"Talk About It!" with Greg Grunberg

Cathryn Dylan Ortiz — Emmy-hopeful for her role as Brenda Azurmendi on The Pitt — is also a caregiver in real life: her husband lives with epilepsy.

In Part 2 of her conversation with Greg Grunberg, two caregivers compare notes on the parts of this that rarely get talked about — guilt, marriage, and the guesswork of lloving someone whose condition you can't control.

Greg cares for his adult son Jake, who lives with epilepsy. Cathryn cares for her husband. In this episode they talk about why caregivers blame themselves even when they've done everything right, how to keep a relationship from splintering under stress, why the small stuff (a seizure-free morning) is worth celebrating like a milestone, and the specific, unglamorous self-care that actually works for them — including why neither of them go to a doctor's appointment alone anymore.

Cathryn also shares how a chance conversation led her to the Epilepsy Foundation Los Angeles board, and why she's chairing next year's Epilepsy Walk.

Haven't seen Part 1? Start there — • The Pitt's Cathryn Dylan Ortiz on Real Epi... — for the rest of Cathryn's story, including her path to The Pitt.

Cathryn Dylan Ortiz got the audition of a lifetime for HBO Max's The Pitt while she was in a hospital room with her husband, who was mid-seizure. Weeks later, she played a mother living through her own son's medical crisis on screen.

In this Part 1 conversation, Cathryn sits down with Greg Grunberg to talk about building a career while carrying a caregiver's daily reality — the protocol she's built for her husband's seizures, the guilt that shows up even when she does everything right, and a discovery about a medication interaction that changed how her family thinks about safety.

Part 2, with more of your questions and Greg's, is coming soon.

If you're newly diagnosed, newly caregiving, or this episode finds you at a hard moment: you are not the only one, and there are people who do this work for a living.

Zeke Shapiro was diagnosed with epilepsy at 14 — and today he's a TV news anchor and reporter. He sits down with Greg Grunberg to talk about disclosing epilepsy at work, the seizure that happened in his newsroom, and the team that made sure it never stopped him from doing the job he loves.

In this episode of Talk About It with Greg Grunberg, Zeke shares his epilepsy journey — from a diagnosis that came out of nowhere, to chasing a career in journalism, to moving solo to Quincy, Illinois for his first job in the news.

Along the way he and Greg talk about what it really looks like when a workplace shows up for someone living with epilepsy, and why being open about it can make all the difference.

If you or someone you love is living with epilepsy, you're not alone. Talk about it.

He's not going the wrong way, he's just going HIS way! In this episode of Talk About It, Greg sits down in studio with Loren Zitomersky - A.K.A. the "Backwards Guy." Loren has gained a ton of publicity over the years for attempting to break the world record for fastest marathon run backwards, and he does it all in the name of raising awareness for epilepsy!

Before he was born, Loren's dad had a son who tragically died due to SUDEP, so he has devoted his athletic life to his brother's memory. Collectively, he has done over 80 interviews or televised segments with Inside Edition, the Boston Globe, Runner's World, the Associated Press, as well as various local and international news outlets, and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for epilepsy research!

In addition to being Backwards Guy, he also runs a very popular social media channel called The Legal Beef. From his exdperience as a corporate lawyer, Loren is now harnessing his knowledge and expertise to provide the public with legal breakdowns and advice from viral social media clips. Naturally, his passion for epilepsy advocacy was eventually going to find its way into this venture, so we are so excited to be partnering with Loren on a series of short videos he produces for Talk About It on caregivers and epilepsy-related legal questions! Go to our website at TalkAboutIt.org to find those short clips.

Know your rights, and also know that when you feel like you are going backwards sometimes, you're still moving forwards in the big picture.

Talk About It with Greg Grunberg is excited to be sponsored by Neurelis and by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

She sings! She acts! She hosts the epilepsy walk! She is a WARRIOR!

This week on Talk About It, Greg sits down with a guest who is SO overdue for an interview that we can't believe she hasn't been on yet! Audrey Kaller is a singer and an actress who is racking up quite an impressive stretch in her young career with a brand new single, "Mood Swing Lover" coming out alongside a great performance on ABC's The Rookie debuting this weekend. What is most impressive, though, is that she is relentless in talking openly about her epilepsy diagnosis, and advocating everywhere she goes for seizure first aid and awareness.

