If chronic illness has ever made you feel lost, alone, or like your body is working against you, this podcast is for you. The Chronic Truth is a weekly show dedicated to helping chronic illness patients find hope, resilience, and community in the middle of their toughest seasons.Every Friday, Kim Nash opens up about her own health journey and sits down with real patients who have faced the darkest moments of their diagnosis and found their way through.Join us for conversations about navigating uncertain diagnoses, managing life with chronic pain, invisible illness, autoimmune conditions, and so much more.Not without a fight. Together, WE are STRONG.
Adison Woods has been navigating chronic illness since childhood: fainting, migraines, back surgeries, and a tick bite at summer camp that nobody connected to anything for 25 years. When her mother finally said, "You have Lyme disease," Adison rolled her eyes. Then the labs came back positive. An infectious disease doctor told her the test was wrong because she'd never been to the Northeast. She got treatment anyway, built a community called Sick and Shining , and is writing a book. She joins Kim Nash for a deeply personal conversation about late-stage Lyme, Babesiosis, the chronic illness pain scale, and why you are not your diagnosis. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introducing Addison Woods: Chronic Illness Advocate and Writer 01:41 A 25-Year Mystery: Addison's Childhood Symptoms and POTS Diagnosis 04:50 The Lyme Disease Discovery: Testing, Co-Infections, and Medical Dismissal 09:26 Late-Stage Lyme: Treatment, Antibiotics, and Tick Prevention Tips 14:25 Why Addison Started Sick and Shining 17:38 What Invisible Illness Really Looks Like Day to Day 22:15 The Pain Scale Problem and Growing Awareness Around Chronic Illness 23:47 Writing Her Book and Advice for Reclaiming Identity CONNECT & RESOURCES Adison Woods: 📱 @sickandshining | 📧 sickandshining@gmail.com The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic
Dr. Tommy Rhee spent years watching elite athletes at UCLA and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers survive injuries instead of heal them, numbing the pain to play through the season and saving surgery for the off-season. He developed Regen, a needle-free topical that delivers stem cell signaling through the skin to reduce inflammation and trigger regeneration without injections, downtime, or immune response risk. He joins Kim Nash to break down the science in plain language: what regenerative medicine actually is, why it's not about the cells themselves, and where this technology is headed for everyday chronic pain patients. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Chronic Truth Podcast and Guest 00:57 Dr. Tommy Rhee's Background and Expertise 02:54 Innovations in Regenerative Medicine 05:47 Challenges in Athlete Recovery and Pain Management 09:05 The Role of Inflammation in Chronic Pain 11:57 Future of Regenerative Medicine and Accessibility 15:11 Understanding Neuropathy and Circulation 18:02 The Impact of Inflammation on Chronic Conditions 20:49 Dr. Rhee's Book and Future Insights 23:08 Conclusion and Listener Engagement CONNECT & RESOURCES Dr. Hendrickson: 🌐 Website: rheegen.com 📚 Book: The Future of Regenerative Medicine — available on Amazon (two formats in one: science edition + Jeff's Journey plain-language summary) The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic
Dr. Debra Hendrickson is a pediatrician in Reno, the fastest-warming city in the U.S., and the author of The Air They Breathe . She joins Kim Nash to talk about something most chronic illness patients and caregivers aren't warned about: how common medications impair your body's ability to cope with heat, and how rising temperatures and wildfire smoke are quietly compounding the health burden for anyone already managing a chronic condition. Practical, urgent, and packed with information you can act on today. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Meet Dr. Debra Hendrickson: A Pediatrician in America's Fastest-Warming City 03:27 Wildfire Smoke, Asthma, and Why Children Are Especially Vulnerable 06:51 The Story Behind The Air They Breathe 08:59 Guidance for Physicians: Proximal vs. Distal Climate Health Risks 10:53 Practical Adaptations: Air Filters, Masks, AQI, and Heat Safety for Kids 14:08 Medications That Affect the Body's Ability to Handle Heat 17:18 Protecting Kids in Car Seats and Pregnant Moms from Heat Risk 19:38 Where to Find Dr. Hendrickson and The Air They Breathe CONNECT & RESOURCES Dr. Hendrickson: 🌐 Website: debrahendrickson.com (free downloadable handout on heat and wildfire smoke adaptations; contact form) 📚 Book: The Air They Breathe — available on Amazon The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic
Kenneth Kabagambe founded Uganda's National Organization for People Living with Hepatitis B after watching a friend die of a disease nobody around him had heard of, and then being diagnosed himself. In 13 years, he has secured government funding, free birth dose vaccination for every newborn in Uganda, a Triple Elimination Conference for Africa, and ongoing advocacy at the highest levels of health policy. He joins Kim Nash for a conversation about stigma that still breaks families, clinical trials that exclude the populations that need them most, funding that still hasn't arrived, and why hepatitis B cannot wait. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Hepatitis Awareness 02:08 Kenneth's Journey and Advocacy 14:06 Progress in Hepatitis B Management 20:52 Challenges in Funding and Awareness 25:13 Understanding Hepatitis B Transmission 27:09 Stigma and Discrimination in Hepatitis B 31:21 Future of Hepatitis B Treatment 34:45 Connecting with the Advocacy Community CONNECT & RESOURCES Kenneth: 🌐 Website: noplhb.org 💼 LinkedIn: Kenneth Kabagambe / National Organization for People Living with Hepatitis B 📘 Facebook: Kenneth Kabagambe / National Organization for People Living with Hepatitis B The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic
Dwayne Wilson was born with Pompe disease and didn't find out until he was 50 years old, when he couldn't climb a staircase, couldn't get off the toilet, and felt like someone was standing on his chest in a swimming pool. Eight years later, he's on biweekly infusion #194, rolled his Dolphin-stickered electric wheelchair to 14 Anaheim Ducks games this season, and posted a laser show video that got 4.1 million views and counting. He returns to The Chronic Truth to talk about treatment, mental health, hybrid mobility, and why getting the diagnosis is never the end, it's a new beginning. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Pompeii Disease and Advocacy 09:46 Dwayne's Journey to Diagnosis 20:06 Living with Pompeii Disease 30:00 Advocacy and Spreading Awareness 39:48 Mental Health and Quality of Life CONNECT & RESOURCES Dwayne: 📱 Instagram: @SmashingPompe 📱 Facebook: Smashing Pompe / Dwayne Wilson 🐦 X (Twitter): @SmashingPompe 💼 LinkedIn: Dwayne Wilson (professional content and columns) 🌐 Pompe Champions Program: communityofus.com (lists all 10 Pompe champions) 💪 Free wristbands: Message Dwayne directly — says "Pompe Awareness" and "Smashing Pompe" The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic
Dr. Edward Kondrot was a conventional eye surgeon until adult-onset asthma and the tremors caused by his medication forced him to find another way. Homeopathy cured his asthma. It also changed who he was as a doctor. Now he integrates homeopathy, microcurrent stimulation, and whole-person care into his ophthalmology practice and gives away his bestselling book for free because no book helps anyone sitting on a shelf. He joins Kim Nash for a conversation about treating the person instead of the disease, what an argument with your wife has to do with losing your sight, and why hope is the prerequisite for any cure. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Chronic Truth Podcast and Guest Background 05:04 Dr. Kondrat's Health Crisis and Discovery of Homeopathy 10:06 Integrating Homeopathy into Ophthalmology Practice 14:56 The Importance of Diet and Nutrition in Health 20:14 Spiritual Aspects of Healing and Community Support CONNECT & RESOURCES Dr. Kondrot: 📚 Free Book Download: kondrotbook.org ( 10 Essentials to Save Your Sight ) 🩺 Free Eye Record Review: freeconsult.us 📰 Substack: kondrot.com (vision tips twice weekly + Ask Dr. Kondrot sessions twice monthly) 🙏 Prayers for Vision Group: Contact via kondrot.com The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic
Jenny Jones is back, and a lot has changed. Since her last visit, she lost her mother to FAP complications, launched Life's Apolyp Foundation as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, and is correcting the record on something she got wrong last time: FAP is not just a colon disease. It's a whole-body condition that can show up in the eyes, skin, teeth, liver, and more, and the gaps in that understanding are delaying diagnosis and putting families at risk. This conversation covers the foundation, the research funding gap, the APC gene, and what it looks like to build a legacy out of grief. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Chronic Truth Podcast 00:47 Understanding FAP and Its Gaps 09:13 The Launch of Life's Apollop Foundation 16:04 Community and Advocacy for FAP Patients 24:48 Future Goals for Life's Apollop Foundation CONNECT & RESOURCES Jenny Jones: 🌐 lysapolyp.org The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic
Mara Fowler has lived with multiple sclerosis for 26 years, diagnosed just after her 21st birthday, after being misdiagnosed with complex migraines. She's been through plasmapheresis, eight and a half months of not walking, seizures, a torn labrum, and the kind of cognitive decline that quietly dismantles the life you built. She joins Kim Nash, who is currently going through the McDonald MS diagnostic criteria herself, for a deeply personal conversation about resilience, relearning your limits, building the right care team, and why sharing your story might be the most powerful thing you can do for someone else. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to the Chronic Truth Podcast 01:08 Mara's Journey with MS 03:01 Understanding MS Symptoms and Triggers 06:42 The Impact of Diagnosis at a Young Age 10:05 The Importance of a Supportive Care Team 13:00 Navigating Life Changes with MS 15:48 Advocacy and Community Engagement 17:37 Words of Wisdom for Newly Diagnosed Patients CONNECT & RESOURCES 📱 Social Media: Facebook | Instagram The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic
Jesus Guillen has been an HIV survivor for 41 years since 1985, when a nurse at UCLA told him he was positive and walked out. He arrived in the U.S. in 1984 with no papers, no community, and no roadmap. What he built in the decades that followed Aguilas in San Francisco, the HIV Long-Term Survivors International Network, a global speaking career, and an Emmy-winning documentary came from the same impulse: nobody should have to think they're the only one left. This episode airs on HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day and during Pride Month. It is one of the most important conversations this show has had. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Resilience and Awareness 02:37 Jesus Gillian's Journey: A Personal Story of Survival 12:40 Stigma and Discrimination: The Ongoing Battle 20:03 Advancements in HIV Treatment and Awareness 27:21 The Importance of Community and Connection 37:01 Building Support Networks for Long-Term Survivors 45:30 Closing Thoughts: The Need for Compassion and Understanding CONNECT & RESOURCES 📱 Social Media: Search #YourSingingAdvocate across platforms 📺 Documentary: Last Men Standing (Emmy Award-winning) 🌐 HIV Long-Term Survivors International Network (contact via social media) The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic
Lara Silverman was two weeks into her dream job as a federal prosecutor when a rare neurological condition turned her world literally upside down. Eight years later, she's still largely bedridden with severe chronic vertigo, a widow, and the author of Singing Through Fire — an Amazon #1 bestseller she wrote flat on her back in six months. Her story includes a love story with a man facing terminal cancer, a wedding with a chemo pump in the room, and a faith that has been tested, broken, rebuilt, and tested again. For anyone in the chronic illness community wrestling with God, suffering, and the question of why this one is for you. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The Journey of Pain and Purpose 10:09 Finding Joy in Grief 20:03 Surrendering to Suffering 27:37 Community and Connection in Chronic Illness CONNECT & RESOURCES 📚 Book & Audiobook: Singing Through Fire — available on Amazon 🎙️ Podcast: Singing Through Fire — on YouTube ( The Silverman Show ) 📱 Instagram: @larapalanjian (maiden name) 📺 YouTube: The Silverman Show The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic
Chelcie Rice has had Type 1 diabetes since the late 1980s, diagnosed at 25, with no technology, no community, and a pamphlet for guidance. By 2005, he'd lost vision in one eye. Instead of retreating, he built a platform using comedy and storytelling to break the stigma and reach the people who are still navigating it alone. He joins Kim Nash to talk about diabetes burnout, the landmines inside online support groups, how workplaces fail their diabetic employees, and why humor might be the most underrated tool in chronic illness advocacy. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to the Chronic Truth Podcast 01:06 Chelsea's Journey with Type 1 Diabetes 04:35 Navigating Complications and Community Support 10:06 Advocacy and the Importance of Community 12:57 Understanding Diabetes in the Workplace 15:48 The Role of Community in Chronic Illness Management 21:11 Advice for Newly Diagnosed Patients 23:35 Connecting with Chelsea and Closing Thoughts CONNECT & RESOURCES 📱 @type1comedian The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production: Podcast Mechanic
Eric Butcher was told to get his affairs in order at 38. He had cirrhosis, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency, and five years. That was 15 years ago. His MELD score has dropped from 15 to 8 through lifestyle changes, community, and getting off medications that were quietly compounding the damage. Now he's built The Prepared Patient, a navigation framework for chronic illness patients who are tired of 15-minute appointments that go nowhere. He joins Kim Nash to talk Alpha-1, insurance gatekeeping, how to advocate without being labeled difficult, and why community is the most underrated medicine there is. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Milestone 01:04 Eric Butcher's Journey with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency 08:57 Navigating Chronic Illness and Healthcare Challenges 15:55 Advocating for Yourself in Healthcare 20:48 Community Support and Personal Struggles 22:54 Conclusion and Resources CONNECT & RESOURCES 📱 @EricButcherOfficial The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production: Podcast Mechanic
