Caregivers and Conquering the Scary Unknown with Kelley Coleman

In this very special and star-filled episode of Talk About It, Greg sits down with David Anders, Todd Stashwick and Jerry O'Connell to share their personal stories of how cancer has impacted their lives. It will have you laughing, crying, and finding ways to come together to end this horrible disease once-and-for-all.

First up is David Anders, a delightfully eccentric and incredibly talented actor Greg worked with on Heroes and Alias. David opens up about his father's blood cancer diagnosis, and how his father dealt with his condition as a doctor who had massive impact on all of his patients. David still grapples with the major loss of his hero and friend.

Next, you'll hear from Todd Stashwick - also a brilliant actor and a self-described nerd enthusiast! Todd starred as Captain Liam Shaw on the critically aclaimed award-winning third season of Star Trek: Picard. Off screen he is an avid Dungeons and Dragons player who uses the hobby to raise money for the Pablove Foundation for pediatric cancer initiatives (PabLove.org). Todd's very good friends experienced the unthinkable when they lost their teenage daughter to cancer, so Todd laced up his running shoes and participates in half marathons in her memory. He also runs a charity livestream of DnD with audience participation to raise both awareness and money for Pablove.

Finally, after such heavy conversations, we lighten up a bit with the hilarious actor, gameshow and podcast host, and star of Star Trek: Lower Decks Jerry O'Connell. Jerry starts by lamenting about being the father of teenage daughters, but he ends up getting into how cancer has affected him through his dad's repeated battles. He inherited his family's tendency to only go to the doctor if you have to go, but after witnessing his father's multiple scares with skin cancer, he sees the importance of getting screened in advance to take a more preventative approach.

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

This month on Talk About It, Greg is joined by the CEO of Vesalius Therapeutics and former director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), along with Phil Gattone, co-founder of Talk About It! This episode is all about collaboration, and how it’s possible to make giant strides in the world of medicine through various fields coming together. As Dr. Austin describes, there is often times resistance to share information across fields or specialties, but in the past decade and especially through Covid, the world of medical science, especially as it pertains to conditions like epilepsy, has seen developments that show the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Plus, as a very special treat, don’t miss Dr. Austin showcasing the other side of his expansive brain as he performs opera in front of a live audience! Greg is accompanying, of course!

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals

In this very special episode, we sit down with the founders of Talk About It to hear all about the past, present and future of this organization! Two of Greg's closest friends, Ken Lowenberg and Phil Gattone, are in the studio. The three co-founders tell the origin story of how Talk About It was born in a hotel ballroom. This organization is fueled by the passion for spreading awareness about epilepsy, but as we find out in this conversation, Talk About It is broadening its scope to include a variety of causes going into the future. Through the benefits of today's technology, Talk About It will now offer a mulititude of outreach channels to get people talking - talking about cancer awareness, talking about MS, talking about cerebral palsy, talking about depression, talking about the things in our lives that matter. No matter what you are going through, there is a community and an infrastructure of support ready to help, but the first step is to... you guessed it... Talk About It!

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals

To celebrate Epilepsy Awareness Month, Greg sits down with mother, caregiver and author Kelley Coleman to talk about navigating through scary and uncharted waters after a difficult diagnosis. Kelley is the mother of two boys, and her youngest, Aaron, developed an undiagnosed genetic syndrome in addition to epilepsy, autism, cerebral palsy, cortical vision impairment, microcephaly, and motor/ sensory disabilities. Over the years of her preparation, planning and persistence, she developed systems, lists and how-to’s that she is now publishing as a practical guidebook for all parent caretakers to follow entitled Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services and Supports. They also discuss motherly instincts and persistence with medical professionals, how she manages her self-care as a caretaker of others, and of course… Venus fly traps! We also get a bonus visit from a few celebrity friends who have very special messages for all caretakers this month.

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Brock and Bryson Thompson, brothers, began Helmets4Helmets.com at the ages of 8 and 6. They decided they wanted to start their own foundation to help kids around the world who have epilepsy, like Bryson does.

In this episode of Talk About It, Greg Grunberg talks with Bryson's and Brock's parents - Sarah and Aristotle. They share their story as two loving parents who are raising a family all about making a difference and talking about it. 

Also, in this episode, a SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER from GuardianHelmets.com for our viewers: You can get 10 percent off of helmets for people living with epilepsy and other neurological conditions. (Offer good through November 9, 2023).

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more.

For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

This episode is MEGA VIRAL! Tiktoker, Instagram star and actress Stanzi Potenza joins Greg in the studio to talk about her journey to millions of followers while dealing with unpredictable seizures. As a young star with epilepsy, she displays immense courage through her independence and self-reliance, however it doesn't come without a few scary moments that she shares on this episode. They discuss her growing up in theater and the similarities and differences with creating her own content, how she can sense a massive seizure before it happens and occasionally talk herself out of it, and the videos that broke her career to the masses on the internet during Covid. Enjoy this episode and, of course, like/ subscribe/ comment!

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

In this very special mini-Felicity-reunion episode of Talk About It, actress Amanda Foreman (Felicity, Star Trek) joins Greg to reminisce about their time on the show together and to give help, hope and advice to those living with Multiple Sclerosis. Mandy opens up about the dispirited emotions she went through when she received her diagnosis, and the journey she has been on, physically, emotionally and mentally, to now be at peace while living her best life alongside her condition. Plus, Greg and Mandy get into their characters from Felicity to open the show with a classic Meghan-and-Sean bickering about his latest invention idea… but this one might just work!

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Land ho! On this nautical episode of Talk About It, Greg welcomes Dr. Philip Haydon to talk about how he merged his career in medicine with his passion for sailing to inspire people around the world. Dr. Haydon is an internationally recognized neuroscientist, and the Annetta and Gustav Grisard Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Tufts University School of Medicine. Since his diagnosis of post-traumatic epilepsy as a teenager, Dr. Haydon has devoted his life to studying in medicine and researching neurological disorders. He channeled his love of sailing into starting Sail4Epilepsy, an organization aimed for raising awareness about epilepsy and helping people take One More Step towards living a fuller life by achieving goals, one step at a time. Greg is also joined by his friend and Heroes co-star, actor and sailing enthusiast Adrian Pasdar, to talk about the peace and tranquility that sailing brings. Batten down the hatches, this episode is quite a journey! 

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

For the second in a series of interviews with innovators in advocacy and business, Greg sits down with two powerful women from TSC Alliance - Kari Luther Rosbeck, President and CEO, and Lisa Moss, Vice President of Donor Relations. Kari and Lisa have dedicated their lives to helping individuals and families living with TSC, and they have become heroes within the epilepsy community.

In 2002, Kari founded the annual Comedy for a Cure in Los Angeles, providing much needed laughter to help raise money for TSC research. The event has grown to a highly-anticipated tradition that now raises over $500,000 each year with major comedians performing, and even Greg takes part on stage!

This episode discusses the importance of caregivers, the need to sometimes laugh to get through difficult times, how they raised major funding through charity events, the medical breakthroughs that TSC Alliance is funding and facilitating, and so much more!

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Legendary jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter once said, "The word 'jazz' means to me 'I dare you. Let's jump into the unknown!'" On this episode, Greg sits down with chairperson and CEO of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Bruce C. Cozadd as the first in a series of conversations with epilepsy innovators, including heads of pharmaceutical companies and charity organizations. Bruce, having a musical background as a master pianist, relates the improvisation, structure, and cooperation of jazz performance to the corporate development of new medication and therapies for patients in need.

They discuss taking risks, the transparency that is needed for a company in pharmaceuticals, and the importance of community and advocacy. Whether you have epilepsy or another condition, or you are a caregiver of somebody who does, it might feel like jumping into the unknown, but companies like Jazz will be there along the way.

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals