Chronic Wellness

Ritual, routine and chronic conditions. https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard or my website https://www.annetteleonard.com This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Scamanda and Apple Cider Vinegar - Scams that Damage Us with Chronic Conditions. https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard or my website https://www.annetteleonard.com I tuned in to the podcast and now the TV versions of "Scamanda" and now the Netflix show "Apple Cider Vinegar." Here are examples of two young white women who lied about having terminal cancer and scammed people out of tens of thousands of dollars. In both cases they were discovered and prosecuted. I'm not here to relitigate Riley and Gibson. How do these kinds of scams harm the rest of us who do have chronic and/or terminal conditions? Since Watergate, have we ever trusted a president as much? What that means for those of us who are trying to get medical expenses covered by friends and family or getting meals donated, how much less likely are people to do that kind of thing because of people like Riley and Gibson? While we can't calculate that amount, it certainly factors in. There are different seeds of doubt now that people have been duped. Gibson said she overcame a glioblastoma with nutrition. She touted those changes in her app and book. That begs the question why are we willing to give our health decisions over to people who are not educated in medicine, health, nutrition? Because we are desperate. We're desperate for change, answers, and alternatives. When you see how corrupt big pharma is you wonder whether there's another way. And so we turn to these "experts" and their alluring Instagram photos. The more Riley's and Gibson's there are we all suffer when liars have a bigger platform. Check your sources. Find out what's actually true, not just what's buzzworthy. Have you watched these shows? What did you see or think when you watched? Do you have a sense of why their (and others like their) platforms are so popular? What do we do about the erosion of public trust? How do you decide who you trust in the health space? This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

PROPER Maintenance Can SAVE Your Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrator! Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard or website https://www.annetteleonard.com I recently traveled by plane which means using oxygen. The last time I used my Inogen, portable concentrator I got a message that said, "oxygen low." When I contacted companies to service my Inogen I learned that I could pay a lot to send in my model to be repaired, or I could pay a WHOLE lot to have lifetime service for my machine. These costs were too much for me. I continued to research what I as the user could do to maintain my machine -- from cleaning the filters to changing the columns. In so doing, I learned that my "oxygen low" message likely meant that I needed to change the columns. I purchased these online for about $100. Once they arrived I looked up a video on YouTube about how to change out the columns. Then, critically, you have to fiddle with the computer so the machine *knows* the columns have been replaced. Upon use, my machine worked great and the battery life was increased by more than four times! It was clear I needed new columns. These machines need routine maintenance (just like home oxygen concentrators) if they're being used regularly. **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

When chronic illness takes a turn for the worse how do we not borrow trouble? Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard or my website https://www.annetteleonard.com It's already February of 2025 and this is my first broadcast of the year! I had a death in my family at the end of last year and then I got very sick. My life has ground to a halt over the last 6 weeks. When things get worse, it's so tough to stay connected and not go down the rabbit holes of, "what if it stays this bad?" "What if I don't get better?" Managing my fears and frustrations about new symptoms is real. Here is another place where a contemplative practice has served me. Usually, if I've been totally down for 6 weeks, I'm emotionally desperate. This time was different, I maintained a small bubble of possibility in my heart which kept it from sinking. The thing that I know has made the difference is my contemplative practice -- years and years of meditation. This allowed me to stay connected to WHAT IS not WHAT IF. I worked on not focusing on my fears but focusing on what was true at the moment. It wasn't easy but it was different. Your contemplative practice could be different: music, prayer, nature, whatever allows you to focus on yourself in the present moment, is the way forward. By exercising this way when things are not at their worst allows you to develop the muscle so you can continue the practice when things are falling apart. How do you stay present when things are worse in your illnesses? What would you like to have me focus on in 2025? Who are the experts or thought leaders you like to have me interview in Chronic Wellness Conversations? This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

What happens when you face pain? Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard or my website https://www.annetteleonard.com I recently spent a month in near-total isolation. When these illnesses flare up and take time like this, it's difficult to roll with the physical and emotional toll. From dropping the communication balls, to missing landmarks in people's lives, and not participating in friends/family's lives and wondering if I'll be forgotten, it plays with my mind and emotions. I think these are also worthiness-wounds, wondering if people will think I'm worth the work of all this. Then there's the internal stuff: I don't know if I can manage this pain. What if this is my new normal? and the way the pain feeds the fear, feeds the pain, feeds the fear... Therapy helps and so does having a contemplative practice. When I lean into the pain instead of fearing it, I can tolerate more than I previously thought. This is how I muddle through. This time instead of being all alone with my fear and pain, I sent a voice memo flag to a few of my closest friends asking for some text support. Doing this is hard for me: reaching out instead of withdrawing. It helped me immeasurably to have words of love and affirmation be there to greet e when I surfaced. You're worth that. What are your habits? What serves you in flares and times when your illnesses overwhelm? **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

The ER with chronic conditions. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard or my website https://www.annetteleonard.com I was recently absent from the podcast for several weeks. I was prescribed a new medication that had the side effect of headaches. As a person with daily migraines, that's something I flag. Enduring pain at unmanageable levels, I've been in isolation for a month because of the headaches that med kicked off. Ten days in, my doctor told me to go to the ER to check things out. The ER serves many functions for many people but it is never a place that handles chronic illness or chronic pain well. What happened when I got there (aside from all the lights, noise and waiting) was a terrible game of telephone. Things were inaccurately reported, diminished, and downplayed. I'm not sure what other way I couldn't have ruled out the things my doctor was afraid of without a trip to the ER, but I wish there was another way. For the times you, too, have had to receive treatment that wasn't so satisfying at the ER, I'm sorry. **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Chronic illness may have surprising impacts on your experience of menopause. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard or my website https://www.annetteleonard.com I am not a doctor and you should not take medical advice from me. If you are a woman and live past a certain age -- you will encounter menopause. There are now some great studies and research about the effects of menopause. It is difficult to find providers who are educated in menopause. Because I've had a hysterectomy, figuring out whether I'm menopausal has to be led by my symptoms because I don't have a period to help inform me. Bones are constantly rebuilding themselves. If you are on prednisone, your bones are made less dense. If you have been taking prednisone for a long time, talk about bone density with your doctor. Similarly, muscle loss is a concern. I want to have as good a quality of life as I can. For me, that means quality nutrition. What am I eating? Bones, muscles, and quality nutrition are a few of the considerations I have about menopause. There are many others. There are many great experts like Dr. Mary Claire Haver and others out there who are menopause experts. What are your concerns/questions about menopause? Have you experienced menopause? What's it been like? Are you taking HRT? Why/why not? **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I'm Annette Leonard you can find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard or my website https://www.annetteleonard.com Have you ever had a doctor be overwhelmed by your complex stew of medical conditions? I recently sought out a specialist to talk about menopause. She read my file before the appointment (which was great) but walked into the appointment looking scared and explaining that she wasn't qualified to manage my case. I'm sure it's surprising to encounter patients like me who have such involved medical histories. However, should I not be able to access information about menopause because I have so many rare disorders? I take the time to put the doctor at ease - which isn't my job but is what is necessary to get the information. It feels like really advanced advocacy. In this appointment I started by asking what do estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone do in the body. After asking some questions specific to my medical history I asked what, more broadly, she'd seen in patients with autoimmune disease who go through menopause. With patience and persistence, there are ways to talk the doctor down from their fears of consulting with you if your medical issues are too complex. Have you had this experience? What did you do? What questions do you have about complex illness and menopause? What experience do you have with complex illness and menopause? Do you have advice about complex illness and menopause? **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I'm Annette Leonard you can find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard or my website https://www.annetteleonard.com My wife has been doing some fall cleaning chores. Because I am unable to physically join her, I have a hard time managing. Sometimes I try to join her (usually to my detriment) or I numb out to escape my uncomfortable feelings about not being able to help her. I brought this experience to my therapist. Today I spent hours on the phone being a professional patient, yesterday I spent close to 4 hours on the phone being a professional patient. She highlighted that I AM doing things for my household. She suggested that I need to change my filter. It isn't that I'm not CONTRIBUTING, but that I'm not counting the things I am contributing. What is your filter? How are you showing up and not giving yourself full credit? How are you discounting your contributions? I'd be glad for you to brag on yourself and tell me how you show up. **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist Also, join me on Instagram for my Chronic Wellness Conversations. My next IG Live will be 10/24 at 1:00 pm PST. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

