Feeling exhausted no matter how much you rest?

This episode explores ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), one of the most misunderstood chronic illnesses.

We'll connect the dots between fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and nervous system dysfunction. You'll learn ways to reduce your risk of medical gaslighting, better understand your body, and advocate for yourself.

We'll also discuss how infections, such as COVID-19, along with autoimmune conditions, gut health, nutrient deficiencies, and certain environmental exposures have been linked to ME/CFS.

Plus, we'll explore why symptoms can overlap with conditions like POTS and Parkinson's disease.

Have you ever been told, "Everything looks normal," but deep down you knew something still wasn't right?

If you've been living with dizziness, chronic fatigue, brain fog, pelvic pain, ADHD, neurodivergence, dysautonomia, EDS, concussion symptoms, chronic pain, or another invisible illness, this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Balanced Homies, I share my journey through medical gaslighting. Not only as a patient navigating dysautonomia, but also as a neurologic and pelvic floor physical therapist who realized I had my own unconscious biases to overcome.

We'll talk about what medical gaslighting really is, why it happens, and the research behind it. We'll explore how healthcare systems, burnout, time pressures, and implicit bias can contribute to patients feeling unheard and why this isn't just a patient problem, but a healthcare problem.

I'll also share a practical symptom checklist that you can fill out and bring to your healthcare appointments to help organize your symptoms and communicate your concerns more clearly. My hope is that it helps you advocate for yourself and makes it easier for your healthcare team to see the bigger picture.

Whether you're trying to connect the dots about your own health or you're a healthcare professional who wants to provide more compassionate, evidence-informed care, this conversation is an invitation to replace judgment with curiosity, authority with collaboration, and dismissal with listening.

Because your body isn't crazy, lazy, or making it up.

Stay balanced, homies. ✌🏽

Ever feel like your body has a mind of its own? Maybe you've been dizzy, exhausted, shaky, or just know something doesn't feel right. In this episode, we're connecting the dots by exploring what dysautonomia is, how your autonomic nervous system works, the difference between your fight-or-flight and rest-and-recover systems, common symptoms, and how your senses influence the way your body responds to the world around you.

The Story Behind The Balanced Homies

In this first episode, I'm sharing the story that changed the direction of my life and career. As a neurologic physical therapist, I almost fainted while helping one of my patients walk. That moment forced me to stop ignoring the symptoms I had been experiencing for years.

Like so many others, I was told my tests looked normal. I was told everything was okay. But deep down, I knew something wasn't right.

My search for answers eventually led me to dysautonomia, but it also opened my eyes to how difficult it can be to navigate the healthcare system when your symptoms don't fit neatly into one diagnosis.

The Balanced Homies was created because I never want someone to feel as alone, dismissed, or hopeless as I once did. Here, we'll connect the dots between dysautonomia, concussion, EDS, pelvic health, chronic pain, ADHD, neurodivergence, medical gaslighting, mental health, and the nervous system, while sharing practical ways to help your body move closer to homeostasis.

My mission is simple: help people understand their bodies sooner, advocate for themselves with confidence, and hopefully reduce preventable suffering, hospitalizations, disability, and the feeling that they're "crazy" because no one has connected the dots yet.

If you've ever felt like something was wrong but couldn't explain it, this podcast is for you.

Welcome to The Balanced Homies.

Where science meets humanity, & healing meets community.

Welcome to The Balanced Homies!

Where science meets humanity, & healing meets community. I'm Dr. Celeste Santillan, a neurologic-pelvic floor physical therapist sharing the science behind dysautonomia, ADHD, neurodivergence, concussion, EDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, pelvic health, and medical gaslighting; along with my own journey navigating dysautonomia & learning to advocate for myself.

Together, we'll connect the dots, laugh a little, & remind you that your body isn't crazy, lazy, or making it up, it may just be asking for a different conversation.

Subscribe & become one of the homies.

Stay balanced, Homies!