The Chronic Connection Podcast: Helping Women Live Well with Chronic Illness

Your vestibular system is critical for balance and spatial orientation so what happens when this vital system goes offline? Imagine experiencing double vision, vertigo, frequently falling and feeling like the horizon moves as you walk.

These are all symptoms of vestibular dysfunction, something that as many as over 35% of adults over the age of 40 experience. Treating vestibular symptoms can be complicated and often the most successful treatment plans include a multimodal approach, and that’s where vestibular physical therapy comes into play.

Today’s guest, vestibular physical therapist, Dr. Madison Oak, will give you a preview of what vestibular physical therapy is, who can benefit from it, and the best ways to incorporate it into your treatment plan. We also examine the truly revolutionary concept of neural adaptation and more specifically, positive and negative neuroplasticity. It’s a concept that will inform you on how you can take direct action to retrain your brain and improve your symptoms.

It was a joy to be able to sit down with Madison and leverage her expertise to provide unparalleled insights into all things vestibular function.

Madison Oak's Instagram: @thevertigodoctor Find a vestibular provider in the U.S. : https://vestibular.org/healthcare-directory/ Find a vestibular provider in the U.K.: https://www.acpivr.com/find-a-physio/ Madison Oak’s Website: https://thevertigodoctor.com/

Who should see a registered dietitian? What supplement brands should we trust? What is the difference between a trigger food, a food sensitivity, and an allergy? What supplements should you try if you have migraine? How does your gut health impact your brain?

If you are looking for science-backed, professional insight into all of these questions, then you are in the right place. 

About The Migraine Dietitian: 

Kelli Yates is a private practice Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) specializing in migraine and gut health. She was inspired to pursue natural interventions for migraine after dealing with her own diagnosis for over two decades and knowing medications could not be the only solution. Kelli is passionate about promoting a personalized approach for migraine care, empowering people living with migraine. She promotes evidence-based information and makes gut health interesting, accessible, and fun.

Kelli's Website: https://kelliyatesnutrition.com/

Kelli's Instagram: @the.migraine.dietitian

Supplement companies mentioned: 

Life Extension

Pure encapsulations 

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I hope you enjoy this episode!

Find The Chronic Connection Podcast

Podcast website: https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Twitter: @thechronicpod

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Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine

Rest. Re-root. Redefine - three words that encapsulate Alicia’s journey starting as a successful luxury brand designer, through devastating health challenges with chronic vestibular migraine, and finally, stepping into a new persona known as The Dizzy Cook. Alicia Wolf is a mom, businesswoman, chronic vestibular migraine patient, and author of the stunning cookbook, “The Dizzy Cook”. 

If you find yourself in the midst of health struggles, mental or physical, and are debating about taking time away from your career or current life path, if you are thinking of stepping off the tantalizing treadmill of success and achievement, then you are in the right place to listen to and learn from someone who was in your shoes not long ago. 

Furthermore, if you have considered trying an elimination and reintroduction diet for migraine or vestibular disorder symptoms, but have found the diet to feel overwhelming, difficult, and restrictive, then Alicia is here for you. Alicia makes the elimination diet sustainable and easy to follow, helping you embrace your inner home cook, and giving you the best shot at seeing symptom reduction.

Alicia’s new cookbook will be out in October of 2022 (just in time for Christmas!), listen in to hear more, and be sure to mark your calendars! 

Alicia's website: https://thedizzycook.com/

Alicia's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedizzycook/?hl=en

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Find The Chronic Connection Podcast Podcast website: https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/ 

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod 

Twitter: @thechronicpod 

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine

1 in 3 individuals lives with a chronic health condition, and yet despite this nearly universal struggle, many people living with chronic illness feel isolated, forgotten, and misunderstood. I know because I felt the same way when chronic illness dismantled life as I knew it.

My name is Morgan Fitzgerald. I am a neuroscience researcher and I have been a chronic illness patient for more than 10 years. Once confined to my childhood bedroom and unable to find anyone living well with my diagnosis, I felt alone for a number of years. However, we are never alone.

The truth is that if you look beyond the name of a diagnosis, you will see that we are all inextricably intertwined – united in the search for how to live well with chronic illness.

Our journeys may not match each other in the exact conditions that we have to manage but they certainly reflect each other in the types of challenges we must overcome.

This podcast is for YOU, featuring people just like you – individuals living with chronic illness.

Listen to inspiring stories of struggle and triumph, sickness and healing, breakdown and recovery. Hear how pain and struggle can be an engine for growth, how having your health crumble can serve as a catalyst for self-reinvention. These conversations are here to inspire your belief in a better tomorrow.

Thanks for being here, and welcome to the Chronic Connection Community

Find The Chronic Connection Podcast:

Podcast website: https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Twitter: @thechronicpod

Join on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/thechronicpod

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine

Are you frustrated with the healthcare system? No system is perfect, we know that, but just because perfection may be out of reach it doesn't mean that we should still strive for progress.

If you are frustrated with the healthcare system, whether your frustration stems from insurance policies or the healthcare system structure itself, there is one direct way to enact change - policy. It takes direct interaction with our policy leaders and representatives both at the state and federal level to create enough motivation for them to vote on, propose and support healthcare reform legislation. 

You might think, this doesn't apply to me. I don't have the time, money, or energy to help. However, it doesn't take big action or big effort. It can be incredibly small actions. Even just sending an email can create ripples that together create waves of change. 

If you don't believe me, take the word of today’s guest - Terry Wilcox. A change maker and patient advocate for over 17 years. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of Patients Rising which is a non-profit patient education and advocacy organization that helps patients get access to essential diagnostics and the treatments they need. 

