The Invisible Wave Podcast

For all there is to say about the incoming presidential administration, and there's plenty, one thing that surprised us was to see chronic illness mentioned front and center in all the Health picks. Santi enlists Dr. Kavita Patel, Obama admin veteran, DC insider and MSNBC contributor, to make sense of it all, and help gauge if there's any cause for optimism for the IW movement. To get invo...

Father and son doctors Hank and Reid Chambers take us through the experience of being father and sibling to a young person with cerebral palsy, and how that lived experience, and their perspective as men in their families, has informed their relationships with each other and with the families of their patients. And in keeping with our grass-roots solutions theme, Hank shares how his experience as...

Building on our higher ed theme, the Invisible Wave Ambassadors join Santi to illuminate the unique unseen challenges they have personally faced in college and grad school, causing them to struggle, fall behind, and even drop out. And they share simple, attainable ideas for the kinds of support that would have made all the difference for them, and the millions like them, which we need to implement...

Parents of young adults with chronic health conditions are presented with a unique dilemma - how to let go of their protective instincts and encourage autonomy and independence in their children as they move into adulthood, when faced with serious, even life-threatening health care realities. Santi sits down with renowned pediatric psychologist and family systems expert Rudy Bauer on steps parents...

Guests Wendy and Miller Steel take us through the experience of being parents to a young adult with a chronic condition, with themes that will be familiar to listeners of the Invisible Wave Podcast - years of misdiagnosis, gaslighting, suffering and sacrifice - but also with some bright notes on the power of a few well chosen words from a trusted ally, and of listening . To learn more, visit: http...

One year into his ROTC program, Guest Nick Ruffini was stamped undeployable due to a Crohn's disease diagnosis. Despite a specialist's assurances that Nick would be able to complete his training and serve with the right treatment, he was told his dream of a life of service was over, and his education, employment and long term life plans were all thrown out the window. Nick discusses the co...

MD State Senator Brian Feldman and Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk give us their thoughts on Margot Schinella’s groundbreaking model at Vassar and how it might serve as the basis for legislation at the Maryland State level. They take us behind the legislative curtain and drive home how activism is really what moves things forward at the government level, giving us a concrete ask that all of us can p...

In part 1 of our 2-part series on the crucial topic of support for this population on college campuses, we are pleased to welcome Margot Schinella, head of a groundbreaking support system at Vassar College that could serve as a model for campuses nationwide. To get involved and donate, visit: https://invisiblewave.org/donate The Invisible Wave Podcast is a non-profit public service produced by Ten...

SELF-Diagnosed with MS at 13, Trisha was told she couldn't row crew anymore, was likely going to be in a wheelchair, and was going to relegated to the sidelines of her life. She now holds several jobs in public health analysis, DID row crew through high school, was on the power weight lifting team in college, and continues to lift to this day. Trisha and Santi talk not only about the ways the...

James Richardson grew up with cystic fibrosis, a serious condition affecting the lungs, and was not expected to live past 19. Like many young men, sharing something that might make him seen as other, or as somehow less-than or weak, was difficult. So he navigated all the stress and daily existential challenges of this brutal disease alone and in secret for his first 26 years. James eventually summ...

When kids with chronic conditions transition from pediatrics to adult medicine, they fall off something of a cliff of support. Adult medicine is simply not set up to address the needs of this population, and these young people and their families are left to manage the complexity, stress and expense of their own care. We have pediatrics and geriatrics. With 1 in 4 young adults living with a serious...

Host Dr. Santi Bhagat describes how her daughter Natasha's diagnosis with epilepsy at age 8 led her to decades of activism in chronic health in young people, work that is now culminating in a grassroots awareness and community-building initiative, with the Invisible Wave Podcast at its heart.  The Invisible Wave Podcast is a non-profit public service produced by TenTen Audio and released in as...

1 in 4 young adults is living with a chronic medical condition, often invisible to the naked eye. They are, The Invisible Wave.  Hosted by Dr. Santi KM Bhagat, a mother of a young adult with epilepsy who founded a non-profit think tank that studied how policies, systems of care, and society support young people with chronic conditions over the last two decades. She found that little is in place wh...