You have a diagnosis and you're learning to manage daily life. What comes next? In the final episode of this series of The Sjö (pronounced "show"), host Shilpa Venkatachalam of the Global Healthy Living Foundation talks again with Dr. Dana DiRenzo, rheumatologist at Penn Medicine and member of the Penn Sjögren's Center, and patient advocate Melissa Taylor, known as Autoimmune Auntie. Together, they talk about how to take charge of your care.

Dr. DiRenzo describes what a good Sjögren's care team looks like. Melissa shares how she "interviews" her doctors, why she treats appointments like a meeting, and how she learned which symptoms are worth tracking.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Who belongs on your Sjögren's care team, and the role your rheumatologist plays• How to make the most of a short appointment by bringing your top 2–3 concerns, filling out symptom questionnaires, and sharing recent lab results• Where to find reliable information about Sjögren’s disease• What's happening in Sjögren's research and clinical trials, and why there's real reason for hope

Wherever you are in your journey, this episode will help you find the right partners, speak up for yourself, and know where to go from here.

Get ready for your next appointment with our free guide, "Tips for Talking with Your Doctor about Sjögren's"
Track your symptoms between appointments with PatientSpot

Find more Sjögren's resources at https://CreakyJoints.org/Sjogrens

The Sjö song was created with the assistance of Suno AI.

This podcast was made possible with support from Novartis. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.

A podcast series produced by Amelia Violet Prouse.

We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself, to podcasts@ghlf.org

You have a diagnosis and you're learning to manage daily life. What comes next? In the final episode of this series of The Sj&ouml; (pronounced "show"), host Shilpa Venkatachalam of the Global Healthy Living Foundation talks again with Dr. Dana DiRenzo, rheumatologist at Penn Medicine and member of the Penn Sj&ouml;gren's Center, and patient advocate Melissa Taylor, known as Autoimmune Auntie. Together, they talk about how to take charge of your care.
Dr. DiRenzo describes what a good Sj&ouml;gren's care team looks like. Melissa shares how she "interviews" her doctors, why she treats appointments like a meeting, and how she learned which symptoms are worth tracking.
In this episode, you'll learn:
&bull; Who belongs on your Sj&ouml;gren's care team, and the role your rheumatologist plays&bull; How to make the most of a short appointment by bringing your top 2&ndash;3 concerns, filling out symptom questionnaires, and sharing recent lab results&bull; Where to find reliable information about Sj&ouml;gren&rsquo;s disease&bull; What's happening in Sj&ouml;gren's research and clinical trials, and why there's real reason for hope
Wherever you are in your journey, this episode will help you find the right partners, speak up for yourself, and know where to go from here.
Get ready for your next appointment with our free guide, <a href="https://creakyjoints.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Sjogrens-Tips-Tools-Talking-Points-final.pdf">"Tips for Talking with Your Doctor about Sj&ouml;gren's"</a> Track your symptoms between appointments with <a href="https://patientspot.org/">PatientSpot</a>
Find more Sj&ouml;gren's resources at <a href="https://creakyjoints.org/Sjogrens">https://CreakyJoints.org/Sjogrens</a>
The Sj&ouml; song was created with the assistance of Suno AI.
This podcast was made possible with support from Novartis. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.
A podcast series produced by Amelia Violet Prouse.
We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself, to <a href="mailto:podcasts@ghlf.org">podcasts@ghlf.org</a>

The Sjö (pronounced "show") is a podcast from the Global Healthy Living Foundation and CreakyJoints for anyone living with, caring for, or trying to understand Sjögren's disease. Host Shilpa Venkatachalam talks with rheumatologists Dr. Priya Reddy and Dr. Dana DiRenzo and patient advocate Melissa Taylor, known as Autoimmune Auntie. Together, they share the medical facts and the real-life experience of living with Sjögren's. Each episode answers a question many patients ask, with practical tips you can use right away.

Made possible with support from Novartis. For educational purposes only; not medical advice. 

The Sj&ouml; (pronounced "show") is a podcast from the Global Healthy Living Foundation and CreakyJoints for anyone living with, caring for, or trying to understand Sj&ouml;gren's disease. Host Shilpa Venkatachalam talks with rheumatologists Dr. Priya Reddy and Dr. Dana DiRenzo and patient advocate Melissa Taylor, known as Autoimmune Auntie. Together, they share the medical facts and the real-life experience of living with Sj&ouml;gren's. Each episode answers a question many patients ask, with practical tips you can use right away.
Made possible with support from Novartis. For educational purposes only; not medical advice.&nbsp;

The Sjö

The Sjö (pronounced "show") is a podcast from the Global Healthy Living Foundation and CreakyJoints for anyone living with, caring for, or trying to understand Sjögren's disease. Host Shilpa Venkatachalam talks with rheumatologists Dr. Priya Reddy and Dr. Dana DiRenzo and patient advocate Melissa Taylor, known as Autoimmune Auntie. Together, they share the medical facts and the real-life experience of living with Sjögren's. Each episode answers a question many patients ask, with practical tips you can use right away. 

Find more Sjögren's resources at https://CreakyJoints.org/Sjogrens  

The Sjö song was created with the assistance of Suno AI. 

Made possible with support from Novartis. For educational purposes only; not medical advice. 

The Sj&ouml; (pronounced "show") is a podcast from the Global Healthy Living Foundation and CreakyJoints for anyone living with, caring for, or trying to understand Sj&ouml;gren's disease. Host Shilpa Venkatachalam talks with rheumatologists Dr. Priya Reddy and Dr. Dana DiRenzo and patient advocate Melissa Taylor, known as Autoimmune Auntie. Together, they share the medical facts and the real-life experience of living with Sj&ouml;gren's. Each episode answers a question many patients ask, with practical tips you can use right away.&nbsp;
Find more Sj&ouml;gren's resources at <a href="https://creakyjoints.org/Sjogrens">https://CreakyJoints.org/Sjogrens</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
The Sj&ouml; song was created with the assistance of Suno AI.&nbsp;
Made possible with support from Novartis. For educational purposes only; not medical advice.&nbsp;