Today’s conversation touches on 4 action items you can take to help enact change in healthcare with minimal resources, How we can make insurance policies be more patient-forward, and the Top resources to stay up to date on  U.S. healthcare news.

We hope enjoy this episode!

Want to be on the pod? Let us know!

https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/reach-out.html

Find us!

Podcast website: https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Twitter: @thechronicpod

Join us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/thechronicpod

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine

Patients Rising Podcast - How to Design Better Health Insurance with Dave Chase

https://patients-rising-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/holiday-special-how-to-design-better-health-insurance-MD9jA2od

Every Life Foundation for Rare Diseases

https://everylifefoundation.org/

Patients Rising: Get help, resources, and guidance

https://www.patientsrising.org/get-help/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAqbyNBhC2ARIsALDwAsALOUAkBTABWfQkoqdWlZjiO7Jioc0dsyQs7xmyzI7K7yhTt9oVsRgaAhShEALw_wcB

Patients Rising Now Master Advocacy Course

https://patientsrisingnow.org/advocacy-master-class/

Patients Rising Podcast

https://www.patientsrisingpodcast.org/

Changing your mindset can change your life. Are you ready?

Leann Stickel is an MS patient turned life coach. Gifted with genetic optimism, Leann is guiding people on how to live well with chronic illness from mourning your pre-illness life to finding your daily dose of frosting.

Today’s conversation traverses Leann’s chronic illness story, from grief and depression to cultivating optimism and gratitude. 

We discuss the balancing act of mourning your past life and welcoming the waves of grief while not allowing yourself to drown in your own pity party.

We examine how she manages to encourage and uplift without rejecting or deriding someone's pain.

Finally, we talk about the power of movement and the importance of finding your ‘why’.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Leann's Website: 

https://www.leannstickel.com/

Schedule a free session: https://leannstickel.hbportal.co/schedule/5f5e76782895d176612f51cf

Want to be on the pod? Let us know!

https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/reach-out.html

Find us:

Podcast website: https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine

Have you struggled to balance your career and your health? Have you wondered if mindfulness and meditation could help you stay grounded? Then you are listening to the right episode. 

Today’s guest is Grace Adams, an Australian native, who has been managing chronic migraine, chronic fatigue, and orthostatic intolerance for a number of years. She is the founder of innovation migraine, a migraine patient advocate, and a champion of the power of mindfulness.

This conversation traverses Grace’s journey from the difficult turning point at which she had to step back from her career to her decision to start Innovation Migraine, which promotes the innovation taking place in migraine and advocates for governments, institutions, and companies to take migraine seriously. We discuss the factors that played into her decision to stop working full-time. We review the work that she has already completed under innovation migraine and the hopes that she has for the project moving forward. We touch on the realities of receiving migraine care in Australia and compare the resources that are available to those in the US. Finally, we round out the episode with an examination of mindfulness and meditation practices and how Grace uses these tools to stay afloat through the waves of chronic illness.

Find Grace:

https://www.instagram.com/howtoliveslowly/?hl=en

Innovation Migraine:

https://www.instagram.com/innovationinmigraine/?hl=en

https://innovationinmigraine.com/2021/09/22/ctrl-m-health-interview/

Books Mentioned:

https://untetheredsoul.com

1 Giant Mind Meditation App:

https://www.1giantmind.com

We hope enjoy this episode!

Want to be on the pod? Let us know!

https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/reach-out.html

Find us:

Podcast website: https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine

When modern medicine doesn't cure chronic pain, what comes next?'

In today's episode, we first catch up with Sabrina on managing life with IBS while in college.

Then we discuss the recent article by David Leonhardt for the New York Times, 'When modern medicine doesn't cure chronic pain, what comes next?' and examine the pros and cons of western medicine that David artfully highlights.

Finally, we round it out with an argument for the revision of many cliché “inspirational” sayings (e.g., “If you’re tired, do it tired; and no pain, no gain!”) because we feel that they promote the misguided prioritization of your achievements over your own well being.

We hope enjoy this episode!

Want to be on the pod? Let us know!

https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/reach-out.html

Find us:

Podcast website: https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine

Today’s guest is Monica Feakes - a phenomenal human, dog mom, plant lover, avid reader, and yoga teacher, and in addition to all of that, she also experiences undiagnosed chronic pelvic pain and has migraine.

Monica has been deeply immersed in healthcare from a professional perspective due to her work, but after seeking medical care for her own chronic health issues for the last ten years, she also knows what it is like to be a female patient in the current system.

Today’s conversation is an open and honest discussion about the intersection of chronic illness and mental health and the challenges that females face in the current healthcare system. From chronic pain and symptom dismissal to panic attacks and anxiety medication, she knows firsthand what it’s like to juggle mental and physical health.

Monica and I have been friends for several years now and she is one of the most authentic and compassionate people I have had the pleasure of calling my friend. She showed up for this conversation wholeheartedly and I wanted to give her this platform the share her experience because I know her insights can help so many others. 

There are golden nuggets dropped all throughout this episode so whether you struggle with mental or physical health or a little of both, I think it is one of those warm-hearted but realistic episodes that will help you through whatever you may be tackling. 

Please enjoy today's episode! 

Books mentioned: 

What Doesn't Kill You by Tessa Miller 

What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

I'm So Effing Tired: A Proven Plan to Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Life by Amy Shah

We hope enjoy this episode!

Want to be on the pod? Let us know!

https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/reach-out.html

Find us:

Podcast website: https://thechronicpod.weebly.com/

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine