Calling In Sick

This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by  ⁨@miraclman31⁩  -- podcaster, speaker, and survivor of one of the rarest neurological conditions on earth: Locked-In Syndrome from Acute Toxic Progressive Leukoencephalopathy (ATPL). Jake’s story is raw, gripping, and—somehow—hilarious .We’re digging into: 🧠 What the mind does when you’re fully aware but can’t move 💥 The absurdity of pain, and the pow...

This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by the one and only Dr. Karan Rajan (@dr-karan-explores) — NHS surgeon, educator, and one of the most trusted voices cutting through health misinformation on TikTok. This episode is all about the emotional and medical consequences of constant dismissal and gaslighting — especially for women and people with chronic illness. When you’re told “it’s just anxiet...

Welcome back to Calling in Sick — and buckle up because this week? Saint Cooper is back!!! We're calling these the Chaos Episodes™, because that's exactly what it is: one part love story, one part medical update, and several parts unhinged. This week we’re diving into: 💖 How we have fun as a couple even when chronic illness is center stage 🐊 Animal therapy and my current backyard lizard obsessio...

Welcome back to another week of Calling in Sick! The past two episodes were all about setting boundaries with ourselves so we can choose joy more often. And this week? Let’s just say I’m still paying off my Spoonie Jail invoice… and unfortunately, there’s no early release for good behavior. 😅 When flare days stretch into flare weeks (or months), it starts to feel like you’re living the same day o...

I’m back on the mic this week after a little solo pod pause — and I’m kicking things off with something I’ve been thinking about (and living) a lot lately: joy guilt. You know that old rule: “If you’re too sick to go to school, you’re too sick to have fun?” Yeah, that one. Turns out, it doesn’t translate to life with chronic illness. But we still carry it — and it quietly shapes how we see ourselv...

This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by the one and only, Sasha Pieterse-Sheaffer — who you might know from her starting role in Pretty Little Liars or Inherent Vice. Today, Sasha spends her time as an actor, podcaster, founder, advocate, and fellow chronic illness warrior. We sat down and talked about her real life plot twist: getting diagnosed with PCOS and epilepsy, navigating autoimmune sy...

This week on Calling in Sick, we’re getting grounded, energized, and totally fascinated by the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). I’m joined by Dr. Jennifer Ashby — a TCM doctor at UCSF — to explore the intersection of Eastern and Western care for whole-person healing. We get into the foundational teachings of TCM, the biggest surprises patients experience when they first try it...

Welcome back to Calling in Sick — this week you’re in for a little peak into my life. Saint Cooper, my husband and sporadic co-host, is back for round two of two brain cells and one microphone. He try to keep me emotionally grounded while I spiral through a whirlwind of updates. This episode is cozy chaos. We cover grief, gratitude, gut health, identity shifts, and TV trash — with a few laughs and...

This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by neuro-gastro-immunologist, Dr. Zachary Spiritos, an incredible voice in the fight to make invisible illnesses seen, heard, and helped.. Together, we unpack some of the most maddening, misunderstood, and under-discussed challenges in healthcare today—especially for women and people living with chronic conditions. From gut issues to gender bias, from misdi...

This week on Calling in Sick, things are a little different — and a little chaotic. I was too discombobulated to record a solo episode, so Cooper (my husband) hopped on the mic with me. We laughed, we spiraled, and then we got real about why life has felt so hard lately: In this week’s episode, we talk: 💥 A nasty IVIG reaction 🚑 A surprise ER trip 🛑 A home invasion 💉 Starting a new oral chemo...

This week on Calling in Sick, I’m getting real about something I never thought I’d question: Am I still ambitious? There was a time when I crushed my to-do list before lunch, never let an email sit unanswered, and found purpose in being productive. But now? I procrastinate. I forget things. I carry a running to-do list that I never finish. And between the brain fog, pain, meds, and fatigue… I star...

This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by the incredible Kwame Appiah—someone you might recognize from Love Is Blind (Season 4), but today, we’re going far deeper than reality TV. Kwame opens up about his real-life health journey: the early signs he ignored, the emotional toll of not having answers, and what it meant to finally get a diagnosis—and then face the hard work of rebuilding from there...

