If you live with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), you can improve your health and wellness by joining our virtual MS peer wellness community!
Registration Details
The Multiple Sclerosis Peer Wellness Community is comprised of people with MS who are seeking to learn more about wellness together in order to inform their ongoing efforts to improve their health and wellness. The group meets monthly via Zoom webinars and includes wellness education, sharing of best practices and resources that you can use in your own wellness work, and social support from the community. The program is supervised by Nicole Delcourt, BSN, RN, MSCN, and Brant Oliver, PhD, MPH, APRN-BC of Concord Hospital Neurology's Multiple Sclerosis Specialty Care Program. Any person with MS who is followed by the Concord Hospital MS Specialty Care Program interested in pursuing wellness activities, and has problems accessing wellness programs or resources is eligible.
Mentorship Option
Some people in the wellness community choose to work more intensively on their wellness by enrolling in a 1:1 peer mentorship option, which pairs people with MS (mentees) with peer advisors (mentors) for a one-year period, during which time they work together on achieving individual wellness goals. Limited grant funding is provided to help mentees reach their wellness goals, and mentors meet with mentees at least monthly to provide ongoing guidance and support. The availability of this program is limited and based on the number of mentors currently available.
Thriving After Multiple Sclerosis: Sarah's Story
An avid hiker, mountain climber, and traveler, Sarah's world took an unexpected turn in 2019. The day after a hike, she could not rise from her couch, her legs strangely numb and a tightness gripping her core. Yoga and swimming, activities she thought would help, only worsened the symptoms. Determined to find an answer, Sarah visited her doctor.
Given her active lifestyle and young age, her doctor ordered tests to rule out Lyme Disease, Lupus, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Tests, including MRIs, revealed lesions on her spine and brain, confirming the culprit: Multiple Sclerosis.
Sarah was determined not to let her diagnosis define her, so she sought help from Dr. Ann Cabot and the team of MS specialists at Concord Hospital Neurology. Under their expert care, Sarah underwent five days of steroid treatments, and within 60 days, she was fully recovered and able to use her legs again. Her team helped her pick an aggressive treatment plan and adjusted and tweaked it to fit her needs and concerns. Today, Sarah is managing the challenges of her symptoms with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and a positive attitude. As a result, she is thriving!
Not only is she back to hiking and kayaking, but she is also serving as an MS Ambassador through the National MS Society (NMSS). She is sharing her story and raising awareness of MS through a blog, which she has expanded into a podcast and her social media accounts. Sarah says her proudest accomplishments are organizing and hosting Climb The Peak for MS, an annual fundraising event in June that raises MS awareness. In her first year, Sarah was able to raise $16,000 for the NMSS, and in 2024, she raised her fundraising goal to $20,000 because a cure is on the line.
Registration does not prevent you from participating in our other wellness programs, such as MBSR, Painted Promise, or MS Yoga. In fact, many people with MS choose to participate in this program while enrolled in other wellness programs. By registering, you are giving us permission to contact you by phone or email to follow up on enrollment.
Fees & Payment
This program is specifically for patients of our Concord Hospital Multiple Sclerosis Specialty Care Program (Dr. Ann Cabot, Dr. Pooja Raibagkar, Dr. Brant Oliver, and Georgia Plamondon) who have a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. It is offered at no cost as funding is provided through a grant secured by Dr. Brant Oliver and Dr. Cabot.
Multiple Sclerosis Wellness Community Director
Brant J. Oliver, PhD, MS, MPH, APRN-BC
