Preventing MS in family members with Lorna Wilson | S1E13

If you’re diagnosed with MS, your thoughts naturally gravitate to your own health and what you can do to improve it post-diagnosis. Once you’ve settled into a course of action and considered positive steps you can take to improve your health outcome, such as the OMS 7 Step Recovery Program, you might start thinking about your family. Given there is a genetic component to MS, prevention in family members (and this doesn’t just apply to kids, but siblings too) is a vital topic when considering a comprehensive approach to MS management. In fact, prevention is so important that it constitutes an entire step in the OMS 7 Step Recovery Program. And there are specific steps you can take to help ensure that your genetically-related immediate family steers clear of MS.

 

Joining this crucial discussion on today’s episode is Lorna Wilson, who has firsthand experience with both MS and preventing it in family members. Lorna learned of Overcoming MS shortly after being diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS).  As a mother of three – with a love of family, food, travel and adventure – she enjoys life with family, friends and community. With a family keen on delicious food, the OMS diet keeps those she loves happy and well-fed while positively impacting her own health.  Lorna is focused on MS prevention and empowering her daughters to take measures for their future health and well-being.

 

Questions:

 

• Tell us about the genetic component to MS.
• If you have MS and have children, how likely are they to get MS?
• How did you break the news of your diagnosis to your children?
• Have you changed how you act as a parent because of MS?
• What are they key factors in preventing children and family members from getting MS?
• If you follow the OMS program, should your kids and family members be following it too?
• Is it just diet or should they follow the other pillars?
• Should children follow the OMS diet to the letter?
• What do the numbers show in terms of reduced chance of getting MS if you are a child or sibling of someone with MS and you follow the OMS program?
• Teenagers can be quite rebellious in general, so what are some tips to encourage them to adopt the right lifestyle choices to aid prevention?
• How do you persuade children to continue with healthy practices once they leave home?
• Any other prevention tips for kids and family members of people with MS?

 

Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Please review our podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast listening app. On the final episode of Living Well with MS’ first season, we welcome Scotland’s own Andy McKenna, mountain biker extraordinaire, owner of a cycling trekking business called Go-Where and creator of the inspiring documentary film, Stoked on MS. Thanks to all our listeners for making Season 1 of Living Well with MS such a big success. We are excited to have you back for Season 2, launching on January 15, 2020 with a special kickoff episode on intermittent fasting, featuring world-renowned expert on the subject, Prof. Valter Longo.