Listen to Season Two of Thriving Over Surviving, Now!

 We all see Damian Washington on TV commercials and MS Views & News. Maybe you have perused his YouTube Channel or Website. Wherever you have absorbed his fantastic energy, it was bound to be entertaining and full of great information about multiple sclerosis. Do you try to be present in the current moment and in your given circumstance?  

 I don't know anyone with multiple sclerosis that signed up for it. Nobody stands in line with great expectations hoping that someone will say, "Yes, you have MS".  But if you have this disease, you might as well make the most of it. So how do you do that? Stand up and share your story. As I chatted it up with David Beneby Jr, I realized there is something about him that emotes a positive outlook on life. There is no magic wand, but maintaining a mindset focused on the possibilities in life is a great place to start.    

Dave Walsh is a strongman, a dad, a husband, and is hilarious. He won the world's strongest disabled man competition in June 2022. But he is not just all muscles. This is a man who also helps others understand what it is like from his perspective in a wheelchair. 

How do you cope with MS? Samantha Bromfield lets it all out, in her own words, no holds barred. Her blog highlights her journey with multiple sclerosis. But there's another side to this thriver. As an avid reader, Samantha knows how to take time for herself to feed her soul. 

Perseverance is doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. For me, the words, grit, determination, and tenacity come to mind. Jessica Turner is an MS thriver who found purpose in her diagnosis by helping others take back control of their health and wellbeing.

Noelle is a mother of three, a wife, and a licensed social worker whose goal is to help others struggling with chronic illness. Although she has Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS), Noelle maintains her independence by taking full advantage of mobility aids. 

If you have multiple sclerosis, then you have probably had an MRI. Even though I'm not afraid the walls are closing in on me, I am not excited to get in the tube each year. Lorin shares her experience of getting her brain scanned and what she has to do to get through it. Great convo with this funny lady, teacher, and thriver. 

Mathew Embry shares his thoughts regarding the future of multiple sclerosis research and the search for a cure. Mathew is the man behind the documentary Living Proof. Cofounder of MS Hope, his goal is to help our community by sharing the science-based strategies that have enabled him to live a drug-free, healthy life for more than 25 years since his diagnosis. Mathew says #nocheatdays!

Everyone's MS diagnosis story is different. For Rachel, the symptoms came on quickly and her diagnosis just as fast. But Rachel soon realized that the typical treatment of steroids was not going to work for her. In Part I, Rachel and I discuss her journey with HSCT and what led up to the discision to take this course of action.  

Less than 15% of the people diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis are said to be in the Primary Progressive Phase. Folake Taylor shares the difficult journey of misdiagnosis and how she leans into her core values to ensure she is living her best life. From scooters to walking, we learn from Dr. Taylor that it's a lot of hard work, but it can happen.  

Allison is a wife & mother of two, lawyer, and abstract artist. Living with MS since 2008, she doesn't try to be perfect but she tries to do her best.  

In some cases, MS can try to steal your identity. Karen Dwyer shares how she leaned into her core values to "heal" her MS and live her best life. She now helps others to do the same.  Karen's TEDx talk, What's Your Shoe Size Got to do With Chronic Illness? has thousands of views. Karen is thriving! 

Corey Mitchell, diagnosed with MS, developed The Corey Mitchell Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. His mission is to support other people with MS when they arrive home following diagnosis. The motto of the foundation is... For a dog fears nothing, that's why we take a bite out of MS. Corey lives by this as he will not give up and is working hard every day to get back on his own two feet again. 

Alexandria was a science teacher and a realtor. Typical MS overachiever. One day she completely lost her ability to walk, speak, and see. How does she go from this to being on point shoes? 

Kerri Kiefer-Viverito lost her brother, FDNY Firefighter Michael Kiefer, on 9/11/2001. But her story does not end there. Although this was a significant loss to her family, the FDNY, and so many more, Kerri finds strength in her brother's memory and uses this to battle her multiple sclerosis.  

Angela Gensler has fought countless battles and overcome so many obstacles in her journey to live her best life. In this episode, Angie chronicles how her mindset has helped her achieve her goals. 

These ladies share their powerful story of courage participating in stem cell therapy. And they wouildn't have had it any other way.

Melissa shares her journey and how she thrives despite her diagnosis. She bikes, she runs a school, she leads a group of MS'rs. What doesn't she do? Surprise, someone has some new news.