Episode 019: Multiple Sclerosis
Disabled educator, speaker, and creator, Erin Ryan Heyneman, joins us to talk about Multiple Sclerosis. We discuss how MS presents, the impact of her diagnosis as a teenager, how a major flair-up and its aftermath affected her life, and the importance of disability representation.
Music: Deppisch
Design: Perpetualnotion.ca
Mixing/ Mastering: Tony Bao
Additional editing: Blair Drover
Support this show: Patreon.com/BraaainsPodcast
MORE ON OUR GUEST
Erin Ryan Heyneman (she/her) is a disabled writer, speaker, creator, mom, and former public school teacher from outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Erin speaks with student groups about disability inclusion and ableism broadly, and Multiple Sclerosis and brain injury specifically. She’s an appointed member of her city’s Disability Commission and writes cultural commentary through a disability Justice lens. Erin uses TikTok to share how she used the principles of neuroplasticity in her recovery from a rare, stroke-mimicking MS Flare at 35 years old. You can find all of her work here.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Erin was kind enough to send over some links to resources to share:
This Podcast Will Kill You MS Episode - This was an amazing starting point for diving into the history of MS.
The Brain That Changes Itself, seminal text on neuroplasticity for the layperson. It was first a book, then a documentary film.
Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel Lavery. He writes about transitioning in his 30s. This quote from the text has been with me for a long time. He's discussing the story of Jacob and Esau from the old testament, as Lavery was raised in an evangelical family. Jacob has just wrestled with God, and won, but he dislocated his hip in the process.
Lavery writes,
"This part of Jacob's story begins abruptly. The angel does not appear or announce himself-in one moment he is not there, and in the next moment he is there and wrestling with Jacob. He refuses to name or explain himself; the two are alone as they struggle, on the far side of the river from the rest of Jacob's family. Jacob is not overcome, but his body is marked by the encounter, and he moves differently throughout the world forever after. Jacob is given a blessing and a new name but never an explanation; the angel is gone as abruptly as it came; Jacob never walks the same."
This passage is very accurate when it comes to sudden disability.
Listen to recent episodes on Apple Podcasts: