Hi, all, and welcome back to the NCS Podcast.

It's been a little while since I've released a new episode. The past few months have been something of a whirlwind, beginning with a severe kidney infection in my transplanted kidney at the start of 2026. Interestingly, the infection occurred the day after my third ketamine treatment. While the ketamine itself was not responsible for the infection, the experience prompted me to pause treatment and give my body the space it needed to settle and heal before moving forward. 

During this time, I have also accumulated several new diagnoses, each bringing its own set of questions, challenges, and emotions. As a result, much of the last few months has been spent navigating not only the physical realities of chronic illness but also the emotional rollercoaster that has accompanied them.

In this episode, I share updates on my health journey, discuss these new diagnoses, and reflect on what it has been like to continue processing the kidney autotransplant. More than a year later, I am still learning what it means to live in this new body, to understand its limits, appreciate its resilience, grieve what has changed, and make sense of what comes next.

As always, thank you for being here and for allowing me to share this journey with you.