There’s no Q&A feature today . . . Read below to find out why!

Here’s to 21! -Sarah Reid

I’ll be celebrating my 21st birthday in a couple of days! As much as I’d love to sit down and enjoy a slice of Paleo-friendly cake with my listeners, that’s just not possible.So, to make us all feel a little closer, today I’ll be answering the questions some of my Instagram friends have asked. 

Listen in to find out the answers to these questions: 

As promised, here’s a link to the wheelchair that I use. And the about me episode https://spotify.link/GTYNy5u6rDb

** If you have a burning question you want me to answer in a future episode, feel free to dm me on my Instagram @be_potsitive!

I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on Instagram @be_potsitive  And check out my chronic illness merch on Redbubble where you’ll find lots of cute items to make you smile and raise awareness for our community.

I’m a participant in Amazon’s Affiliate program so if you make a purchase from Amazon using one of my links, I’ll earn a small percantage for sending you their way. But don’t worry, it won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks for your support! 

Just a little update so that means no Q&A this week. If you have a question you want me to answer in a future episode send me a message on Instagram

“You don’t have to earn rest” - Sarah

Today's episode is just a quick update. I’m in the beginning stages of what could be a really bad flare if I don’t prioritize rest. Thank you guys so much for bearing with me while I try to take care of myself. I appreciate all your love and support! 

If you are listening in on Spotify, I hope you enjoy seeing the video in addition to listening to the regular audio. 

Thanks for listening!

I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on Instagram @be_potsitive  And check out my chronic illness merch on Redbubble and Zazzle where you’ll find lots of cute items to make you smile and raise awareness for our community.

Listen in for today’s answer from Instagram follower** @angie_the_artist_gallery asked “Are there warnings you get before you start to flare up? I either tend to ignore or not realize when I’m running low on spoons. It can be hard for me especially if I’m around people.”

“Acceptance isn’t giving up, it’s coming to peace with what you can’t control.” - Sarah Reid

Welcome back! Today I’m talking about thriving in spite of living with a chronic illness. I know it sounds impossible, and it’ll definitely look different than thriving in a healthy body, but it is possible. 

Some highlights and takeaways:

• Laugh hard rest harder 

• Don’t let fear keep you from using mobility aids or doing things differently that could help you. (Parents, if you’re listening: your kid isn’t giving up if they need a mobility aid!)

• Listen to your body and when you need to rest, but when you feel good thrive in that and don’t feel guilty 

• Don’t forget to be proud of yourself and give yourself grace.

• Shift your perspective when things are scary. Try to let gratitude overwhelm the scariness. 

• Find community 

** If you have a burning question you want me to answer in a future episode, feel free to dm me on my Instagram @be_potsitive!

Thanks for listening!

I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on Instagram @be_potsitive  And check out my chronic illness merch on Redbubble and Zazzle where you’ll find lots of cute items to make you smile and raise awareness for our community.

Today’s question, from Instagram follower @dunn.a1, is for our guest: “How has being friends with someone with a chronic illness shifted your perspective?”

Friends who understand and support you through health issues are hard to find but worth losing spoons for -Sarah Reid

Welcome back! I’m super excited about today’s episode because we have a very special guest - my best friend, Makayla! 

After a quick introduction, I’ll ask Makayla some pretty deep questions:

And more! 

But there’s always fun and laughter when we get together too!

** If you have a burning question you want me to answer in a future episode, feel free to dm me on my Instagram @be_potsitive!

Thanks for listening!

I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on Instagram @be_potsitive  And check out my chronic illness merch on Redbubble and Zazzle where you’ll find lots of cute items to make you smile and raise awareness for our community.

Listen in for today’s answer from Instagram follower @kendall.holbrooks: “Have you ever tracked your symptoms each day? If so, how? What worked best for you?”

"Being a Christian with chronic illness isn't about the need to fake a “perfect faith”; it’s about serving a perfect God who isn’t afraid of our emotions."

