Calling In Sick

Just Media
  • 4.9 (44)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Weekly

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. 1h ago

    Chronic Illness Life Hacks from an Occupational Therapist: Pain, Sleep and Energy Management (ft. Cheryl Crow)

    This week on Calling in Sick, Cheryl Crow is back and we are getting into the most practical, OT-approved, chronic illness tested life hacks I have ever covered on this podcast. You’re going to want to save these tips!!! We're diving into: 🌅 How to Have Gentler Mornings — the bedside toolbox every chronic illness patient needs, why "motion is lotion" for inflammatory arthritis, the roll-on topical hack that saves your hands, and the compression wear nuance nobody talks about 😴 Sleep strategies that actually work — the bedroom environment audit, sleep accessories worth investing in (Nod Pod, Sleep Crown), how to break the insomnia cycle by detaching from sleep pressure, and the separate beds conversation  ⚡ Energy conservation done right — why strength training counterintuitively builds long-term energy reserves for inflammatory arthritis patients, circadian rhythm scheduling, the high spoon vs. low spoon to-do list system, the 80% rule, and how to request workplace accommodations without burning bridges These are the tools Cheryl uses with her own patients and the ones I wish someone had handed me 25 years ago.  🤍 xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What is your number one morning hack that makes chronic illness life more manageable? TIMESTAMPS Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! Gentler Mornings & Pain Relief: 00:00:28 Bedside Tool Box & Pain Management Accommodations 00:02:05 Joint Lubrication & "Motion is Lotion" 00:03:38 CBD, Menthol & Roll-on Topicals 00:04:35 Compression Wear: Benefits & When to Avoid It Sleep Strategies & Mindset: 00:07:16 Optimizing Your Sleep Environment Audit 00:08:41 Relaxation Routines & Sleep Accessories (Nod Pod, Sleep Crown)  00:10:08 Shifting Sleep Mindsets & Managing Insomnia  00:12:18 Sleeping in Separate Beds for Better Rest  Energy Management & Conservation: 00:15:30 Exercise & Strength Training for Chronic Fatigue  00:18:01 Circadian Rhythm Scheduling & Pacing 00:19:56 High Spoon vs. Low Spoon To-Do Lists  00:21:55 The 80% Rule & Requesting Workplace Accommodations Conclusion: 00:24:25 Connecting with Cheryl Crow & Arthritis Life 00:25:33 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, Cheryl Crow: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/arthritis_life_cheryl/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritislife • YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/arthritislife • Website - https://arthritis.theenthusiasticlife.com/about-cheryl/ Episode Resources • Kate Bowler, “No Cure for Being Human” - https://link.amazon/B07znkSfA • Kate Bowler, “Everything Happens for a Reason, and Other Lies I’ve Loved” - https://link.amazon/B0246dY3H ---------------------------------------------------------------- Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #ChronicIllnessHacks #OccupationalTherapy #ArthritisLife #CherylCrow #RheumatoidArthritis #ChronicFatigue #SpoonTheory #EnergyConservation #ChronicPain #SleepHacks #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #MorningRoutine #AutoimmuneDisease #PacingChronicIllness #HighSpoonLowSpoon #ChronicIllnessTips #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Chronic Illness Life Hacks from an Occupational Therapist: Pain, Sleep and Energy Management (ft. Cheryl Crow)

  2. 2d ago

    Do you have to accept your chronic illness to live your life? (Ft. Cheryl Crow)

