tragic thing none of which affected him as much as the events that unfolded before him on a fire that occurred in March of 1985.  His song has not only helped Don come to terms with emotions that have haunted him since that night almost 28 years ago, but also makes good on a silent promise he made privately to a little girl who became an angel that night to one day honor her memory. Don't Call Me A Hero was the #1 DMDS download at Canadian Country Radio. The song was also the DMDS #8 most active indie song regardless of genre at Canadian radio.Don Murdock - Social Media LinksDon Murdock - Wesite and music Links