That's So Chronic

Welcome back to That’s So Chronic! Today’s episode is with Monica Foster, and we are talking about her diagnosis of cushing’s disease (hypercortisolism). 

In this episode Monica shares her diagnosis journey, the ups and downs that came with countless tests from various different medical professionals, the decision to go through with brain surgery for the tumours on her pituitary gland, an expensive medication, travelling to different places for these treatments, and how she’s feeling after bilateral adrenalectomy surgery.

Thanks for listening! Feel free to reach out over on instagram or tiktok, I’m @thatssochronic 

@thatssochronic | @jessssbrien | #thatssochronic

Free monthly newsletter: thatssochronic.substack.com

Application form to share your story: https://forms.gle/csebLkwfwAjiLApK9 

Disclaimer: Here at That's So Chronic we are sharing personal stories and are not advocating any type of treatment, therapy, procedure or intervention. Everyone is unique so please seek professional medical advice before making any decisions for yourself or for others.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yay! Happy Tuesday! Today’s episode of That’s So Chronic is with Natalie Meyers and her mom Dr. Laurie, and we’re chatting about Natalie’s diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and pericarditis. 

** We had a couple of technical difficulties getting this video call to work, so thanks in advance for being understanding about the sound quality! **

In this episode, we basically talk about everything! Natalie and Dr Laurie take us through Natalie’s diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis when she was a freshman in high school, the eventual diagnosis of pericarditis and lupus, what it was like growing up being the one who always puked on family car trips, the challenges that come with chronic illness, and why it’s important to advocate for yourself or for your child.

Aaaaand of course, Dr Laurie also shares some funny moments of Natalie’s childhood with all of us as well! 

Natalie is the first to recognise that not everyone has the privilege of having a doctor for a mum, but her mum has been there through her health journey, so we thought why not share and celebrate this part of her story today!

Don’t forget to connect with That’s So Chronic over on Instagram or Tiktok: @thatssochronic 

And sign up for the free monthly newsletter: thatssochronic.substack.com

@thatssochronic | @jessssbrien | #thatssochronic

Application form to share your story: https://forms.gle/csebLkwfwAjiLApK9 

Disclaimer: Here at That's So Chronic we are sharing personal stories and are not advocating any type of treatment, therapy, procedure or intervention. Everyone is unique so please seek professional medical advice before making any decisions for yourself or for others.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode of That’s So Chronic is with Chelsea Haughton and we are talking about her diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and hypermobile ehlers danlos syndrome (hEDS).

In this episode, Chelsea shares her experiences of seeking a diagnosis which includes flying to a different city for an appointment, how each of these conditions affect her, the importance of talking about periods, and how validating it can be talking to someone who understands.

Connect with Chelsea and see her embroidery creations on IG: @sewnearyetsewfar

And as always, feel free to reach out and connect over on IG or Tiktok, I’m @thatssochronic

Thank you for listening and supporting! You're the best!

@thatssochronic | @jessssbrien | #thatssochronic

Free monthly newsletter: thatssochronic.substack.com

Application form to share your story: https://forms.gle/csebLkwfwAjiLApK9 

Disclaimer: Here at That's So Chronic we are sharing personal stories and are not advocating any type of treatment, therapy, procedure or intervention. Everyone is unique so please seek professional medical advice before making any decisions for yourself or for others.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to That's So Chronic! Today we are shining a spotlight on Hear Your Song, a non-profit organisation that is empowering children and teens with serious illnesses and complex health needs to make their voices heard through collaborative songwriting. If you know a bit about me, you’ll know that this is my cup of tea, so I was very excited to learn more and help share their story today!

In this episode I’m chatting to co-founder and executive director Dan Rubins, as well as music director Sofía Campoamor. They share the story behind Hear Your Song, what a session entails, and what they’ve learnt along the way. Annie, Piper, Zippy, and Elliot explain what they love about being a part of this project, and we also hear about Hear Your Song’s recent concert at 54 Below in NYC, where Broadway performers collaborated with the kids to perform their songs! 

Oh, and we get to listen to some of the songs!