Jason Jepson was 19 when he had a psychotic break at an Army base in the Mojave Desert. He's 45 now, living independently, volunteering, writing a blog cited by academic journals, and traveling to Portugal with his family. His mother, Maye, is a trained counselor who became an expert in schizoaffective disorder overnight, started a Facebook group called Parenting Through Mental Illness , and trains law enforcement through NAMI on how to respond to mental health crises. Together, they join Kim Nash for a conversation that covers the full arc: diagnosis, crisis, the trust partner model, long-acting injectables, triggers, and why recovery doesn't mean cured, it means living. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Mental Health Advocacy 02:05 Jason's Journey: From Army Life to Diagnosis 05:50 Understanding Schizoaffective Disorder 10:03 The Role of Family in Mental Health 14:12 Becoming a Trust Partner 17:59 Advocacy and Community Engagement 24:09 Navigating Law Enforcement and Mental Health 29:47 Medication Management and Recovery 34:02 Daily Routines and Coping Strategies 38:13 Conclusion and Call to Action CONNECT & RESOURCES 📝 Jason's Blog: jasongepps.blogspot.com 👥 Facebook Group: Parenting Through Mental Illness The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production: Podcast Mechanic
Dean Graves has spent 20+ years teaching one idea: the condition of the body is a manifestation of the mind. As a meditation teacher, mental health counselor, and author, he works with veterans, trauma patients, and chronic pain sufferers who are ready to stop fighting their bodies and start understanding them. This conversation covers consciousness, the ego mind, how stress works as a teacher, and a set of trauma-clearing techniques he learned from a Serbian psychologist that can dissolve a lifelong pattern in 10 minutes. For anyone living in chronic pain who wonders if there's more to healing than medication, this one is for you. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to the Chronic Truth Podcast 01:10 Meet Dean Graves: A Holistic Healer 03:32 Understanding Consciousness and Healing 09:10 The Mind-Body Connection in Healing 15:41 Stress as a Teacher 17:00 The Power of Meditation 20:21 Defining Happiness and Bliss 23:04 Pain, Energy, and Healing 24:24 Exploring Dean's Books and Teachings 27:11 The Role of Medication in Healing 28:34 Conclusion and Resources CONNECT & RESOURCES 🌐 Website: ddeangray.org The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production: Podcast Mechanic
Ruthy spent years being dismissed before passing out from pain and finally landing in the office of a surgeon whose bio said: If you're in pain, please come see me. The MRI showed seven internal organs fused. She built The Yellow Hub: a global specialist map with over half a million views so no one else would have to find the right doctor by accident. Now, as co-founder of Ma Pott Health, she's bringing AI-powered symptom forecasting to endometriosis patients so they can manage their lives around the disease instead of being controlled by it. Chapters/Timestamps : 00:00 Introduction to Chronic Truth Podcast and Ruthy's Journey 06:55 The Birth of the Yellow Hub and Community Support 14:12 Understanding Endometriosis: Diagnosis and Treatment Challenges 21:58 Innovative Solutions: AI and Patient Empowerment 25:48 Life After Diagnosis: Managing Chronic Pain and Daily Life CONNECT & RESOURCES 🌐 Website: theyellowhub.org 🌐 Website: ma-pott.com The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production: Podcast Mechanic
Lorrinda Gray-Davis went from managing billion-dollar construction projects to crash-landing in an ER with end-stage liver disease, then inoperable liver cancer, then a high-risk transplant that was only possible because of clinical trials. As president of TRIO and vice chair of OPTN's Patient Affairs Committee, she's turned that journey into systems that actually help: a peer-to-peer transplant support meeting running six years online, and the Transplant Medication Navigator, which has taken medications from hundreds of dollars to single digits for patients who didn't know they had options. This one is packed with information the transplant community needs and isn't hearing anywhere else. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Facing the Diagnosis: A Life-Changing Moment 06:51 Navigating the Transplant Journey 14:12 Empowerment Through Advocacy and Support 19:56 Understanding the Transplant System 25:49 Living Life After Transplant: A New Perspective CONNECT & RESOURCES 🌐 Website: trioweb.org 💊 Transplant Medication Navigator: transplantmedicationnavigator.com 📧 Email: ldavis@trioweb.org The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production: Podcast Mechanic
