Unpacking the Rage of 15 Years Living with Chronic Pain

MaKenzie has received a slew of chronic pain and chronic illness diagnoses over the years, including Chiari malformation, lupus, Sjogren’s disease and Hashimoto’s syndrome, but she isn’t focused on her diagnoses. She’s focused on managing the daily impact of her symptoms and the emotional toll this journey has taken. She Read more…

Living with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)

For Meresa, one of the hardest parts of living with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is the daily uncertainty. She says, “It’s still such an everyday variable disease. It really sucks a lot of the time. It’s really painful. People don’t understand what it is, they don’t always understand what Read more…

Jesse Mercury on Starting the Major Pain Podcast and Seeking a Diagnosis for Mystery Illness

This week on the Major Pain podcast, our host Jesse is interviewed for a change! This interview is taken from a recent rheumatoid arthritis summit hosted by Andrea Dunn. She asks Jesse what inspired him to create the Major Pain podcast, inquires about his health journey and recent diagnosis of Read more…

Isobel’s Chronic Illness Chronicle: POTS, SFN, ME/CFS and More

Every time Isobel has a medical test done, she has her fingers crossed that something will come back abnormal. She has been living with flare-ups on and off throughout her life, starting after a severe viral infection when she was 9 years old. Her symptoms include extreme fatigue, dizziness, brain Read more…

The Link Between Head Trauma and Central Diabetes Insipidus

In 2005 Tracey was in a car crash that completely changed her life. She immediately developed slurred speech and an ice-pick headache right through the center of her brain. At the emergency room she was diagnosed with a concussion and sent home, but things only got worse from there. She Read more…

FND or MS? Elly’s Battle for a Diagnosis After Child Loss

Functional neurological disorder (FND) is usually diagnosed when an individual has neurological symptoms but no clinical evidence of disease, and a history of personal trauma. The theory is that the brain converts stress or trauma into physical symptoms, and the treatment involves cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aimed at rewiring the Read more…

From Antichrist to Advocate: Daniel’s Journey with Schizophrenia

When Daniel was 17 years old he began to believe that he was a potential vessel for the Antichrist. Believing he was one of millions of potential vessels, he thought it was his responsibility to chose whether or not he should accept this role and allow his body to be Read more…

Jesse Has a Diagnosis!

Jesse finally has a name for his mystery illness, as he was recently diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). Andi joins him for a discussion on how this diagnosis came to be. They also discuss the progress on Jesse’s small fiber neuropathy examination, disability hearing and first experience having Read more…

An Experimental Cocktail Helped Rohan Recover From Long COVID

Rohan contracted COVID-19 right at the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020. A few weeks later he suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA) also called a ministroke as a result of his infection. Although he recovered from the TIA, COVID was another story. His situation deteriorated into long Read more…

How Rick Olderman’s Chronic Pain Journey Informed His Physical Therapy Career

Rick Olderman is a sports and orthopedic physical therapist with over 25 years experience. He is the author of Solving the Pain Puzzle: Cases from 25 Years as a Physical Therapist as well as the Fixing You® series of books to help people with chronic pain or recurring injuries. He Read more…