Down to My Last Spoon

Camilla is a 23 year old full time student from Denmark. In this episode we dive into Camilla's diagnosis story and the differences in healthcare from America to Denmark. Camilla has been living with Rheumatoid Arthritis for over 8 years but only received a diagnosis in February. Tune in to hear her story!!! Support the podcast by purchasing MERCH AND SUBSCRIBING! https://teespring.com/stores/down-to-my-last-spoon Instagram: @downtomylastspoon Twitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoon Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoon Contact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

In this episode Selina and I joke around and go over bad medical advice. Tune in for a break in the regular content and enjoy something funny. Support the podcast by purchasing MERCH AND SUBSCRIBING! https://teespring.com/stores/down-to-my-last-spoon Instagram: @downtomylastspoon Twitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoon Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoon Contact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Britt was initially diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome but after years of symptoms this year she was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease. It was a long journey, Britt was told she was mentally ill and should not attend college, that she should essentially give up on her dreams. Tenaciously, Britt persisted. She moved away, started taking care of herself and when she had done everything doctors told her to she insisted on finding answers. We touch on health anxiety, not being taken seriously, sexism from doctors and the stigma around pain. If you think you may have Lyme disease please research Lyme literate specialists in your area. Tune in to hear Britt's journey with Lyme disease. Support the podcast by purchasing MERCH AND SUBSCRIBING! https://teespring.com/stores/down-to-my-last-spoon Instagram: @downtomylastspoon Twitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoon Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoon Contact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

In today's episode Brittany recounts her first symptom of persistent cold hands and feet and Ashlyn can't remember one of the most common tests that diagnosed her own RA. (Anti CCP, Lol) Would it really be an episode of DTMLS without a little brain fog? After losing 70 lbs her cold hands and feet were attributed to being thin. She lost the weight and developed several food allergies, began to bloat regularly and felt generally uncomfortable. She visited with a GI who tested her for SIBO, this came back positive and then began her journey of gathering diagnoses. We learn about her time as a lawyer as her health began to dwindle she was unable to focus or deliver the quality of work her firm was expecting out of her also, her experience with dismissive and genderizing doctors. Tune in to hear us go through the lows and the highs of Brittany's journey. Support the podcast by purchasing MERCH AND SUBSCRIBING! https://teespring.com/stores/down-to-my-last-spoon Instagram: @downtomylastspoon Twitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoon Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoon Contact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

One day in 1999 Shelia had a sudden onset of severe pain in the rectum, by the end of that day she was in surgery to remove a very large abscess that came out of nowhere very quickly. Symptoms persisted, she was dropping weight and was accused by a doctor of causing her own issues by making herself throw up to lose weight. In 2000 she was finally given the diagnosis of Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. She spent 10 years on remicade which she can no longer take. We discuss her battle with this disease that has been going on over a decade, including the dismissal and pure negligence from doctors she endured. Shelia is making the best of her situation today despite almost losing her life on an operating table. Tune in to hear her story! Support the podcast by purchasing MERCH AND SUBSCRIBING! https://teespring.com/stores/down-to-my-last-spoon Instagram: @downtomylastspoon Twitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoon Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoon Contact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Pauline started experiencing numbness in her leg that lasted for two weeks. Her doctor and herself assumed it was a pinched nerve. Years passed and her health began to decline, she felt sick without being sick and had severe fatigue that she had not felt before. It wasn't until she woke up one morning almost completely paralyzed that she acknowledged something was seriously wrong. We discuss the fact most of us are ignorant about chronic illness until we have one and it is sometimes hard to accept that it is coming on. Especially with societies view still being somewhat taboo on chronic illness as well. Tune in to hear the full story! Support the podcast by purchasing MERCH AND SUBSCRIBING! https://teespring.com/stores/down-to-my-last-spoon Instagram: @downtomylastspoon Twitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoon Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoon Contact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Elisha is a 25 year old who has been battling Lyme disease and other chronic illness. It all started with a concussion when she was kicked in the head while she was playing soccer. She had many concussions growing up after that. She was misdiagnosed many times based on the comorbidities that were occurring due to lyme disease. Elisha's story shines a light on the serious lack of medical knowledge about the disease and the difficulty in diagnosing lyme. Despite her health declining rapidly Elisha was able to graduate college but then had to move back home because she was very sick. At one point her family and friends thought that they were going to lose her. Tune in to hear Elisha's chronic illness story. Support the podcast by purchasing MERCH AND SUBSCRIBING! https://teespring.com/stores/down-to-my-last-spoon Instagram: @downtomylastspoon Twitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoon Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoon Contact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

.Emmely is a 44 year old chronic illness warrior and blogger, she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis with an overlap of reynaud's. She also has type 2 diabetes and fibromyalgia. In 2000 Emmely was driving home and forgot where she was going, when she got home she couldnt say anything other than eight eleven. She brushed it off as stress until symptoms started progressing again. Emmely tells us about her long journey and accumulating list of diagnoses, being brushed off by doctors and dealing with the all too common "anxiety" diagnosis for her mystery illness. . Emmely dives into everything leading up to the diagnosis and her feelings throughout the process. She shares about her treatment options and dealing with being allergic to several of them. Her and her boyfriend, who also has a chronic illness, are now traveling and blogging together about their experiences. Go check out Emmely at https://colorfulchaos.blog/ Support the podcast by purchasing MERCH AND SUBSCRIBING! https://teespring.com/stores/down-to-my-last-spoonInstagram: @downtomylastspoon Twitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoon Facebook: www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoonPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoonContact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Debbie is a 42 year old living with multiple sclerosis. When she started to smell things that were not there she headed straight for a psychiatrist who then pointed her in the direction of a neurologist. The neurologist sent her for an MRI, when they called her with the results they told her they found several lesions. She didn't know what that meant and was too afraid to find out. She ignored the issue for two years and then the symptom, Lhermitte's sign started presenting. Again, she went to the doctor, this time thinking maybe she was experiencing carpal tunnel. Her doctor was so concerned she took her directly for another MRI. When she was called the next morning and told to come to the hospital immediately she was terrified of what was to come. Debbie has pushed through her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and past history of anxiety and trauma. She is now challenging herself with ballet and spreading a message to everyone around her that no matter what your story is, you can still chase after your dreams. ---------Support the podcast by purchasing MERCH AND SUBSCRIBING! https://teespring.com/stores/down-to-my-last-spoonInstagram: @downtomylastspoonTwitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoonPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoonContact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Tara Firma is a 43 year old massage therapist and Hidradenitis Suppurativa Warrior. Her symptoms first showed up after becoming pregnant and having her son. She was living overseas at the time and the doctors weren't as in the know about HS, they suggested it could potentially be an STD or her swimming in dirty water. She reveals her feelings of shame and feeling dirty during this time. Tara expresses her belief in there being three main triggers for HS especially in her case: Hormones, gut chemistry and cortisol. We discuss relationships with food and her struggle with orthorexia as she eliminated all but twelve foods from her diet, she did learn some of her triggers this way. She stressed the key for her has been reducing oxidative stress as much as possible. Two surgeries later and a whole lot of diet and lifestyle adjustments Tara considers herself in remission. Her Great Path in life is helping people reclaim their health and to be the CEO of their bodies. If you are interested in reaching out to Tara or finding more information on oxidative stress and nrf 2, you will find her links down below. --------- Tara Firma - Nrf2 Science - Biohacking Survey - Pubmed ----------  Support the podcast by purchasing MERCH AND SUBSCRIBING! https://teespring.com/stores/down-to-…Instagram: @downtomylastspoonTwitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoonPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoonContact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Ilana Gruber is a 21 year old full time student living with Posterior Uveitis and Hashimoto's. She started seeing floaters and cobwebs, after being dismissed by two eye doctors, neither of which took any detailed imaging of her eyes, she was told to wait six months to see what happens and was referred to a neurologist. Ilana starts to worry after being dismissed so many times and being told things like "these things can happen sometimes at the time of the month" which as we all know is absolutely INSANE. Things began to get worse and she started seeing bright flashing lights like a strobe light and decide she could not wait any longer. She found a retina specialist two hours away and was shocked to find out she could get in almost immediately. The specialist told her if she hadn't come to see her and listened to those other doctors she could have potentially lost her vision completely. Posterior uveitis usually coexists with other autoimmune issues other than Hashimoto's so Ilana's specialist has told her she is essentially a ticking time bomb for another autoimmune disease. Ilana is being treated and though she has symptoms everyday she still remains to have 20/20 vision with glasses. ----------Instagram: @downtomylastspoonTwitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoonPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoonContact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Selina is a 24 year old who is fighting Hidradenitis Suppurativa and PCOS. This episode was special for me because I have also struggled in silence with HS for a long time. We discuss the pain around flares, being dismissed by doctors and things getting progressively worse. We joke about being in our twenties and that we are not perfect. Selina is bubbly and has a good sense of humor, she refers to the first doctor who performed surgery on her as "Dr. Quack" and then later we learn "Dr. Homeboy" saved the day. I highly recommend you check out her instagram where she shares memes she makes herself about her dealing with flares, quacks, homeboys and everything in between dealing with chronic illness. SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT USE PURE TEA TREE OIL ON YOUR FACE! ----------------Find Selina on Insta: @hidradenitis.selinaInstagram: @downtomylastspoonTwitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoonPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoonFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoonContact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Kyna Stys is a 34 year old living with Mixed connective tissue disease with overlapping Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis. After bouncing around doctors without receiving any diagnosis, she finally found a doctor who told her that her symptoms were enough to make a diagnosis. She tells us her experience with treatments and being turned away from a catholic hospital and told she was a drug seeker. We joke the whole way through about the long process of diagnosis, lousy doctors and how autoimmune medications apparently treat everything. Kyna is also the co host of a podcast called The Historical AF Podcast, it's really funny and you should probably go check them out after!!! ---------- Instagram: @downtomylastspoonTwitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoonPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoonFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoonContact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Kim McDowall is a 50 year old chronic illness warrior. In this episode we discuss her diagnosis of Hashimoto's and others along the way. We discuss doctors dismissing her and telling her she just needs to drink some milk, LOL. Within the last year and half she got a divorce and her mother passed away, but she remains to push through with a positive attitude. She tells us to not shame the grieving process and challenges societies stigmas against mental health. ---------- Instagram: @downtomylastspoonTwitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoonPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoonFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoonContact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