When chronic illness enters a relationship, it doesn't ask permission, and no one gives you a manual for what comes next. Lisa Gray is a licensed marriage and family therapist, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome patient, and author of Thriving in a Relationship When You Have a Chronic Illness . She joins Kim Nash to talk about why both partners are grieving (just differently), how to stop fighting each other and start fighting the illness together, and what to do when your partner won't accept your diagnosis. Packed with practical tools for newly diagnosed patients, caregivers, and couples at every stage. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Navigating Chronic Illness and Relationships 07:14 Grief and Acceptance in Chronic Illness 14:06 Communication Strategies for Couples 20:57 Tools for Thriving in Relationships 26:23 Finding the Right Therapist CONNECT & RESOURCES 🌐 Website: LisaGrayAuthor.com (both books available) 📚 Books: Available on Amazon, independent bookstores, and LisaGrayAuthor.com 📱 Instagram: @LisaGrayMFT (chronic illness content) 🗂️ Find a chronic illness therapist: chronicillnesstherapists.com The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production: Podcast Mechanic
Dr. Bruce Gillis spent over a decade proving what too many doctors still refuse to accept: fibromyalgia is a real, diagnosable immune deficiency — not a made-up condition affecting neurotic women. His FM1 blood test, covered by Medicare and most major insurers, gives patients a definitive rule-in diagnosis. His supplement Imbix targets the gut-brain axis and has helped people off wheelchairs, off anti-psychotics, and out of decades of suffering — with zero confirmed adverse effects. This conversation covers fibromyalgia, long COVID, interstitial cystitis, the dangerous drugs the FDA did approve, and why 65 million Americans are still suffering when they don't have to be. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Understanding Fibromyalgia and Its Prevalence 02:50 The Science Behind Fibromyalgia Diagnosis 06:03 Innovative Blood Tests and Their Impact 08:59 The Role of Immune System in Chronic Pain 12:01 Treatment Options and Patient Experiences 15:01 Challenges with Traditional Medical Approaches 17:58 The Future of Fibromyalgia Treatment 19:26 Understanding Interstitial Cystitis and Diagnosis Challenges 21:56 The Importance of Accurate Testing and Lab Accreditation 23:59 The Mental Health Impact of Chronic Pain 26:59 The Role of Big Pharma in Patient Care 29:56 Empowering Patients with Information and Resources 32:08 Connecting with Dr. Gillis and His Work CONNECT & RESOURCES 🌐 fm1test.com The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production: Podcast Mechanic
Eileen Flynn Wagner survived five Hep C treatments, a near-fatal liver failure, and a transplant she almost didn't live to receive, and eight years later, she's still navigating the aftermath. Her kidneys are now at 20% function, she gets stents replaced every three months, and she carries a partially collapsed lung she's never once felt. She joins Kim Nash to speak candidly about why a combined kidney-liver transplant should have been done from the start, the anti-rejection medications patients aren't fully warned about, and why waking up from surgery turned her into a lifelong voice for organ and tissue donation. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Eileen's Journey with Hepatitis C and Transplantation 07:25 The Impact of Interferon Treatment 08:29 The Need for Simultaneous Kidney and Liver Transplants 12:21 Current Health Status and Ongoing Challenges 15:44 Advocacy for Organ Donation 19:31 Life After Transplant: Lessons Learned CONNECT & RESOURCES 🌐 Organ Donation: organdonor.gov The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production: Podcast Mechanic
At 14, Allany Muniz had her first seizure right before freshman year of high school. During basketball tryouts, she had another—and became known as "the seizure girl" for the rest of high school. Years of severe depression, suppressed trauma, and silence followed until a fractured ankle in November 2020 left her bedridden with visions in her head that wouldn't stop. She started filming videos (still under anesthesia) and created Diary of an Epileptic—a platform breaking the stigma around epilepsy's physical and mental toll. She's not a perfect role model, and that's exactly why her story matters. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Epilepsy Awareness 02:00 Alani's Journey with Epilepsy 05:57 The Impact of Epilepsy on Mental Health 10:03 Content Creation as a Healing Tool 11:50 Understanding Treatment and Individual Experiences 16:12 Advocacy and Community Engagement CONNECT & RESOURCES Connect with Allany Muniz: 📺 YouTube: Diary of an Epileptic 📱 TikTok: @DiaryofanEpilepti (without the C at the end) 📷 Instagram: @DiaryofanEpileptic 📧 Email: diaryofanepileptic@gmail.com (for those uncomfortable with social media) 💬 DMs Open: Allany responds to direct messages for advice, support, and questions The Chronic Truth Podcast: 🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com 📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast 📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast 💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials 📋 Community Survey: Survey Production: Podcast Mechanic