The DANGERS of IVIg. I'm Annette Leonard you can find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard or my website https://www.annetteleonard.com Last week I talked about IVIg. This week I'm here to talk about the dangers of IVIg. Please note, the *vast* majority of people tolerate IVIg with minimal complications. However, for a small fraction of us there are few of us who will experience serious complications like these detailed in this episode. These reactions can sometimes be avoided or mitigated by receiving Ig subcutaneously rather than intravenously. Have you taken IVIg? Are you curious about IVIg? Have you had complications with IVIg? Leave a comment or ask a question. **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist Also, join me on Instagram for my Chronic Wellness Conversations. My next IG Live will be 9/26 at 1:00 pm PST. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Here are the truths about IVIG. I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard IVIG What is it? A blood product that's sold as a pharmaceutical product. IGg is a major component in our immune system. Intravenous immunoglobulin is used to treat a wide range of illnesses and conditions to bolster the immune system. Who is it for? For those of us with autoimmune diseases it is thought to overwhelm our immune systems and therefore, shut down our over-active immune systems. How is it administered? Are premeds required? How long does a dose last? How many donors are required for a dose of IVIG? What does IVIG therapy cost? Have you tried IVIG? For what condition? Has it worked? Did you have side effects? Leave a comment or ask a question. **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

What are the dangers of mixed connective tissue disease? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard What are the main MCTDs? What can happen if you have a MCTD? These diseases can impact our wellbeing and threaten our lives in several ways. They are not curable, but they are sometimes manageable. Because they are rare diseases, their treatment is under researched. Do you have a MCTD? Do you wonder if you have a MCTD? What do you do to manage your MCTD? What do you do to increase your comfort with your MCTD? **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Mixed connective tissue diseases. I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard These are rare diseases. There are three primary manifestations: lupus SLE, scleroderma, and polymyositis. We have connective tissues all over our body so when they break down the results can be disastrous. While there are ways to test for these diseases -- they are often difficult/undiagnosed because they are so rare, doctors often overlook them or fail to screen for them. All mixed connective tissue diseases are autoimmune in nature. Currently there are no known genetic links to MCTDs however, if you have a close relative with one, you are more likely to have one. Do you have a MCTD? Here are some of the early symptoms to watch out for and report to your doctors if you are experiencing. What questions do you have about MCTD? **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Considering mail order pharmacy? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard When I was researching this question, I found the 6-8 mail order pharmacies that I thought best fit my needs and developed a list of questions to call and ask each pharmacy. I put the answers in a spreadsheet to see things visually to be able to rate and rank the options. Prior to choosing a mail order pharmacy, think about what your deal breakers are: timeliness? shipping speed? My questions were: Do you auto-renew and send medications every 28 or 84 days? When a script is out of refills, do you contact my doctor for a new prescription? In enough time for my prescription not to lapse? What about Schedule II meds like Fentanyl and Norco that need a new prescription every time, do you fill those? How would you help me ensure there isn't a lapse between prescriptions? How long does it take for you to get me my meds? (best- and worst-case scenario) What's the upside of using your service? What's the downside of using your service? How do I transfer all my current prescriptions to you? How do you make that easy for me? When can I reach you? How do you contact me if there are problems or questions? Do you fill prescriptions in 30/60/90 increments? Anything else it would be helpful to know? These are the pharmacies I included in my research: Amazon, Select RX, BlinkHealth, and Wegman's. In the end, I didn't chose to use mail order. I found only one company who would send Schedule II meds, several told me that they were having availability issues with some of my medications, very few were reachable over the weekend and shipping took 7-10 days. What about you? Are you doing this? Right now I only investigated options that take insurance, but it might be worth doing an examination of the mail order companies that don't. Has this worked out for you? What company are you using? Why do/don't you use mail order pharmacy? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard About a year ago my pharmacy closed. I was ill-equipped for how disruptive this change was going to be. From none of my prescriptions transferring over automatically, to the new pharmacy hours, to how poor their communication is, there are a myriad of ongoing hassles that have been so frustrating in ways that I don't think many of my peers can relate to or understand. I get one prescription by mail. It's made me wonder whether I should get all my perceptions by mail? I spent several months researching. I didn't have any knowledge about mail order pharmacy. For those of us on anything more than 2 meds a day, I think mail order is worth considering. Especially for those who have difficulty filling their pill box, it's worth knowing that there are ways for those to be auto-filled, pre-packaged, pre-dosed, pill packs. There are a lot of variables to consider from price and availability to shipping times and other considerations. I'll talk about my exploration in my next video. **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard About a year ago my pharmacy closed. I was ill-equipped for how disruptive this change was going to be. From none of my prescriptions transferring over automatically, to the new pharmacy hours, to how poor their communication is, there are a myriad of ongoing hassles that have been so frustrating in ways that I don't think many of my peers can relate to or understand. I get one prescription by mail. It's made me wonder whether I should get all my perceptions by mail? I spent several months researching. I didn't have any knowledge about mail order pharmacy. For those of us on anything more than 2 meds a day, I think mail order is worth considering. Especially for those who have difficulty filling their pill box, it's worth knowing that there are ways for those to be auto-filled, pre-packaged, pre-dosed, pill packs. Often these pill packs even come pre-prepared with vitamins and supplements. For some, this might be such a valuable resource. There are a lot of variables to consider from price and availability to shipping times and other considerations. I'll talk about my exploration in my next video. Do you use a mail order pharmacy? Does that work well for you? How did you chose to do that? How did you decide which company to use? **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard Every other week (or so) I host an episode of Chronic Wellness Conversations on IG Live where I interview an author, thought leader or sick people. You can find these interviews on my reels here https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8ctCR_vo_9/ or on Facebook, here https://www.facebook.com/reel/757349676310780 My most recent guest was Sonya Huber. She's a very talented author who wrote this article about sex and chronic pain https://www.oprah.com/health_wellness/sex-life-with-chronic-pain_1 We had a really engaging conversation on the topic. One of her books is called "Pain Woman Takes Your Keys and Other Essays From a Nervous System." I have her permission to read an excerpt from an essay from that book called "What Pain Wants." The whole book is filled with Sonya's memoir in essay form. If you're longing to see your pain journey represented on the page, this has my highest recommendation. Especially because the book is essays, it's manageable to read in short bursts. Be sure to tune in to my Chronic Wellness Conversations where you can see interviews with authors like Sonya and others. You can find Sonya and her work at https://www.sonyahuber.com/ **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I don't take my own advice. I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard Transparent. Maybe it's easy to watch me on YouTube or listen to me on a podcast and hear me talk about ways to live our lives with chronic conditions and think I put all of my words into practice. However, I'm 100% human and struggle with all the same things you are. Currently, I'm in the middle of a summer that I swore I wouldn't repeat. Yet, here I am. Last summer I made it to September in terrible shape. I promised to myself I do things differently this year. It starts innocuously. I schedule a few things, my wife schedules a few things, and then I think I need to stop and say my calendar is closed and only allow spontaneous plans as I feel up to them. Because now I feel like I'm at the mercy of my calendar -- like the show is running me. I have either missed or showed up late to my telehealth therapy each of the past 4 appointments (even though I knew the appointments were happening in the morning). I was in full meltdown this morning about my upcoming calendar, I'm now in procrastination/dread cycles when friends reach out to me. [I acknowledge that I'm SO LUCKY that I still have people who want to see me after SO MANY years of illness and opting out!] But rather than getting back to them and saying, "I'm sorry, I can't." I put off returning their texts AND feel awful about it. I'm not bringing this to you with a solution. (I suppose I need to go back and re-listen to my own episodes on boundaries!) It just felt important to be transparent with you about how I'm doing and to say, if this is something you struggle with, "me too." At my infusion clinic, they only treat autoimmune patients. We've had numerous conversations about the auto-immune personality. With nurses who've had more than 90 years of combined experience treating autoimmune patients, the answer that keeps emerging is people-pleasing accommodators. Assuming that's true: I'm with my people. And, there's no time like the present to make changes. I need to text the friend back and say, "I'm sorry, however..." I handle disappointment, why do I think my friends can't?! I do think that some of this stems from the fact that I'm afraid friends won't keep showing up. **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

