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

Registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), Kacie Ferguson, joins us for an informative and insightful conversation about trigger foods, elimination diets, and nutrition for migraine

For years Kacie experienced debilitating, chronic migraine attacks. Her quality of life was minimal, and as she states, she was only scraping by. 

Today’s conversation touches on Kacie’s journey with migraine, why she became a dietitian and how she took back her life through the food and lifestyle strategies featured in her MEND program. We dig into the emotionally charged topics of trigger foods, elimination diets, and diets that are paraded around like migraine miracles and cure-alls. We also talk about the migraine threshold theory and how diet and lifestyle can help you raise your migraine threshold.

 If you are struggling with debilitating migraine attacks or if chronic illness is severely impacting your quality of life and you have never been guided by a professional through the diet and lifestyle factors that are so critical to your overall health, then this episode is one for you. If you’re looking for more guidance than what is offered in this episode, I hope you will reach out to Kacie. 

Find a Registered Dietitian near you: https://www.eatright.org/find-a-nutrition-expert 

Kacie's Website: https://www.migrainenutritionist.com @migraine.nutritionist 

Please know that nothing mentioned in this episode is intended as medical advice. Please always seek guidance from your treating physician.

Find us:

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

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine

A powerhouse of patient advocacy and empowerment. Tori Ford is the founder and executive director of the award-winning nonprofit, Medical Herstory.

Tori is on a mission to eliminate sexism, shame, and stigma from health experiences, and she is an outspoken sexual health advocate whose work has been featured by UNWomen.

She holds a BA from McGill University in Gender Studies, a master's from the University of Cambridge in Health, Medicine, and Society, and as if that wasn’t enough she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Primary Health Care at the University of Oxford.

Her work on advancing gender health equity has been recognized by the McGill Scarlet Key Award and the University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Social Impact Award.

Today’s conversation centers around Tori’s experience with chronic yeast infections and how years of being dismissed and not receiving adequate treatment led her to founding medical herstory to empower patients, educate doctors and enact change in healthcare. We also discuss the challenges of the current medical systems and the value of educating medical school students on how to remove sexism, stigma, and shame from medical care.

https://medicalherstory.com/

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

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

Female pelvic pain is one of the most dismissed and trivialized symptoms and conditions in the world. 

Maddy Niziolek has been a passionate patient advocate for herself and other women with chronic pelvic pain since she started dealing with Endometriosis at the age of 12. Her symptoms went underdiagnosed and trivialized for years before she finally secured an endometriosis diagnosis in high school. In this episode, Maddy walks us through her journey with endometriosis including her experiences of medical gaslighting. She shares her frustration around the lack of awareness, recognition, and treatment of female-specific pain.  

Her experience with the healthcare system launched her into a career of social involvement becoming a Planned Parenthood teen council member, a leader in the Sexual Health and Healthy Relationships task force, and the community action chair for Voices for Choices at her university. She has her bachelor of arts in political science and is finishing up her master's of public administration. 

Maddy will inspire you to advocate for yourself as much as she will inspire you to get involved in healthcare policy reform. Together we can make a difference for women's health! 

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

Do you find solace in sarcasm and dark humor?

Today’s guest is the incredible, Christine! Christine runs a very popular Instagram @myibslife where she posts memes and other content with a twist of dark, but very relatable, humor for those who struggle with IBS and other GI issues.

In this episode, Christine gives us a window into her 14-year-long journey of learning to manage her IBS symptoms and reveals the ‘why’ behind the creation of myibslife. We hear how she navigates the challenges of establishing and maintaining friendships and romantic relationships with IBS. Christine also shares her top three IBS management tips that work for her and so much more!

Christine has a captivating energy. She is witty and clever, and this episode is one that will keep you laughing and smiling despite centering around the challenges of living with chronic illness.

Mentioned in this episode: 

Erin Judge’s MASTER method program

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@sabrina.soffer

If you want to hear firsthand from a medical school student and soon-to-be practicing doctor, be sure to listen in!