At 3 Ariana was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Her finger got jammed and stayed swollen and when the swelling didn’t go away they knew something was wrong. After doctors shut down her kidneys with high doses of naproxen, they told her there was no more treatment options for her and that she would be in a wheelchair. At 7 years old she was in a wheelchair off and on, then a new issue started to arise. At 14 she was diagnosed with Lupus and then later on two blood disorders. We talk about what it’s like to grow up with chronic illness and Ariana tells us she now has a young son who is going through some of the same things. --------- Instagram: @downtomylastspoonTwitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoonPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoonFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoonContact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Ednita Tavarez, a 27 year old full time student and mother shares all the details of living with Rheumatoid Arthritis. We discuss how she was dismissed at a young age after being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, treatments, being a mother and continuing to chase your dreams despite chronic illness. ---------- Instagram: @downtomylastspoonTwitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoonPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoonFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoonContact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Ashley Anderson is a 27 year old LPN battling chronic illness everyday! In this episode we talk about fighting for a diagnosis and how important the language we use with doctors is. Ashley really opens up about finding comfort in knowing there are others out there like her. ----------Instagram: @downtomylastspoonTwitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoonPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoonFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoonContact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Aby Hughes, a 21 year old who is working full time and going to school, has been dealing with chronic illness for 10+ years. Listen to us talk about her experience with a decade of facing chronic illness head on! ---------- Instagram: @downtomylastspoonTwitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoonPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoonFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoonContact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support

Here is my diagnosis story! Thank you for taking the time to listen. I hope to have a conversation with you soon. Support the podcast by purchasing MERCH AND SUBSCRIBING! https://teespring.com/stores/down-to-my-last-spoon Instagram: @downtomylastspoon Twitter: @Dwn2MyLastSpoon Facebook: www.facebook.com/downtomylastspoon Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DowntoMyLastSpoon Contact me: downtomylastspoon@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/downtomylastspoon/support