The Road to Diagnosis with Nikki Fordey

Joining us on this very special episode is attorney Bradley Thomas, an SSDI and Disability attorney from Texas. We know how complex and difficult the path to SSDI and Disability can be, and we went to an expert to give good advice and direction for anyone facing the eventuality that they can no longer work in the ways that they used to. This episode is an essential listen for anyone with chronic illness. And like always, we enjoy your feedback, so jump on into our group discussions on our Facebook page. It's a place where you can always go to find that grace or community you need. We also encourage you to check out our My Chronic Spoonful Life Planner where you can track everything going on with your chronic illness. It comes in a downloadable form that you can print, a digital form you can use in apps like GoodNotes and Notability, or a quarterly hard copy.  We also now offer a monthly version!! Have a great week, everyone!  

What do you actually know about Lyme Disease? Yes, it comes from a tick bite. Yes, it can make you very ill. And yes, it's a long-term chronic illness that can be extremely debilitating.  Jean Marie Hatton joins us on this episode to talk about her experience with Lyme and how it has impacted her life. We learn about how easy it is to get, and how many times you can miss the signs (hint: only a small percentage of people get the tell-tale rash from the tick bite).   So sit back and enjoy the episode. You'll feel more knowledgeable afterward (and maybe check yourself more often for ticks...).  And like always, we enjoy your feedback, so jump on into our group discussions on our Facebook page. It's a place where you can always go to find that grace or community you need. We also encourage you to check out our My Chronic Spoonful Life Planner where you can track everything going on with your chronic illness. It comes in a downloadable form that you can print, a digital form you can use in apps like GoodNotes and Notability, or a quarterly hard copy.  We also now offer a monthly version!! Have a great week, everyone!

Not all chronic illness diagnoses are straightforward. In fact, most of our roads to diagnosis are uphill, winding, and treacherous. Nikki Fordey joins us on this episode to discuss her own path to being diagnosed as well as how her EDS has impacted her overall life--something any Spoonie can relate to. And like always, we enjoy your feedback, so jump on into our group discussions on our Facebook page. It's a place where you can always go to find that grace or community you need. We also encourage you to check out our My Chronic Spoonful Life Planner where you can track everything going on with your chronic illness. It comes in a downloadable form that you can print, a digital form you can use in apps like GoodNotes and Notability, or a quarterly hard copy.  We also now offer a monthly version!! Have a great week, everyone!

Narcolepsy is a chronic disorder that is highly misunderstood by most people. It's not just people dropping off and falling asleep at a moment's notice. There are many other nuances to the disease, and on this episode we speak with Morgan Berliner about Narcolepsy, how she was diagnosed, and how the chronic illness affects her life.   And like always, we enjoy your feedback, so jump on into our group discussions on our Facebook page. It's a place where you can always go to find that grace or community you need. We also encourage you to check out our My Chronic Spoonful Life Planner where you can track everything going on with your chronic illness. It comes in a downloadable form that you can print, a digital form you can use in apps like GoodNotes and Notability, or a quarterly hard copy.  We also now offer a monthly version!! Have a great week, everyone!

We are joined by a special guest, Madison Corley, from The Endo Resistance Project and The Sour Collective Magazine to discuss something that affects millions of women around the world: Endometriosis. Often misunderstood and underdiagnosed, Endometriosis is a painful disease that Madison has struggled with most of her life. It is a full-body disease that too many medical professionals write off as something else like anxiety or just menstrual cramps. Yet endometriosis affects women in increasingly detrimental ways. And with changes in the laws covering our bodily autonomy, this disease brings up not only medical questions, but legal ones, too. So join us for this discussion. And don't forget to check out Madison on The Sour Collective website or on TikTok at EndoResistance or TheSourCollective. Also, make sure you grab The Chronic Spoonful Life Planner. We now offer a monthly version for just $11!! 

The Arthritis Dietician, Cristina Montoya, is back to discuss with us how our diet can have a significant effect on how we feel. We talk about different foods, and how even if we think something might be anti-inflammatory, it may or may not be for each of us on an individual level. Cristina also tells us about her new program, that she just finished Beta testing, and how it can benefit those with chronic illness--offering them a better relationship with food. Join us for this enlightening discussion! And like always, we enjoy your feedback, so jump on into our group discussions on our Facebook page. It's a place where you can always go to find that grace or community you need. We also encourage you to check out our My Chronic Spoonful Life Planner where you can track everything going on with your chronic illness. It comes in a downloadable form that you can print, a digital form you can use in apps like GoodNotes and Notability, or a quarterly hard copy.  Have a great week, everyone!

This week we discuss the New Year, and what that means. Resolutions that fail? A new start? Or just the same old you, different day? We know the New Year isn't the easiest for us with chronic illnesses, and Spoonies have to be careful about setting unreasonable expectations for January.

You wanted a holiday episode full of brightness and so much cheerfulness? This is a chronic illness podcast, after all! We bring the real to you, and the real deal is that the holiday season is tough stuff, especially for Spoonies. So this week we're talking about how it's okay to not be okay with the holidays.  Yes, it's okay to cringe at Christmas caroling. It's okay to dread the dreidel. It's okay to go to sleep before that midnight countdown on New Years'. Our bodies are our priority, and this time of year tests our bodies, minds and souls. So, no, we're not going to do an episode on ways you can make your heart grow three sizes. You can find those "good cheer" podcasts everywhere. This episode is about being okay where you are with who you are this season. It's about getting through these next few weeks until January 2nd when we can all breath again.  Oh, and we know we've been gone for a bit. We address that, too. Did we mention we're being real? Yeah, because things have been a bit real for us, too. So, thanks for standing by and thanks for joining in again. We appreciate all of you!

Diet culture has always been around, but it seems to be hitting new highs as of late. In the Spoonie community, we don't have a stronger armor against the bombardment of diet culture. Actually, with our doctors and health professionals always telling us to be healthier about what we eat, how we exercise, etc., we can often succumb to these fad diets or "quick fixes" more easily. This week we discuss why diet culture is actually toxic to the chronic illness community, and we need to focus more on our health rather than diets. That quick fixes and fad diets aren't our friends. And like always, join our group discussions on our Facebook page. It's a place where you can always go to find that grace or community you need. We also encourage you to check out our My Chronic Spoonful Life Planner where you can track everything going on with your chronic illness. It comes in a downloadable form that you can print, a digital form you can use in apps like GoodNotes and Notability, or a quarterly hard copy.  Have a great week, everyone!