The Invisible Illness Club | Chronic Illness, Auto Immune

April Aramanda, Invisible Illness Club
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Alternative Health
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The Invisible Illness Club is a podcast and community for people living with chronic illness and the grief, faith questions, identity shifts, and everyday realities that come with life in a difficult to manage body. Hosted by April, each episode offers honest conversations rooted in Christian faith and lived experience. Here, you do not have to make your pain sound prettier, rush toward a lesson, or pretend you are fine. There is room for grief, anger, uncertainty, laughter, hope, and trusting God in the middle of what has not been fixed. If you have ever felt unseen, misunderstood, or alone in your illness, you belong here. Honest faith for the hard, invisible days. You don’t have to carry this alone.

  1. 23h ago

    069 Building a Business That Lets You Rest, with Randi Pullar

    What if your business expected your body to have hard days? For chronically ill and neurodivergent entrepreneurs, conventional business advice can feel impossible to follow. Post constantly. Stay visible. Be consistent. Push through. But when pain, fatigue, brain fog, or a flare up can change the shape of your day without warning, building a business around constant output is rarely sustainable. In this conversation, April talks with Randi Pullar of Chronically Cozy about creating a business that adapts to your body and brain. Randi shares how years of unexplained symptoms, job hopping, workplace misunderstandings, and unmet accommodation needs eventually led to self employment. They also talk honestly about the complicated relief of being able to “suffer in peace,” without having to prove an illness or worry that someone else sees you as unreliable. The conversation moves beyond personal experience into practical business strategy. Randi explains why a website, email list, reusable content, and systems that continue working while you rest may serve chronically ill entrepreneurs better than relying entirely on social media. This is not a promise that entrepreneurship is easy or that the right mindset will make chronic illness disappear. It is a conversation about accepting the realities of your capacity, releasing timelines that were never designed for your body, and building something meaningful at a pace you can actually sustain. In This Episode April and Randi talk about: The invisible reasons traditional employment can become unsustainable Working from home as an accommodation for chronic illness and neurodivergence The grief of losing work options and being perceived as unreliable Why chronically ill business owners may need a longer path to profitability Building a business that plans for flare ups instead of treating them as failures Why websites and email lists offer more stability than social media alone Randi’s capsule blog approach to creating reusable content What “cozy” means in a practical business system Letting go of hustle culture and rigid definitions of consistency Creating community without demanding scheduled participation Why adaptability is one of the greatest strengths a chronically ill entrepreneur can bring to business About Randi Randi Pullar is the creator of Chronically Cozy, where they help chronically ill and neurodivergent entrepreneurs build sustainable content strategies and systems. Randi offers coaching, self paced resources, and the Chronically Cozy Creators Club, a Discord community created for connection, collaboration, and support without the pressure of constant participation. Connect With Randi Website: https://chronicallycozylife.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chronicallycozylife/ The Community: https://bit.ly/3U6duz9 Threads: https://www.threads.com/@chronicallycozylife Through Randi’s website, listeners can explore content strategy resources, coaching, self paced products, and the Chronically Cozy community.

  2. Aug 18

    068 Chronic Illness and the Lonliness of Being Misunderstood

    Some of the loneliest moments happen beside people who genuinely love us. They may pray for us, bring dinner, sit in waiting rooms, and help however they know how—and still struggle to understand what living with chronic illness asks of us every day. In this episode, April talks honestly about the grief of being cared for without feeling fully understood. She explores why ordinary words such as tired, pain, rest, and better can carry completely different meanings inside a chronically ill life—and how exhausting it becomes to keep translating an experience other people have never lived. We also make room for the complicated truth that love and understanding are different gifts. Someone can love us faithfully and still be unable to hold every part of our experience. That realization may bring relief, but it can bring grief too. April shares gentle, practical language for telling loved ones what support looks like, while reminding us that the desire for human understanding is not a failure of faith. God sees the gratitude and the grief together, including the truth we keep editing for everyone else. In this episode: Why being misunderstood by kind, loving people can feel especially lonely The invisible planning behind an ordinary day with chronic illness How misunderstanding can reopen grief over everything illness has changed Why repeatedly explaining yourself can become another source of exhaustion The difference between being cared for and being understood Letting different people support different parts of your life Why longing for human connection does not cancel out God’s presence Simple ways to tell loved ones what kind of support you need Grieving what is missing without denying the love that remains If you have ever felt alone beside someone who loves you, your grief makes sense. You do not have to explain your pain perfectly before it becomes worthy of care.

