Iconically Ill

We talk CIPD with Anna DiBlosi

At 26, Anna DiBlosi experienced the sudden onset of an undiagnosed autoimmune disorder that completely turned her life upside down. She went from working full-time, having a social life and living her dream in Los Angeles, CA to being fully bed-bound and reliant on her family for care. For years, she was a "medical mystery," struggling to be heard by medical professionals and fighting for answers.

She was eventually diagnosed with CIDP, a rare autoimmune disorder that targets the nerves. Her diagnosis allowed her to access the right medical treatment, but her life is still far from what it once was. She now spends her time focused on advocacy and community building. Through her social media channels, Anna raises awareness for invisible illnesses and shares her experience living with CIDP. She also hosts a monthly support group in Los Angeles called the Chronic Illness Support Club, offering a space for others navigating similar challenges to connect and find support.

Follow Anna at @Anna_DiBlosi on Instagram

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We talk Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Mast cell activation syndrome with Katie Hutch.

Katie Hutch is an NYC-based award-winning performer, writer and director. Hutch stars as Abe Lincoln in the Amazon Prime feature film Lincoln the Musical, a Hamilton parody mockumentary. She has been seen Off-Broadway in Frankenstein the Musical, Off Off-Broadway roles including Super Crazy Fun Times and Hungry, Hungry Games as well as winning Best Singer for NY SummerFest in the US premiere of A Word of Love. Hutch has been featured on resident house teams at major NYC comedy theaters including The PIT and The Tank and in dozens of film shorts including Mashable's Good Day, Deathstar and U Need to Know This.

Hutch's original one-woman show, Allergic to Being Alive, journeys through the challenges and chuckles of living with chronic illness and invisible disability through stories and songs. She released an EP of the same name featuring catchy tracks from the show about everything from anxiety attacks to masturbation inspiring us all to find the laughs through the struggles of surviving. Allergic to Being Alive is streaming on all platforms.

Follow Katie and get an original song written just for you at @katiethehutch and @allergictobeingalive on Instagram

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We talk Stage IV Breast Cancer with Robin Browne.

Robin Browne is a Brooklyn-based writer and artist. She's had cancer twice, and has been living with stage IV breast cancer since 2015. Robin has written a long-standing column for Amy Poehler's Smart Girls website called "What's my Stage Again." She's collaborated with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation on several awareness campaigns, and is on the education committee for The Pink Agenda. In her spare time, she enjoys illustrating, writing poetry, spending time with her cat, and watching Bravo.

Follow Robin at @robinmbrowne and @robinmbrowneart on Instagram, @robinmbrowne on Bluesky, and https://substack.com/@robinmbrowne on Substack

We talk Lupus with Kristina Stasi.

Kristina Stasi is a multiracial actress, singer, certified sound healer, and overall funny girl living in Los Angeles. She previously performed sketch, musical improv, and hip-hop improv at Magnet Theater and Peoples Improv Theater in NYC. She loves playing trivia and has been on numerous game shows including Cash Cab and $100,000 Pyramid. One day, she hopes to be a guest judge (and then secret contestant) on RuPaul's Drag Race.

Follow Kristina at @stasi.kristina on instagram

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We talk jaw surgeries and Endometriosis with Shannon Krowicki.

Shannon Krowicki is an actor, singer and comedian based in NYC. In her twenties, she had three major jaw surgeries that changed the course of her life and career. She now has titanium jaw joint prosthetics, fibromyalgia and Stage IV endometriosis that went undiagnosed for 25 years. When she's not suffering from her medical ailments, Shannon performs every Thursday night on Magnet Theater's musical improv house team, "Secret, Secret!" Her performance credits include off-Broadway and regional theater shows, local commercials and TV/Film productions, most notably Nickelodeon, The History Channel, Starz!, Amazon and Investigation Discovery. In her free time, she loves spending time with her husband-to-be, Jon, their dog, Wiley and listening to ghost and murder podcasts.

Follow Shannon at @krowchickie on Instagram

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We talk 5 auto-immune disorders with Dena Paduano.