IT'S MY 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY I'm Annette Leonard https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard June 18, 2019 was the first day I sent my voice out into the void from here in my guest room. While some things have changed -- I used to record 5 days a week, many have not: I don't have sponsors, no fancy production or editing. In that 5 years, I've changed. The process of thinking, writing, and speaking about my illnesses has changed. When I first started I just recently off the lung transplant list, and now I've increased my lung capacity and rarely use oxygen. There are ways that I have greater stability because I have learned to trust my body's signals. Having these broadcasts and getting feedback from you is still what matters to me. I'm still too disabled to work. Having a connection with you is what matters to me. Maybe it's time to have an intro, but my ask of you: What are the topics that have mattered to you? What do you want to hear about? What are the questions you want discussed? Please subscribe, or forward this to someone. I have very few audio ratings so if you'd go to your audio podcast platform and find Chronic Wellness to give me a rating or review, I'd *really* appreciate it. For those of you who have reached out to me, THANK YOU. Hearing from you matters a great deal to me. **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard You finally heard that you've been approved for Social Security Disability. Treat yourself -- whether that's a call to a friend, a gf cupcake, or some other way that you do something good for yourself, take a moment to celebrate. Having this resource to support yourself, matters! It's been a while since I crossed this hurdle, but to my memory: if you're legally married, you'll have to make some decisions about whether you'll take a greater amount each month or leave a spousal benefit after your death. 2 years after your EOD (your eligibility date) is when you become eligible for Medicare. There are a whole cascade of decisions you'll then have to make. For those of us who don't have other health care options, or who have been self-paying, or buying through COBRA, getting Medicare is a big deal. Every year, SSD sends you an award letter. Keep that letter. Some years there will be a COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) of a percent or two. Through my research I found its rare for people to get less than $1200/month in benefits and it's also rare for people to get more than $3000/month in benefits. If you're wondering what the average benefit is, that's what's typical. That's the end of my series on Social Security Disability benefits. If you have other questions I haven't answered, let me know below. **I have a new mini-course I'm finishing about how to unlock the power of your next doctor appointment*** the first 50 people get FREE enrollment. Sign up here https://www.annetteleonard.com/waitlist This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

You've been denied Social Security Disability, now what? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard You've FINALLY heard back and got the courage to open the envelope and learned that your application has been denied. You're disappointed, sad, angry and grieving. Take time to feel those emotions. Once you've taken a beat, get ready to get back to work. First, make sure you haven't been denied on an eligibility technicality. Check out this website for more info: https://usafacts.org/data-projects/disability-benefit-process If you have met all the eligibility requirements, start an appeal. You must submit an appeal within 60 days. The first step is called "reconsideration." A claims specialist in your local Social Security office will review your file and may or may not approve you. If you are denied again, the next step is appealing before an Administrative Law Judge. This is the step where most people I know have been approved for benefits. These hearings can be held in person or remotely. At this point (or perhaps prior) you might be wondering, "should I hire an attorney?" You can find a SSI Attorney easily in your area and online. You don't have to pay for a lawyer up front, out of pocket. They will look at your file and if they think your case is strong enough, they'll take you on as a client. Then they will gather documentation, file paperwork on your behalf, get forms from your doctors, etc. to help build your case. Because they know the ins and outs of the system, it can be helpful and comforting to have someone walk you through the process and help you -- especially with a hearing or any further appeal. The attorney takes their fees out of the back payment you'd receive from Social Security, because of that you don't ever really "feel" the payment. If you are denied at this stage there are two further ways to appeal. However, that means more and more time. In 2022, getting approval by Administrative Law Judge was 1.5 years. When you're talking about going without an income for this amount of time -- many face bankruptcy or worse. It's worth considering how you'll make ends meet as you embark on this daunting process. Have you applied for Social Security? Did you use an attorney? Any tips or tricks you'd recommend to others about the process? This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

