Calling In Sick

Just Media
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Welcome to the Calling in Sick, hosted by Alex Wildeson and produced by Just Media. On this podcast, Alex shares her unfiltered personal journey battling several autoimmune and chronic conditions including Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) Vasculitis, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) / Lupus, Endometriosis, and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). She also provides practical “how-to” guides, explores hot topics, and welcomes other warriors, medical professionals, advocates and creators on the show to shed light on the latest healing modalities, promising treatments, and myth bust popular misconceptions and trendy health hacks. Tune in for some laughs, tears, and growth… but stay for the camaraderie and community. You can engage with Alex and the community through social media @callinginsickpod. We promise, you don’t need a doctor’s note for this one!

  1. Allergic to Everything: Navigating life with MCAS (ft. Caroline Cray)

    21 HR AGO

    Allergic to Everything: Navigating life with MCAS (ft. Caroline Cray)

    This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by Caroline Cray, a content creator and healthcare recruiter living with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), dysautonomia, and multiple severe allergies, to talk about what life looks like when food isn’t safe. In this episode, we cover: What MCAS is (in plain English) and how it affects daily life Nutrition with MCAS, bioindividuality, and why “one-size-fits-all” diets can be dangerous How nervous system regulation can support chronic illness If GLP-1 medications have a place in chronic illness treatment We also answer your Ask Alex questions: from successful self-advocacy, dating with MCAS, navigating work with chronic illness, explaining chronic illness to new people, and coping with anxiety on high-symptom days… which you can find exclusively on our Substack!! Link below! We laughed our way through this episode… so come sit and hangout with us for a bit!  xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What’s one thing people misunderstand most about eating, food fear, or nutrition with chronic illness? TIMESTAMPS Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:03:11 Alex’s Picks of the Week (Modern Picnic & Kroma Bone Broth) Caroline's Life with MCAS: 00:04:01 Intro to Caroline Cray (growing up with food allergies) 00:11:17 Navigating college with food allergies & MCAS (and our first BIG reactions) 00:19:10 How Caroline’s food allergies morphed into MCAS 00:29:24 MCAS 101 & Caroline’s diagnosis story (MCAS & Small Fiber Neuropathy) 00:38:55 How life threatening events change our perspective on chronic illness  00:40:18 What happened when we started sharing our journeys online   00:43:24 Navigating nutrition with intense food restrictions 00:47:37 Fighting food fear, anxiety and “the bubble” with nervous system work and the “woo-woo” stuff 00:57:51 How finding community improved our happiness and quality of life 01:03:10 Is there a place for GLP-1s in chronic illness management? 01:08:24 What success with MCAS and chronic illness looks like for Caroline Conclusion: 01:13:15 One Brain Cell Show: Wednesday (Heated Rivalry!!!!! and what we are reading (Off-Campus Series & ACOTAR) 01:17:28 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? Connect with our Guest: Caroline Cray • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/carolinecray2/?hl=en • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinecray2 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.comalexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: This week we talk all things food, so these are my two biggest snacking picks!!! ✨Modern Picnic (insulated purse) — https://modernpicnic.com/discount/awildeson —> Use code “AWILDESON” for 15% off at checkout! ✨Kroma (bone broth on the go) — https://go.shopmy.us/p-37230756 #MCAS #MastCellActivationSyndrome #ChronicIllness #FoodFear #SevereAllergies #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #Dysautonomia #ChronicIllnessCommunity #ChronicIllnessPodcast #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson #CarolineCray #HealthJourney #MedicalGaslighting #DisabilityAwareness  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 24m
  2. Navigating My 30s with a Chronic Illness: Botox, IVF and Hospital Trips