  3. Aug 11

    067 The Things I Never Thought I’d Miss With Chronic Illness

    Before chronic illness, I never thought I would miss walking through Target, standing in line, helping Victor drive on a long road trip, or sitting comfortably in one position for more than a few minutes. They were ordinary parts of life—so ordinary that I barely noticed them. Some were inconvenient. Some felt like chores. But each one carried a kind of freedom I didn’t recognize until my body could no longer move through them so easily. In this episode of The Invisible Illness Club, I’m talking about the tiny losses that quietly add up when you live with chronic illness. The spontaneous plans that now require careful calculations. The errands that become full events. The sleep that doesn’t restore you. The sadness of watching someone you love carry something you used to help carry. These losses can sound small when we name them one at a time. But grief doesn’t measure a loss by how ordinary it appears to someone else. It remembers what that ordinary thing represented: independence, ease, participation, partnership, and choice. I can be grateful for the life I have and still miss what my body used to do. I can appreciate the ways I’ve adapted while wishing adaptation weren’t necessary. Grief doesn’t cancel gratitude. It simply tells the truth about what mattered. I also talk about bringing these quieter losses to God—the canceled plan, the outing cut short, the tiredness sleep didn’t fix, and the moment when nothing feels comfortable. We don’t have to rank our grief before we bring it to Him. Sometimes the most honest prayer is simply, “God, I miss my old life today. I’m grateful for what is still here, but this hurts too.” If you’re grieving something that other people might consider small, I hope this episode reminds you that you’re allowed to name it. You aren’t being dramatic, and you aren’t failing to appreciate your life. You’re grieving something real. In this episode The freedom hidden inside ordinary activities Why joyful experiences can still require a cost-benefit analysis Missing spontaneity, independence, and trust in your body The grief of being unable to help someone you love in the same ways How chronic illness can turn errands, travel, sitting, and sleep into work Holding gratitude and grief at the same time Bringing our ordinary, deeply personal losses to God Giving ourselves permission to miss what used to be easy A question to carry with you What ordinary part of your former life do you miss—and what did it represent to you? You don’t have to minimize the answer or hurry it toward a lesson. You can simply acknowledge, “I didn’t know how much this mattered until it changed. And I miss it.” Join the Unseen Sisterhood If this episode resonated with you, I’d love for you to join the Unseen Sisterhood—a space where women living with chronic illness can connect, be encouraged, and remember that they aren’t walking this road alone. Join here: https://www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com/unseen-sisterhood-newsletter If you know someone who needs this conversation, consider sharing the episode with them.

  4. Aug 4

    066 When Chronic Illness Makes Your World Feel Smaller

    Chronic illness rarely changes everything at once. More often, your life becomes smaller one quiet “no” at a time. You make fewer plans. You start calculating the physical cost of every invitation. Places that once felt ordinary begin to feel out of reach. Eventually, you may realize you’re grieving more than the things you can no longer do. You’re grieving the life you thought you would have. In this episode, we’re talking about what it means to mourn possibility—the experiences, relationships, independence, and versions of ourselves that illness may have taken or changed. We’ll also talk about the way our culture confuses a busy life with a meaningful one, what the hidden years of Jesus can teach us about ordinary faithfulness, and how we might begin measuring our lives with more tenderness. This conversation doesn’t try to make limitation beautiful or force a silver lining onto everything illness has taken. It simply makes room for an honest question: Can a life be quiet, limited, and largely unseen—and still be deeply meaningful? In this episode: How chronic illness can gradually make your world feel smaller Grieving experiences and possibilities that may never happen The fear of being forgotten or left behind Separating your worth from productivity and visibility What the hidden, ordinary years of Jesus can teach us Finding meaning without romanticizing suffering Keeping hope and connection alive within genuine limitations Learning to meet your present life with tenderness Your world may be smaller than it once was, but that does not make your life lesser. You are still here. Your life is still unfolding, still held, and still deeply meaningful.

