The L Podcast

This year we said we weren't burning ourselves out. I'm getting ready for Soft Girl Summer, which means I'm taking back my time and my energy for MYSELF. Taking a break from work, relationships, hobbies, or even volunteering doesn't mean you're a failure. What it does mean is that your prioritizing your wants and needs, (which isn't selfish!) and I'm so freaking proud of you for that! The L Podcast is going on its first ever summer break and I already miss you and can't wait to come back in the fall!

Living with a chronic illness doesn't mean you can't enjoy the happiest place on earth! When planning a vacation, it can be difficult and even overwhelming trying to accommodate every need of a person living with a chronic illness or that has physical limitations. Today we're chatting with my sister-in-law Lucy, who just planned a fun trip for her family to Disney and Universal studios, even with my brother who is on dialysis and can't walk or stand for long periods of time. Lucy has some great tips for things to consider, how to plan ahead, and how to work WITH chronic illness limitations to still have a fun family vacation.

Have you heard of RSV? I hadn't until maybe about 2 years ago when it was all over the news. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a respiratory virus that can be mild, but for infants, elderly, or anyone with that's immunocompromised, it can be very serious. In this episode we're chatting with Tara Slominski, a returning guest and badass momma of 2, about her experience dealing with her 1 month old getting RSV. She has some great advice for new parents and some really eye-opening moments from her time in the PICU.

What is bipolar disorder? There are so many myths and misconceptions about what this mental illness is and what life with it looks like. To kick off Mental Health Awareness Month, we're talking to returning guest, Brittney Benavidez Smith, about what her life with bipolar disorder is like. This is a very powerful episode so I hope you take a moment to listen to Brittney's story and learn more about how important our mental health is.

Diamonds are made under pressure, but I want to be a human, not a stone. Life, society, work, there's plenty of external factors that put pressure and stress on us, so why do we add to it by putting pressure on ourselves? Self-inflicted stress, self-made timelines and goals, we make an already hard life even harder sometimes. So what do we do about it? We make room for our own peace. Listen to today's episode for an important announcement too!

April is Financial Literacy Month so let's talk money! I remember growing up seeing adults living paycheck to paycheck or maxing out credit cards, so I thought that was normal and what you're supposed to do. At one point I had about 7 credit cards and almost $9k in credit card debt. It took forever to get out of those habits and to pay it off. Today we're talking with Michelle Velasquez, a financial coach aimed at helping others secure their financial futures, about what you can start doing now, how to best use your tax return, and how to prepare for a better financial future for your kids!

Michelle just launched a whole book series that teaches kids about finance and spending. Learn more about Michelle and her books at www.vwbcoaching.com.

It's the most dreadful time of the year! Tax season. As many of my friends are getting married, having kids, and buying houses, I realized that no one tells you have differently you need to file your taxes when you have life events like these. I've always reached out to my sorority sister Maria Luisa, who is an accountant and my person tax guru, when I had questions about taxes. So today I brought her on because we're not gatekeeping any tips or knowledge here! This episode is for all my young adults, millenials, and people who grew up seeing their parents keep important documents under the mattress!

Misdiagnoses are more common than you think. A recent study from Johns Hopkins found that an estimated 795,000 Americans become permanently disabled or die annually because dangerous diseases are misdiagnosed. WILD! I've personally met more and more people that were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, only to find out almost a decade later that they were misdiagnosed and actually had a form of type 1 diabetes instead. I never thought I would be misdiagnosed, until I met with my new endocrinologist a few weeks ago. But how do you prevent getting the wrong diagnosis? Well, we're going to chat about 3 things you should do to prevent misdiagnoses!

Learn more about the Johns Hopkins study here.