    This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with Cheryl Crow — occupational therapist, founder of Arthritis Life, host of the Arthritis Life podcast, creator of the Rheum to THRIVE course, and someone who has been navigating rheumatoid arthritis for 23+ years. We’re talking all about how we’ve navigated processing life with chronic illness — from the control piece, the acceptance piece and the struggles between. So if you’ve ever struggled with processing chronic illness, you’ll love this episode. We're diving into: 💊 What it actually looks like to cycle through flare-ups and treatment 🧠 Why high achievers can be particularly “bad” at chronic illness — the "A+ student" trap of believing you can find the perfect system to solve your body 🩺 What occupational therapy actually is — "a psychologist having a baby with a physical therapist" — and why this community desperately needs to know about it 🚌 Our favorite lessons from chronic illness therapy — from the passengers on the bus metaphor, to the ACT framework and the reframes that have truly changed things for us 🙅 Our thoughts on how ableism is innately baked into wellness culture ☕ Our top 3 tips for finding joy while living a life with chronic illness — micro-joys, duvet days, and seeing rest for more than a reward xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What is your relationship with the word "acceptance" when it comes to your chronic illness? TIMESTAMPS Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! NAVIGATING CHRONIC ILLNESS WITH CHERYL CROW: 00:00:36 Cheryl Crow’s Diagnosis Journey & Early Symptoms 00:09:36 Treatment Cycles & Secondary Loss of Response MENTAL HEALTH & CHRONIC ILLNESS: 00:11:58 Mental Health, Anxiety, & Catastrophizing 00:15:36 Overachiever Mindsets & disease Management 00:23:25 Occupational Therapy vs. Physical Therapy 00:29:30 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) 00:34:16 Positive Activity Scheduling & Micro-Joys NAVIGATING “FEELING BETTER” WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS: 00:37:05 Facing Ableism & Cultural Assumptions 00:48:40 Finding Transformation & Agency 00:56:03 Rest, Sleep Divas, & Duvet Days Conclusion: 00:59:53 One Brain Cell Show: Dancing with the Stars (Disney+) 01:01:43 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, Cheryl Crow: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/arthritis_life_cheryl/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@arthritislife • YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/arthritislife • Website - https://arthritis.theenthusiasticlife.com/about-cheryl/ Episode Resources • Kate Bowler, “No Cure for Being Human” - https://link.amazon/B07znkSfA • Kate Bowler, “Everything Happens for a Reason, and Other Lies I’ve Loved” - https://link.amazon/B0246dY3H ---------------------------------------------------------------- Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #RheumatoidArthritis #OccupationalTherapy #ChronicIllness #ACTTherapy #AcceptanceAndCommitmentTherapy #ArthritisLife #CherylCrow #ChronicPain #MedicalGaslighting #BoomAndBust #ChronicIllnessAcceptance #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #Ableism #MicroJoys #DuvetDay #RheumToThrive #AutoimmuneDisease #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Do you have to accept your chronic illness to live your life? (Ft. Cheryl Crow)

  3. Sep 30

    Bikini Medicine, Clinical Trial Gaps & Companies Changing the Game ft. Amanda Berk

    This Wednesday on Calling in Sick, Amanda Berk is back for and we are getting into the systemic conversation underneath everything we talked about on Monday. Why the healthcare system keeps failing women. Where it started. And what is actually being done about it. We're diving into: 🏛️ The historical roots of the gender health gap — why female bodies were treated as "small men with psychological issues" for decades and what that actually cost us  👙 "Bikini Medicine" — the term coined in the 1980s for the narrow funding of women's health 🧪 The research disparities that are still costing women their health 💰 Who is actually funding women's health research right now 💡 Our favorite female-led women’s health tech companies changing the game 👥 The Witness Effect — the documented phenomenon where providers offer measurably better care when a second person is present, and why this is one of the most powerful tools in patient advocacy Asking for help in the healthcare system is not a failure. It is a strategy. 🤍  xx, Alex  💬 Comment: What’s YOUR favorite women’s health tech company?! Give them a shoutout in the comments this week!!! TIMESTAMP: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! Women's Health & Systemic Failures:  00:00:12 Historical Roots of the Gender Health Gap + The Origin of "Bikini Medicine"   00:06:40 Clinical Trial Disparities & Economic Impact  Funding & Innovation:  00:10:00 Public vs. Private Sector Funding  00:13:30 Involving Men in the Conversations around Women’s Health 00:18:24 Private Companies Driving Female-Centric Innovation  Patient Advocacy & Policy:  00:24:23 The Witness Effect in Medical Appointments  00:28:38 Social Justice & Systemic Stigma in Healthcare  Future Outlook: 00:31:16 What Gives Hope for the Future of Women's Health  00:36:48 Careers in Healthcare Outside of Becoming a Doctor  00:37:07 Where to Connect with Amanda Berk & LIORA Health Conclusion: 00:38:31 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, Amanda Berk: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amanda_berk/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@amanda_berk • LIORA Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/liorahealthadvocates/ • LIORA Website - https://liorahealth.io/ • Substack - https://liorahealth.substack.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #WomensHealth #GenderHealthGap #BikiniMedicine #PatientAdvocacy #ChronicIllness #LioraHealth #MedicalGaslighting #WomensHealthResearch #ClinicalTrials #WitnessEffect #AutoimmuneDisease #POTS #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #WomensHealthTech #HealthcareReform #ChronicIllnessCommunity #PatientEmpowerment #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Bikini Medicine, Clinical Trial Gaps & Companies Changing the Game ft. Amanda Berk

