This week on Calling in Sick, we are honored to sit down with one of the most resilient and powerful voices in the chronic illness community: Shamekka Marty, better known as Mika or the “Pretty Sick Lupus Chick”. Mika’s journey is a masterclass in turning medical trauma into advocacy, having navigated a life shaped by caregiving, a life-saving kidney transplant, medical trauma and the complexities of being a Black woman navigating the Western medical system with an invisible illness.
⭐ Advocacy as a Purpose: How Mika transitioned from her role as a caregiver throughout her childhood to becoming a nationally recognized advocate who uses her story to drive legislative and systemic change
⚠️ Navigating the Unthinkable: Mika opens up about the mental torture of losing her mom at a young age, undergoing seven miscarriages, her surgery complications, and how she held onto hope through it all
🏥 The Reality of Transplantation: An inside look at the organ exchange swap program, the grueling post-transplant medication regimen, and the importance of building a "village" to support your recovery
💊 Taking Power Back: Practical strategies for auditing your health records, overcoming medical gaslighting, and the "smackdown" approach to ensuring your pain is believed and your care is prioritized
If you have ever felt small in a doctor’s office or overwhelmed by a daunting diagnosis, this episode is a reminder that you are the "end user" of your medical practice and you have power to demand better.
💬 Comment: Mika mentioned that she "focuses on what she can do, not what she can't". What is one thing you’ve accomplished this week, big or small, that made you feel powerful in your own body?
00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!
00:01:56 Alex’s Picks of the Week (Mayfair, Organic Basics, Healthnix)
00:04:59 Intro to Shamekka (Mika) Marty
00:09:20 Caregiving for her mother and grandmother
00:11:15 Mika’s diagnosis journey
00:14:04 Mika’s journey with pregnancy, miscarriage and medical trauma
00:18:40 How Mika turned sorrow into advocacy
Mika’s Kidney Transplant Journey:
00:30:55 Navigating a kidney transplant
00:41:33 Mika’s transplant surgery, post-transplant recovery and medication regiment
00:44:52 How Mika’s family & friends supported her journey
Advocacy & Navigating the Medical System:
00:47:03 Navigating the current medical system & medical gaslighting
00:53:49 A dive into racial bias and maternal health disparities
01:00:21 Mika’s top three tips for chronic illness patients (health records, asking for help and finding community)
01:12:24 Connect with Mika!
01:14:24 One Brain Cell Show: Law & Order SVU and Scrubs
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• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/
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Connect with our guest, Shamekka Marty!
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/prettysicklupuschick/
• Book her for an event - https://www.shamekkamarty.com/
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Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/
Alex’s Picks of the Week:
We talk about some unthinkable medical traumas this week. And TBH, the only thing I’ve found that “helps” is sometimes a GOOD cozy set. Here are some of my FAVES!
✨Mayfair — https://go.shopmy.us/p-21675540
ALEXANDRA15 for 15% off!!
✨Organic Basics — https://go.shopmy.us/p-52216380
AND! Ever since Coop and I jumped into our TTC era, I’ve been looking to add new tools to my toolbox for managing chronic illness symptoms and chronic pain. After researching what platforms were out there for this, I decided to partner with Healthnix, the only platform that is built BY chronic pain patients, FOR chronic pain patients! If you’d like to join me for the next 12-weeks in dialing in my nutrition in the name of pain relief… be sure to use the below link AND use my $100-off discount code!!
✨Healthnix — https://healthnix.io/
✨CODE: ALEX100 for $100 off the annual membership (typically $299)… FSA / HSA eligibile
#CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson #LupusAwareness #ChronicIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #LupusWarrior #PatientAdvocacy #KidneyTransplant #OrganDonation #MedicalGaslighting #MaternalHealth #HealthcareDisparities #MikaMarty #shamekkamarty #PrettySickLupusChick #CallingInSickPod #SpoonieCommunity #InvisibleIllness #HealthEquity #EmpoweredPatient #MedicalRecordAudit #ChronicPainWarriors #LupusSupport #SpoonieSupport #racialbias
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