By Melissa Platt & Sherry Espinosa
5
88 ratings
The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.
Sherry and Melissa wrap up the first season of Senseless with this episode talking about the book Being Seen by DeafBlind author Elsa Sjunneson. The hosts talk about the book’s examination of ableism in the media and in the author’s own life and how it applies to their personal experiences.
This podcast is not psychotherapy and does not contain medical advice, but is simply a recording of two friends talking.
Links:
Email questions or feedback to [email protected]
Sherry and Melissa are delighted to reconnect with their listeners after a long hiatus! This episode combines segments of two different attempts at recording. Sherry and Melissa’s first attempt contained a lot of laughter and upon listening to it, the hosts noticed that maybe they were laughing a bit too much through the hard stuff. The second recording is Sherry’s fullest truth-telling about what it is like for her to live with chronic illness, while Melissa listens. The final version you are listening to starts with a funny story by Melissa from the first recording and then, after our theme music, cuts to Sherry’s truth-telling.
This podcast is not psychotherapy and does not contain medical advice, but is simply a recording of two friends talking.
Episode Highlights:
Quotes:
“It’s hard to see ourselves or where we’re coming from. I’m always curious how other people perceive me.”
“It’s always the mindset of ‘don’t talk about that, nobody wants to hear about it.’ You know what I mean? Because people are gonna see it as complaining, or people are gonna see it as ‘we don’t want to talk about that, that’s not fun to talk about,’ or ‘that scares people.’”
“Sometimes, we have to be uncomfortable. Because if you’re never uncomfortable, you’re not really connecting with people.”
“I know that getting to where I am right now is learning that I had to turn my love to myself and love my own heart and love me and everything about me. And it’s doing me a disservice if I’m constantly trying to make it about everybody else but me.”
“There’s part of me that wants to tell others how unbelievably ill I am. I have no idea how to get people to understand that, I don’t think it’s possible. But what it’s like to live every single day, all day, every day, feeling so sick that most people, they maybe would go to the emergency room.”
“It’s about receiving love from other people. That’s the challenge of letting myself just be fully myself without worrying that people are going to abandon me.”
“My inward journey is asking me to receive love. And I can’t receive love if I’m not authentic about who I am and what I’m going through and allowing people to love me. And I have to remember that some people aren’t going to be able to handle it. And that’s okay.”
“You can’t ever just relax, because you’re always, ‘What’s the next thing?’ you know, or ‘What symptom am I dealing with at this moment?’ It’s always a symptom. It never goes away.”
“Just the energy it takes to pass as, like, fitting in, or to pass as able-bodied is so much that you, like, need to come home and sleep sometimes.”
“I appreciate, you know, people doing things for me. But ultimately, it’s just spending one-on-one time with me, you know, sharing things about what’s going on with you, and have a conversation with me.”
“You don’t have to choose between this source inside and love from others. You get to have both.”
Links:
Email questions or feedback to [email protected] or
Melissa and Sherry are back for a refreshingly honest and powerful conversation about breath, breathing, and being grounded while living with sensory loss and chronic illness. They begin with a brief update on Sherry’s immunoglobulin intravenous treatment, Melissa’s update on her experience learning ASL, and an explanation as to why it’s so crucial for ASL instructors to be part of the Deaf community themselves. They go on to share their thoughts on Facebook potentially becoming a virtual reality community, and acknowledge that, while technology has offered us many incredible advantages - particularly for those living with sensory loss - it can also have a scary side.
Next Melissa talks about having implantable collamer lenses in her eyes, and Sherry discusses her own vision issues, as well as the experience of temporarily losing her sense of taste and smell due to COVID last year. Our hosts explore the importance of breathing, and Melissa breaks down how it affects the way we perceive the world around us from a biological standpoint. They also chat about flare-ups related to food, regulating cravings, and living with a balance of moderation. Finally, you’ll hear a moving reading of the poem “A Blessing For One Who Is Exhausted” by John O'Donohue, Sherry and Melissa’s passionate discussion about learning to break the rules, and a closing breathing exercise that will leave you feeling a warm, comforting glow from within.
This podcast is not psychotherapy and does not contain medical advice, but is simply a recording of two friends talking.
Episode Highlights:
Quotes:
“I'm actually learning more than I did in any of those other classes.”
“That's why I always say the universe has your back.”
“I'm also glad that I didn't get into the immersion program, because it seemed like it was going to have a lot of ableist problems.”
“I think it's sort of frowned upon for hearing people to teach ASL… It feels wrong for hearing people to learn it from other hearing people for fun or something when it's a whole culture.”
“Yeah, I have implantable collamer lenses in my eyes.”
“I'm using my ears...
Sherry and Melissa begin today’s episode by checking in about their recent health challenges and flare-ups. They chat about the brain fatigue and exhaustion that often comes with sensory loss, and Melissa explains how she overflowed her “inflammation bucket”. They chat about the personal sacrifice it takes to live with chronic illness, the importance of meeting mental health needs for fun and connection, and having balance in their pursuit to eat a clean, anti-inflammatory diet. Sherry also describes how a sandwich led to a spiritual revelation with her therapist, and how her sense of “gallows humor” has helped her get through so many difficult situations in life.
