Chronic Wellness

Chronic Wellness

By Annette LeonardHealth & Fitness
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Chronic Wellness episodes

  • Episode 066: How Did You Get Your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosis? Chapter 4
    In this episode, I'm continuing to talk about how I got a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) diagnosis. After visiting with the infectious disease specialist and learning that I had chronic Epstein Bar, I was now in the territory of CFS. I was really resistant to the diagnosis. It felt invalidating as a label. Aren't we all tired? Have you felt like you needed to explain your diagnosis?
    I had the great good fortune of having a short-term disability benefit at work. I took leave and went to bed for six-weeks with the hope of recovering.
    6 min
  • Episode 065: How Did You Get Your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosis? Chapter 3
    In today's episode I talk about what happened after six-months of limping along. With CFS, and other diagnoses of exclusion, it's tricky to find physicians with experience and willingness to treat us. I was fortunate enough to land one of these doctors as my primary care physicians. She referred me to an infectious disease specialist who dug into my medical history and ran comprehensive screening analysis. He found recent exposure to Epstein Bar Virus and based on the work-up he'd done, it was clear my body was still trying to fight that virus.
    6 min
  • Episode 064: How Did You Get Your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosis? Chapter 2
    In today's episode I talk about trying to push through the mono I'd contracted. Barely able to function, unable to get refreshing sleep, clearing my evenings so that I could just fall into bed after work, taking a couple of days off every couple of weeks to just sleep, I was working with my doctor to address symptoms. As I rounded on the six-month mark of illness I was feeling desperate and unable to cope with this unrelenting health picture.
    5 min
  • Episode 062: How Do You Manage Your Food Needs And Chronic Illness? Convenience Foods
    It can be so difficult to feed ourselves when we are sick. The challenge of getting and preparing food is real and ongoing.
    Have you done food elimination diets to know what works and doesn't work for your body?
    Do you ever find yourself without fresh food in the house?
    In these times, what are the staples -- the convenience foods, I keep when making a meal is impossible and when all else fails.
    5 min
  • Episode 060: How Do You Manage Your Food Needs And Chronic Illness? Food Swap
    It can be so difficult to feed ourselves when we are sick. The challenge of getting and preparing food is real and ongoing.
    What friend of family member do you know who cooks?
    Can you or someone in your household cook once a week or so?
    How can you increase the available food options without increasing the workload?
    What barriers to getting good food in my house can I remove?
    In this episode I'm discussing these questions and I include info about one of my go-to crock pot meals.
    5 min
  • Episode 059: How Do You Manage Your Food Needs And Chronic Illness? Meal Prep Kits
    It can be so difficult to feed ourselves when we are sick. The challenge of getting and preparing food is real and ongoing.
    Having meal prep kits can be part of the solution -- pre-proportioned, prepared ingredients, and recipes delivered to your home.
    Do you have someone in your home who could manage 15-30 minutes of cooking to make 2-4 servings of food?
    When looking to remove barriers to healthy food options, how realistic are these kit meals for you and your household?
    I explore the pros and cons of meal prep kits in this episode of Chronic Wellness.
    6 min
  • Episode 058: How Do You Manage Your Food Needs And Chronic Illness? Groceries
    It can be so difficult to feed ourselves when we are sick. The challenge of getting and preparing food is real and ongoing.
    What barriers to getting good food in my house can I remove?
    If I can afford the fee, what does is available in my town for grocery pick-up or delivery?
    Without the stamina to be able to grocery shop, these services are revolutionizing what's possible for me with chronic illness. They are giving me better access to fresh food at convenience prices. Even if I'm not well enough to go get the food, because I shop on line, any time day or night, and pay online, almost anyone can pick up the food for me. Continuing the theme of how to feed ourselves, I'm talking about groceries in this episode.
    6 min
  • Episode 057:How Do You Manage Your Food Needs And Chronic Illness? Asking For Help
    On the many days when I'm not well enough to shop for and prepare food for myself, it becomes an even higher stakes resource. Relying on others becomes a necessary part of how I meet this basic need.
    How do/can I rely on others?
    Being clear and specific about what I need, helps others help me.
    What's easiest on my loved ones, also turns out to also be easiest on me - here's how.
    Given what short supply my energy is, how can I receive food from others without having to also receive visitors?
    These are the questions and themes I'm examining as I explore this important topic.
    5 min

About Chronic Wellness

From the publisher's feed

Are you one of the millions living with a chronic illness or pain? Our diseases may be very different, but we have many of the same experiences, obstacles and frustrations. We are all working for a better quality of life knowing that pain and limitations will be our traveling companions. My name is Annette and I'm the host of Chronic Wellness, a brief, weekly, podcast where we talk about it all: sex, self-care, mental heath, loss of identity, anger, how to navigate health care and have less days that suck so hard.