In this episode, Daria shares her experience within the medical education system and we discuss the gaps in the current curriculum including a lack of education about systemic barriers that constrain doctor's real-world medical decision-making (e.g. insurance protocols). This conversation also features an examination of the differences between a doctor of medicine (an M.D.) and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (a D.O.), and how these two different types of doctors might differ in terms of patient care so that you can find the right doctor for you!

*We discuss a website called 'uptodate.com'. Please know that it does require a monthly fee. 

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

Can you imagine experiencing chronic pain from the age of four? Erin can.

Erin shares her topsy turvy journey to getting accurately diagnosed with  Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTS, Endometriosis & Migraine.

Experiencing chronic pain in childhood and lacking the tools necessary to adequately convey her pain to adults, Erin facilitates a discussion on the importance of empowering and educating children so that they have the tools necessary to communicate difficult and uncomfortable experiences.

Today's episode also features a unique strategy that Erin deployed to tell people about her chronic illnesses. Stay tuned to learn a new communication tool!

Erin’s story is so important because exemplifies the importance of early, adequate treatment and how the antiquated theory that children will always “grow out of it” needs to be dismantled.

We hope enjoy this episode!

Want to be on the pod? Let us know!

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

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

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine

Sabrina is about start college and managing her IBS is about to become even more complicated. 

Sabrina’s chronic illness journey was largely triggered by stress (episode 1!) and while college presents a significant challenge due to the high levels of stress that one can experience, she is ready for the challenge.

Today’s episode features a conversation about how she plans to manage her stress including being less rigid with her schedule, sharing her experience with those around her, and making time for social outings and other activities that boost her mental health. She also explains how she is being proactive and setting herself up for success by building a safe home base.

It was special to have this dedicated time for us to check in before she leaves! We hope you enjoy this episode.

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

Two concussions drastically changed her life when she was only 15.

In this episode of The Chronic Connection Podcast (formerly PUT A BANDAID ON IT), Tia O'Hare shares her difficult health journey involving repeated concussions, a deep sense of isolation, and a lack of adequate care that resulted in her symptoms snowballing into daily persistent headaches and eventually chronic migraine.

Tia offers valuable insight into what it was like to become chronically ill as a teenager, how she conceptualizes her chronic illness and her identity, and the importance of receiving adequate care in order to prevent acute symptoms from developing into chronic conditions.

We deeply enjoyed talking to Tia, and we hope that you enjoy this open and honest conversation about the challenges that chronic illness patients face in a world not made for the chronically ill.

Tia's Podcast and Instagram:

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

https://anchor.fm/invisibleinjury

Find us!

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

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine

It's no secret that the healthcare system is flawed, but do you understand all the shortcomings of the current medical system, and do you have the tools necessary to prevent these obstacles from impacting your care? 

Morgan & Sabrina unveil the shortcomings and roadblocks of current medical systems. They discuss healthcare access and the barriers posed by insurance companies including time restrictions, prior authorization requirements, and step therapy protocols. They also delve into the shocking statistics around the lack of education that doctors receive on some of the most pervasive diseases in the world and examine how this impacts patient care. Finally, they suggest ways in which you can prevent these obstacles from impacting your healthcare.

Find us! 

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

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine

A chronic illness patient once plagued by autoimmune diseases, she became relentless in her search for ways to improve her health. Brenda has approached healing through a myriad of avenues including investigating the importance of nutrition and immersing herself in the practice of functional medicine. 

To rip off the bandaid, she encourages us to take a step back and examine the whole picture of our health in the context of our life. She asks us to look at how we are moving, breathing, loving, thinking, connecting and eating so that each of us may achieve the highest level of health possible.

Want to be on the podcast? -  Fill out our 'Reach Out' form to let us know! 

Books Mentioned: 

ACE’s CDC-Kaiser Permanente study: Here

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

Podcast Instagram: @thechronicpod

Morgan's Instagram: @lifewithmigraine