Karra Eloff on Maintaining Joyful Relationships in Spite of Chronic Illness or Chronic Pain

Karra Eloff wants to help individuals living with chronic pain or chronic illness maintain joyful relationships. She is the author of The Chronic Pain Couple: How To Be a Joyful Partner & Have a Remarkable Relationship in Spite of Chronic Pain. Her book is the result of years of research, Read more…

Living with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH)

Michelle is unsure when her journey with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) began. She started experiencing chronic migraines and pulsatile tinnitus in her 20s, which may have been the first sign. However, a freak accident in which a man fell from a theater balcony onto Michelle in 2017 intensified her symptoms, Read more…

Lupus Nephritis Inspired Marimee Toya Jules to Found the Village Tree Health Support Network

In her early 20s, Marimee (who goes by Toya) was diagnosed with lupus nephritis. This is a complication found in people with systemic lupus, in which lupus autoantibodies damage the kidneys, causing impaired function or even kidney failure. At first, Toya was horrified to discover she had this disease, being Read more…

Pancreatitis, Small Fiber Neuropathy, MCAS, Sjogren’s and More: Jo’s Health Journey So Far

In 2017, Jo began experiencing intense pain under her rib cage that traveled to her back, as if she was being impaled. She had complained of various pains throughout her life that doctors always brushed off, so at first she had no desire to seek professional help. But after two Read more…

Living with Multiple Autoimmune Diseases

According to the National Library of Medicine, about 25 percent of patients with an autoimmune disease will develop additional autoimmune diseases. That is definitely true of this week’s podcast guest, Vicky. Her first diagnosis of autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis came during high school, and she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome a Read more…

Living with Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Joey Torre lives with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a painful, chronic skin condition that affects up to 2% of the population. The disease causes the formation of bumps, lesions, or boils in sweat gland areas, such as the armpits and groin. Joey also experiences extreme fatigue, which can sometimes accompany HS, Read more…

After Cavernous Malformation Surgery on Her Brain, Christina Developed Hypertrophic Olivary Degeneration

When Christina turned 40 she suddenly started having migraines every day. She was going to work as an accountant dealing with spreadsheets and math, while splitting headaches turned each day into relentless agony. After a month of this pain she finally went to see her doctor, who ordered an MRI. Read more…

Author Alexis Kline Discusses Her Chronic Illness and How It Informed Her Latest Book

As a child, Alexis Kline hoped to one day be a professional soccer player. That all changed at 12 years old during soccer tryouts when Alexis started feeling so weak and sore that she needed to visit the doctor. Her soccer dreams were dashed when she was diagnosed with dysautonomia, Read more…

Years After Being Propped Up as a Bipolar Success Story, Genevieve Questions the Messaging She Was Directed To Share

As a senior in high school, Genevieve won an essay contest writing about the changes she’d like to see with the stigma surrounding bipolar disorder. This brought her to the attention of a foundation aimed at raising bipolar awareness, and at 19 years old she began touring with a state Read more…

Crohn’s Disease and Deep Vein Thrombosis Inspired Douglas To Become a Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Sex Therapist

Throughout his life, Douglas had been plagued by random episodes of fever, but they usually passed on their own and he was able to mostly ignore them. That all changed in his late 20s, when a particularly horrible fever took him to the emergency room. Doctors discovered an infection from Read more…