Audrey recalls her journey with epilepsy from the age of 13, when she had her first grand mal seizure at her friend's bat mitzvah, and into college when her sorority sisters abandoned her on the front lawn during an episode where she was having multiple seizures that risked her life.

Additionally, we hear her brand new single in FULL, and Greg recaps the incredible Walk for Epilepsy that just happened at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, hosted by Audrey! Team Talk About It! was out there and we hear from an inspiring young couple whose infant son was diagnosed with epilepsy.

This is a packed episode, and you don't want to miss a minute of it!

Talk About It with Greg Grunberg is excited to be sponsored by Neurelis and by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

When life is leaving you with so many questions, especially when you are dealing with an epilepsy diagnosis, sometimes it is good to hear some answers from someone with experience. Good thing we have our in-house expert, Greg Grunberg, to answer the call!

Welcome to the final chapter of our two-part series in which Greg answers the top 20 questions that have come from the epilepsy community. While he says he might not have all the answers, he speaks from his heart after nearly 30 years of being a caregiver to his son with epilepsy, and he is here to assure you that it is going to be okay. We don't know what version of okay that might look like, but it certainly be okay. It is not wrong to ask questions, or be frustrated, or have the feeling that you want to give up. The best thing to do when that happens is to... you guessed it... talk about it!

In this part 2, Greg takes on questions about making jokes about epilepsy, what to do about treatment not working, SUDEP, protecting a child with epilepsy vs letting them make mistakes or risk danger, and so much more. This is real stuff, these are real feelings, and Greg has the real answers.

We would love to hear your perspective. If you have ideas, or agreements, even disagreements with Greg, let us know! Comment, share, and let's keep the conversation going. The first step is ALWAYS to talk about it!

Talk About It with Greg Grunberg is excited to be sponsored by Neurelis and by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Get ready to Talk About It! Or in Greg's case, answer about it!

In this two-part series, Greg takes on your 20 most-asked questions and responds from the heart, giving authentic insight from an epilepsy advocate and caregiver. In this part 1, we cover some of the heavy questions that weigh on patients and caregivers, from "why me?" to "what can I do about caregiver burnout?" Social isolation, disagreements among parent caregivers, driving safety, refusal to take meds - these are all things that patients and caregivers have to confront head-on, and Greg is here to provide a steady voice in the conversation for you.

We always say on this show, "everybody has something" and remind you that epilepsy doesn't define your life. But that doesn't mean that these questions aren't coming from real emotions and frustrations, or that it is wrong to ask altogether. The first step in finding answers, or at least dealing with the emotions behind the questions, is to talk to other people about it. Greg might not have all the answers, but he certainly speaks from his heart. Give this episode a listen and let us know if you agree or disagree - even disagreements lead to talking about it!

Talk About It with Greg Grunberg is excited to be sponsored by Neurelis and by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

We here at Talk About It are so excited about our expansion into helping raise awareness for conditions that are related to epilepsy. One of the conditions at the top of our list is autism spectrum disorder. Did you know that approximately 25-30% of children with ASD will develop epilepsy in their lifetime? But not only are these conditions medically correlated, they also share similarities when it comes to bullying, stigma, job prospects, dating, and everyday life experience. That means, of course, we need to TALK ABOUT IT!

Greg sits down in studio with his good friend Holly Robinson Peete, an actress who has lit up our screen since her breakout role in 21 Jump Street in 1987 and has gone on to star in so many of our favorite movies and shows. Together with her husband, former NFL quarterback and Heisman trophy candidate Rodney Peete, they started the HollyRod Foundation to help families battling a Parkinson's diagnosis, but expanded into autism after their eldest son RJ, a twin, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The foundation helps to provide medical, financial, and emotional support for families affected by these conditions.

With the guidance and support of his amazing parents, RJ has defied the odds to overcome all of the "nevers" - never saying he loves them, never getting a quality education, never being able to socialize, never being able to hold a job - a stigma that still plagues families dealing with this disorder, and increasingly being mainstreamed by people in power. RJ now is a clubhouse attendant for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and an integral part of their team's family dynamic. Holly and Greg discuss his role on the team, the bullying that their family went through, dating on the spectrum, and the importance of job placement for those with spectrum disorders.

This is such a heartwarming episode and you will learn so much! Don't miss it!

Talk About It with Greg Grunberg is excited to be sponsored by Neurelis and by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Sit...

Stay...