Next, Sherry and Melissa reflect on the idea that we are only inhabiting our bodies for a short time. This can offer a sense of peace as we navigate life with chronic illness, and knowing that everything will be okay can empower us to take on a liberating “Everything is magic/F*** the world” mentality. Our hosts talk about calling on a divine light or source for help and compassion when we feel we can’t give them to ourselves, and Sherry offers one of her favorite mantras to remember that we don’t have to love what we’re going through to love the one going through it. Finally, Melissa concludes the show with mindfulness breathing exercises.
This podcast is not psychotherapy and does not contain medical advice, but is simply a recording of two friends talking.
Episode Highlights:
Quotes:
“Since I went all holistic and natural, I haven't really been in a medical environment or a hospital for about five years.”
“Every single person I dealt with was fantastic. They were kind and compassionate and sweet.”
“My struggle bus is up on blocks.”
“I had a flare up of endolymphatic hydrops condition where I have the roaring in my ears and the hearing loss, and I went and got a hearing test. And I had lost a big chunk of my low frequency hearing.”
“I have a little less than 50% hearing in my good ear.”
“The whole thing is exhausting. It's just freaking exhausting to try to navigate life.”
“We get really easily fatigued, because a portion of our brain is just not being utilized the way it's normally supposed to be utilized.”
“Right now I'm in a place where I'm so grateful for hearing, and also just more connected with my whole self.”
“I overflowed my...
When it comes to progressive sensory loss or any kind of degenerative health condition, it’s easy to feel like you’re losing something. But on today’s episode, Melissa and Sherry talk about reframing this as a healing process, and embracing the spiritual evolution that can come with it. Whether you’re connecting with your higher self, the universe, or divinity, it’s all about respecting the process and accepting that it’s what’s happening. While you may not be able to control what’s happening with your body, you can control your perspective and choose to look at this experience as an inward journey to self-love.
Our hosts describe this journey of acceptance as a healing process of the soul, the mind, and the psyche - not just the body, and they reflect on letting go of the need for things to go a certain way. Melissa recalls her early experiences of hearing loss, and how a simple switch from spiraling into fear, to accepting that it’s what’s happening, could have changed her perspective entirely. Sherry acknowledges that we don’t have to like what’s happening to our bodies to be able to respect the process and gain something from it. They expand on their own moving experiences along this journey, and describe how music, comedy, and poetry have helped them find light in dark times. Finally, Melissa closes the show with another calming breathing exercise.
This podcast is not psychotherapy and does not contain medical advice, but is simply a recording of two friends talking.
Episode Highlights:
Quotes:
“Ever since we talked about the dreams, I have not had one single dream where the road is stopping me or I can't get where I'm going.”
“Now I'm doing all kinds of things in my dreams!”
“If you're listening, and you're having a recurring dream that's bothering you, maybe tell somebody, say it out loud and see what happens.”
“It's what's happening. It's worth repeating. It's worth repeating many times during the day.”
“It's a spiritual evolution that's happening in the healing...
Sherry begins today’s episode with an update on her recent diagnosis regarding the uncomfortable numbness in her hands, and her next steps for treatment. Melissa and Sherry revisit their conversation about dream work, and discuss how liberating it can be to speak upsetting thoughts or feelings out loud to another person, as holding them in can make them turn darker. Next they talk about loneliness and isolation, both during the pandemic, and also the deeper sense of “soul loneliness” that often accompanies chronic health issues or sensory loss. They discuss the shame attached to loneliness, their preference for one-on-one conversations as individuals with sensory loss, and how loneliness can be a rite of passage in the spiritual journey toward growth and maturity. Finally, Melissa reads the moving words of John O’Donohue in his poem “For Loneliness,” and the show closes with a breathing exercise that calls on listeners to meet their loneliness with compassion.
This podcast is not psychotherapy and does not contain medical advice, but is simply a recording of two friends talking.
Episode Highlights:
On this episode of Senseless, Sherry and Melissa begin with a health update and talk about the peace that comes with acceptance and being gentle on yourself. They discuss the power of positive self-talk and self-compassion, especially in times of flare-ups, and they share their experiences of coping with anxiety and depression during their darkest periods. Sherry and Melissa also touch on feelings of isolation when their physical symptoms become too much, and explain how they look inward to soothe the part of themselves that’s overwhelmed by pain and discomfort.
Next, our hosts chat about whether their sensory loss appears within their dreams, and how their dreams have changed over time as their hearing and vision have shifted. Sherry goes into a recurring dream she has involving an extremely steep hill while driving, and Melissa helps her uncover what it might mean in relation to her waking life. They talk about paying attention to the messages your subconscious is trying to tell you, and conclude the show with some calming breathing exercises.
