Celebrity Chef Michelle Bernstein- Dishes on Her Health Journey – Interview
Celebrity Chef Michelle Bernstein
Dishes on Her Health Journey with Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
Chef Michelle Bernstein is a fixture in the culinary world. She co-owns several restaurants while also managing her thriving catering business. She’s also won a James Beard award and appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef and Food Network’s Chopped, plus is the host of two PBS TV shows.
But when Michelle started experiencing swelling, stiffness, and pain in her joints, her life changed.
It started in 2018, when Michelle first noticed stiffness when she woke up. Over time, it got progressively worse. She needed help getting out of bed. At work or in her kitchen at home, she had trouble lifting pans out of the oven. She couldn’t even grab items with a spoon or tongs—tools that are extensions of a chef’s hand.
Chef Michelle worked hard for many years to build a career doing what she loves. She was terrified of losing what she worked so hard for, so she kept her pain and struggles private. She would come up with excuses in the kitchen to cover up her symptoms, like saying she was busy writing a new recipe, so she asked others to help with tasks she would normally do herself, such as taking a sheet pan out of the oven. At the time, she wasn’t sure who to talk to or what to do.
Chef Michelle visited many doctors before eventually getting the correct diagnosis
of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a chronic, inflammatory disease of the joints and where tendons and ligaments connect to the bone, which can cause joint pain and stiffness. Her rheumatologist explained the benefits and risks of treatment options and prescribed Cosentyx® (secukinumab), a treatment that helped her.
Now that she’s learned more about PsA and found relief from the multiple symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, she wants to give back by sharing her story through the PsAvor Life campaign.
She wants to let others know about the toll this disease can take on people, and how working with a doctor might help them find a treatment that is right for them. She will also explain the importance of why patients need to advocate for themselves with their healthcare providers to ensure they can get the help they need.
Join me in a recent interview with Chef Michelle
as she talks about her diagnosis and experience with PsA while encouraging others to advocate for the best care for themselves and also Dr. Carlos Sesin, Chef Michelle’s doctor, who outlines the symptoms and ways of managing the condition.
See the entire interview here: Celebrity Chef Psoriatic Arthritis – MichiganMamaNews – YouTube
For more information: SavorLifeWithPsA.com
Bios:
CHEF MICHELLE BERNSTEIN – AWARD-WINNING CHEF
Award-winning Chef Michelle Bernstein has a career as vibrant as her cuisine. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, the successful chef, businesswoman, author, and TV host is known for creating award-winning food inspired by her Jewish and Latinx heritage.
In partnership with her husband, David Martinez, the James Beard award-winning Chef Michelle owns and operates a catering business, Michelle Bernstein Catering, and owns several restaurants in Miami, including Café La Trova and La Cañita.
In addition to managing her businesses, Chef Michelle also hosts several television shows, Check Please! South Florida (PBS) and SoFlo Taste (WLPG Channel 10 Miami), and has been featured on Top Chef and Chopped.
DR. CARLOS SESIN – RHEUMATOLOGIST
Carlos Sesin, M.D., is a rheumatologist serving as Chief of the Division of Arthritis and Rheumatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida. With nearly 25 years of medical experience, Dr.
Sesin specializes in rheumatic diseases such as psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. He is skilled in performing joint aspirations and joint injections, and utilizing intravenous therapy to manage the various conditions he treats.
In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Sesin serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Sesin is a graduate of the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He completed his residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and a fellowship in rheumatology at New York University’s Hospital for Joint Diseases.
*Interview courtesy of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
**Photo courtesy of Chef Michelle Bernstein