Talk about it! This incredible episode is all about our very best friends, and the most adorable heroes of the epilepsy community, dogs! Greg chats with Katie Gonzalez, founder of Little Angels Service Dogs. LASD is a nonprofit that trains incredible canine candidates and passes the graduates on to families in need of a service dog for so many medical conditions, from seizure alert to autism help, mobility assistance, diabetes, stress and anxiety disorders, and so many more.

In this part 1 (part 2 is coming soon where Greg will go to the center and see the training in action), they talk about the dogs' incredible ability to detect an oncoming seizure by smelling chemical changes in a person's body. Katie has not only dedicated her life to training these incredible animals, but also to the science behind these chemical changes and how dogs can detect it. She even wrote the book - literally - on training your service dog based on this research!

Plus, Greg asks general questions about best practices when it comes to our good boys and good girls, and Greg and Nick battle over who has the cuter dog.

Do not miss this episode, otherwise you won't get your treat!

Talk About It with Greg Grunberg is excited to be sponsored by Neurelis and by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Happy New Year from all of us at Talk About It!

In this special to kick off the new year, Greg and Nick take a look back at some of the best moments that sparked conversation in 2025 and reflect on what could be learned from them. It was incredibly difficult to narrow down our top moments, since every guest brings such engaging and valuable conversations when talking about their epilepsy journey or their insight into various aspects of being a caregiver or living with epilepsy, but we did our best! As you watch or listen, be sure to go back and watch the full episode on talkaboutit.org, because we really are only skimming the surface of hours of incredible conversation. You did such a great job last year - keep up the great work with journaling, taking medication, getting good sleep and sustaining a good diet and exercise routine, and as always... keep TALKING ABOUT IT!

These are some of the moments that we break down in this year-in-review:

Epilepsy for Dummies - Elizabeth A. Thiele, MD, PhD, and Lauren Seeley Aguirre distill the entire world of epilepsy - from diagnosis, to treatment, to stigma and the challenges that arise - into one comprehensive book. This episode was incredibly popular, so we naturally had to cover it first!

Tony Coelho shares his story of passing the ADA - Former House Representative Tony Coelho goes through his story of incredible persistence as he navigated the difficult hurdles of Congress and administrative pushback to get President George H.W. Bush to sign the ADA into law. He then kept up his spirits to keep battling after the Supreme Court rolled back much of what he fought for, and successfully got President George W. Bush to amend the legislation with a new bill in his favor. As a bonus, we also see Tony Coelho tell his story of standing up for what he believed is right... to the POPE!

Sunflower Syndrome - Cal volleyball player Peyton DeJardin and Young Adults With Epilepsy member Abigayle Weitl each shared a story of their epilepsy journey in different episodes with incredibly similar details. Both were misdiagnosed as having a tick disorder when they were young due to an unconscious behavior of waving their fingers in front of their eyes when looking at the sun to trigger a seizure, and then both developed Jeavons syndrome as adults. We often say on this show that you'll never find a mirror, but if you search for your community, they are out there - no matter how rare your condition.

Conversations with your Care Team - Dr. Janet Greenwood and Dr. Barry Gidal each joined the podcast this year to answer questions for experts, and they both had great insight into the importance of being open and honest with your healthcare team and the importance of them being open and honest back. Self advocacy is so important, so be sure to keep a journal and write down questions ahead of time so that you make your doctor visits more efficient, and then take notes while in that meeting! Additionally, Dr. Gidal talks about the importance of checking your prescription before leaving the pharmacy to make sure it looks the same.

Social Influencing - We see Jaime Simpson and Stanzi Potenza each talking about their social media profiles, and sharing the importance of using your platform to raise awareness about epilepsy. Let this be an inspiration for you to use whatever tools you have - it doesn't have to be social media - to advocate for others and share your story. Communities are so important in the world of epilepsy, so build yours with the thing you love to do!

Alan Faneca - In Nick's personal favorite episode, former Pittsburgh Steeler and NFL Hall of Fame Inductee Alan Faneca joined the show to talk about his epilepsy journey, and being the dad of a daughter with epilepsy, as well. Speaking of using platforms for advocacy, Alan even included his epilepsy diagnosis in his Hall of Fame Induction speech to inspire others not to give up in the face of adversity.

And finally, we hear from Dr. Barry Gidal once more to hear about the positive future for epilepsy research.

Be inspired! Use your voice! Go into this year Talking About It and building our community!

Talk About It with Greg Grunberg is excited to be sponsored by Neurelis and by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.