This week on Calling in Sick, we’re talking about something that’s both terrifying and beautiful: how to make new friends when you’re chronically ill. Let’s be real—chronic illness changes your social life. While some relationships run the distance, there are far too many that end… some fade out, some end loudly and some just stop making sense. But as painful as that can be, it also creates space....

This week on Calling in Sick, we’re talking about one of the most underrated tools in the chronic illness toolbox: the intentional duvet day. If you’ve ever felt guilty for resting, questioned if you're "sick enough" to slow down, or struggled to explain why you need a full day in bed after a good day—this episode is for you. I unpack why these days are essential for long-term management (not lazy...

This week on Calling in Sick, we’re diving deep into a topic that I think so many of us—especially those with chronic illness—struggle with: the link between productivity and self-worth. I’ll be honest, old habits die hard, and my first Monday back after treatment? Yeah… I went full steam ahead. And guess what? It didn’t go well. But that got me thinking: why is it so hard to detach my value from...

This week on Calling in Sick, I’m getting real about the mental gymnastics of navigating chronic illness—especially when you're constantly balancing fear of flaring, fear of failing, and the never-ending cycle of medical uncertainty. February was a lot, even for a girl who’s been sick her whole life. From 2 rounds of chemotherapy, to surgery, to 5 days of IVIG, to balancing work and content creati...

This week on Calling in Sick, I’m taking you inside my latest surgery—my second endometriosis excision surgery. If you’ve been through it, you know: endo surgery is no joke. From a misdiagnosed journey to deciding on surgery (again) to an absolutely chaotic post-op appointment… this episode is full of everything that happened, and everything I wish I knew going in. In this episode, I’m sharing: 🩺...

This week on Calling in Sick, I’m getting real about where I’m at with my health right now. To be honest, I’ve been flaring for almost a year, stuck in survival mode, and have been pushing through without picking my head up to see how bad things have gotten… again. I’m realizing that: 💥 Checking myself & my health status 💊 My new treatment plan… and how I feel about it shifting (again) 🩺 Making...

Hiiiiii my sweet fam! 💕 This episode is a revisit to Episode 1 as I’m CALLING IN SICK this week with a flare-up from the pits of hell. 😩 Come hang out with me on my socials as I crush some Bravo 🍿, spill my duvet day tricks 🛋️, and share all the food Saint Cooper is making me to get me back on my feet. 🍲 Don’t worry, I’m on some heavy prednisone, so I’ll be back next week! Love you guys and ha...

This week on Calling in Sick, it’s just me, Alex, taking you inside my brain—literally. Inspired by Inside Out, I’m breaking down the real voices that fill the mind of a chronically ill person—the ones that tell us we’re a burden, that every symptom is an emergency, or that we’re not doing “enough” to get better. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. In this episode, I’m sharing: 🧠 How chronic illnes...

This week on Calling in Sick, it’s just me, Alex, diving into one of the toughest challenges for those of us with chronic illness: medical burnout. From endless appointments, waiting months for appointments, battling with insurance companies to the emotional rollercoaster of hope and disappointment, medical burnout is something so many of us face—but rarely talk about. In this episode, I’m sharing...

This week on Calling in Sick, it’s a solo episode with me, Alex! I’m diving into how to navigate events and social plans while managing a chronic illness. From figuring out when to RSVP “yes” to tackling FODO (fear of disappointing others), I’m sharing my go-to strategies for building a social life that works for you. In this episode, we’ll talk about: ✨ How to communicate your needs with hosts...

This week on Calling in Sick, I sit down with Danielle Lazarowitz, founder of Chronius Care, a virtual healthcare service designed for chronic illness warriors by a chronic illness warrior. Danielle shares her powerful journey, from the struggles of searching for a diagnosis and managing debilitating symptoms to dealing with lackluster care. These experiences ultimately inspired her to reimagine h...

This week on Calling in Sick, my husband Cooper joins me for a candid Q&A session where we tackle your top questions about dating and relationships while living with chronic illness. Whether you're navigating the dating world, maintaining a relationship, or balancing the caregiver role, this episode is packed with oversharing, practical advice, and plenty of laughs. We give our two cents on caregi...

This week on Calling in Sick, join me for Part 2 of my two-part series with Vanessa Blackstone, MSW, ACSW, and Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center. In Part 1, we explored Vanessa’s personal journey with chronic pain and introduced Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)—a method that helps retrain the brain to interpret and respond to pain signals differently. Now, in Part 2, we’re diving dee...