You've completed the initial application for Social Security Disability, what happens next? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard I am not an attorney or legal advisor -- seek professional guidance when trying to make legal determinations or get professional input about important questions. I'm speaking from my experience of applying for Social Security Disability. You send in your application and they solicit information from others. Your doctors will be contacted. So if you have a rheumatological condition, you need to have a rheumatologist who says so (etc. for a neurological, psychological, on down the line). If your ducks aren't in a row, don't apply yet. If your documentation isn't squarely laid out, consider waiting to apply. Similarly, if you aren't appropriately treating your illness, that isn't a reason to receive Social Security Disability. You need to consider all the holes in your argument. Think about the case you're building from as many perspectives as possible and try to be as thorough as possible. Your doctors will be solicited on your behalf to submit documentation. They may be asked simply to submit records about you or they may be asked to fill out disability paperwork on your behalf. Regarding the first: you might need to sign additional forms to give permission for their facility to send records. Regarding the second: some doctors WON'T complete disability paperwork on behalf of their patients or may charge a fee to do so. It's awfully frustrating when a doctor won't fill out disability paperwork and you can't compel them to, in that case you hope the documentation is strong enough on its own. But for any doctor who will fill out on your behalf, I make copies of my application paperwork (in case any gets lost, for future disability reviews AND because I share copies with my doctors who are writing on my behalf). On your initial application you list the date you were unable to work -- this date can become very important for a couple of reasons. This date can mean back pay and it can determine your Medicare eligibility. Many people do not understand that Social Security Disability is tied to Medicare but one must be receiving benefits for 2 years before becoming Medicare eligible. That's just one more reason that the small details REALLY matter when completing these forms. Take your time, do it when you have a clear head, don't rush. I check and recheck and have another person proof read. You complete your forms, your doctors complete theirs, you sign all the waivers, and once Social Security gets your complete file, a review is complete, they make a determination. Eventually, you'll get a letter saying "approved" or "denied." Understand that an extraordinary number are denied from the start. Don't give up, there are still ways through. Most of the people I know who are receiving benefits go there on appeal. It doesn't mean you're doing it wrong or won't eventually get there. Please leave comments, questions, or tips. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Should I apply for Social Security Disability? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard I am not a legal advisor -- seek professional guidance when trying to make legal determinations or get professional input about important questions. I have be getting Social Security benefits for about 10 years. I've helped others apply for Social Security benefits. Maybe you've been wondering whether you should apply for Social Security Disability. Let's discuss. Do your disabling conditions (mental, physical, emotional or a combination) have serious impacts on your ability to perform major life functions? Have you paid into Social Security Disability? Have you been working at a job and exhausted your PTO, sick leave, or short term disability and wonder how/whether you can keep working? If you answered "yes," to most of these questions, Social Security Disability might be for you. While it is not an easy, straightforward, or simple process. However, if you've been paying in, Social Security Disability is a benefit you've earned. If you qualify, you would receive a monthly cheque for the duration of your approval. You wouldn't have to pay it back, even if you could work again in the future. You need to think about what major life functions are impacted by your disability, things like walking, breathing, bathing, eating. This is an important component of explaining why you're unable to work. It's a significant burden of evidence - but the sooner you start, the sooner you might be approved. Is now the right time for you to apply? I'll talk more about the process in future videos. If you have questions or comments please put them in the comments below. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Sleep is the foundation for everything! I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard If you're watching this on video you can see I'm wearing my dark shades -- that means my migraine is off the charts. Part of the reason is that my sleep is gone to s*it. If you're tracking, you'll also notice I haven't dropped an episode in a couple of weeks and that's down to the same reason. We are the proud parents of (1:05) a 14 year old pit-mix rescue. She is entering a phase of old age (senility, deafness, etc.) that is wreaking havoc on our sleep. There are a variety of things at play from her trying to get into our bed, her deafness, and her incontinence that are having significant impact on our sleep. This has been building up for the last couple of months, but now our sleep is being interrupted multiple times a night, every night. I can't solve this simply. Several things are happening because of this a) without a solid chunk of sleep every night, my migraines don't get a chance to reset so I'm starting at a worse place when I wake up; b) my physical pain is worse for the same reason; 3) my mind is mush brain fog and thoughts are so muddled I can't track anything; 4?) keeping up on what I need to follow up on as a professional patient or any extras in life are just shot; and.... I forgot the last thing. Sleep is integral. Do I need to go to friends houses and sleep for a couple of nights? Do I need to sleep in our camper van for a few nights? There's a reason we use sleep deprivation for a mechanism of torture. I acknowledge that I'm laughing right now and this isn't funny. I'm doing that out of discomfort and to put you at ease -- I'd like to have a good cry about this. However, crying takes a lot of oxygen and makes my head hurt worse. This has reduced me to tears. This had made me a jerk to live with. The dog has not responded well to drugs and I can't find a drug strong enough to keep me asleep. We'll have to find some workable solution until the end of one of our days. Do you have ideas about what to do when you aren't getting much sleep? Also, every couple of weeks I'm hosting a Chronic Wellness Conversation on IG Live with authors, thought leaders, and sick people. Go check out those recordings on my Instagram. Talk to you when I get some sleep. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Searching for joy? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard I was recently reading about what to do if you've lost your happy. This is not specifically related to depression, which requires more specialized tools and perhaps deeper interventions. This is more about fleeting joy and temperamental stuff. The suggestion was look your happiness the same way you'd look for your keys. "where did you last see it?" When was I last joyful? When did I last experience happiness? And mine those experiences for cues and clues for how to recreate it. Were there things about the environment, the people, the things you were surrounded by or what you were doing that you aren't doing today? Perhaps you can't replicate the situation, but you might be able to dig into the experiences to find some of the paths back to happiness. No, all of the circumstances may not be available (because of situation, money, or our bodies) but some of conditions might be able to be recreated. Also, our brains like puzzles. It's easy to think of all the reasons I CAN'T and I'm shortchanging myself I I'm not willing to dig a little deeper to seek out my own happiness. How can I take steps towards my own bliss? How have you brought in more light or happiness? This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Colonoscopy and autoimmune disease? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard Do you have an autoimmune disease and you're getting a colonoscopy? Consult your physician and take their advice, not mine. However, I have a lot of experience so let's get into that. In advance of the colonoscopy, prep in advance for food. You'll get detailed instructions about what to eat. The instructions are daunting. At the very end your diet will be VERY limited. But keeping enough nutrients and calories is important. Prep, think in advance about what you'll need. Make sure you have broth, a way to get protein. For me I supplemented my clear liquids with collagen powder to get protein. Think about the quality of nutrients and shop ahead. Also, as you go through the process, disclose all of your conditions and medications to your endoscopist. There may be some medications you have to stop in advance of the colonoscopy and they may need permissions from other specialists to stop those medications (like blood thinners or statins). So there are lots of layers to the process. Many of us with autoimmune disease have mixed connective tissue disorders. Because of that (and Reynaud's) I have poor circulation and I'm frequently cold. I called ahead to the surgery center and told them that. In any medical center I tend to be freezing. Add to that IV liquids, being in a paper or hospital gown, and having fluids injected into my bowel, I'm going to be very cold. Find out about whether they have the bear hug suits available or just warm blankets. But let them know in advance you'll need extra warmth. I also charge and bring my hand warmers. Maybe your veins are poor. Talk to the nurses about where the best place to access your veins are. If you have a port, let them know in advance so they can have a port nurse available. Also, you may have sensitivities to particular forms of anesthesia. If so, it's critical to let them know about that or any allergies to anesthesia in advance so they can appropriately medicate you. Bowel prep kits often times cause nausea. You can ask for anti-nausea meds to be prescribed at the same time as your prep kit. It's lousy to be nauseous on top of prepping. Managing multilayered conditions while prepping for a colonoscopy is difficult but possible. These kits are designed to keep us from getting dehydrated, but be careful to keep fluids going while you prepare. Ask lots of questions if you haven't been through this process before. If you have tips and tricks for dealing with a colonoscopy, please leave those in the comments below. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard I recently read Emily Henry's, "The People We Meet on Vacation." She did a great job putting to language the ways we are confident and insecure, and how relationships expose us to new layers of ourselves. In the book one of her characters said that the more someone got to know her, the more she was afraid they'd discover the ugly and unlovable in her. I highlighted that passage and returned to it because I think that any of us who carry any shame or worthiness wounds -- that's what's at the heart of it. That when all the trappings are stripped away, we'll come up short and be rejected. That anxiety is often to difficult to bear and so we: hustle, people-please, distance, get addicted, hurt others first, and many more habits of self-defense. What's also interesting about this is that it's a commentary on the other person, too. It suggests that I'm so skilled at maintaining a façade that you can't see through, but if you did you wouldn't like what you'd see... So it also suggests that the other person (whose opinion we seem to care a lot about) is dupable or dim. Perhaps in a life without many obstacles, it might be easy to never have to examine these questions. However, chronic pain and illness stops you short and requires facing these kinds of questions. This weekend I was talking with a friend of a friend who had a life-altering surgery. They're questioning things like "What is my worth?" "What is my value if I'm not in the world of work?" "Will my partner stay if I'm significantly transformed?" These aren't simple questions. In a world where productivity is tied to output, it's difficult to not see that as a commentary on our worth. While it's so simple for me to see that YOU have intrinsic worth, your value is your existence, your value is your YOUNESS. But, it's much more difficult for me (on a hard day) to say it about myself -- but that is the goal. Do you struggle with these questions? This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Can setting boundaries be life-saving? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard $49 Boundary Course (through April 2024) https://jennywalters.thinkific.com/courses/boundary-uprising A few more words about boundaries. With chronic illness boundaries are critical for our health. I recently read Dr. Pooja Laskhmin's best-selling book book "Real Self-Care." She examines the difference between what capitalism has told us "self-care" is and what is authentic self care. True self-care is 1) an inside job, 2) is values driven, 3) is a journey not a destination. Like so many things it is a practice. In her book, she examines four ways we claim the sacred territory of self-care and boundaries is one of those avenues. Women, in particular, tend to be poor at setting boundaries. From our conditioning to put others first, to people-pleasing tendencies, to examples of martyrdom, boundaries are not something that comes easily for most of us. However, when we are sick and our time and energy are so limited, boundaries are essential. One of my dear friends who is very healthy and active, is down from a recent surgery. I checked in with her this weekend. She's having a hard time slowing down. That isn't surprising. However, because she now has a month off, people are laying claim to her time. People are coming over in droves. She's feeling wiped out from the visits. She told me she's so depleted. I suggested that she needs to say "no," or set limits on how long people stay. She's having such a difficult time. I think that's so understandable. When we are unaccustomed to setting limits with people in our lives, it's very difficult to start. The first reason is likely guilt, the second is something like not wanting to offend or inconvenience others. When I was starting a new friendship years ago, my new friend told me: "Annette, I want to be closer to you, but I see you saying 'yes' to everyone and everything in your life." And I thought "yeah, because I'm a good friend!" and then she said: "until I see you saying 'no,' I can't trust your 'yes.'" That was a revelation to me! We need to be able to trust one another's "yeses" by knowing that they will say "no" when they need to. That will give me permission to do the same. But when we accommodate, people-please, and guilt-trip, that isn't always what we were socialized to do. But, as Anne Lamott says "'No.' Is a complete sentence." and so is "I've changed my mind." As the spring kicks off, maybe you can grow a new habit around boundaries. Please sign up for Jenny's class if you need a tune up in this area. Also, please use the comments to share your tips, tricks, and brags with the community about the ways you've set or improved your boundaries recently. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Can setting boundaries be life-saving? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard You know that I'm a big fan of Dr Gabor Mate. His book, "When the Body Says, 'No'" is a big part of why I'm still ALIVE today. That's a big claim and I really mean it. His work has transformed my life. If you've had cancer or an autoimmune disease, get this book. He talks about how our personalities, our family structures, our emotional tendencies, and our background have likely contributed to our illnesses. While this is not about blame, it is about getting to root causes and, therefore, solutions. When we are back in the drivers seat, we can make different decisions. The job of our emotional system is to help us self-regulate and to allow in all that is nurturing, generative, healthy, and loving. It is also designed to keep out all that is harmful, toxic, and poisonous. He draws a parallel between our emotional system and our immune system which fundamentally does the same job to keep in all that is nurishing, nurturing, feeds growth, and to keep out all that is toxic, harmful, poisonous, and leads to cell damage/demise. For those of us with chronic illnesses learning to set boundaries is a necessity. Self-care means learning to prioritize our self and in doing so, we have to set boundaries. In Gabor Mate's new book "The Myth of Normal," he has an activity about what keeps us from setting the boundaries we need to set/want to set in our life. The more often we examine, work our way through this activity, the greater potential for change we are given. It is four questions for us to respond to: 1) Where in your life are you not setting a boundary? 2) What is your belief behind not saying "no?" 3) Where did I learn this belief? 4) Who would I be without this belief? The illusions we hold about why we stay stuck have an opportunity to fall away. Boundary work is self-care. We'll keep talking a bit more about boundaries and chronic illness. Here's my challenge: brag on yourself! How are you setting boundaries? What did you learn from this activity? When did you say "no?" or any other aspect of boundary setting? Because when we are sick and have any bit of the disease to please, setting boundaries for our own self-care is really challenging. So tell us all about it!

Your health journey is all your own. I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard Several things made me think about this topic. I recently was talking about my friend Amy. She died almost exactly a year before I got my diagnosis of Pulmonary Fibrosis. She was waiting for her lung transplant and when she passed she was a frail shadow of herself. Also, my mom died with complications of several of the autoimmune diseases that I have. It's so easy -- especially when we have a difficult or unfamiliar diagnosis, to lean on Dr Google, or other peoples' experiences and let those things coopt our imagination about our illness and I think that can have some disastrous and unintended consequences. The Google will tell you that my life expectancy is 3 - 5 years. Well, here I am 9 years later. While many things COULD have led to my demise -- but tuning that out and walking my own path has been crucial. As a reforming people pleaser, as someone who values information, it's easy to be captivated by the stories people share about anyone they know who may have had something similar to what I have, how that's gone, what's worked, what remedies they've tried. Sometimes, hearing those stories can contribute to the sense that I'm doing it wrong, or add to the sense that "this is going poorly and I've already made the wrong decisions." Having done this for a while and having learned how to BE EMBODIED in this experienced: doing body scans, checking in with my thoughts and feelings, knowing when something's changed. I'm the best person to asses what's going well and when it's time to make a change. No, it isn't fun, it takes a lot of effort to tune in like that, to advocate for myself, to coordinate with my docs and insurance companies, but it's the only way to take control of my health. When I start thinking "well, she said that by this time next year things got really bad..." then I'm initiating a slew of chemicals that will lead to anxiety, fear, pain, or being addicted to my own catastrophes. Perhaps those things will happen, but perhaps they won't. But, the only guarantee is that I've robbed myself of this present moment. The idea of suffering is terrifying. I'm not trying to pretend it isn't. There is fear and anguish. But there are tools. Whether it starts with a contemplative practice, journaling, or noticing what's happening to find a skilled therapist. There are ways to keep my fear of the future from enjoying the present. This journey is YOURS ALONE, from the small to the large. But no amount of today is improved by me fixating on how bad it's going to get. Notice when you get hooked, when you start to borrow trouble. If you don't have tools, skills, or support about making change in that area, it might be time to get some. Let us know how you're making your journey your own. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard It's February, Black History Month, and we just had the Super Bowl. After watching the Netflix movie about Diana Nyad, my wife mentioned that people living with chronic pain have some things in common with elite athletes. Intense pain. Of course, unless there's injury involved, athletes can choose to stop. Obviously, living with chronic pain we can't skip the practice, training, workout. I thought it was an interesting perspective. Recently, my wife has been experiencing some hip pain and headaches. The onset has given her renewed appreciation for what it's like to live with intense chronic pain. There are moments when I appreciate the validation and other times when I'm annoyed by it. I though on this Valentines Day, I thought I'd send this note to you all in pain: I know your fuse is short, your energy is less. I think about the ways your life has had to be smaller because of pain. I'm sorry. I wish we had better solutions. I wish you weren't having to use your energy and giving so much of yourself figuring out how to get through the day/get out of bed/get to the bathroom/manage the kids/cook a meal. I hate that we don't have better pain management. This invisible demon means that others can't see all that you're up against. They can't see that all your energy is being consumed by pain. As you manage a pain level 8 and try to carry on a conversation. This isn't an easy path. You don't get to put this weight down, and experience relief. You get to take up space. It's easy to compare my suffering to others -- but it isn't helpful. If your self compassion needs a tune up, check out Kristin Neff's resources: https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/#guided-meditations Do a meditation, journal, or take a quiz. I'm sorry you're hurting that we don't do a better job managing pain. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Chronic illness doesn't exempt me from other opportunistic illnesses. I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard [I don't know what happened to the visuals shortly into this video....] I didn't record Chronic Wellness last week. Two weeks ago I went to Seattle to meet with my specialists. While up there I contracted a virus. With a fever up around 104, I had fever dreams. When I first started to get sick -- I turned on myself. "What did I miss???" The litany of self-criticism is a habit I could stand to change. I suspect it's difficult for those in our lives to understand how additional illness impacts those of us with chronic illness. While I'm still not back to "myself" I'm grateful to be getting out of bed and for the few hours I do have. It helps me not take this for granted. Getting sick can lead me to the fear of "what if this is my new normal?" These are additional opportunities to grow and learn how to be present with myself and what is arising. Have you remained healthy during this flu/COVID/cold season? What thoughts, fears, realizations have occurred to you? This Thursday 2/8 at 12 PST I'll be hosting Alexis Hawes of the Instagram WhyIEatPlants about holistic wellness and plant-based eating. Please join us. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Is there an antidote to chronic pain? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard If you suffer daily from chronic pain, I know that you, like me wish that there were ways to resolve that pain. We've talked about novel ways to try and resolve pain. What if there were other solutions? This one takes a page out of lateral thinking. Hungarian born psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, coined the term "flow," to talk about the state of heightened engagement. Whether that's when you're engaged in a great book, lost in good conversation, or doing an activity you really love, if you've lost track of time, you've probably experienced flow. When we are in the state of flow, we can't feel as much pain. The same neurons that experience pain are engaged in that activity. It begs the question, how can we get into flow more often to get out of our pain? It is so strange that while we have a localized experience of pain (in our hip, arm, joints) the pain signal is in our brain. So if we can override the signal in our brain, we have a reduced experience of pain. So take yourself on a trip back to childhood, remember the things activities you used to loose yourself in and find ways to inject more of that in your life. This isn't foolproof -- it doesn't take my pain to zero. But there are ways that spending time with others can help distract me from my pain. I can also become engrossed with my creative outlets as a way to reduce my pain. I can also use creative outlets as a way to distract from my pain. What gets you in a state of flow? This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Could micro-disciplines be the key to transformation? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard With the start of the calendar year the allure of resolutions and making sweeping changes is real. However, when I try to make big changes, I am often setting myself up for failure. The notion of "micro-discipline" came from one of my favorite poets, David Whyte. Rather than making big, sweeping changes, how can I make miniature, infinitesimal changes? We are the culmination of our actions and decisions while also being creatures of habit. It is really difficult to change our habits. Therefore, micro-disciplines is valuable. Some examples: rather than starting a new mindfulness practice, I'll set my alarm to go off once a day and when it does I do a body scan. Rather than attempting a whole new diet overnight, I menu plan for one meal that week with that diet in mind. Thinking about what boundaries I want to have and try practicing those boundaries first with someone who feels lower stakes. By setting small accomplishable tasks, having a win, and building our wins, and then deciding whether or not the task is worth continuing, I'm setting myself up for success. Often, research shows, the things we THINK will make us happy, are not the things that DO. The way massive ships change direction are in part by a small mechanism called "trim tabs." These devices dip into the water creating drag and slowing the boat on one side so it can turn. I like to think of these mini habits like "trim tabs." Creating a little bit of change that might change the course of my life. What micro-discipline might you start with? What have you tried? What is an area where you could put your attention and create a bit of change? This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

400 Episodes! I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard It's 2024 and this is my 400th episode. I've been absent for a couple of weeks. Part of what's been happening is my tech has been hinky but also with the 400th episode looming I wanted to have something profound to say for my 400th episode. How do we self-sabotage and bock the things we most desire? For those of us living smaller lives because of our chronic conditions we MUST get out of our own way. When our "healthy" counterparts are expanding their possibilities in ways that may not be accessible to those of us who are chronically sick. Nonetheless, it is incumbent upon us to find ways to put life, joy, and meaning into our days. The life of a professional patient is demoralizing so finding the things that light you up and spell JOY in your heart must be cultivated. We don't have to wait for the start of a New Year, we are offered a fresh start each morning. I was inspired by the portrayal of Diana Nyad in the recent Netflix of her swim from Cuba to Florida. What devotion to a singular cause! What could we accomplish if we put our mind to it? How can you see your progress and the accumulation of benchmarks. I'm continuing my Chronic Wellness Conversations on Instagram join me as I interview Amanda Chay, author of The Girlfriend's Guide to Lupus on Jan 4th at 11am PST Thank you for being on this ride with me. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard Today I'm wrapping up my series on empathy and compassion. These words are not synonyms. Once I feel empathy - identifying with someone's experience, I can behave compassionately - take action on those feelings. Empathy's shortcoming: if I don't see myself in someone else, I might not feel empathy. However, compassionate action means that I can lend myself to a cause just because I see that cause as right and good. An example: I believe in housing justice even if I can't identify with the plight of a refugee who is benefiting from that work. Empathy and compassion can be external but they can also be internal. I can also be reflective and be empathetic about my own experience and take compassionate action. It seems ideal to consider this during the holidays. Whether it's the shorter days, the expectations of the holidays, the grief or a myriad of other reasons. With chronic pain and illness, we need to take care to think about what we need or want from the season and set boundaries for ourselves. How can you be compassionate towards yourself in ways that will leave you feeling better at the end of December than you did if you just went along with what others wanted. Connection is an important part of our well-being. What connecting can you do over the holidays that will fill your cup. With long-term illness it's easy to recede. How can compassion towards yourself include connection? Pema Chodron introduced me to the practice of tonglen. A way to experience compassionate action through mindfulness. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

What's the difference between compassion and empathy? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard Last week I talked about whether we could feel another's pain. Taking a step back from that I'm deconstructing what compassion and empathy means. I identify as an empath -- in seeing one's pain I feel and identify with that pain. Mattieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk from France has studied the neurobiology of empathy and compassion. He emphasized that empathy is feeling another's pain. Ex: your child is afraid of the thunderstorm and in empathy you also feel that pain and fear. He contrasts that experience with compassion: compassion leads to action (vs empathy which leads to feeling). Compassion leads to think of interventions, contributions, help and solutions. This leads towards kindness and desire to help. Empathy is required to lead to compassion. Compassion allows a layer of distance that empathy does not. The neuroscience has demonstrated that the areas of the brain lit up during empathy were areas that lead to stress, anxiety and burnout. Whereas, the compassion areas of the brain were not in stress but problem-solving and sustainable. Do these experiences contribute to our experience of pain? As we head into the holidays. I have empathy and compassion and I hope you are extending compassion for yourselves. If you want tips and techniques for managing your illnesses and holidays (alone or with others!) check out my Holidays Playlist or go view videos 118, 117, 116, 115, 114, 291, 292, 367. This is the Chronic Wellness Podcast. I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard I'm listening to the podcast "The Retrievals." In which a fertility clinic at Yale had a nurse who was swapping out fentanyl for saline. The women who describe their pain go into great detail. They were systematically denied, told they had the maximum dose, suggested alternate stories to try make sense of the pain, and numerous other examples of how the doctors, nurses, spouses and the women themselves were conditioned out of believing their own experiences. It's so disheartening that in the 2020s were still doing to women what we were doing in the time of Hypocrites. When women were called "hysterical" due to free-floating uteruses. Thoroughly documented in the book "Unwell Women," how women's pain is radically under-acknowledged, untreated, dismissed. Does the explanation matter -- unless it's to help solve the problem? Why do we discredit women's pain. This becomes particularly difficult, as women, when we try to get our pain believed. Do I try to become cerebral, emotional, loud, demonstrative? Each method has it's consequences. The first time I had meningitis. I was experiencing new realities of pain. I didn't have a frame of reference for how much pain I was in. A doctor asked me about my pain on a scale of 1-10. While trying to avoid light, sound, touch, and trying not to vomit, I told him, "it's at least a nine." He said, "it's hard to believe you when you say that with a smile on your face." And my partner started to unpack the reasons I might be smiling. Not everyone has that kind of advocate who knows them that well. Thankfully, I got a spinal tap that led to me getting treatment -- but he could have given me a spinal tap and sent me home. Are you believed when you report your pain? Is your pain being addressed? Are you getting the pain-care you need?

"But you don't look sick." I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard Learning how to respond to, "but you don't look sick," without getting frustrated is a difficult thing. Maybe I don't -- and yet, I am. I often try to look fierce, because I don't feel good. Last week was Hidden Disabilities Awareness Week (Oct 15-21). Don't let the fact that we're a week late, stop you from disclosing. For those who are able-bodied, the only way to gain awareness is to learn from the experience of others. Often I shut myself down by thinking some version of, "they've heard it," "they're tired of hearing about it," "I don't want to complain," etc." We have a range of people in our lives from close to distant and there are a range of ways we might introduce this topic. Even folks with obvious disabilities also have hidden disabilities they might not talk about. For me, most of my close friends know that I'm living with chronic migraines, but they may not know the affects of this like: when I go to your house for dinner -- that low music you play for ambiance, erodes my ability to think, participate, and engage as I try to manage my pain. We are often discouraged from discussing our disabilities and illness because of adages like "if you don't have something nice to say..." Therefore, these awareness days offer us opportunities, if we chose to take them, to disclose our experiences in ways we might otherwise not. Watching two truckers signal each other with their lights recently made me think about hidden illness and disability. I wish we had covert ways of signaling one another so that we could notice each other out in the world. Knowing we are not alone relieves some of the burden. We have a deeply human desire to be understood and to be included. Telling others about my hidden disabilities allows others to do a better job of that. So the next time someone says "but you don't look sick," could this be an opportunity to disclose and invite someone to know you a bit better rather than leaving the interaction feeling diminished by the comment.

