Dancing with Disease Podcast

I believe we are always healing: it's a journey, not a destination. That said, you do move from one area that needs your attention to the next. This podcast helped me heal that area, and kept my company while completing my memoir. I'm starting "G School" next week. Let me know if you want to learn more. Be well!

In this episode I put a twist on the "10 Ways to Boost Your Healing Powers" PDF that's on my website. In reality, it was created for anyone going through a hard time or big life change, and well, I'm pretty sure that the current reality counts as a BIG change. You can see the list at www.gerryugalde.com Stay safe, stay home (or at least, in your car). 

The overwhelming response I get when I talk about the memoir is, "When do you find the time?" As with most things in life, we find time for the projects that pull on our hearts the most. This episode shares a bit of the writing process, but mostly what the last 18 months of edits, manuscript submissions and proofreading have felt like. I'm excited and scared to share so much of my story with the world, but I'm learning to accept the great things that come with discomfort. 

I'm taking a new approach to this medium. I am going for the one shot record. I'm also going to share more of who I am. I find that for a few episodes I was editing my personality down so I could reach anyone who wanted to listen. I'm not speaking to everyone though: I'm speaking to the underdogs who are always clawing their way to the top, no matter what. This episode also focuses on what I think strength means, and why I hated being called "strong" for a while. 

Of all the resolutions I've made and lessons I've learned, being kinder to myself is still a work in progress. That, and a few lessons I've learned in the last 10 years. 

With so much to deal with and adjust to after diagnosis, it's possible that talking to someone about your feelings is the last thing you have time for. There might come a time that you're ready. You don't have to take care of every part of your being at once, but as we all know there could come a time that you know it's the best way to move forward. Here I share what has worked for me in deciding when I was ready to dig deep into my emotions. 

Are you a social media contributor or consumer? Do you add to group conversations, or do you sit on the sidelines and watch a topic get explored? Regardless of how you participate, you've likely noticed there are certain personalities that are common across online fora. This episode identifies what those personalities bring to the discussion, and what you can do when that becomes too much for you. 

Do you have to disclose to your co-workers that you live with illness? What do you share?In this episode I share my story of moving from school to school to school, and the three things I have learned are important for me to share with my workplace. 

I've lived with chronic illness for a decade now. Having learned a few things, especially when it comes to a battle of wills, I have pleaded with chronic illness to give me a vacation from it. This summer I got it!!  

While grappling with disease the last thing you might be able to think about is how you can help others, but once you've got your bearings, lifting someone else up because you genuinely want to, ends up being the greatest gift to your health.

In this episode I talk about why we need to focus on what our body can do and not on what our body looks like. 

In this episode I talk about how I'm able to get so many things down: by keeping track of the important stuff. 

We all have things we must do in a day to feel our best. I like to keep things simple and keep the important things front and center. 

How you plan and approach your appointments can help you stay focused and organized. Listen in for the three ways I reduce the stress around appointments, and actually flip them around to be enjoyable. 

This episode talks about the questions some ask as they try to determine how they got sick, and why I no longer ask those questions. 

Living with disease while raising children hurts. I use three principles to help my sons cope with this so they can see me and not the illness.

This episode deals with the surreal moment you first hear the words of your diagnosis and takes you through a few ways to move through your new reality. It also features some of the sounds of Toronto traffic. The latter wasn't ideal, but this journey is about working with what I have. 

I'm super excited (and nervous) to put this out into the world. I'm sharing my story because when I was so sick that it hurt to think and had doctors doing all kinds of procedures and tests on me, I would have done anything to know that someone out there was facing Wegener's Disease and living a full life. Please note, you'll hear the effects of this disease on my airway as I take noisy breaths before I speak. I let this hold me back for too long. So here I am, Darth Vadar voice and all!