This podcast is not psychotherapy and does not contain medical advice, but is simply a recording of two friends talking.
Episode Highlights:
Quotes:
“I just have a lot of inflammation. And I have a lot of viruses. A lot of active, active - I'm not contagious, but I have active viruses that my body cannot control.”
“That must be part of what the autoimmune stuff is - when our body’s got such a high viral load that it can't handle it all.”
“I remember laying on the ground...I was being so stoic and just kept going and going and going. And I do remember, my kids were little when this was happening. And I remember throwing myself on the ground and I was just in a ball. And I was just kind of screaming, kind of wailing - because it's a big deal to lose a sense.”
“It ends up being a thing where you have to really go within and...somehow getting to that place of love and compassion, and being gentle with yourself.”
“It's so hard to be in...
Today on Senseless, Melissa and Sherry discuss the idea of being labeled “non-compliant” as individuals with sensory loss, and taking their power back by wearing this distinction with pride. They talk about the importance of trusting your intuition, listening to your body when something feels off, and advocating for yourself even when doctors are unwilling to listen. They share a laugh as Sherry recounts the story of finding her medical file stamped with a giant, red “Non-Compliant” at her doctor’s office, and Melissa points out that people are often labeled this way if they don’t fit into the mainstream, able-bodied mold. You’ll hear Melissa’s empowering story of being “non-compliant” when she experienced a severe mechanical issue with her hearing aid, and Sherry reflects on an incident at a teaching hospital where she wishes she had followed her gut and not complied with doctors simply because they were authority figures.
Melissa and Sherry talk about flaws in the medical system that keep doctors from having the time and attention they need to really listen to their patients' concerns. They explain that while it's very important to listen to the medical advice of professionals, we also need to pay attention to our own bodies and not be afraid to speak up when something feels wrong or uncomfortable. Dealing with chronic illness or sensory loss can often make us feel like we’re “non-compliant” in our very existence, but today’s conversation lets us know that there’s nothing wrong with pushing for the support and resources we deserve - in fact, it’s something to be done with a badge of honor.
This podcast is not psychotherapy and does not contain medical advice, but is simply a recording of two friends talking.
Episode Highlights:
On today’s episode, Sherry tells Melissa about her latest experience with severe fatigue and numbness in her right arm, and how her new doctor’s determination to help eliminate underlying viruses and Lyme “critters” has reinvigorated her positive outlook. Sherry also talks about having 28 vials of blood drawn recently and not being able to write or type, yet still having love and empathy for the medical workers who take care of her. Sherry offers her perspective on accepting that this is her body’s journey, and that she is here to support it as a spirit guide. You’ll also hear Melissa and Sherry’s insightful and entertaining conversation about the “Struggle Bus,” and how they use this idea to add lightness, humor, and honesty when people ask how they’re doing.
Our hosts also discuss Melissa’s hilarious “cheese dreams” as a result of her anti-inflammatory diet, as well as her frustrating encounter with ableist barriers when applying for a Deaf Cultural Studies program. They chat about living in a world that’s centered around able-bodied individuals, and the importance of being an advocate for yourself in the moment, as a person with sensory loss. Bringing the conversation back to the Struggle Bus, Sherry jokes that her autocorrect often changes this term to “Snuggle Bus,” which has inadvertently become a fabulous metaphor for self-love and self-compassion, as they invite listeners to reflect on the state of their Struggle Bus, and what they need from the Snuggle Bus instead.
This podcast is not psychotherapy and does not contain medical advice, but is simply a recording of two friends talking.
Episode Highlights:
Contact: [email protected]
Melissa and Sherry are so excited to welcome you to the very first episode of Senseless, a podcast that explores chronic health conditions, vision loss, and hearing loss with humor, wisdom, and friendship. They begin by telling the story of how their friendship began, how they bonded over their respective sensory loss experiences, and their individual journeys with chronic health conditions. Melissa shares her experience of progressive hearing loss beginning with an incident after a loud party at age 21, and the simultaneous devastation and relief she felt after being diagnosed with only 50% of her hearing in her early 30s. Sherry talks about being diagnosed with an eye condition called Panuveitis at just 19 years old, as well as Reiter’s Syndrome, a severe form of arthritis, then Multiple Sclerosis 14 years ago, and Lyme Disease just last year.
Sherry describes the “Spiritual Renovation” she underwent after ignoring her body’s signals for too long, finding the joy in everyday life despite inevitable ups and downs, and making peace with pain instead of trying to escape it. Melissa and Sherry discuss the healing power of their friendship and connecting with someone on the same wavelength, even though they navigate the world in different ways. They discuss reframing sensory loss to focus on the positive aspects it brings, learning to receive help, not just give it, and the importance of leaving your pieces on the ground, being vulnerable, and living without walls or barriers. This podcast is not psychotherapy and does not contain medical advice, but is simply a recording of two friends talking.
Episode Highlights:
The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.