  5. Jul 28

    065 The Version of You No One Sees: Invisible Struggles, Faith, and Being Known

    There is a version of you that almost no one knows—the one carrying private fears, unseen grief, unanswered questions, and struggles that never become visible enough for other people to recognize. In this episode, we explore the loneliness of living a life that looks ordinary from the outside but feels overwhelming from within. We talk about the pressure to perform “fine,” the way invisible pain can make us question our own reality, and what happens when strength becomes an identity we are no longer allowed to step outside of. We also reflect on what it means to be fully known. Can another person truly understand what our life feels like? What does it mean to risk telling one degree more of the truth? And does God know the parts of us we cannot explain—or are afraid to say aloud? Through Psalm 139 and the story of Hagar, we consider the possibility that being seen does not require presenting an edited, useful, or easily understood version of ourselves. Your experience is real, even when it is invisible. You do not have to collapse publicly to deserve care. And you do not have to be fine to be loved. In This Episode The difference between privacy and performing “fine” Why invisible struggles can make us distrust our own experiences The hidden cost of always being seen as strong or capable Holding gratitude and grief, faith and doubt, joy and pain together Why functioning does not mean you are not struggling What Psalm 139 says about being completely known by God Hagar and the God who sees the overlooked and mistreated The limits of human understanding—and why imperfect love still matters How to begin sharing one degree more of the truth Being witnessed without needing to be fixed Questions for Reflection Who are you emotionally when no one else is watching? Has “fine” become a healthy boundary—or a role you feel required to perform? Where in your life do you feel unseen or misunderstood? Who has shown that they can be trusted with a smaller truth? What would it look like to tell one degree more of the truth? Can you believe that the parts of you no one sees are still worthy of tenderness? Scripture Mentioned Psalm 139 — “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” Genesis 16:13 — Hagar names God El Roi, “the God who sees me.” Closing Invitation If this episode brought words to something you have been carrying privately, consider sharing it with someone who may also need the reminder that invisible pain is still real. You are more than the version of you who performs “fine.” You are also more than the version who is hurting. You are here. You are known. And you do not have to be fine to be loved.

  6. Jul 21

    064 When Your Body Finally Feels Safe: Trauma, Chronic Illness, and Healing with Leanna Wydick

    What happens when the body you live in becomes a daily reminder of trauma? In this episode of the Invisible Illness Club, April Aramanda talks with Leanna Wydick about surviving domestic violence, sustaining a traumatic brain injury, and navigating life with fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, migraines, and pancreatic enzyme insufficiency. Leanna explains how trauma can rewire the nervous system and influence pain, fatigue, sensory processing, relationships, and chronic illness flares. She also shares how striving to control everything kept her body in a constant state of vigilance—even after she entered a safe and loving relationship. Her healing began when she surrendered her fear to God, learned to receive care without expecting a hidden cost, and allowed familiar tools such as mindfulness, breathing exercises, and a weighted blanket to finally support her nervous system. April and Leanna also discuss acceptance, self-advocacy, grief, boundaries, vulnerability, and the difference between giving up and making peace with the reality of your body today. Content note: This episode includes discussions of domestic violence, strangulation, pregnancy loss, and traumatic brain injury. Please listen with care. In this episode, we discuss 05:44 Leanna’s experience surviving domestic violence and a near-death assault 10:13 Recovering from a traumatic brain injury without adequate medical support 11:11 Message to Audience about Domestic Violence 13:38 Living with fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, migraines, and pancreatic enzyme insufficiency 16:42 How trauma can affect the nervous system and chronic illness symptoms 18:48 Why physical pain can become an emotional reminder of past trauma 20:56 How control and hypervigilance can exhaust the body 23:02 Leanna’s “seek and surrender” approach to faith and healing 29:18 Learning to receive care without expecting a hidden cost 36:17 Grieving the gap between what your heart wants and what your body can do 42:36 Small, practical ways to begin caring for yourself 45:37 What I wish someone said in my darkest moments 46:56 What is bringing you joy? Memorable takeaways “Imagine that the body you’re living in becomes your reminder. It’s hard not to be triggered every day of your life.” “Acceptance is not giving up.” “You deserve the time, effort, and focus—whatever it takes—to find your safety and find what works for you.” “Untangle that yarn, be vulnerable, and then tackle the little things you find.” “You are precious.” About Leanna Wydick Leanna Wydick is a wife, mother, chronic illness advocate, and early childhood systems-of-care professional. Her work supports families, providers, nonprofits, and organizations by helping them create more connected systems of care. After surviving domestic violence and sustaining a traumatic brain injury, Leanna developed multiple chronic health conditions. She now shares her story to help others understand the relationship between trauma, nervous system safety, chronic illness, faith, grief, and self-advocacy. Outside of her work and health journey, Leanna enjoys reading, gardening, baking, fossils, bats, and spending time with her family—and her delightfully quirky flock of chickens. You can find her at: https://www.facebook.com/leannawydick  https://www.instagram.com/Leanna_supermom  https://www.tiktok.com/@Leanna_supermom  A note from April If you are experiencing abuse, please tell someone you trust and seek qualified local support when it is safe to do so. Abuse is not your fault, and you do not deserve it. Connect with the show Listen, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear that healing does not have a deadline—and that they are worthy of the time and care it takes to find safety.

  7. Jul 14

    063 The Faith Questions We Whisper: Trusting God Through Chronic Illness and Doubt

    What happens when you know all the right answers about God, yet your heart still whispers, “Are You still there?” Chronic illness has a way of making our world feel very small. Symptoms get louder. Appointments take over the calendar. Survival starts replacing living. Somewhere in the middle of the pain, many of us quietly begin asking questions we feel guilty for asking out loud. Does God still see me? Does He still have this? Has He forgotten me? In this episode, we’re talking honestly about the faith questions many Christians with chronic illness carry in silence. We’ll look at the people in scripture who asked hard questions, why honesty isn’t the opposite of faith, and how God remains both bigger than our suffering and closer than we can imagine. If you’ve ever loved God and still wrestled with doubt, this conversation is for you. What You’ll Learn Why chronic illness can make God feel distant even when He isn’t Why asking hard questions isn’t a sign of weak faith What scripture teaches us about honest prayers and honest grief How chronic illness changes the way we pray Why survival prayers matter to God What mature faith can actually look like in hard seasons How God can be both enormous and intimately near at the same time One Tiny Step If you’ve been carrying questions you feel guilty for asking, try praying them honestly this week. No polishing them. No fixing them. No editing them into church language. Simply bring them to God exactly as they are. Resources Join The Unseen Sisterhood Newsletter Visit The Invisible Illness Club website Listen to more episodes of The Invisible Illness Club Podcast Credits Hosted by April Aramanda Music licensed through AudioJungle. The Invisible Illness Club Podcast — honest conversations about faith, chronic illness, and living fully in hard seasons.

  8. Jul 7

    062 The Laundry Can Wait: Learning to Leave Things Undone

    Lately, I’ve been spending more time sitting in the pool with my husband while the laundry waits inside. The dishes still need to be done. The emails are still there. The to-do list hasn’t magically disappeared. I’m still tired. I’m still in a flare. For most of my life, I believed rest was something you earned after everything else was finished. Chronic illness only amplified that belief. There is always another symptom to manage, another appointment to schedule, another piece of paperwork to complete. At some point, I realized I had become the manager of my life instead of actually living it. This episode is an honest conversation about unfinished laundry, poolside conversations, and learning that joy doesn’t need permission from productivity. Because the dishes can wait. The people we love won’t always be sitting beside us on a Tuesday afternoon. What You’ll Learn Why chronic illness can make life feel constantly urgent How productivity quietly becomes tied to worth The difference between managing life and living it Why connection and joy matter even in hard seasons Permission to enjoy your life before everything is finished Why leaving things undone isn’t always laziness One Tiny Step Choose one thing this week that brings you joy or connection and do it before your to-do list is finished. Sit outside with your coffee. Call a friend. Watch the sunset. Float in the pool. Let one thing wait while you remember you’re allowed to live your life too. Related Episodes 058 The Invisible, Full Time Job of Chronic Illness 060 Faith in Different Seasons: Remembering that God is bigger than chronic illness Resources Join The Unseen Sisterhood newsletter Visit The Invisible Illness Club website Listen to more episodes of The Invisible Illness Club Podcast Credits Hosted by April Aramanda The Invisible Illness Club Podcast — Let’s talk honestly about life, faith, and chronic illness. Music licensed through AudioJungle.

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The Invisible Illness Club is a podcast and community for people living with chronic illness and the grief, faith questions, identity shifts, and everyday realities that come with life in a difficult to manage body. Hosted by April, each episode offers honest conversations rooted in Christian faith and lived experience. Here, you do not have to make your pain sound prettier, rush toward a lesson, or pretend you are fine. There is room for grief, anger, uncertainty, laughter, hope, and trusting God in the middle of what has not been fixed. If you have ever felt unseen, misunderstood, or alone in your illness, you belong here. Honest faith for the hard, invisible days. You don’t have to carry this alone.

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