Find out more and support the work at Hear Your Song: www.hearyoursong.org

Follow HYS on social media @hearyoursonghys

And listen to all of the songs on their youtube channel: youtube.com/channel/UCcn-79DuKg3Rx0RD6gcfkvA 

If you’ve got something you would like That’s So Chronic to shine a spotlight on, feel free to reach out on Instagram @thatssochronic, or send me an email [email protected] 

@thatssochronic | @jessssbrien | #thatssochronic

Free monthly newsletter: thatssochronic.substack.com

Disclaimer: Here at That's So Chronic we are sharing personal stories and are not advocating any type of treatment, therapy, procedure or intervention. Everyone is unique so please seek professional medical advice before making any decisions for yourself or for others.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Tuesday! Today I am chatting to Finn Iles/Violet Tendencies all about her diagnosis of hypermobile ehlers danlos syndrome (hEDS), as well as a variety of comorbidities that come along with this. 

In this episode, Finn explains the journey to get to a diagnosis (which is still continuing!), what on earth EDS is, and how medicinal cannabis has helped her symptoms. Finn also takes us through the amount of advocacy work, research, and time they have had to do in order to get to where they are now, and the plans for the future support.

Please note we do talk about some elements of the NZ health system that may be different now due to the reform, or not applicable to where you are based. 

Connect with Finn over on IG: @violetyouareturningviolet  

And you can find me on IG & Tiktok: @thatssochronic 

I would also really appreciate a rating or a review wherever you’re listening to this pod! That really helps TSC reach more ears around the world - so thank you! 

@thatssochronic | @jessssbrien | #thatssochronic

Free monthly newsletter: thatssochronic.substack.com

Application form to share your story: https://forms.gle/csebLkwfwAjiLApK9 

Disclaimer: Here at That's So Chronic we are sharing personal stories and are not advocating any type of treatment, therapy, procedure or intervention. Everyone is unique so please seek professional medical advice before making any decisions for yourself or for others.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi! Today’s episode is a little bit different. If you’re not following That’s So Chronic over on instagram you might have missed that recently I was a guest on Ben Hampton’s podcast A Gluten Free Podcast. You might remember Ben from his interview episode here on That’s So Chronic where he shared his story of being diagnosed with coeliac disease. 

I really enjoyed getting to chat to Ben all about my gluten intolerance diagnosis. It’s something that I haven’t really talked about before on mic, so I thought what a great opportunity to share a little bit more of my health story with all of you!

In this episode I talk about the symptoms I was experiencing when I was 15 that eventually led to a gluten intolerance diagnosis, I express my love for the gluten free foods in Australia, a recap on my MS diagnosis (for all of you OG listeners), and a little bit of advice for anyone on their chronic illness journey.

Big thanks to Ben for facilitating and sharing this interview with me!

You can listen to Ben over on A Gluten Free Podcast wherever you listen to your pods, and connect over on instagram @a.gffamily and on tiktok @aglutenfreefamily 

And you can find me behind @thatssochronic on IG and Tiktok!

@thatssochronic | @jessssbrien | #thatssochronic

Free monthly newsletter: thatssochronic.substack.com

Application form to share your story: https://forms.gle/csebLkwfwAjiLApK9 

Disclaimer: Here at That's So Chronic we are sharing personal stories and are not advocating any type of treatment, therapy, procedure or intervention. Everyone is unique so please seek professional medical advice before making any decisions for yourself or for others.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How is it the end of September already?! I’m excited to share this months That’s So episode, because today we’re chatting about The Certainty Myth by Dr Toni Lindsay. 

** a content warning: while we share a lot of laughs, we do touch on the subject of death, so please take care while listening **

Dr Toni Lindsay is a clinical and health psychologist who has been working with both adults and adolescents for over 10 years. Currently she is working at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse in the oncology service and is a specialist in the care of adolescents and young adults with cancer. 

In her third book The Certainty Myth, she shares her knowledge as well as stories from her patients, to help give readers the tools to help manage the anxiety around uncertainty. It’s not full of jargon (which I loved!) and has a relaxed and friendly tone. I can be a bit of a brat, but I immediately jumped on board, and I got a lot out of it!

In our interview, Dr Toni talks about her work, the inspiration behind writing the book, her love of metaphors, and what she hopes readers will take away from reading The Certainty Myth.

Find out more about Dr Toni: tonilindsay.com.au

And grab a copy of The Certainty Myth: exislepublishing.com/product/the-certainty-myth

Sign up to the free monthly newsletter: thatssochronic.substack.com

Big thanks to @exislepublishing for the advanced copy of this book. 

@thatssochronic | @jessssbrien | #ThatsSoChronic

If you have something that you would like discussed on an upcoming That’s So: episode, I would love to hear from you! Drop me an email ([email protected]), a DM on instagram, or fill out this Google form: https://forms.gle/4RZbCiHARjV5gmcWA 

Disclaimer: Here at That's So Chronic we are sharing personal stories and are not advocating any type of treatment, therapy, procedure or intervention. Everyone is unique so please seek professional medical advice before making any decisions for yourself or for others

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode is with comedian Maria Williams, and I must admit, I did have a moment where I cried with laughter while editing this episode! Maria is also a teacher, and lives with a diagnosis of ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 

In this episode, Maria shares the journey of her ADHD diagnosis, from a diagnosis in Hawai’i that she was convinced was a misdiagnosis to an eventual diagnosis at age 32. She also shares her symptoms and how she manages them, her frustrations in why it took so long, and leaves us all with some advice.

Maria also talks about why she’s so passionate about spreading awareness, and gives us a bit of an insight into her upcoming comedy shows!

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR ‘ANXIETY: THE MUSICAL’ IN WELLINGTON 15-19 NOV: bats.co.nz/whats-on/anxiety-the-musical/

And follow Maria on twitter @mariawilliamsnz for updates on her next show ADHD: The Musical.

As always, feel free to connect over on instagram and tiktok, I’m @thatssochronic. 

@thatssochronic | @jessssbrien | #thatssochronic

Free monthly newsletter: thatssochronic.substack.com

Application form to share your story: https://forms.gle/csebLkwfwAjiLApK9 

Disclaimer: Here at That's So Chronic we are sharing personal stories and are not advocating any type of treatment, therapy, procedure or intervention. Everyone is unique so please seek professional medical advice before making any decisions for yourself or for others.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Tuesday! Which means another episode of That’s So Chronic! Today is the first in person interview for a little while (thanks to you know what) and I’m chatting to Caitlyn McMillan about her diagnosis of achalasia.

In this episode, Caitlyn shares her diagnosis story, the symptoms she experiences, the decision to go through with surgery to her oesophagus and stomach, how she managed uni and her mental health throughout all of this, and why she was inspired to share her story with me today.

If you too have been diagnosed with achalasia, I am sure Caitlyn would love to hear from you! Feel free to send me an email or a message over on IG (@thatssochronic) and I’ll connect you! 

Thank you for supporting That’s So Chronic. Without all of your reviews, ratings, follows and shares this podcast literally wouldn’t exist! 

@thatssochronic | @jessssbrien | #thatssochronic

Free monthly newsletter: thatssochronic.substack.com

Application form to share your story: https://forms.gle/csebLkwfwAjiLApK9 

Disclaimer: Here at That's So Chronic we are sharing personal stories and are not advocating any type of treatment, therapy, procedure or intervention. Everyone is unique so please seek professional medical advice before making any decisions for yourself or for others.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How is it the end of August already?! Today we are taking a break from regular interview episodes to share another That's So episode. That's So is a monthly series where we dive deeper into a piece of content - be that a book, film, tv series, interview, literally anything! - that's in our That's So Chronic world. Today I am talking to Karra Eloff about her book titled The Chronic Pain Couple. 

The Chronic Pain Couple is a book for all of those living with chronic pain who wants to have a remarkable relationship. Australian health entrepreneur Karra Eloff has drawn on academic research and her own pursuit of joy in spite of suffering to develop this trailblazing, compassionate, low-energy and practical path to a remarkable new normal, delivering much-needed solutions to couples living with one partner’s chronic pain.

In this episode I share some of my thoughts, and Karra explains what it is she does, a bit about her diagnosis of spondyloarthritis (and why I found that so important when reading this book!), the process of writing (and rewriting as was the case for the mental health chapter!) and why she’s dedicated to helping people live remarkable lives.

You can find more about Karra on her website: www.chronicpaincouple.com or on social media: @chronicpaincouple 

Grab your copy online, or where all good books are sold!

A big thanks to Exisle Publishing for my copy of The Chronic Pain Couple and supporting That’s So Chronic. They’ve given me some copies to giveaway, so head to @thatsschronic on instagram to be in to win! 

Also, heads up, there is a bit of a sound issue in some of the audio during the interview. Thanks for being understanding! 

@thatssochronic | @jessssbrien | #ThatsSoChronic

If you have something that you would like discussed on an upcoming That’s So: episode, I would love to hear from you! Drop me an email ([email protected]), a DM on instagram, or fill out this Google form: https://forms.gle/4RZbCiHARjV5gmcWA 

Disclaimer: Here at That's So Chronic we are sharing personal stories and are not advocating any type of treatment, therapy, procedure or intervention. Everyone is unique so please seek professional medical advice before making any decisions for yourself or for others.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.