-Sarah Reid

Welcome back! In today’s episode, we're diving into something that's been on my heart for a while: the real deal about being a Christian with chronic illness. I’ll be sharing my own journey of faith and struggles - and what it's like when these two worlds collide. Get ready to hear about the pressure I’ve felt to be miraculously healed, the tough balance between waiting for a cure and living for today, and the nitty-gritty of what it means to keep the faith when things aren't all sunshine and rainbows.

Helpful takeaways: 

Battling Expectations: It’s hard battling health struggles every day with everyone telling you to “just have more faith and you'll be healed.” But guess what? Life isn't a magic show and God isn’t a genie in a bottle.  I'll chat about the weight of these expectations and how they can mess with your mind and heart.

Finding Joy in the Now: Let's not miss out on the small blessings, lessons, and moments that are happening right now, even in the midst of pain.

Faith Heroes with Real Struggles: I'll share some truths about some of the big names in the Bible—Jeremiah, David, and Elijah—who weren't immune to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. It's proof that having a tough time doesn't mean you're a faith failure.

Talk About It, Seriously: It's time to break the silence. Let's get real about the struggles we face as chronically ill believers. This episode isn't just about my confessions; it's about starting a conversation where we can all share, support, and grow without judgment. These hard-to-have conversations can also give healthy believers an inside look into the struggles we face.

If you’re a Christian with health issues this is your reminder that it’s ok to struggle! And your health issues aren’t from a lack of faith. What matters is WHO you go to when you are struggling. An Instagram friend once told me, “Being a Christian doesn’t mean that the hard things just stop. But it does mean that all of our sufferings are for a holy purpose!”

Also, it’s important to know that’s there nothing wrong with seeking out professional counseling or therapy if you’re battling anxiety, loneliness, or depression. 

** If you have a burning question you want me to answer in a future episode, feel free to dm me on my Instagram @be_potsitive!

Thanks for listening!

I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on Instagram @be_potsitive  And check out my chronic illness merch on Redbubble and Zazzle where you’ll find lots of cute items to make you smile and raise awareness for our community.

Listen in for today’s answer from an Anonymous Instagram follower**  “How do you handle the loneliness?”

Before we dive into the episode, I have some exciting news . . . 

I officially have chronic illness merch!! So far, there are a little over 50 designs in my store. There’s everything from stickers to blankets to hats and more for raising awareness, being encouraged, and bringing the chronic illness community together. 

Check it out here: Be Potsitive Merch

On to the show notes . . . 

So, today’s episode is, again, a little deep. But I really want to cover some things that are heavy in this safe space. The confessions I share here are my own, but I’ve heard from many of my followers and friends that they feel the same way. 

Here are my confessions:

I don’t really have any specific takeaways from this episode. For those outside of the chronic illness community, I hope this helps you understand a little more about our struggles. And I hope my chronic illness friends feel more understood and less alone because that’s what this podcast is all about. 

Shoutout of the day goes to my chronic illness merch! I’ve had so much fun creating the designs. My parents even came up with some of the ideas.  

** If you have a burning question you want me to answer in a future episode, feel free to dm me on my Instagram @be_potsitive!

Thanks for listening!

I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on Instagram @be_potsitive  And check out my chronic illness merch on Redbubble and Zazzle where you’ll find lots of cute items to make you smile and raise awareness for our community.

Listen in for today’s answer from Instagram follower** @richlydwelling… “How to help loved ones understand that you can’t do the same things they can.” 

”We’re not faking to get attention, and we’re not lying to get attention. For most of us, there are so many things we want to do, but we can’t. So just have love and grace for those of us who have health issues. We already struggle with wishing we had a healthy body and are doing everything we can to feel better.” - Sarah Reid

Today’s episode is all about helping our friends and family understand what it’s like for those of us dealing with dynamic disabilities. In past episodes, we’ve talked about what it’s like living with a dynamic disability, so while some of the things mentioned today will sound familiar, the focus will be a little different. 

Helpful takeaways for our loved ones from this episode: 

Understand how a dynamic disability works. It’s like a rollercoaster ride of unpredictability. Most of us have symptoms that are constant. Sometimes they’re manageable. Other times they’re debilitating. And we never know when they’ll change. It can vary from day to day, and even from minute to minute.

Support us. One of the biggest ways you can show support for those of us in the disability community is to be flexible and go with the flow. Realize that we have no control over what our body does.

Be patient with us. Remember that we don’t always know how to explain what’s happening with our bodies. In addition to the physical aspect, we’re also processing emotional baggage, especially when we’re first diagnosed. 

Believe us. We’re not lazy, and we’re not crazy. Sometimes we don’t even know how to explain what’s happening. And sometimes our bodies are trying to “help” us, but a disabled body doesn’t usually do a good job of that. This makes even simple tasks (like focusing or digesting food) a struggle and can leave us wiped out. (For more info on how this works, you can listen to podcast Episode 5: Fun with Functional Neurology where I interview my functional neurologist.) 

Don’t compare us. A dynamic disability can affect everyone differently. Just because one person might have more stamina and can do more on their good days doesn’t mean someone else can. Maybe your barber's great aunt Betty's nephew has health issues and can drive, or the mailman’s daughter has health issues and can go to college, but that doesn’t mean that you can expect the same thing from your friend or family member and vice versa. For most of us, there are so many things we want to do, but we 

** If you have a burning question you want me to answer in a future episode, feel free to dm me on my Instagram @be_potsitive!

Thanks for listening!

I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on Instagram @be_potsitive  And check out my chronic illness merch on Redbubble and Zazzle where you’ll find lots of cute items to make you smile and raise awareness for our community.

Listen in for today’s answer from Instagram follower** @_loolaatje_… “In times of a flare what is something you enjoy doing the most? Or what helps you through a flare?”

In Episode 4, I talk about living with a dynamic disability. Today, I’m revisiting the topic of dynamic disabilities to shed some light on how our symptoms and ability to function can change from day to day - and sometimes even minute to minute! 

Between family and friends not understanding, medical gaslighting, and drastic changes in the severity and types of symptoms, having a dynamic disability can make you feel like you’re crazy. - Sarah Reid

Helpful takeaways for this episode: 

** If you have a burning question you want me to answer in a future episode, feel free to dm me on my Instagram @be_potsitive!

Thanks for listening!

I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on Instagram @be_potsitive  And check out my chronic illness merch on Redbubble and Zazzle where you’ll find lots of cute items to make you smile and raise awareness for our community.

Today’s episode is a little different from my normal format. I’ve overdone it and am now dealing with consequences. So today I’m sharing a quick life update. I have a few “meatier” episodes in the works but brain fog, fatigue, and pain kept me from working on any of them this week.

I go into a little more detail in the podcast, but some highlights from the week were:

I also give a shout-out to my family and share some of the ways they’ve supported me and shown me love this past week.

Sometimes our bodies force us to rest and do things differently. And that’s OK. 

Thanks for tagging along even when I’m on the struggle bus. 

** If you have a burning question you want me to answer in a future episode, feel free to dm me on my Instagram @be_potsitive!

Thanks for listening!

Listen in for today’s answer from Instagram follower @boymom865 **… “How do you know you have the right diagnosis? There are so many chronic illnesses that overlap.” 

Chronic illness may influence us but it doesn’t have to define us. - Sarah Reid

In this episode, we talk about the journey of embracing a new identity while living with chronic illness. Join us as we dig into the challenges, triumphs, and strategies for creating a beautiful sense of self outside of our health conditions.

Helpful takeaways for this episode: 

Today’s shout-out goes to BioLyte! You can use my discount code: SARAHREID10 

** If you have a burning question you want me to answer in a future episode, feel free to dm me on my Instagram @be_potsitive!

Thanks for listening!

Disclosure: Some links I share are affiliate links. This means if you click on my links and make a purchase I may earn a commission. But don’t worry, there’s no extra cost to you, and I only share links for products that I genuinely recommend. 

I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on Instagram @be_potsitive  And check out my chronic illness merch on Redbubble and Zazzle where you’ll find lots of cute items to make you smile and raise awareness for our community.