What happens when the healthcare system runs out of answers, In this episode of Beyond the Diagnosis, I sit down with Dr. Sima Kahn, a former OB GYN turned independent patient advocate who helps people unravel complex, often mysterious medical cases. After decades in clinical practice, Dr. Kahn realized that patients were falling through the cracks, not because doctors did not care, but because they did not have the time or systems to look at the full picture. Together we explore how medical advocacy fills the gap between overwhelmed patients and overworked clinicians, the difference between routine and complex cases and how to know when you need help, what it takes to investigate rare and misdiagnosed conditions, and how communication, narrative medicine, and persistence lead to breakthroughs. Dr. Kahn’s story reminds us that curiosity saves lives, and that being heard can be as healing as any prescription.

• Explore what independent patient advocates do and how they help
• Understand when to seek advocacy support for complex or confusing cases
• Learn how persistence and clear communication reveal hidden answers
• Discover why narrative medicine and whole person listening matter
• Find empowerment in asking better questions and documenting your journey

Dr. Sima Kahn, MD, is a board certified OB GYN who became an independent patient advocate after more than 25 years in clinical practice. She founded Healthcare Advocacy Partners in Seattle, helping individuals and families navigate complex diagnoses, second opinions, and care coordination. She is a founding member of the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy and is listed in the Greater National Advocates directory.

What does it really take to cultivate calm in the middle of life’s storms, In this episode of Beyond the Diagnosis, I sit down with Annelies Gentile, an integrative life and leadership coach, artist, and author of From Chaos to Calm, Leading Change from the Inside Out. Together we explore how creativity, awareness, and self compassion can become powerful healing tools for those of us living with chronic conditions. Annelies shares her philosophy of seeing life as an experiment, inviting curiosity instead of judgment, and explains how positive psychology and creative expression help us move from stuck to self aware. We also talk about resilience, labels, and how to get out of our own way when we face illness or uncertainty. This is a conversation about reclaiming agency, rewriting your story, and realizing that calm is not the absence of chaos, it is learning to move with it.

• Learn how curiosity dissolves fear and invites adaptability
• Understand creativity as a daily practice for resilience
• Discover how to treat setbacks as experiments, not failures
• Explore ways to align self compassion with forward motion
• Find calm through awareness and choice, not control

Annelies Gentile, MA, PCC, is a professional certified integrative life and leadership coach, artist, and author. She founded Conduit for Change and helps people navigate transitions, grief, and uncertainty with creativity and compassion. She holds a master’s degree in Health and Wellness Coaching from Maryland University of Integrative Health and is the author of From Chaos to Calm, Leading Change from the Inside Out.

In this powerful conversation with Herb Karpatkin, PT, DSc, we dig deep into the role of movement, fatigue, and rehabilitation in navigating life with Multiple Sclerosis. Herb brings over four decades of clinical and research experience in neurologic physical therapy, specializing in MS, and he shares how he crafts individualized exercise programs that not only counter deconditioning but transform quality of life. Together we explore why fatigue in MS is more than feeling tired and how it sabotages function, how targeted, progressive movement can slow disability and improve balance, the art of listening to the body, and real world recommendations for safe strength, interval training, and mobility work, along with how mindset and consistency become anchors in chronic illness.

• Understand why MS fatigue differs from typical tiredness
• Explore how progressive movement reverses deconditioning and improves balance
• Discover practical ways to pace, cool, and protect energy during daily activities
• Learn simple strength and interval ideas you can tailor to your needs
• Find motivation to build consistency and confidence over time

Dr. Herbert Karpatkin, PT, DSc, NCS, GCS, MSCS, is a board certified specialist in neurology and geriatrics, and a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist. He teaches in the Department of Physical Therapy at Hunter College and runs a private practice in New York that focuses on neurologic conditions including MS. His research centers on fatigue, balance, walking endurance, and individualized rehabilitation for people living with chronic illness.