This list compiled by Charity Watch Doctors Without Borders (http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/)/MSF is donating medical supplies to hospitals/health facilities in Gaza responding to medical needs. MSF does not run medical programs in Israel, which has strong emergency and health services. MSF has been running medical programs in Gaza for more than 20 years, supporting a health care system that urgently lacks both medical personnel and supplies. Their teams work in three hospitals and several outpatient clinics, offering comprehensive care for people suffering from burns and trauma. Since 2018, MSF has been running a reconstructive surgery program in northern Gaza. They also operate several medical programs in the West Bank. Anera (http://www.anera.org/), has no political or religious affiliation, works on the ground with partners in Palestine mobilizing immediate emergency relief. Anera has already delivered 12,000 bags of IV solutions to Gaza's largest hospital. In the coming days they will distribute food parcels, water, and hygiene kits to displaced families. Muslim Aid USA (http://www.mausa.org/) is actively responding to this humanitarian crisis, working alongside their partners on the ground; delivering essential medical aid and equipment to the main hospitals in Gaza. They are also providing food packages and vital non-food items such as hygiene kits and other necessities to those who are in need. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (http://www.jdc.org/) has activated their emergency response across Israel. In the south of the country, they have widespread, existing operations and programs providing support to those directly impacted by the conflict, including elderly, people with disabilities, children and families at risk. Hadassah (http://www.hadassah.org/) hospitals in Israel and its medical teams are currently providing crisis medicine and trauma-care to those impacted by the on-going conflict. Zakat Foundation of America (https://www.zakat.org/) has been in this volatile area for over 20 years. Alongside local partners they provide both long-and short-term aid. Zakat has stated that it is supplying emergency relief, including: medical supplies, hygiene kits, food, warm blankets and clothing. HIAS (http://www.hias.org/) has been operating in Israel since 1950. Within 24 hours of the initial conflict, HIAS activated its Emergency Response protocols to provide life-saving support to those displaced. Their core emergency capabilities include hygiene supplies, blankets, dignity kits, mental health and psychological support, and child protection. Mercy Corps (http://www.mercycorps.org/) has operated in the West Bank and Gaza since 1986, providing humanitarian support including access to water, working with children and young people, and connecting people to economic opportunities. Mercy Corps currently has people on the ground assessing the needs of those impacted by the conflict and will resume their lifesaving programs when it is safe to do so. Oxfam-America (https://www.oxfamamerica.org/) has been working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel since the 1950s and established its only country office in the area in the 1980s. In total they work with 28 partner organizations to offer lifesaving support including: rebuilding water and sanitation infrastructure, hygiene kits, distributing cash, food and bedding. Oxfam is in discussion with partners on how to begin their humanitarian response once it is safe to do so. See the full list: https://www.charitywatch.org/charity-donating-articles/gaza-israel-conflict-top-rated-charities-providing-aid

Can this supplement improve long COVID? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard My journey into chronic illness started with mono. My start of mono was Epstein Barr Virus. At the 6 month mark, I still wasn't better. When my doctor told me that meant I qualified for being under the umbrella of chronic fatigue syndrome, I burst into tears. CFS, later called ME or myalgic encephalomyelitis, is now called Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome and includes long-COVID. Last month (9/23) in the journal Nutrition and Food Science, in a double-blind, 6 month study, it was found that creatine supplement helped. It improved memory, brain function, muscle function, taste, smell and a couple other functions. Creatine is a common supplement. The study dose was 4 grams/day. That would cost $15/month. It's exciting to imagine that this could make a difference in people's lives. ****If you're thinking about making changes to your diet or health care talk to your doctor or health care provider. ****

Do our words and thoughts directly affect our health? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard In the early 2000's there was an independent film called "What the Bleep do We Know?" exploring how quantum mechanics work in our lives. It was my first exposure to the idea of manifesting. In that movie I learned about Matsaru Emoto. He documented the impact of various things on water. He has a book called "The Hidden Messages in Water." Understanding that most of our bodies and much of the world's surface IS water, this research seems incredibly important. Dr. Emoto compared the crystal structure of different drops of water in different conditions. Sometimes he took a picture of a drop of water, then exposed it to lovingkindness meditation, then photographed that same drop of water and it had grown elaborate and beautiful new crystal structures. Conversely, he took heavily polluted water - which under magnification didn't look like a crystal but a chaotic, splattery mess, and after doing a meditation for it, stunningly beautiful intricate crystals appeared. Beautiful crystal structures can be present and when exposed to people fighting or hateful messages, it turns into that disjointed, messy, no longer crystalline structure. OUR BODIES are more than 70% water. What messages are we bathing OUR water in? Are we cultivating our greatest capacity for healing? The best opportunity to knit together and form strong structures? Being sick, living in isolation, there are so many ways to compare myself and come up short. When His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet first came to the US. Sharon Saltzberg was among those who met him. She asked what are your teachings for helping those of us dealing with self-hatred. The meeting had to stop while he met with his interpreters and advisors. Because in Tibetan, there was no word or concept for "self-hatred." Capitalism requires self-hatred. What is the medicine you need to hear? If you don't know, start with "I love you." These studies have been replicated again and again. Even just with a bottle of water where a loving message like "I love you," "you're beautiful," "thank you," and left for 24 hours, yielded spectacularly beautiful crystals. And the opposite was also true: when messages like "I hate you," "you're ugly," etc. were taped on the bottle and left for 24 hours, there was no crystal structure left to photograph.

Does how we talk about our illness change the trajectory of our illness? I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com you can find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard Often when faced with illness we speak in violent metaphors: being a warrior, tackling, battling, fighting. We talk about me against the disease. We think of it as a fight. This seems logical. It seems like I'm working against something that's working against me. As the pandemic proved out, we talked about how the virus was attacking us. It seems like second nature and something we don't even pause to question. However, I think it's worthwhile to pause and consider. Especially for those of us with prolonged illness. Many masters have taught the idea of "that which we resist persists." I've talked here before about how learning to have peace and have acceptance about my illness have brought different kinds of benefits to me. We also have lots of research about how our mind/thoughts impact our experience. So if my thoughts are on pathologizing/battling, what does that mean? When I'm sick for a long time, what does it mean if I'm not fighting? Am I giving up? Giving in? I think there's a lot of benefit to making peace with our illnesses. I can journal and ask "what do you need illness? What changes could I make that could quiet you? How could I invite you to calm down?" These battle metaphors aren't the only options. My next Chronic Wellness Conversation will be with Jake Eagle, author of "The Power of A.W.E." on October 12 at 11 am PST on IG Live. Join us!

Change just one thing. I'm Annette Leonard of https://www.annetteleonard.com you can find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theannetteleonard/ I took the longest break I've ever taken since starting Chronic Wellness. It's good to be back. I'm excited to announce that I'll be starting a broadcast called Chronic Wellness Conversations on IG Live. This will be starting this fall on Thursdays at 11am PST. I'll be chatting with authors, thought leaders, activists and other sick folks about how to have illness and pain while trying to also lead a rich and meaningful life. More details soon. I was at the Neurologist recently talking about my daily migraines. The doctor had several suggestions about things I should change from habits related to stress reduction techniques and diet, to medication changes both dosages of things I'm on now and adding in a new med. I was again reminded that when I'm eager and hopeful it's easy to take on too much too quickly. Early on I would change multiple things all at the same tame and if something shifted for the better — I didn't know how to parse what made the difference. Hence today's topic, change just one thing. It's simple but not always easy. Change one thing, wait, then change one more thing. With my neurology appointment, I'm going to change the dose of the med and wait 4-6 weeks, then make the dietary change and wait 4-6 weeks, then add the other med and wait 4-6 weeks. For me, it can take a while to really see if it will take a while to see what the impact of these changes are. Nutrition science is now telling us that we might not notice the effects of a change for up to a month. What does that mean for how we should structure an elimination diet? How slowly should we take out foods? How slowly should we add them back in? Yes, this takes a lot more time — but what could be more worth it? What if it saves time in the long run? Also, when we're experiencing so much pain, it's difficult to notice the discrete differences across and between the days. What makes a difference? The weather? The time of day? My hormones? The season? Therefore, tracking my pain matters a lot. Many of us, too, were taught to tune out our bodies messages. Tracking helps me learn my bodies signals. If I'm making changes, tracking helps me understand whether those changes are making a difference.

