Tripping On Air

Newer, highly effective medications mean that MS outcomes are improving and that there's a lot to be hopeful about. This episode isn't meant to scare you, but to clarify what it means to die due to complications from MS, so that you can minimize your risk factors and live your best possible life.

Did too much red wine and a book of spells give me MS? Almost certainly not. But that didn't stop me from worrying about every questionable decision I'd ever made that (I thought) might have caused my MS. Today's episode of the Tripping On Air podcast is a cheeky look at fact and way-off fiction as Alex and I dig into 10 of the biggest myths about MS. Trippers, this podcast is not medically reviewed, but here's some clarification. According to the CDC, "Epstein-Barr virus, or EBV, is one of the most common human viruses in the world. It spreads primarily through saliva. EBV can cause infectious mononucleosis, also called mono, and other illnesses. Most people will get infected with EBV in their lifetime and will not have any symptoms." You can learn more about EBV and its relationship to Multiple Sclerosis at MS Canada who reports that: "After infection by EBV, the immune system produces antibodies against an invading virus and its proteins, and these antibodies also target the host’s myelin due to similarities between the proteins, triggering an autoimmune response. Molecular mimicry is one potential mechanism for how EBV infection may trigger MS." The Tripping On Air podcast should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your doctor with questions about your health or before kissing any frogs.

From cool canes, to sporty trekking poles, to rollators that are literally transformative, mobility aids make life better…eventually. The transition to progressive MS is hard, and freaking out is a reasonable reaction. Grieve. And when you’re ready, tune in to this month’s episode for tips on how to find the right mobility aids that will work for you.

There’s no vacation from MS. If you have any chronic condition, your illness is coming with you. Whether you’re packing fatigue, meds, or mobility aids, Ardra and Alex share hot tips on how to stay cool and make the most of your next getaway.

We are ringing in the New Year with one of my dream guests. Comedian, actor, writer, and the internet’s most optimistic guy, Zach Anner is on the pod to talk about everything from why you’re already awesome to how we’re all a little annoying, at least some of the time. Zach spills the tea on accessibility in Hollywood and what it was like working for Oprah’s network.

If you have MS or any chronic illness, you deserve presents! This year's Tripping On Air Holiday Gift Guide features 12 gift ideas and 13 incredible giveaways, that are perfect for people with MS. Tripping on Air is a monthly video podcast that brings Ardra Shephard's part-confessional, part-informational blog Tripping on Air to the podcast airwaves! Ardra and co-host Alex Hajjar discuss what it's like to live with MS, from the best products for those with chronic illness, to successfully navigating a disability benefits claim. Ardra Shephard is a writer, consultant, and speaker, whose award-winning blog Tripping On Air, enjoys an international reach and reputation. Ardra is the creator and host of AMI-tv's lifestyle series Fashion Dis. Ardra has a regular column with BezzyMS (Ask Ardra Anything), and is a reporter with LivedHealth where she leads informative and educational conversations with leading MS specialists. Ardra is on a mission to change minds about what it means to live with chronic illness and to have disability positively reflected as part of a diverse society. Accessible bars in Toronto would also be nice. Follow Ardra on Twitter: @tripping_onair and Instagram: @ms_trippingonair Alex Hajjar is the host, producer, and creative overthinker behind Social Animals, a podcast about friendship. A civil engineering technologist by trade, Alex is also a punk-rock bass guitarist whose hobbies include world travel, hanging with his cat Nacho, and figuring out how to find chill about his beautiful wife Nicole's MS diagnosis. The Tripping on Air podcast airs monthly on AMI-audio. For more information, visit www.ami.ca/Tripping-On-Air.

From microaggressions to super-powers, we’re dishing about parenting with a chronic illness or disability with the fabulous Rebekah Taussig, author of Sitting Pretty. If you’re a parent with MS or you’re thinking of becoming one, you do not want to miss this episode.

Ardra and Alex dish with Darcy, Ardra's girlfriend since grade school, about what it's like to re-enter the dating world with progressive MS.

Fatigue is the No. 1 reason people with MS work less or stop working. But fatigue is impossible to see, difficult to understand, and hard to prove. We’re speaking with insurance litigator Laura Hillyer about how to successfully navigate your disability benefits claim with your sense of self and your sanity intact.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects everyone differently, but Ardra Shephard believes that the very worst symptom is one most Trippers have in common. MS isn’t contagious, but the worst symptom impacts everyone in the house. Join Ardra and Alex as they dish about the fear that comes with living with MS, or of loving someone who does.