Dena Paduano is a radiant soul, born and raised in Orange County and Los Angeles, California. After years of pursuing her passion for acting, life took an unexpected turn when chronic pain and illness entered her story. Diagnosed with five advanced autoimmune diseases and enduring 34 surgeries, Dena faced immense challenges. But through it all, she started to develop her profound gift within herself—her intuition. Today, Dena is an intuitive coach and psychic, using her abilities to help others navigate their own struggles. Through psychometry and her deep empathetic connection, she taps into the emotional and physical pain others carry, guiding them to release it before it manifests into chronic conditions. Dena has a special heart for working with young people, helping them reframe their mindset and build a strong foundation to avoid the pitfalls of chronic pain and autoimmune issues. Her journey is one of transformation—mind, body, and spirit. It's about resilience, self-love, and the power of rewriting your narrative. Dena is living proof that even in the face of chronic illness, at 55 you can become "ionically un-ill" and thrive. Through her platforms, she shares daily inspiration, tools, and mindset shifts to help you navigate your own journey—whether it's chronic pain, depression, mental health challenges, or simply finding your way back to yourself. Dena offers psychic readings and intuitive coaching sessions, where she connects with you on a deep level to provide clarity, direction, and inspiration. Whether it's once or twice a month, her coaching helps you pivot, reframe, and conquer whatever stands in your way. Dena's mission is to help you see yourself not as a victim of your circumstances, but as the empowered creator of your life. To receive $50 off your first session with Dena you can use the special code offer Queen!

Follow Dena at @Denapaduano on Instagram and Intuitive Coach Dena on YouTube, and TikTok

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We talk wheelchairs and acting with Shannon DeVido.

Shannon DeVido is an actress seen on Difficult People, Cross on Prime Video and Lucky Hank on AMC+. She has won the Elliot Norton Award, BAFTA Breathrough Award, The VIacomCBS Showcase 2021 Award and Casting Society of America Top 20 Award

Follow Shannon at @shannondevido on instagram

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We talk ADHD with Kento Morita.

NYC-based actor & comedian Kento Morita has lit up stages at SketchFest Seattle, Toronto Sketchfest, SF Sketchfest & the Asian Comedy Festival. He starred as Shintaro Nakaoka in Rise of the Ronin, and appears in an upcoming Warner Bros Animation, as well as does improv for kids with The Story Pirates. He's also a one of the producers and creator of shows, Duty Free Live! and Cyberpunk Live With Kento.

Follow Kento at @kento.nyc on Instagram and TikTok

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We talk PMDD with Lauren Brickman.

Lauren Brickman is a NY-Based performer, creator, and educator. As a performer Lauren has been featured in such projects as FBI: Most Wanted, Ghost: Book of Power, Bull, Gloria Bell, and more! She performs monthly in the Pop-Culture Comedy show, We Stan Together, at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre in NYC. When not living her artist life she can be found in academia! She's an adjunct lecturer for both City Tech and QCC in CUNY System as well as part of the Brooklyn College Future Ready/College Now support team. Somehow she's also the associate chair of liberal arts & sciences/Director of the Center of Excellence in Teaching & Learning at the NY Film Academy.

Follow Lauren at @LaurenABrickman on Instagram and check out WeStanTogether.com for updates

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We talk Locked-In Syndrome with Jake Haendel.

Jake Haendel, the "miracle man," is the only documented person to survive stage four Acute Toxic Progressive Leukoencephalopathy, a rare brain disease that left him locked in. While he couldn't move, speak, or breathe on his own, Jake remained fully aware and retained all feeling in his body. His covert consciousness and eventual recovery have fascinated Boston's top medical doctors, who continue to study his case to better understand this disease and others like it.

For the last four years, Jake has dedicated himself to his recovery while prioritizing helping others along the way. When he finally moved out of the hospital in 2020, he was met with a series of accessibility challenges. He quickly realized that "accessible" doesn't always mean truly accessible. Thinking back to the many patients he met during his years in the hospital, he saw an opportunity to improve the lives of millions navigating similar obstacles.

Jake is the co-creator of Blink: The Jake Haendel Story and the inspiration behind Ahoi, a startup dedicated to making the world more accessible. Ahoi's app helps users find locations that best fit their accessibility needs—whatever they may be.

Follow Jake at @miraclman31 and @blinkthepodcast on Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok

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