Calling In Sick

This week on Calling in Sick, Bre Giglio is back and we're going through the some of the most intimate questions we’ve heard around navigating life with chronic pain. Tune in to hear our thoughts on everything from chronic pain and motherhood, entrepreneurship, identity and more!!

We're getting into: 

🤰 “Should you be a mom if you live with chronic pain?”

🧩 “Is entrepreneurship the solution to chronic illness?”

👥 “Can you actually build a company around your health?”

💸 “Is outsourcing help an accommodation?”

📰 “Does chronic pain have a LOOK?!” (Yep... we’re talking about THAT article!!)

🔍 “Can you share your story if you don’t yet have a diagnosis?”

🧸 “Should you explain your pain and health to your kids?”

Tune in to hear our thoughts on all the above + more!!

 xx, Alex

💬 Comment: What’s something people tend to doubt you’re able to do because you live with chronic pain? 

TIMESTAMPS: 

Intro:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!

Questions on Motherhood & Entrepreneurship With Chronic Pain: 

00:00:37 "If you have chronic pain, you shouldn't be a mom" 

00:01:59 Is entrepreneurship the ultimate accommodation for chronic pain? 

00:04:25 Can you build a company around your health?

00:07:13 Bre’s NUMBER ONE reframe on motherhood and chronic illness

Questions around Sharing Your Story & Being "Sick Enough": 

00:08:13 What is “sick" even supposed to look like?!

00:10:51 Are you allowed to share your story online before you have a diagnosis?

00:14:26 Can you stay ambitious with chronic pain? 

Questions on Parenting With Chronic Pain: 

00:18:45 How do you explain a bad pain day to your kids? 

00:23:36 Is parenting HARD with a chronic illness?

Conclusion: 

00:28:26 Where to find Bre Giglio

00:28:57 Thank you for listening — see you next Monday!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568

Connect with our guest, Bre Giglio:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bre.giglio/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@bre.giglio

• Bre’s Company, Bashify - https://www.instagram.com/bashify.co/

----------------------------------------------------------------

Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/

#ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #ChronicPainHotTakes #BreGiglio #Bashify #ChronicPainMom #ChronicIllnessMom #ChronicIllnessMotherhood #ChronicIllnessEntrepreneur #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #Hypermobility #hEDS #UndiagnosedChronicPain #TelegraphArticle #ChronicIllnessCommunity #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with Bre Giglio — former PICU nurse, founder of Bashify, wife, mom of two, and fellow chronic pain girlie. We're getting into what chronic illness does to your plans, and how becoming the master of pivoting is the only solution, especially when your body keeps changing the rules. 

We're diving into: 

🏥 From PICU nurse to chronic pain patient — from self-gaslighting to her body giving out, forcing her to leave her dream career

🌪️ The perfect storm — the recipe that sent Bre’s health into a spiral 

⏩ Pivoting too fast — why processing change is important and lessons learned from focusing on fixing instead of healing

🕰️ Feeling "behind" in life — how prior generations shape our preconceived “timelines” for life + how chronic illness moves us further away from those timelines

🤰 Pregnancy, postpartum and navigating marriage with chronic pain & the care giver dynamic

🧘 The wellness stack — the tools Bre uses to manage her health

And come back Wednesday for the chronic pain hot takes! 

xx, Alex

💬 Comment: Where in your chronic illness journey did you pivot too fast — and what do you wish you'd given yourself time to process?

TIMESTAMPS:

Intro:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 

Bre’s Health Journey:

00:01:10 What it's actually like being a nurse at Seattle Children's 

00:02:26 When her body gave out

00:04:44 Pivoting from nursing to her next venture, before processing anything

00:14:41 Emotional stress as a flare trigger & the friends who couldn't show up 

Marriage, Pregnancy & Motherhood With Chronic Pain: 

00:16:40 Meeting her husband, marrying at 21 & still feeling "behind" in life 

00:20:48 Pregnancy with chronic pain

00:25:55 Birth, feeding struggles & a hard postpartum 

00:31:07 Tips for communication in marriage while managing chronic health issues

Scaling Back Work & Building a Life Around Your Body: 

00:41:36 What entrepreneurship teaches you about yourself

00:43:33 What nobody tells you about entrepreneurship with chronic illness

00:50:11 Bre’s weekly wellness stack

00:54:04 How to pour BACK into your partner // caregiver’s cup

Conclusion: 

00:56:11 One Brain Cell Show: Girls (HBO Max) & The Great British Bake Off (Netflix)

00:57:46 Thank you for listening — come back Wednesday!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568

Connect with our guest, Bre Giglio:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bre.giglio/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@bre.giglio

• Bre’s Company, Bashify - https://www.instagram.com/bashify.co/

----------------------------------------------------------------

Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/

#ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #BreGiglio #Bashify #PICUNurse #NurseTurnedEntrepreneur #ChronicPainMom #ChronicIllnessMom #Hypermobility #hEDS #PMDD #PregnancyWithChronicIllness #ChronicIllnessMarriage #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #ChronicIllnessEntrepreneur #ChronicIllnessCommunity #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Calling in Sick, Anna Harris, NP is back and we are getting into something I have never broken down on this show before: why do certain medical videos go completely viral? And what does that actually say about the world we are living in? 

We're diving into: 

🤠 The Cowboy Boots video — 12 million views on a man handed an ER bill before he even left the hospital. Why did it blow up — and what does that tell us about the fear Americans live with around medical care? 

💸 The new born medical billing reality

📋 How to audit your medical bill line by line

🏥 The ICU fall video — what medical staffing ratios can cause harm

🤖 The nursing payment model — making nurses bid against each other for the lowest wage

🚫 Is universal healthcare the REAL solution?!

And more… like Anna's most controversial take, the underbelly of socialized medicine, and why AI fighting AI to approve your treatment is genuinely Sci-Fi level terrifying!!

 xx, Alex

💬 Comment: Have you paid a medical bill before care because you thought you HAD to?!

TIMESTAMPS:

Intro:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!

Why Medical Videos Go Viral: 

00:00:51 Why do certain medical videos go viral — and what does that say about our healthcare system? 

00:08:21 How to audit your medical bill line by line — common errors and AI as a tool 

00:10:33 The ICU fall video — staffing ratios and why fewer people are going into medicine 

00:18:08 The nursing payment model — making nurses bid against each other for the lowest wage

Our Hottest Healthcare Takes: 

00:20:24 Anna's most controversial take — the solution that isn't universal healthcare 

00:23:44 Is AI is being used to deny your medical care?

00:27:00 Why patients and providers having a voice online gives hope for real change 

Conclusion:

00:31:10 Thank you for listening!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568

Connect with our guest, Anna Harris:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anna.harris.rn

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@anna.harris.rn

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/people/annaharrisrn/61589286002165/

• Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Anna.Harris.RN4

----------------------------------------------------------------

Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/

#HealthcareSystem #MedicalBilling #AnnaHarris #ICUNurse #PatientAdvocacy #InsuranceDenial #UniversalHealthcare #NurseLife #CowboyBootsVideo #AIinMedicine #MedicalDebt #PregnancyBilling #ChronicIllness #HealthcareReform #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with Anna Harris, RN — former ICU nurse, patient advocate, and the woman behind THAT 12 million view video. Her tagline says it all: healthcare isn't confusing on accident. And this episode explains why, and how to navigate it.

We're diving into: 

🏥 Why patients need an advocate — what changes when someone is in that room with you and why navigating this system alone is setting you up to fail 

🩺 Providers vs. the system — what’s really making getting critical care difficult?

💰 What “The System” actually IS — ICD codes, billing incentives, group KPIs, and why a for-profit model is making decisions about your care that have nothing to do with your care 

💊 The IVIG story — what happens when an insurance company denies a medication that's keeping you alive, and what your provider can and can't do about it 

📋 Anna's appointment playbook — the pre-appointment prep that actually helps you get what you need out of the little time you have

🤖 AI in medicine — the wonderful and the genuinely terrifying ways AI is being used in hospitals and insurance companies right now 

🔒 Your health data — who already has it, what they're doing with it, and the question nobody is asking loudly enough

xx,

💬 Comment: What is the one thing about navigating the healthcare system that you wish someone had told you earlier?

TIMESTAMPS:

Intro:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!

00:03:22 Get to know our guest, Anna Harris

What's Actually Broken about the US Healthcare System:

00:05:29 What patients don't know they don't know — and why that costs them 

00:09:04 Providers vs. the system — who is actually failing patients? 

00:14:11 What the healthcare system actually IS — billing codes, KPIs and for-profit incentives 

What It Costs Patients & How to Fight Back: 

00:19:13 3 changes that would fix the current healthcare system

00:22:51 Fighting insurance denials while already in crisis and balanced billing 

00:28:14 The medical appointment playbook — before care, during care, and after 

00:32:54 Predatory online health coaching — how to spot the vultures 

00:42:19 Risk tolerance and treatment decisions — and how to talk to your family about them 

00:49:46 How to actually use AI before a medical appointment 

00:55:13 How hospitals and insurance companies are using AI — the good and the terrifying 

Conclusion: 

01:01:38 One Brain Cell Show: Friends (Netflix) & Dancing with the Stars (Disney+, Hulu) 

01:04:45 Where to find Anna Harris online 

01:05:06 Thank you for listening — come back Wednesday!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568

Connect with our guest, Anna Harris:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anna.harris.rn

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@anna.harris.rn

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/people/annaharrisrn/61589286002165/

• Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Anna.Harris.RN4

----------------------------------------------------------------

Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/

#HealthcareSystem #PatientAdvocacy #MedicalBilling #AnnaHarris #ICUNurse #ChronicIllness #MedicalGaslighting #HealthInsurance #PatientRights #AIinMedicine #HealthData #AppointmentPrep #ChronicIllnessCommunity #InvisibleIllness #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Calling in Sick, Shayla Talei McCain is back and we are breaking the fourth wall on what it actually costs to share your chronic illness life online — the emotional and physical costs and benefits. And in light of everything going on recently, we get down to one important question… would we start posting our health journey online again? 

We're diving into: 

🎥 Hitting post on the first feeding tube video — the moment before, the spiral of what ifs, and what actually happened when the world responded 

🎭 The pressure to "put a bow" on chronic illness content — why creators feel pushed to thrive publicly even on their worst days, and why that's a form of dishonesty 

🏅 The sick Olympics — the credibility tax of not looking sick enough, the community policing that comes with smiling in a video, and why comparison is the thief of joy in this space 

🧍 Parasocial relationships — why they're uniquely valuable in the chronic illness community, when that can become toxic, and what it feels like when someone who doesn't know you feels entitled to weigh in on your medical decisions 

💻 The physical toll of creating — what it costs to film content on a bad pain day, why you can't just stop the machine, and the permission to take breaks without announcing them 

💬 The moments that make it FULLY worth it — the DMs, the comments, the stranger who says "I'm going to use my mobility aid tomorrow because I saw you use yours" 

🔄 Would she do it again? — her honest answer

xx,

💬 Comment: Would you share YOUR health journey online?

TIMESTAMPS:

Intro:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!

The Cost of Sharing Your Chronic Illness Life Online: 

00:02:06 Hitting post on her first feeding tube video

00:05:06 Finding humor in chronic illness content (the $1,000 dinner series)

00:06:58 The unspoken pressure to perform chronic illness in a certain way 

The Sick Olympics, Parasocial Relationships & The Real Cost: 

00:13:38 The chronic illness credibility tax and having to keep proving your chronic illness 

00:16:32 The Oreo analogy — why one person's win shouldn't feel like another's loss 

00:24:06 Parasocial relationships — healthy, unhealthy and where the line is 

00:29:53 The underbelly of being a chronic illness content creator 

00:31:08 Why chronic illness content costs more to make than any other kind 

Would You Do It Again?: 

00:36:35 What is the actual goal of sharing your story online? 

00:39:13 Would we do it all over again?

00:41:10 For anyone thinking about becoming a chronic illness creator — listen to this!!!

Conclusion:

00:42:46 Where to find Shayla McCain online

00:43:38 Thank you!!!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568

Connect with our guest, Shayla McCain:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shaylatalei

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@shaylatalei

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Shaylatalei

• Website - https://www.ShaylaTalei.com

----------------------------------------------------------------

Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/

#ChronicIllnessCreator #ContentCreation #ShaylaTalei #ChronicIllness #SickOlympics #Sickfluencer #ParasocialRelationship #ChronicIllnessCommunity #InvisibleIllness #CommunityPolicing #ChronicPain #SpoonieLife #ContentCreatorLife #MentalHealthOnline #ChronicIllnessAwareness #FeedingTube #Gastroparesis #CRPS #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with chronic illness content creator, Shayla Talei McCain. She was diagnosed with CRPS at 17, and a decade later her body pivoted again — into gastroparesis, a diagnosis that took eight months and 100 lbs of weight loss to finally get answers on.

We're diving into:

🔥 CRPS at 17 — what Complex Regional Pain Syndrome actually is, why it's so misunderstood even by providers, and what it looks like when you have no choice but to grow accustomed to the pain

📉 The gastroparesis chapter — eight months of unexplained weight loss, being told it was her ADHD medication, the medical gaslighting while visibly malnourished, MCAS and what finally got her answers

👶 Pregnancy and chronic illness — the medical clearance process, the remission-like state that surprised her, and what it means to be preparing for the worst while hoping for the best 

🧒 Motherhood — what it looks like to parent when you can't always show up the way you planned, how she explains her illness to her kids, and the profound lessons her daughters have taught her about living life inside chronic illness parameters 

📱 Building a platform — when sharing became healing, why chronic illness content hits differently than any other kind, and what it means to lose the choice to hide your illness when it becomes visible

✍️ Throwing away the script — what chronic illness is "supposed" to look like according to the world, why that framing is wrong, and how to build something of your own inside the parameters you've been given 

Come back Wednesday — we are breaking the fourth wall on content creation and asking the one question we've both wondered about: would we do it all again? 

xx,

Alex

💬 Comment: What's one part of chronic illness you WISH was showed online more?

TIMESTAMPS:

Intro:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!

00:00:48 Get to know our guest, Shayla McCain

The Diagnosis Journey — CRPS, Gastroparesis & Finding Answers:

Life, Love & Motherhood With Chronic Illness:

Redefining Life With Chronic Illness:

Conclusion:

----------------------------------------------------------------

Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568

Connect with our guest, Shayla McCain:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shaylatalei

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@shaylatalei

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Shaylatalei

• Website - https://www.ShaylaTalei.com

----------------------------------------------------------------

Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/

#CRPS #Gastroparesis #ComplexRegionalPainSyndrome #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #ShaylaTalei #ChronicIllnessMom #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #MedicalGaslighting #ChronicIllnessContent #Motherhood #ChronicIllnessMotherhood #ContentCreator #ChronicIllnessCommunity #TPN #PivotingWithChronicIllness #ChronicIllnessAcceptance #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ellie Klein is back for this week’s Calling in Sick Wednesday episode — and we are myth-busting the most common and most maddening things the internet says about scoliosis and hypermobility. Some of these she has been told by providers. Some she has read online. And some she has been gaslit into doubting herself about for years. 

We're busting: 

🚩 "Scoliosis doesn't cause pain"

🚩 "Wear this hard brace all day every day and don't worry about your muscles atrophying"

🚩 "Sleeping in a hard scoliosis brace will be no problem" 

🚩 "Hypermobility is only being flexible — there's nothing else that comes with it"

🚩 "Hypermobility cannot cause fatigue" 

Plus the conversation about what it actually feels like when someone doesn't believe you… do you over-prove or do you gaslight yourself into thinking maybe you're not in pain? And when does it stop mattering?

 xx, Alex

💬 Comment: When you get caught in a sleepless night… do you flow with it and distract yourself, or do you clock watch and stress out?!?! 

TIMESTAMPS

Intro:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!

Scoliosis & Hypermobility Fact or Fiction:

00:00:32 Myth 1: Scoliosis Doesn't Cause Pain & self gaslighting about pain

00:06:00 Myth 2: Wear a Hard Brace All Day & Don't Worry About Muscles Atrophying 

00:09:21 Myth 3: Sleeping in a Hard Scoliosis Brace Will Be No Problem 

00:13:28 Myth 4: Hypermobility Is Only Being Flexible — Nothing Else Comes With It 

00:17:05 Myth 5: Hypermobility Cannot Cause Fatigue 

00:20:37 The double-edged sword of pushing through when you're chronically sick

Conclusion:

00:22:01 Thank you & where to find Ellie Klein & Jelliebend 

00:23:45 Thank you for listening!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568

Connect with our guest, Ellie Klein: 

• Instagram, Personal - https://www.instagram.com/ellie.unicorn.klein/?hl=en

• Instagram, Jelliebend - https://www.instagram.com/jelliebend/?hl=en

• Website - https://jelliebend.com/ 

----------------------------------------------------------------

Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/

#Scoliosis #Hypermobility #ScoliosisMythBusting #HypermobilityMyths #Jelliebend #EllieKlein #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #ScoliosisAwareness #HypermobilityAwareness #ChronicFatigue #ScoliosisBrace #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #MedicalGaslighting #MythBusters #AutoimmuneDisease #ChronicIllnessCommunity #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with Ellie Klein — founder of Jelliebend, former competitive ballet dancer, contortionist, and someone who has been navigating scoliosis and hypermobility since childhood. And let me tell you… this conversation took us places I didn’t even anticipate (like just being a female in the US right now…)

We're diving into: 

🩰 Growing up as a ballerina with scoliosis and hypermobility — the brace, the ballet intensive, the teachers who used her body as the "bad example" in class, and what it does to a young girl to be publicly identified as wrong in a space where your body is everything 

🤸 Life after ballet — the pivots she took from school to contortionism to becoming a founder all while juggling her health

💡 Building Jelliebend — the moment her body craved support but couldn't tolerate traditional braces, how her ADHD sensory needs shaped every design decision, and the completely bootstrapped journey of making the samples herself

💸 The fundraising reality — pitching a women's health product to mostly male investors who thought she was making shapewear, going $20K into credit card debt because she believed in what she was building, and what it actually takes to crack into VC without connections 

🌸 The women's health funding gap — why products outside the "bikini zone" struggle to get investment and what that means for founders like Ellie 

💪 The delusional optimism it takes to build something — and why she wouldn't change a single thing 

xx, Alex 

💬 Comment: Have you ever been made to feel like your body was the problem — and what did you do with that?

TIMESTAMPS

Intro: 

00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 

Ellie’s Story with Scoliosis, Hypermobility & Jelliebend:

00:00:38 Who is Ellie and what the heck is Jelliebend?!

00:07:53 What building a product for yourself that turns into a company is like

00:12:47 Growing up as a ballerina with scoliosis

00:24:19 The 411 on scoliosis treatments and surgery

00:29:57 Being used as the "bad example" in class due to a disability… and processing it alone 

Life after ballet:

00:44:14 Contortionism, her coaches & what that world gave her 

00:52:09 Building Jelliebend — bootstrapping, samples & early days 

00:53:22 Fundraising reality — pitching to investors who don’t understand chronic illness & doubling down

01:04:34 The VC fundraising playbook problem — selling to women when the VC world is mostly men 

01:06:37 What success actually looks like when you're self-funded

Ellie’s next frontier (diagnosing the mystery illness):

01:07:44 Suspected POTS, the diagnostic journey & what's next

01:11:04 The female experience of invisible illness & finding the right providers 

01:12:43 Women's health, bikini medicine & getting louder together 

Conclusion: 

01:13:04 One Brain Cell Show (SPOOKY SZN!!): Monster & American Horror Story (Hulu)

01:16:15 Where to find Ellie & Jelliebend 

01:16:31 Thank you for listening… + Come back Wednesday for Fact or Fiction!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568

Connect with our guest, Ellie Klein: 

• Instagram, Personal - https://www.instagram.com/ellie.unicorn.klein/?hl=en

• Instagram, Jelliebend - https://www.instagram.com/jelliebend/?hl=en

• Website - https://jelliebend.com/ 

----------------------------------------------------------------

Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/

#Scoliosis #Hypermobility #Jelliebend #EllieKlein #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #ScoliosisAwareness #HypermobilityAwareness #WomensHealth #ChronicIllnessEntrepreneur #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #Ballet #Contortionism #WomenInBusiness #VCFunding #WomensHealthFunding #BikiniMedicine #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Calling in Sick, Cheryl Crow is back and we are getting into the most practical, OT-approved, chronic illness tested life hacks I have ever covered on this podcast. You’re going to want to save these tips!!!

We're diving into:

🌅 How to Have Gentler Mornings — the bedside toolbox every chronic illness patient needs, why "motion is lotion" for inflammatory arthritis, the roll-on topical hack that saves your hands, and the compression wear nuance nobody talks about

😴 Sleep strategies that actually work — the bedroom environment audit, sleep accessories worth investing in (Nod Pod, Sleep Crown), how to break the insomnia cycle by detaching from sleep pressure, and the separate beds conversation 

⚡ Energy conservation done right — why strength training counterintuitively builds long-term energy reserves for inflammatory arthritis patients, circadian rhythm scheduling, the high spoon vs. low spoon to-do list system, the 80% rule, and how to request workplace accommodations without burning bridges

These are the tools Cheryl uses with her own patients and the ones I wish someone had handed me 25 years ago. 

🤍 xx, Alex

💬 Comment: What is your number one morning hack that makes chronic illness life more manageable?

TIMESTAMPS

Intro:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!

Gentler Mornings & Pain Relief:

00:00:28 Bedside Tool Box & Pain Management Accommodations

00:02:05 Joint Lubrication & "Motion is Lotion"

00:03:38 CBD, Menthol & Roll-on Topicals

00:04:35 Compression Wear: Benefits & When to Avoid It Sleep

Strategies & Mindset:

00:07:16 Optimizing Your Sleep Environment Audit

00:08:41 Relaxation Routines & Sleep Accessories (Nod Pod, Sleep Crown) 

00:10:08 Shifting Sleep Mindsets & Managing Insomnia 

00:12:18 Sleeping in Separate Beds for Better Rest 

Energy Management & Conservation:

00:15:30 Exercise & Strength Training for Chronic Fatigue 

00:18:01 Circadian Rhythm Scheduling & Pacing

00:19:56 High Spoon vs. Low Spoon To-Do Lists 

00:21:55 The 80% Rule & Requesting Workplace Accommodations

Conclusion:

00:24:25 Connecting with Cheryl Crow & Arthritis Life

00:25:33 Thank you for listening!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568

• Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod?

Connect with our guest, Cheryl Crow:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/arthritis_life_cheryl/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritislife

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/arthritislife

• Website - https://arthritis.theenthusiasticlife.com/about-cheryl/

Episode Resources

• Kate Bowler, “No Cure for Being Human” - https://link.amazon/B07znkSfA

• Kate Bowler, “Everything Happens for a Reason, and Other Lies I’ve Loved” - https://link.amazon/B0246dY3H

----------------------------------------------------------------

Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/

#ChronicIllnessHacks #OccupationalTherapy #ArthritisLife #CherylCrow #RheumatoidArthritis #ChronicFatigue #SpoonTheory #EnergyConservation #ChronicPain #SleepHacks #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #MorningRoutine #AutoimmuneDisease #PacingChronicIllness #HighSpoonLowSpoon #ChronicIllnessTips #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with Cheryl Crow — occupational therapist, founder of Arthritis Life, host of the Arthritis Life podcast, creator of the Rheum to THRIVE course, and someone who has been navigating rheumatoid arthritis for 23+ years. We’re talking all about how we’ve navigated processing life with chronic illness — from the control piece, the acceptance piece and the struggles between. So if you’ve ever struggled with processing chronic illness, you’ll love this episode.

We're diving into:

💊 What it actually looks like to cycle through flare-ups and treatment

🧠 Why high achievers can be particularly “bad” at chronic illness — the "A+ student" trap of believing you can find the perfect system to solve your body

🩺 What occupational therapy actually is — "a psychologist having a baby with a physical therapist" — and why this community desperately needs to know about it

🚌 Our favorite lessons from chronic illness therapy — from the passengers on the bus metaphor, to the ACT framework and the reframes that have truly changed things for us

🙅 Our thoughts on how ableism is innately baked into wellness culture

☕ Our top 3 tips for finding joy while living a life with chronic illness — micro-joys, duvet days, and seeing rest for more than a reward

xx, Alex

💬 Comment: What is your relationship with the word "acceptance" when it comes to your chronic illness?

TIMESTAMPS

Intro:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!

NAVIGATING CHRONIC ILLNESS WITH CHERYL CROW:

00:00:36 Cheryl Crow’s Diagnosis Journey & Early Symptoms

00:09:36 Treatment Cycles & Secondary Loss of Response

MENTAL HEALTH & CHRONIC ILLNESS:

00:11:58 Mental Health, Anxiety, & Catastrophizing

00:15:36 Overachiever Mindsets & disease Management

00:23:25 Occupational Therapy vs. Physical Therapy

00:29:30 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

00:34:16 Positive Activity Scheduling & Micro-Joys

NAVIGATING “FEELING BETTER” WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS:

00:37:05 Facing Ableism & Cultural Assumptions

00:48:40 Finding Transformation & Agency

00:56:03 Rest, Sleep Divas, & Duvet Days

Conclusion:

00:59:53 One Brain Cell Show: Dancing with the Stars (Disney+)

01:01:43 Thank you for listening!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568

• Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod?

Connect with our guest, Cheryl Crow:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/arthritis_life_cheryl/

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritislife

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/arthritislife

• Website - https://arthritis.theenthusiasticlife.com/about-cheryl/

Episode Resources

• Kate Bowler, “No Cure for Being Human” - https://link.amazon/B07znkSfA

• Kate Bowler, “Everything Happens for a Reason, and Other Lies I’ve Loved” - https://link.amazon/B0246dY3H

----------------------------------------------------------------

Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/

#RheumatoidArthritis #OccupationalTherapy #ChronicIllness #ACTTherapy #AcceptanceAndCommitmentTherapy #ArthritisLife #CherylCrow #ChronicPain #MedicalGaslighting #BoomAndBust #ChronicIllnessAcceptance #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #Ableism #MicroJoys #DuvetDay #RheumToThrive #AutoimmuneDisease #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices