Coffee Break with community member Johanna Lahr | S2E16

Welcome to our sixth installment of Living Well with MS Coffee Break, where we welcome Johanna Lahr as our guest! As you now know, we decided to do something a little different in expanding the range of content we produce here at Living Well with MS. To honor the community that forms the beating heart of Overcoming MS, this special series called Coffee Break features short interviews with members of the OMS community talking about their personal journeys adopting and staying on the OMS 7 Step Recovery Program, the challenges they encountered and how they overcame them, and their tips and tricks for sticking to the path that leads to better health. We hope you enjoy and learn from these intermezzos between our regular episodes, and as always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

 

Bio:

 

My name is Johanna Lahr, I live in Berlin, I am married, and I have a daughter. I work as a Senior Product Data Manager in a company in the medical field. I have been living with MS since 2008, with MS being one in a long string of autoimmune diseases. I have been following the OMS program for about 9 years. Today, I look back and even though my journey was very bumpy and at times seemed to be hopeless, I am grateful for the hope the OMS program has given me. It gave me not only the strength and confidence to believe that things could get better even though nobody around me believed it, but more importantly, the OMS program has given me all the tools I need to succeed, not just with MS but with all the other autoimmune conditions I’m contending.

 

I am actively engaged in several support initiatives. For almost 7 years, I’ve been involved with Overcoming MS Lifestyle Support, a Facebook group dedicated to supporting people with MS following the OMS program. In 2018, I created the first OMS Circle in my city and at work, together with another colleague, I created an employee-driven initiative that strives to build an inclusive workplace and enable access and career opportunities for people with disabilities. These groups not only became a way for me to help others, they have given me the opportunity to meet the most amazing and inspiring people I know. 

 

Questions:

 

• Can you tell us a little about yourself, your family, your life, where you live and anything about yourself you’d like to share?
• When were you diagnosed with MS and how long have you been following the Overcoming MS 7 Step Recovery Program? 
• What is your favorite thing about the program, namely what do you feel has made the biggest positive impact? 
• What was your greatest challenge in adopting the OMS program, and how did you overcome it? 
• I know you’re quite active in the OMS community, such as your role as Ambassador for the OMS Circle in Berlin. Can you tell us about how that experience has informed your journey?
• You also run a dynamic support community on Facebook which has over 4,000 members. Can you tell us a little more about that, and the impact you feel this group has had in helping people with MS in Germany?
• How have you had to adapt your daily healthy habits to the new realities imposed by COVID-19? 
• Do you have any other tips or tricks you can share with our audience that might help them on their journeys?

 

Links:

 

Overcoming MS Lifestyle Support

 

If you post something concerning OMS and COVID-19, especially if it’s a bit of good news during this rough patch, don’t forget to use the hashtag #positivelyOMS.

 

Coming up on our next episode:

 

On the next full-length episode of Living Well with MS, launching August 5, 2020, Geoff Allix welcomes back to the podcast guest seat neurologist Dr. Brandon Beaber to get his medical point of view on the benefits of the OMS Recovery Program. If you’d like to understand the medical science behind OMS, this is an episode not to be missed!

 

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.