MS.UNDERSTOOD | Podcast on RSS.com

MS.UNDERSTOOD

by KT Sloan

How To Self-Improvement Alternative Health

Season 7

EPISODE 103 - Meet Joel Riciputi: MS Community Member & Certified Health Coach

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a companion on the MS journey? In this episode, you’ll meet Joel Riciputi, a super neat human, an active member of our shared MS Community, and a certified Health Coach. We’ll learn a lot about Joel - who he is beyond his MS diagnosis, what his MS journey has looked like, and most importantly, what fueled his fire to train to become a health coach so he could be there to support us in ways he wished he had access to early on. Joel understands the many challenges we face everyday since he faces them too! He also understands that health coaching isn’t always accessible to everyone and is committed to giving back to our community through free learning sessions and accessible coaching packages. Take a listen to get to know Joel! Sign up for his upcoming FREE session Own Your Energy: Practical Fatigue Management for Neurological & Autoimmune Conditions on June 16th. I hope to see you there! To Register: https://vibly.io/services/managing-energy-fatigue-with-neurological-conditions-joel-riciputi/ You can also check out his Introductory Program for MS Community: https://vibly.io/services/-introductory-program-joel-riciputi/ or email Joel directly joel@rooted-rise.co to book a free discovery call. patreon.com/MSFlock

EPISODE 102 - Designing Solutions for MS Heat Sensitivity - Featuring Biodesign Engineer Candice Otrembiak

Do you struggle with MS Heat Sensitivity? Does it limit what you can do in your life? Do you miss activities you used to engage in because you’re currently limited by temperature, humidity, or related fatigue? In this episode, we’re joined by Stanford Biodesign Engineer Candice Otrembiak. Take a listen to get to know Candice and the incredible work she is doing to engineer real MS Heat Sensitivity solutions for us. You’ll also learn about Candice’s active survey where WE can help by sharing our personal experiences with MS Heat Sensitivity. Candice knows that developing a device for real people requires real input from folks in our community. This is a great opportunity for all of us who struggle with Heat Sensitivity to get involved and be part of the solution! Listen in to learn more! Candice’s Biodesign Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYU9tYZNuowF-zHQNfYk7Ij7ZkMEX0HJdzqm9fN0JY-urUbg/viewform?usp=publish-editor patreon.com/MSFlock

EPISODE 101 - The Healing Power of Cultivating Daily Joy

Do you experience joy every day? For many of us in the MS Community, joy can feel elusive. In this episode, we address the importance of experiencing joy in our lives. We’ll explore the impacts that experiencing joy has on our physical and mental health. While the natural ebb and flow of life occasionally brings us joyful experiences, there are ways that we can deliberately cultivate daily joy so that we can experience it more often and reap the benefits. I’ll share my personal reflections on my own struggles to experience joy in the decade since my official MS diagnosis, as well as the plan I created for myself to deliberately cultivate more joy in my life on a daily basis this year. Listen in to learn more about my Joyride in 2026 - and potentially inspire your own!! patreon.com/MSFlock

Season 6

EPISODE 100 - The Life Remodel - Why Designing Our Future Health is Like Remodeling a Bathroom

In this episode, we explore how navigating life living with Multiple Sclerosis and rebuilding a life we love after diagnosis is similar to a bathroom remodel. We’ll look at the many parallels between a real life remodel in action and how we can similarly examine our own lives to find aspects that would greatly benefit from a thoughtful and deliberate remodel. We’ll talk through the phases of a remodel - the Dream Design, Hiring the Right Construction Team, Diving into Demolition, Navigating the Unexpected, and finally, Reconstruction - Building the New. I hope this episode results in a future remodeling or renovation project of your own - either literal, figurative, or both! patreon.com/MSFlock

EPISODE 99 - Planting Seeds - Investing in our Future Happiness

In this episode, we explore the opportunities of the season and the many ways we can plant seeds as investments in our future happiness. We’ll talk about the three main pillars of personal investment opportunities - 1) our physical and mental health, 2) our relationships, and 3) our sense of purpose and personal growth. In each area, we’ll look at very small seeds that are quite manageable, some in a minute or less (!), that when cultivated over time, can drastically increase our level of future happiness, our ability to access joy, and to build our sense of belonging. All of these seeds will help support us in our efforts to live well with Multiple Sclerosis. Lots in life is out of our control, but we CAN always plant seeds of something new! I’ll share some examples of seeds I’m planting - literally and figuratively! Listen in to learn more and to decide what seeds of personal investment you might like to plant for yourself in your garden of life this fall! patreon.com/MSFlock