This is is a brief video to tell you I'm Out of the Office. I'm taking a break this summer. My recording space (our guest room) is going to be occupied and we have some other projects so I'm going to pause. I'll be returning at the end of August/beginning of September. There are more than 385 episodes for you to watch or listen to if you're missing me. If there are topics you want me to discuss please tell me. The reason my channel is called Chronic Wellness is about seeking spiritual wellness and seeking ways to lift our spirits. My mom always knew the Methodist hymns by heart. One of those hymns was "It is Well with my Soul." Whether it is engaging my mind, heart, body, or spirit -- I am always seeking ways to make it well with my soul. I hope you are finding ways to keep your soul well.

Duality is either/or thinking. We tend to gravitate toward this type of thinking by habit. However, non-duality allows us to embrace multiplicities. In the context of chronic pain and illness non-duality allows us to recognize "I am not this illness." We are often pathologized. Rather than thinking just about what's wrong with us we can remember we contain multitudes. Also, non-duality can remind me I am the being experiencing x. There can be a layer or distance that gets inserted. Having a contemplative practice has supported this ability. Giving me a bit of space between me and the pain or difficulty. I'm cultivating a skill of stillness that means I have a pause to say "I am the being having that experience." In the space other things become possible -- I can insert a bit of life in that pause. I think that's also why person-centered language is important: when say "she's a person with a disability" rather than "she's disabled" it acknowledges that she's a person having that experience rather than that being the whole of who she is. A tool I was introduced to by Nikki Silvestri is using the phrase "and also." We don't have to negate what is happening but expand what's true, it allows for multiple realities and paradox. As you play with non-duality, tell me how can you use "yes and" in your daily life. Do you have a contemplative practice? What do you do? How long? If not, why not -- what are the obstacles that keep you from a practice?

It's the first week of Pride month so I'm talking about families of choice. When I came out it was not welcome. While my folks are fairly liberal and who, in the early 70's adopted kids of color and fought against racism (even in their own families). However, they weren't similarly prepared to accept me as queer. Especially for my mom: the church and the south led her to believe that my love was inferior, was wrong, and separated me from the love of God. That meant that I started building a family of choice. This was highlighted recently with my nephew. He'd had a terrible interaction with my dad (his papa) and we started talking about not being seen or loved enough by our family members. This led to a conversation about getting to build a family of choice. Some are lucky to be born with people who see them and many of us aren't. So we can assemble the people we can relate to as mamas, aunties, siblings, and cousins. Tell them that's who they are to you. The lesson I learned in queer spaces applies to being a sick person, too. Those whom we thought we could depend on may not be the people who stick around. We may have to "build" new families of choice. We are worth having family of choice to count on.

Today I'm wrapping up my series about alternative medical therapies. I thought I'd take a moment to address what I didn't in last week's episode -- the fact that if you're watching this on video my look has changed dramatically. I'm now bald. If you search alternative medical treatments on Wikipedia there are dozens if not a couple of hundred treatments listed. I won't get to all of those. I think most all of us with chronic conditions are met with others' opinions about what will transform our health. That seems to be based on a deep seeded discomfort with prolonged, on-going, unsolvable pain and illness. I think others are afraid of our circumstances. The tendency to try and solve and fix are often the first thing (rather than being inclined to be curious, or to be *with*) are what people go to first. My response these days is generally, "thank you" (next). I've had some success with alternate therapies -- even if they don't help my body they might help my spirit. Now I'm trying to check in with my gut and heart about what I want to try. Then it comes down to prioritizing my resources. What have you tried? Are there things that you've tried that have made you feel a lot better?

Energy medicine is likely one of the oldest forms of medicine. This might include reiki, body talk, EFT, medical intuit or other names. Whether we call it qi, chi, prana, or atomic energy, or life force, there is energy running through us and that energy can be influenced and manipulated. Energy practitioners influence or direct the energy within my body to generate greater comfort or healing. Through things like muscle testing, or indicators in my pulse or reading my energy in other ways, they use that information to conduct their healing. This can be done with or without touch. This healing can be subtle or very dramatic. As with any health care, getting good recommendations is important. What's nice is that the risks of negative side effects are low. Have you tried it? What have you found? Are you an energy worker?

I'm talking today about a therapy that is rather woo. It is called Earthing. With more than 30 years of medical studies performed on it, I was surprised that I didn't learn of it until very recently. Simply put, it is the practice of putting your bare skin on the earth. The idea came from the fact that we walked the earth for millennia without shoes. In our modern world we're receiving all kinds of wave particles both natural and artificial. Artificial waves like wifi, cell, and electromagnetic. We are taking in the waves and don't have ways of discharging them. Our electrical outlets have grounding sockets. Researchers are finding that our bodies, too, need to be grounded. When we just touch the earth, we start to discharge the excess electric energy that builds up in us. We can test this just with a home volt meter. But the studies go on to show that inflammation, pain, weight, blood thickness are examples of things that have all shifted with just short but regular bouts of contact with the earth. This is absolutely the lowest tech, most accessible change that most of us can make and see whether or not it helps. There is a movie on YouTube called The Earthing Movie https://youtu.be/44ddtR0XDVU Didn't all the children already know this? Don't all the gardeners know this? This is concrete evidence about the way nature heals us. Have you heard about earthing? Have you tried it? What are your experiences

As I continue to discuss alternative methods of healing today I'm talking about sound therapy or sound healing. Maybe you know about Tibetan singing bowls or have heard about taking a sound bath. When we talk about sound healing, that is a broad term that implies using the modality of sound for various types of intended purposes. I have experienced sound healings on the floor on a mat, I've been on massage-type table, and I've experienced two "floating" sound baths one in the silks (typically used acrobatically) and one in water. Often singing bowls are involved, often drums, gongs, tuning forks, or voices are involved. The theory behind the practice is that because our bodies are 60% water, vibration from sound effectively penetrates our tissue. Therefore, blood pressure, mood, and even pain can be impacted by sound. The floating sound bath when I was suspended in the silks was particularly distinct for me because the sound so thoroughly enveloped and surrounded me. The experience was so soothing and immersive. It was conducted by a woman whose pain was also transformed by sound healing after a car accident. Sound healing shifted what acupuncture, physical therapy, and medication hadn't. For me, sound healing is moving and nourishing. Research has even shown that different frequencies access different states of being. Different hertz help us access delta, theta, and other brain states. See how listening at those frequencies impact your nervous system. Have you had a sound healing? How has it worked for you? I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.

Often those of us with chronic pain or illness decide to try modalities other than Western medicine. From diagnosis to treatment to long term care, there are a wide array of options to get input from experts who aren't our typical physicians. Today I'm talking about acupuncture. Acupuncture is a practice of traditional Chinese medicine. By using the meridians that our qi follows and reading our pulse, a practitioner can impact our pain, energy, and internal organs with needles. Typically after taking off some clothing thin needles are inserted into specific points ranging from the head and face, to the chest, arms, torso, or feet. Often the needles are left in place while the patient relaxes for 10-20 minutes. I don't find the process painful. There might have been some discomfort upon insertion but that didn't last. It is typical that a series of treatments are recommended. You might visit an acupuncturist for fibromyalgia, insomnia, and other pain conditions. It is often not covered by insurance. However, you might be able to find people who charge on a sliding scale or who offer community treatment rooms. I found acupuncture energizing and addressed my pain as well as offered me more energy. Have you tried acupuncture? Did it benefit you? I'm Annette Leonard, speaker, coach, and sick person who believes that my illnesses do not define me. If health is the absence of disease and wellness is the presence of wholeness, then no matter what your disease status, we can work toward your wellness, your wholeness. Whether or not you are ever "healthy" on paper, you can be well. Join me and others on the path back to wholeness at AnnetteLeonard.com. Whether you are a person experiencing chronic illness or are someone who loves or serves people with chronic illness I have great resources here on this channel or on my website for you.