  4. Sep 28

    Patient Advocacy: One Thing Every Chronically Ill Woman Needs (ft. Amanda Berk)

    This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with my dear friend Amanda Berk — co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of LIORA Health, dual Master's candidate in Social Work and Public Health at UT Austin, and someone navigating life with chronic migraines, a neurological tick disorder, and Hashimoto's disease. And this conversation is one I think every single person in this community needs to hear.  We're diving into: 🤝 What patient advocacy actually is 🏥 Why navigating medicine alone is failing us  😭 Why so many patients leave appointments feeling dismissed 👥 Peer advocacy and the LIORA Health model 📋 Four tips you NEED for your next appointment: Asking for help in the healthcare system is not a failure. It is a strategy. 🤍  xx, Alex  💬 Comment: Have you ever experienced the "car cry" after a doctor's appointment — and what happened? TIMESTAMP: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! Patient Advocacy Overview: 00:01:12 Defining Patient Advocacy & The Shift Away from "Solo Healthcare" 00:05:54 Systemic Challenges in Modern Medicine Working with Advocates: 00:09:58 Finding Third-Party Advocates 00:12:54 Peer Advocacy & LIORA Health's Matching Platform 00:16:58 Intake & Proactive Appointment Preparation Practical Appointment Tips: 00:19:58 Tip #1: Asking to Record Audio  00:22:31 Tip #2: Time-Bound Symptom Tracking  00:25:41 Tip #3: Setting Goals & Top 5 Priority Questions  00:27:18 Tip #4: Clarifying Next Steps Before Leaving  LIORA Health & Women's Health Data:  00:28:43 Embracing Lived Experience & Partnership  00:32:46 Sending Notes to Providers in Advance 00:36:12 The Story Behind LIORA Health  00:40:58 Building a Patient Dataset to Close Research Gaps  00:44:05 Reflections on Navigating the Advocate Role Conclusion: 00:49:40 One Brain Cell Show: Earle Meets World (Netflix) & The Secret Life of Mormon Wives (Hulu) 00:53:36 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, Amanda Berk: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amanda_berk/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@amanda_berk • LIORA Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/liorahealthadvocates/ • LIORA Website - https://liorahealth.io/ • Substack - https://liorahealth.substack.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #PatientAdvocacy #ChronicIllness #LioraHealth #WomensHealth #MedicalGaslighting #ChronicMigraine #Hashimotos #AutoimmuneDisease #DoctorAppointmentTips #SymptomTracking #ChronicIllnessCommunity #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #HealthcareSystem #PatientEmpowerment #ChronicPain #WomensHealthcare #AppointmentPrep #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Patient Advocacy: One Thing Every Chronically Ill Woman Needs (ft. Amanda Berk)

  5. Sep 23

    Why Hypermobility and hEDS is NOT Just Flexibility: Mythbusting with Dr. Linda Bluestein

