The Montel/Oprah M.S. Misfire
Written by Ann Pietrangelo on April 8th, 2009 in Emotional Issues, In The News, Linked Articles, Symptoms.
I admit it — I don’t watch Oprah. But so many people told me about Montel Williams’ March 17 appearance on her show that I had to get my hands on a copy. I heard it was an extremely powerful piece about multiple sclerosis.
Immediately, I was startled by Montel’s outpouring of raw emotion as he spoke of his MS progression. Repeatedly breaking down in tears, the former marine and all-around tough guy described his road to diagnosis, battle with depression, suicide attempt, and chronic pain. At times I completely forgot that I live with the same disease, so drawn in was I by his circumstances and brutal honesty.
Weeks later, still haunted by the segment, I decided to write about it. My intention was to point out the most unusual and intense way in which MS was portrayed — highlighting one man’s reality with this disease.
I also wanted to point out a few factual errors. Oprah didn’t seem to have much knowledge about MS, nor did she take charge of the interview. The doctor who appeared on the same show made some odd statements that truly demand clarification. A follow-up show with an MS specialist is definitely called for.
But a funny thing happened on my way to writing that article. I became completely sidetracked by reading the comments on…
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