    2 FEB

    Navigating My 30s with a Chronic Illness: Botox, IVF and Hospital Trips

    This week on Calling in Sick, I’m sharing a very real life update. I talk through my chronic illness thoughts on: getting Botox (including my TMJ) with a chronic illness starting to prep for IVF and embryo implantation: emotionally, logistically, and medically IVIG insurance nonsense, navigating hospitalizations, and why advocating for yourself matters (even when you’re exhausted) traveling internationally while not in remission, and how I’m planning differently I also answer your Ask Alex questions: from medicine questions, fears around passing on chronic illnesses, and avoiding future-tripping about motherhood… which you can find exclusively on our Substack!! Link below! This episode isn’t about doing everything perfectly, but about doing life honestly, adapting as we go, and letting things be both exciting and hard at the same time. If you’re living with chronic illness and trying to build a full life anyway, this one’s for you. xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What’s something that you WANT to do, but are SCARED to do, because of chronic illness? TIMESTAMP: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:04:27 Alex’s Picks of the Week (Arrae & Comrad) Alex Update: 00:06:15 My rundown on botox and chronic illness 00:11:27 Our family update (doctors appointments & how we are handling this era differently) 00:15:50 Changing insurances and continuation of care (ahem IVIG) and a solo hospitalization 00:21:00 IVIG going SO WRONG (and what to do to feel better!!) 00:25:54 Two bright spots from my hospitalization (the podcast and med students & changing my hospital trauma response) 00:31:20 Will AI make insurance better or worse?!? 00:32:51 Traveling abroad in a flare up (what I’m bringing and planning to do to make this trip a success!) Conclusion: 00:34:43 One Brain Cell Show: SNL (Hulu) 00:37:29 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: International travel while flaring? These are my top 2 MUST HAVES to make my flight a little bit easier… ✨Arrae Supplements (constipation) — go.shopmy.us/p-40962893 ✨Comrad Compression Socks — go.shopmy.us/p-28908081 — ALEXANDRA20 for 20% off #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #ChronicPain #IVIG #IVFJourney #LifeWithChronicIllness #MedicalGaslighting #HealthJourney #DisabilityAwareness #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    44 min
  3. How Stress, Trauma, and the Lack of Safety Shape Chronic Illness (ft Dr. Sula Wingassen)

    26 JAN

    How Stress, Trauma, and the Lack of Safety Shape Chronic Illness (ft Dr. Sula Wingassen)

    This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by Dr. Sula Windgassen, a health psychologist, researcher, author of It’s All in Your Body, and fellow chronic illness patient. Dr. Windgassen brings a rare and deeply validating perspective to chronic illness care, one that explains why symptoms often worsen when we feel dismissed, blamed, or unsafe, and how psychology can biologically influence pain and illness without implying that it’s “all in your head.” Together, we explore: What actually happens in the body when you’re dismissed or not believed How external comments turn into self-gaslighting What actually helps restore a sense of safety This is a grounding, science-backed, and deeply de-shaming conversation for anyone who’s been told, explicitly or subtly, that their illness is psychological, exaggerated, or something they should be able to “think their way out of.” You are not broken. Your symptoms make sense. And safety is not a reward… it’s a biological need. xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What’s one thing you wish people understood about how words affect chronic illness? ✨ Substack EXCLUSIVES! ✨ This week, only our Substack subscribers will get exclusive access to this week’s Q&A. We give our two cents on: Ways to calm the mind/body down and use this connection for healing Is it possible to rule out if there is or is NOT mental components of chronic illness? In this framework... Is it my fault I'm sick? How do we know if mental health is the root cause of physical symptoms? How do you deal with medical PTSD? ✨Subscribe to our Substack for our answers! https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod ✨ TIMESTAMP: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:04:48 Alex’s Picks of the Week (Divi, Jupiter) Mind-Body-Flare Up: 00:07:36 Intro to Dr. Sula Wingassen (how getting sick pushed her into studying and developing the psycho-biology framework) 00:21:55 The impact of hopelessness on chronic illness 00:28:20 Why the mind-body connection isn’t always effective (and how to effectively use it) 00:31:30 How internalized self-blame keeps the body stuck in threat-mode 00:37:12 Why searching for the silver bullet derails healing in the long-term 00:40:00 The 5 key measures of safety that prove how social experiences can put our bodies in survival response 00:48:00 It’s all in our body… how trauma and cortisol can be the last straw (little T and big T, trauma) 00:50:23 Why we hate to hear “have you tried…” and how to NOT let it activate the body’s stress response  01:03:15 How chronic illness changes how we view “a good day” 01:11:08 Dr. Sula’s top tips to find a sense of safety in the body  Conclusion: 01:26:32 One Brain Cell Show: Wednesday (Music: Bellemt; TV: The Office) 01:30:32 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with our Guest, Dr. Sula Wingassen: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_health_psychologist_/?hl=en • Her website - https://www.healthpsychologist.co.uk/ Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: In honor of me getting ready to learn how to do all the girly things before (hopefully) becoming a girl mom… we’re talking hair health!! ✨DIVI (hair growth serum, dry shampoo, air dry cream)  — https://go.shopmy.us/p-38925489 ALEXANDRA15 for 15% off at checkout ✨Jupiter Detox Shampoo — https://go.shopmy.us/p-38925648 ALEXANDRA20 for 20% off at checkout Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 38m
  4. Lessons on Healing From a Doctor Living With Chronic Illness (ft. Dr. Tracy Shevell)

    19 JAN

    Lessons on Healing From a Doctor Living With Chronic Illness (ft. Dr. Tracy Shevell)

    This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by Dr. Tracy Shevell — a physician, high-risk OBGYN, women’s health advocate, and chronic illness patient. Dr. Shevell brings a rare dual perspective: what it’s like to move through the medical system as both the provider and the patient. In this episode, we explore: ✨ How to navigate Western medicine with a chronic illness and why becoming your own “health quarterback” matters ✨How to explore non-Western healing modalities without losing your money, your nervous system, or your sense of self ✨ Why medical social media and doom-scrolling symptoms can make us feel worse ✨ The difference between intuition and anxiety, and how to use that nuance to advocate for yourself more effectively Tune into this episode for a grounding, myth-busting conversation about taking care of yourself when Western medicine alone isn’t cutting it, without spiraling, self-blaming, or burning out. xx, Alex 💬 Comment: How do you utilize social media to navigate your healing journey? ✨ Substack EXCLUSIVES! ✨ This week, only our Substack subscribers will get exclusive access to this week’s Q&A. We give our two cents on navigating pregnancy and postpartum care with complex chronic illness, how providers can better support high-risk patients before, during, and after pregnancy, and how we navigated careers with high expectations while living with chronic illness. ✨Subscribe to our Substack here: https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod TIMESTAMP: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:03:22 My life and health update 00:04:04 Alex’s Picks of the Week (Tilt, Comrad & CBDLiving… discount codes below!) Dr. Tracy Shevell, the doctor: 00:06:03 Dr. Tracy Shevell: becoming a provider and patient 00:15:30 On becoming our own health quarterbacks 00:17:30 How we pursued alternative non-western healing modalities 00:21:50 Why western medicine pays more attention to women’s health and chronic illnesses suddenly 00:26:00 Dr. Shevell’s top 4 tips for navigating the western medical world with a chronic illness Dr. Tracy Shevell, the patient: 00:34:15 What being a patient and provider is really like 00:41:24 Navigating the wild world of medical social media & the pressure to try everything that could help us feel better 00:51:02 The difference between being an expert on our own bodies, and a medical expert 00:54:11 The difference between a gut feeling and anxiety, and how to use this nuance to your advantage 00:57:50 How to rebuild trust after medical gaslighting and medical trauma Conclusion: 01:06:45 One Brain Cell Show: Gossip Girl (Netflix) 01:11:41 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with our Guest, Dr. Tracy Shevell: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tracyshevellmd/ • Her website - https://www.tracyshevellmd.com/ Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House - https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson - https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: The other week on social media, I posted my top 5 products that I keep reordering, chronic illness edition, obviously. And y’all loved it!! The top 3 most requested links were… ✨Tilt Lip Treatment — https://go.shopmy.us/p-38126280 - CODE: AWILD15 for 15% off ✨Comrad Compression Socks — https://go.shopmy.us/p-38067114 - CODE: ALEXANDRA20 for 20% off ✨CBDLiving Pain Stick — https://go.shopmy.us/p-32444450 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 18m
  5. How Chronic Illness Redefines What Actually Matters, with Tara Rule

    12 JAN

    How Chronic Illness Redefines What Actually Matters, with Tara Rule

    This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by actor, content creator, and disability rights advocate Tara Rule for an honest, existential conversation about what happens when you come face-to-face with your own mortality… and decide to stop waiting for permission to live. Tara and I talk about how chronic illness forces so many of us to grow up early, reckon with uncertainty, and hit emotional rock bottom. And that from those experiences and downward spirals, you can come to realize that we have nothing to lose by finally chasing the lives and creative careers we want. From content creation to acting, we explore why so many chronically ill people end up in creative spaces, and how “rock bottom” often becomes a strange kind of launch point. We also unpack the full spectrum of chronic illness content… from crash-out creators to toxic positivity… and why all of it matters. Because the chronic illness journey isn’t linear, and neither is healing, ambition, or success. This episode is about holding gratitude for simply being here today and allowing yourself to want more. xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What’s something you’re no longer waiting for permission to want? Substack EXCLUSIVES! This week, only our Substack subscribers will hear our two cents on what we would have changed in our early diagnosis days, when we knew it was time to quit our 9-5 jobs, and how I’m preparing to make motherhood more sustainable and accessible with chronic illness. Subscribe to our Substack here: https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod TIMESTAMP: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:01:01 Alex Catch Up 00:04:17 Episode Sneak Peak Housekeeping, and Substack Info 00:06:17 Alex’s Picks (Sacheu Lip Liner & Thrive Causemetics) Tara Rule is Calling in Sick: 00:08:27 Intro to Tara 00:15:45 Tara’s career shifts (mortuary school, content creating, acting) 00:17:27 How a near death experience changed EVERYTHING  00:32:09 Why it’s important to have different voices that paint the full picture of chronic illness 00:37:45 How Tara handles masking (or not masking) chronic illness for her career 00:42:40 Why is there SUCH a pipeline for chronic illness fighters to the creative space 00: 45:35 The fear of flaring versus the fear of disappointing others 00:47:16 How powerful our brains are 00:50:07 Navigating redefining success with a chronic illness Conclusion: 00:58:13 One Brain Cell Show (Stranger Things (Netflix), Telepathy Tapes (Spotify); Haunted Hotel (Netflix) and Heated Rivalry (Prime)) 01:03:16 Thank you for listening!! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: My go to passive wellness picks, in food form!! ✨Sacheu Lip Liner — https://go.shopmy.us/p-38126238 —> ALEXANDRA15 for 15% off ✨Thrive Causemetic’s Plumping Lip gloss — https://go.shopmy.us/p-38126276 Connect with Tara Rule • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tara_rule_/?hl=en\ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@tara_rule #ChronicIllness #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #DisabilityAwareness #ChronicPain #RedefiningSuccess #LifeAfterDiagnosis #WorkingWithChronicIllness #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson #SickGirlSoftLiving #SoftLiving #tararule #neardeathexperience #rockbottom #lifepivots Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 10m

  6. 5 JAN

    Ask Alex: The Chronic Illness Questions Everyone is Afraid to Ask

    Happy New Year my lovies!!! In honor of the new year, I’m officially launching a new podcast segment… Ask Alex!  Every week (yes, even during guest episodes!), we’ll post the upcoming podcast topic (and guest) to our Substack and ask our subscribers to submit questions. I’ll answer a handful of these on the podcast each week, and the rest of the Q&A will live exclusively on Substack. For this first Ask Alex episode, I’m tackling some of  most requested questions… like what are my actual routines like, how I make medication decisions, what to do about medical finances and debt, and how to communicate boundaries and symptoms to those that *just don’t get it*. Substack EXCLUSIVES! This week, only our Substack subscribers will hear my two cents on micro-dosing and how to know when it might be time to consider long-term disability. I’ve been so excited to bring this segment to life. It’s my little way of saying thank you… for your support, your vulnerability, your questions, and for trusting me with your stories this past year. This community means everything to me, and I can’t wait to keep building this space together in 2026. xx, Alex 💬 Comment: So have you subscribed to our Substack now!? Subscribe to our Substack here: ⁠https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod?⁠ TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:02:58 My REALLY BIG life update!!!! 00:07:52 Alex’s Picks (AG1 and Ella’s Flats)  Ask Alex Q&A: 00:09:09 Tips on being the best caregiver 00:11:52 Are we doing an IRL meet up?! 00:12:38 GLP-1s and peptides for inflammation  00:13:21 How to stay on track with routines when you’re homebound 00:15:12 My low spoon, under 10-minute skincare, makeup and haircare routine 00:16:40 The things I grieved the most after my diagnosis 00:19:17 Finances & communicating budgets to our loved ones 00:21:18 Explaining boundaries and symptoms to those that do NOT understand 00:23:06 When to use disability aids (parking placard, cane, walker, etc.) 00:24:14 New Years guilt & feeling stuck in the same place as last year 00:26:30 How I *actually* motivate myself to physically get out of bed in the morning 00:28:24 How I decide to take (or not take) medications 00:29:41 My top tips for advocating at the ER (especially when we have trauma!!) Conclusion: 00:31:27 One Brain Cell Show 00:33:18 Thank you for listening!! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: My go to passive wellness picks, in food form!! ✨AG1 — https://go.shopmy.us/p-37437789 ✨Ella’s Flats — https://go.shopmy.us/p-37437898 —> ALEXANDRAWILDESON15 for 15% off #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #ChronicPain #HealthJourney #DisabilityAwareness #flareup #ChronicIllnessSupport #WorkingWithChronicIllness #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson #SoftLiving #NewYearDifferentRules #AskAlex #QuestionandAnswer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    40 min
  7. Making Invisible Illness Visible: Sara Levitt Walks the Runway with an Ostomy Bag

    29/12/2025

    Making Invisible Illness Visible: Sara Levitt Walks the Runway with an Ostomy Bag

    This week on Calling in Sick, we’re talking about the terrifying and liberating shift from hiding your illness to letting the world see it. I’m joined by the incredible Sara Levitt, a Crohn’s warrior, Ostomy advocate, model, and creator who lived privately with her Ostomy for 15 years… before deciding that invisibility wasn’t serving her anymore. Today, she takes up space… in fashion shows, brand campaigns, magazines, and online, challenging stigma by simply existing visibly, confidently, and honestly. We dive into: ✨ What going public with your illness REALLY feels like ✨ Imposter syndrome & identity shifts when sickness becomes visible ✨ The critics, misconceptions, and assumptions we all endure ✨ Why storytelling is activism, even when it’s hard If you’ve ever worried about being “too sick” or “not sick enough” to be believed… this episode will encourage you to shop up however you want, however you are. xx, Alex Comment: What’s one part of your illness that feels hardest to make visible? TIMESTAMP: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:02:13 Alex’s Picks of the Week (Mayfair & Tilt) Get to know Sara Levitt: 00:03:03 Intro to Sara Levitt (Crohn’s warrior, Ostomy advocate, model, and creator ) 00:12:43 Why we went into content creation and chronic illness advocacy work 00:23:40 What it’s like to work with brands that work to amplify voices with chronic illness 00:26:26 Finding confidence while working as a model with chronic illness 00:33:33 Navigating the pressure of advocacy work within the chronic illness community 00:44:24 Finding confidence, a sense of self-worth, positivity and hope despite chronic illness Conclusion: 00:51:30 One Brain Cell Show: Gossip Girl!!! 00:57:06 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: This week, I’m picking brands that help make the invisible, visible by celebrating disability, chronic illness and mental health, instead of showcasing. ✨Mayfair — https://go.shopmy.us/p-31914468 Use code ALEXANDRA15 for 15% off! ✨Tilt — https://go.shopmy.us/p-30221469 Use code ALEXANDRA20 for 20% off! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with our Guest, Sara Levitt: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/saralevs/?hl=en • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@saralevitt?lang=en #ChronicIllness #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #OstomyLife #CrohnsDisease #IBDWarrior #DynamicDisability #MedicalGaslighting #BodyNeutrality #DisabilityAdvocate #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson #ChronicPain #SpoonieSupport #HealthJourney #SelfAdvocacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 4m
  8. Chronic Pain Isn’t a Moral Failure: Samantha Duran on Pain, Stigma & Survival