    This week on Calling in Sick, Dr. Linda Bluestein is mythbusting the biggest hypermobility and hEDS misconceptions circulating online right now!! Some of these are coming from well-meaning patients. Some are coming from providers who should know better. And some are genuinely dangerous enough that a hypermobility specialist felt the need to set the record straight.  We're busting: 🚩 "Hypermobility and hEDS don't cause real pain" 🚩 "Hypermobility just means being flexible 🚩 "hEDS is being massively overdiagnosed on social media" 🚩 "A normal genetic test rules out hEDS"  🚩 "Symptomatic hypermobility always progresses and gets worse" 🚩 "The Beighton score is the definitive diagnostic tool"  🚩 "Direct-to-consumer genetic tests give you real answers" And more!!!  xx, Alex 💬 Comment: Which of these myths have YOU been told?! TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! Hypermobility & hEDS Internet Myths: 00:00:22 Myth 1: Hypermobility & hEDS Do Not Cause Pain 00:01:40 Myth 2: Hypermobility Just Means Flexibility, Not a Real Medical Condition 00:03:22 Myth 3: hEDS Is Massively Overdiagnosed on Social Media 00:04:42 Unconscious Daily Accommodations & Pain Self-Management 00:07:55 Myth 4: A Normal Genetic Test Rules Out hEDS 00:08:46 Re-Evaluating hEDS Criteria & Immune System Hypotheses 00:12:12 Myth 5: Symptomatic Hypermobility Always Progresses & Gets Worse 00:15:08 Myth 6: If You Pass the Beighton Score, You're Good 00:17:50 Myth 7: Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Tests Provide Clear Answers Conclusion: 00:21:12 Where to Connect with Dr. Linda Bluestein 00:24:11 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 Connect with our guest, Dr. Linda Bluestein: • Instagram, Personal - https://www.instagram.com/hypermobilitymd/ • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hypermobilityMD • Website - https://www.hypermobilitymd.com/ • Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@BendyBodiesPodcast • Instagram, Podcast - • Instagram, Personal - https://www.instagram.com/hypermobilitymd/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Powered by: Just Media House — https://www.justmediahouse.com/ #Hypermobility #hEDS #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #HypermobilityMyths #BendyBodies #DrLindaBluestein #MythBusters #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #JointHypermobility #BeightonScore #GeneticTesting #MedicalGaslighting #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #ConnectiveTissueDisorder #HypermobilitySpectrumDisorder #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Why Hypermobility and hEDS is NOT Just Flexibility: Mythbusting with Dr. Linda Bluestein

  6. Sep 21

    The 411 on Hypermobility + why it’s NOT just flexibility (ft. Dr. Linda Bluestein)