EPISODE 98 - Dr. Teri Jaklin ND - An Invitation to join the MS Collective

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Teri Jaklin ND. Take a listen to get to know Dr Teri, her lived experience with Multiple Sclerosis, and her practice as an ND (Naturopathic Doctor). In early September, Dr. Teri is launching a new supportive learning and healing community called the MS Collective. This opportunity offers mentorship, community of likeminded folks, and a new path forward for healing and transformation. This is a great opportunity for folks who feel like they’ve tried it all and have yet to move the needle on their health in the ways they desire. As someone who has lived with MS for 40 years and guided others through the journey for 25 years, Dr Teri’s MS Collective is a trusted guide for us and also provides a safe space for true connection. I hope you’ll consider joining me in this exciting opportunity! Listen in to learn more! patreon.com/MSFlock https://www.transform.ms/ms-collective

EPISODE 97 - Heat Sensitivity - Exploring What’s Possible

It’s summer in North America, and heat sensitivity is a current topic on pretty much every MS site on social media. Do you struggle with MS heat sensitivity? Do your symptoms flare when you overdo it? Do you find yourself less able to safely spend time outdoors? Do you retreat from socializing or other favorite activities because of the heat? Does that negatively impact your mood and mental health? If any of these questions resonate with you, this episode is for you. In this episode we’ll learn about how MS impacts our body’s ability to withstand hot and cold temperatures, ways we can safely mitigate the heat and cold sensitivity symptoms we experience, as well as explore ways we can deliberately better acclimatize to heat and cold to expand our current temperature comfort zone. We’ll also talk about why we are approaching the BEST time of year to start training our bodies to better manage the heat of next summer (!) as well as share an example of an acclimatization plan that you can use to create your own. Take a listen - it just might change everything for you and help you better live a life you love! patreon.com/MSFlock

EPISODE 96 - Understanding the Limitations of Apathy & Anhedonia

Have you ever really wanted to do something but just couldn’t find it in you to take any action - no matter how hard you tried? Or have you lost the ability to experience joy, even when doing something you used to love? In this episode, we look at why it can be so incredibly difficult to take positive action when living with Multiple Sclerosis. Nope, we’re not lazy! And nope, we don’t deserve to feel shame because of our inability to act. Apathy, and its cousin, anhedonia, are very real struggles, and in this episode we’ll look at what these terms mean, how they manifest, as well as suggested ways to move the needle to a much better place on these limiting and often quite depressing symptoms. Take a listen - it just might change everything for you and help you better live a life you love! patreon.com/MSFlock

EPISODE 95 - The Healing Power of Water for MS Symptoms

In this episode, we look at all the ways we need water to help keep our body functioning! We’ll take a deep dive into Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by Dr. Batmanghelidj, as well as what current critics have to say about his stance, and even use Google Gemini AI to learn even more about all the ways our body uses water to survive and thrive! We’ll look at specific MS symptoms that may be a result of - or worsened by - dehydration, and talk about how to safely increase our water intake, which is not as simple, nor as safe, as it sounds! I’ll share a little about my personal experience with increasing my water intake, too! Take a listen to learn more about water, and explore what’s possible for you!! patreon.com/MSFlock

EPISODE 94 - Visit The Myelin Room to Dance Away Depression

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Susan Payrovi. Together, we’ll explore the healing power of dance - and specifically, utilizing dance as a healing tool for depression. We’ll review a recent article sharing a comprehensive study about depression, and take a deep dive into the results to learn about the effectiveness of dance and a handful of other exercise types. We’ll also compare those with the results of using SSRI’s, the standard pharmaceutical family of medications prescribed to treat depression. Tune in to learn the history behind Dr. Payrovi’s virtual dance studio creation - The Myelin Room - and receive a personal invitation from Dr. Payrovi to attend her next virtual Myelin Room experience next month. DrSusanPayrovi.com for more information and to sign up! Take a listen and explore what’s possible for you!! patreon.com/MSFlock

1 of 11