    22/12/2025

    Chronic Pain Isn’t a Moral Failure: Samantha Duran on Pain, Stigma & Survival

    This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by @Samantha Duran, a chronic illness and pain advocate, accessible fashion designer and content creator who is radically honest about life with chronic illness. We talk about the parts of chronic pain that rarely make it into doctor’s offices or public conversations: the shame around needing relief, the reality of public judgment, and the exhausting internal battle of deciding how much pain is “enough” pain to deserve care. Together, we unpack the misconceptions that keep people suffering in silence. We’re diving into: ✨ Samantha’s journey with chronic illness and how it shaped who she is ✨ Why dynamic disabilities are so misunderstood ✨ The stigma around pain management and seeking relief ✨ The internal guilt, fear, and self-doubt that comes with chronic pain ✨ What compassionate, patient-centered pain care should look like If you’ve ever minimized your pain, questioned whether you’re “sick enough,” or felt ashamed for wanting relief, this conversation is for you. xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What’s the hardest part of living with chronic pain that people don’t see? TIMESTAMP: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:03:15 Alex’s Picks of the Week (Hair Growth Go-Tos: DIVI, K18, Jupiter, Hairstory) Our discussion on chronic pain & dynamic disabilities: 00:06:10 Get to know Samantha Duran 00:14:45 The reality of living with a dynamic disability 00:27:20 What living with chronic pain is REALLY like 00:48:00 Why there is a stigma around seeking relief from chronic pain 00:55:15 Why the current medical system’s understanding of chronic pain makes getting relief harder than it needs to be 01:06:47 What gives us hope that chronic pain management will improve over time Conclusion: 01:08:55 One Brain Cell Segment 01:14:17 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Follow our Guest, Samantha Duran! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adisabledicon/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adisabledicon?lang=en Shop her Store: https://thanksicon.com/ Listen to her chronic pain playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6OgAKjwfWMATonF4pNnBHP?si=IRavatdDTzmC0hPmZERoRw Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: Samantha said it best… you can be sick, and hot!! Here are my favorite products for reclaiming your hair from chronic illness (no more thinning or frail hair!!) ✨DIVI — https://go.shopmy.us/p-36240548 Alexandra15 for 15% off at checkout!  ✨Jupiter — https://go.shopmy.us/p-36240630 Alexandra20 for 20% off at checkout!  ✨HairStory — https://go.shopmy.us/p-36240725 ✨K18 —https://go.shopmy.us/p-36240750 #ChronicPain #PainManagement #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #MedicalGaslighting #DisabilityAdvocate #ChronicIllness #HealthJourney #MentalHealth #PainStigma #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson #spooniesupport #samanthaduran #accessibility #dynamicdisability #ambulatorydisability  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 21m
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About

Welcome to the Calling in Sick, hosted by Alex Wildeson and produced by Just Media. On this podcast, Alex shares her unfiltered personal journey battling several autoimmune and chronic conditions including Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) Vasculitis, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) / Lupus, Endometriosis, and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). She also provides practical “how-to” guides, explores hot topics, and welcomes other warriors, medical professionals, advocates and creators on the show to shed light on the latest healing modalities, promising treatments, and myth bust popular misconceptions and trendy health hacks. Tune in for some laughs, tears, and growth… but stay for the camaraderie and community. You can engage with Alex and the community through social media @callinginsickpod. We promise, you don’t need a doctor’s note for this one!

Information

  • Creator
    Just Media
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    76
  • Rating
    Explicit

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