    This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with THE Dr. Linda Bluestein (!!!). She’s a board-certified physician, hypermobility specialist, host of the Bendy Bodies podcast, and someone who didn't get her own hEDS diagnosis until her 50s.  We're diving into: 🦴 What hypermobility actually is — and the four types most people have never heard of (peripheral, localized, generalized, and historical) 🩺 Dr. Bluestein's personal journey — from teenage ballerina with chronic injuries to anesthesiologist to hypermobility specialist, and the Tarlov cyst surgery that finally connected all the dots ⏱️ The 17-year literature lag — why it takes nearly two decades for published research to reach clinical practice, and the cost to patients NOW 🧠 Central sensitization — why pain begets pain in hypermobile bodies, and how the nervous system gets rewired over time 🛠️ The MENS-PMMS framework — Dr. Bluestein's approach to managing hypermobility (try these TODAY!!) 💊 Dr. Bluestein’s TOP 3 high-impact tools (!!!) — LDN, vitamin D optimization, and magnesium 🔮 The new EDS criteria — what's changing, what it means for the community, and Dr. Bluestein's role in the International Consortium on EDS  xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What is something YOU are constantly doing to make yourself more comfortable throughout the day that you don’t even think about?! TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! Hypermobility, Pain & Dr. Bluestein’s Diagnosis Story: 00:01:34 Defining Joint Hypermobility & Muscle Guarding 00:04:45 Types of Hypermobility: Peripheral, Localized, Generalized & Historical 00:07:05 Dr. Bluestein's Story: Ballet, Early Illness, and Diagnosis  Why Patients Struggle Getting a Diagnosis: 00:17:08 Connecting Connective Tissue Disorders to Systemic Symptoms 00:19:30 Why Hypermobility Is Misdiagnosed 00:28:15 Why patients see normal labs and normal imaging but have symptoms +  the Role of Systemic Interconnectedness 00:29:46 The Spectrum of Hypermobility: From Dancers to Bedbound Patients  00:33:00 The Psychological Toll of Medical Gaslighting  How to Manage Hypermobility: 00:35:36 Proactive Management: The MEN'S PMMS Framework  00:37:03 Building Momentum with the 10% Rule  00:39:53 Reapproaching Movement & Avoiding Kinesiophobia  00:42:06 Overcoming Pain Catastrophization & Reclaiming Power  00:44:18 Reclaiming Agency Through Micro-Joys  00:48:05 High-Impact Interventions: Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN)  00:50:10 Optimizing Vitamin D & Magnesium Levels  00:53:28 Central Sensitization, Neuroinflammation & Unique Pain Wiring The 411 on the New EDS Criteria: 01:03:43 Insights on the New EDS Criteria & Community Advocacy  Conclusion:  01:09:48 One Brain Cell Show: Slow Horses (Apple TV+) & Clarkson's Farm (Prime Video) 01:14:27 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 Connect with our guest, Dr. Linda Bluestein: • Instagram, Personal - https://www.instagram.com/hypermobilitymd/ • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hypermobilityMD • Website - https://www.hypermobilitymd.com/ • Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@BendyBodiesPodcast • Instagram, Podcast - • Instagram, Personal - https://www.instagram.com/hypermobilitymd/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Powered by: Just Media House — https://www.justmediahouse.com/ #Hypermobility #hEDS #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #JointHypermobility #BendyBodies #DrLindaBluestein #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #POTS #MCAS #CentralSensitization #LowDoseNaltrexone #MedicalGaslighting #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #ConnectiveTissueDisorder #TarlovCyst #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The 411 on Hypermobility + why it’s NOT just flexibility (ft. Dr. Linda Bluestein)

  7. Sep 16

    How a #1 NYT-Bestselling Author Manages Chronic Pain, Deadlines & a Hulu Deal (ft. Sheila Masterson)

    This week on Calling in Sick, #1 NYT-Best Selling author, Sheila Masterson (The Poison Daughter), is back to talk about the ONE thing I think every chronically ill person who has ever tried to build a career, meet a deadline, or show up for their work on a bad pain day desperately needs to hear.  Tune in to hear about: 🤕 What a bad migraine day actually looks like for Sheila — the reality of standard narcotics not working, the GI piece, and what Sheila describes as "endurance training for pain"  🏢 Corporate America vs. entrepreneurship with chronic illness — why traditional workplaces are rarely built for disabled employees, and what the trade-offs of self-employment actually look like 📚 Ableism in entertainment — why traditional publishing timelines are inherently ableist, what "crash publishing" costs a chronically ill author, and how Sheila vetted agents and publishers by asking directly how they advocate for disabled clients 🗓️ The project manager approach to chronic illness — how Sheila builds buffer time into every deadline, runs three part-time assistants for seamless cross-coverage, and plans brain-heavy tasks around her hormonal cycle 🥄 Spoon theory in practice — what low-spoon vs. high-spoon tasks actually look like in a writing career, and how to protect your best energy for what matters most ✍️ Unlocking creativity during a flare — dictating voice notes, editing instead of drafting, using audiobooks to get into a receptive headspace without overstimulation 🎬 Adapting TV sets for chronic illness — the quiet rooms, audio relay services, and dynamic scheduling she is building into the Hulu adaptation of The Poison Daughter. xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What is your number one accommodation or hack that has made building a career with chronic illness more sustainable? TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! Navigating Chronic Illness & Careers:  00:01:00 What a Bad Migraine Day Looks Like & how Sheila manages them 00:07:40 Corporate America vs. Chronic Illness 00:11:05 Managing Teams & Delegating Tasks with a chronic illness 00:18:00 Stress, Healthcare & Self-Advocacy 00:30:00 Low Spoon vs. High Spoon Tasks 00:32:45 Unlocking Creativity During Bad Flare Days  00:36:40 Adapting TV Sets for Chronic Illness  00:40:40 Disability Representation in the Entertainment World Conclusion: 00:45:00 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 Connect with our guest, Sheila Masterson: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sheilareadsandwrites/?hl=en • Newsletter & Bonus Chapter - https://sheilamasterson.com/ • Buy The Poison Daughter - https://link.amazon/B02AN6S1O ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #ChronicIllness #ChronicMigraine #SheilaMasterson #ThePoisonDaughter #ChronicIllnessEntrepreneur #SpoonieLife #SpoonTheory #ChronicIllnessCareer #InvisibleIllness #ChronicPain #AbleismInPublishing #DisabilityRepresentation #ChronicIllnessBusiness #WorkingWithChronicIllness #EnergyBudgeting #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    How a #1 NYT-Bestselling Author Manages Chronic Pain, Deadlines & a Hulu Deal (ft. Sheila Masterson)

