Episode 291: Disclosing Your MS to Friends and Family with Dr. Victoria Leavitt

To tell or not to tell. When it comes to disclosing your MS to friends and family, that is the question. Choosing when to disclose and to whom to disclose is a deeply personal decision. Joining me to talk about some of the risks and benefits of disclosing your diagnosis is Dr. Victoria Leavitt, a clinical neuropsychologist, researcher, and assistant professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University. Well also tell you about a just-announced collaboration to develop an Epstein-Barr Virus vaccine (and we'll tell you why that could be a huge step toward ending MS forever!) We're sharing the details behind the MS International Federation's application to have three MS disease-modifying therapies added to the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines. We'll tell you how a study that tested a fall prevention program for people living with MS who used a wheelchair or scooter full-time may have failed...and yet succeeded. We're sharing the results of a study that set out to determine whether people over 50 who were living with MS were increasing their use of health care services because of their MS or simply because they were aging. And we'll tell you about a study that focused on the psychosocial impact of MS on children who had a parent living with MS. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Disclosing Your MS  :22 Merck teams up with ModeX Therapeutics on an EBV vaccine  1:10 The MSIF applies to have 3 DMTs added to the WHO list of essential medicines   3:22 STUDY: A fall prevention program for people with MS who are full-time wheelchair or scooter users  6:47 STUDY: Health care usage among people over 50 who are living with MS  9:33 STUDY: The psychosocial impact of MS on children with a parent living with MS  12:02 Dr. Victoria Leavitt discusses the risks and rewards associated with disclosing your MS to friends and family   15:24 Share this episode  32:35 Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  32:55 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/290 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Editorial: Toward Equitable Access to Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis https://thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S1474-4422%2823%2900041-8 STUDY:  Online Delivery of the Individualized Reduction of Falls Intervention for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis Who Use a Wheelchair or Scooter Full-Time: A Pilot Study https://meridian.allenpress.com/ijmsc/article/25/2/82/491441/Online-Delivery-of-the-Individualized-Reduction-of STUDY: Outcomes and Health Care Service Use in Adults 50 Years and Older With and Without Multiple Sclerosis https://meridian.allenpress.com/ijmsc/article/25/2/56/486192/Outcomes-and-Health-Care-Service-Use-in-Adults-50 STUDY: The Psychosocial Impact of Parental Multiple Sclerosis on Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review https://meridian.allenpress.com/ijmsc/article/25/2/63/487609/The-Psychosocial-Impact-of-Parental-Multiple Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 291 Guest: Dr. Victoria Leavitt Tags: MS, MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, MSSociety, RealTalkMS Privacy Policy