We're talking today about timelines and the breaking, bending, resetting, and releasing of goals or objectives that are bullshit in the face of what we're dealing with.

Caitlin is almost a year post-surgery and finishing up her MPH and is ready for change but not sure if her body can handle. Steph is trying out a new infusion for her MG and balancing expectations on symptom alleviation.  Join us as we discuss when the rigidity has to go and how we can more deeply love ourselves exactly where we are.

Remember that we never walk this journey alone. Helpful numbers if you or someone you love finds themself in need quickly:

988- suicide and crisis hotline
741 741 - crisis text hotline
911- medical emergencies

Remember that we never walk this journey alone. Helpful numbers if you or someone you love finds themself in need quickly:

988- suicide and crisis hotline
741 741 - crisis text hotline
911- medical emergencies

From identifying as "having" chronic pain to "recovering" from chronic pain, Caitlin shares her inner and outer journey around reframing and moving through elements of her pain and the strong mind-body connection many aspects contain.

She also shares information on chronic pain and pain reprocessing therapy, a mind-body intervention that focuses on rewiring neural pathways to eliminate neuroplastic chronic pain.

Remember that we never walk this journey alone. Helpful numbers if you or someone you love finds themself in need quickly:

988- suicide and crisis hotline
741 741 - crisis text hotline
911- medical emergencies

In this episode, Caitlin shares two frameworks that are helpful for discernment, prioritization, and doing some spring cleaning of the self that she uses with herself and clients. Hope you find it supportive to you if it resonates:)

More information on the Wellness Wheel: https://www.unh.edu/health/wellbeing-wheel

More information on Stones, Pebbles, and Sand: https://www.thebusyllama.com/rocks-pebbles-sand/

Remember that we never walk this journey alone. Helpful numbers if you or someone you love finds themself in need quickly:

988- suicide and crisis hotline
741 741 - crisis text hotline
911- medical emergencies

“The best analogy is that a two-hour operation is about as hard on your body as running a 5-kilometer race as fast as you can go. If you were going to do a 5K, you would train for it. It also makes sense that our patients should train for surgery." 
- Michael Englesbe, MD

In today's episode, Caitlin and Steph chat about surgery. Caitlin has had two back surgeries and Steph is preparing for a thymectomy. Preparation for surgery is something we don't always think about. Often times, we don't realize the impact we can have on surgical and post-surgical outcomes. Diet, routine, meditation, and creating a network of support are all important elements of healing post-surgery. Listen in for more! 

References:

https://www.aamc.org/news/want-better-surgical-results-get-patients-step

https://www.premierhealth.com/your-health/articles/health-topics/before-surgery-five-important-ways-to-prepare

Remember that we never walk this journey alone. Helpful numbers if you or someone you love finds themself in need quickly:

988- suicide and crisis hotline
741 741 - crisis text hotline
911- medical emergencies

In this episode, Caitlin and Steph explore when you know it is the right time to go for a second and, even, third opinion. Finding the "right treatment" is not linear - often times it takes a team bringing different perspectives/approaches to the table. Our hope is that you walk away from this episode with helpful questions and tools to explore what might be next for you on your journey to healing. 

References:

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/second-opinions#:~:text=%E2%80%9CPatients%20should%20seek%20another%20opinion,treatment%20options%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20says.

https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/how-to-get-a-second-opinion/

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Essentials of Diagnosis and Management - Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Getting a Second Opinion for Myasthenia Gravis (myasthenia-gravis.com)

Remember that we never walk this journey alone. Helpful numbers if you or someone you love finds themself in need quickly:

988- suicide and crisis hotline
741 741 - crisis text hotline
911- medical emergencies

In today’s episode, Steph offers a quick update about her recent visit to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She shares what the experience was like, the new diagnosis they discovered, and what life in the near future looks like. 

Remember that we never walk this journey alone. Helpful numbers if you or someone you love finds themself in need quickly:

988- suicide and crisis hotline
741 741 - crisis text hotline
911- medical emergencies

Stephanie and Caitlin are together in person!

 In this episode, they discuss how their pain and disability have given them the freedom to explore their creative expression, introspection, and shifted their relationships to a place that is ultimately freeing. 

In what ways are you reshaping your life and finding freedom alongside your own life changes?

Remember that we never walk this journey alone. Helpful numbers if you or someone you love finds themself in need quickly:

988- suicide and crisis hotline
741 741 - crisis text hotline
911- medical emergencies

Caitlin and Stephanie welcome their very first guest, Stephanie's husband Marselys Lucero!

Mars shares with us about his history of partnership with Stephanie, growing together through Steph's MG diagnosis, and the challenges, difficulties, and beauty that comes from being a caregiver and a spouse. Mars also shares about the best ways to care for caregivers and how to be present to your loved ones in their new reality.

If you're a caregiver, know a caregiver, or want to just hear their beautiful love story tbh, this episode is for you!

Remember that we never walk this journey alone. Helpful numbers if you or someone you love finds themself in need quickly:

988- suicide and crisis hotline
741 741 - crisis text hotline
911- medical emergencies

Snowball, a 12 year old pup, is joining Steph's journey with MG. Hear about how Steph came to the decision and why they say "never say never." Thank you to AMA Animal Rescue in Brooklyn, NY for a wonderful adoption experience. We would do it all over again! 

Remember that we never walk this journey alone. Helpful numbers if you or someone you love finds themself in need quickly:

988- suicide and crisis hotline
741 741 - crisis text hotline
911- medical emergencies

When back pain leads to back surgeries and long term debilitating pain and anxiety leads to missing out on your authentic self, diving deeper into the why behind it all became an urgent exploration for Caitlin. In this episode, she shares about the complicated and diverse nature in which people encounter chronic pain, and elaborates on her experience with chronic pain and anxiety across her life. 

TW: Eating disorders


Sources:

Aroke, E. N., Joseph, P. V., Roy, A., Overstreet, D. S., Tollefsbol, T. O., Vance, D. E., & Goodin, B. R. (2019).

Could epigenetics help explain racial disparities in chronic pain?

New Fact Sheets Show Growing Racial Disparities in Canada | OCASI. (n.d.). https://ocasi.org/new-fact-sheets-show-growing-racial-disparities-canada

Overstreet, D. S., Pester, B. D., Wilson, J. M., Flowers, K. M., Kline, N. K., & Meints, S. M. (2022). The Experience of BIPOC Living with Chronic Pain in the USA: Biopsychosocial Factors that Underlie Racial Disparities in Pain Outcomes, Comorbidities, Inequities, and Barriers to Treatment. Current Pain and Headache Reports, 27(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-022-01098-8

Socioeconomic status and occurrence of chronic pain: a meta-analysis. Rheumatology, 60(3), 1091–1105. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keaa758

What are Anxiety Disorders? (n.d.). https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders#:~:text=Anxiety%20is%20a%20normal%20reaction,involve%20excessive%20fear%20or%20anxiety.

Remember that we never walk this journey alone. Helpful numbers if you or someone you love finds themself in need quickly:

988- suicide and crisis hotline
741 741 - crisis text hotline
911- medical emergencies