  8. Sep 14

    Chronic Illness in Media & Entertainment with Author, Sheila Masterson (The Poison Daughter)

    This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with Sheila Masterson — #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Poison Daughter, a fantasy-romance novel that has taken the chronic illness and romantasy communities completely by storm. And this is the conversation nobody has had with her yet.  This week, we're diving into: 😤 Subverting the "sick girl" trope — why Sheila built Harlow as angry, spicy, violent, and unapologetically flawed — and why chronically ill people deserve to see themselves as hot, disabled, and complex in fiction 🔥 Feminine rage & romantasy — how The Poison Daughter captures collective frustration around expectations placed on women to absorb toxic behavior, mask their pain, and smooth over discomfort  🧠 The reality of masking — why Sheila chose first-person present tense to capture the claustrophobic mental load of a pain flare, and how she dictated scenes via voice notes during active migraine attacks to get the language exactly right  💔 Reader response — the overwhelming reaction from the chronic illness and complex trauma communities who finally felt seen in fiction 🎬 The TV adaptation — Sheila's role as executive producer on the upcoming Hulu series, and her commitment to protecting the show's authentic chronic illness representation  And come back on Wednesday to hear about how Sheila has navigated balancing a creative career with chronic illness. xx, Alex  💬 Comment: Has a book, show, or character ever made you feel truly seen in your chronic illness experience — and which one? TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! Chronic Illness Representation in Media (The Poison Daughter): 00:00:38 Subverting the "Sick Girl" Trope in Media 00:02:44 Feminine Rage, Accountability & Romantasy 00:08:49 Pain Flares, Masking & Writing in First-Person  00:15:06 Reader Reactions & The Complex Trauma Connection  00:23:28 Self-Identity, Personal Growth & Living with Chronic Illness 00:34:52 Safe Spaces for Anger & the Romantasy Dynamic  00:41:58 Navigating Chronic Illness in Relationships & Intimacy 00:51:31 Media Impact & Executive Producing the TV Series Conclusion: 01:01:06 One Brain Cell Show: Ride or Die, Furious (Hulu) & Chad Powers (Hulu) 01:07:38 Where to Find Sheila's Books & Newsletter 01:08:48 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 Connect with our guest, Sheila Masterson: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sheilareadsandwrites/?hl=en • Newsletter & Bonus Chapter - https://sheilamasterson.com/ • Buy The Poison Daughter - https://link.amazon/B02AN6S1O ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #ChronicIllness #ChronicMigraine #SheilaMasterson #ThePoisonDaughter #Romantasy #BookTok #ChronicIllnessRepresentation #FeminineRage #SickGirlInFiction #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #ChronicPain #FantasyRomance #BookTokChronicIllness #Masking #ChronicIllnessCommunity #TVAdaptation #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Chronic Illness in Media & Entertainment with Author, Sheila Masterson (The Poison Daughter)
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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
    142
  • Rating
    Explicit

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