Calling In Sick

This week on Calling in Sick, I’m joined by Vanessa Blackstone, MSW, ACSW, Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center, for Part 1 of a two-part series. Together, we delve into Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a groundbreaking approach that helps retrain the brain to interpret and respond to pain signals in a new way. Vanessa shares her personal journey with chronic pain and how she found her...

I can’t believe it… we’re nearing the end of 2024! So this week, we’re Calling in Sick to ditch the pressure of traditional New Year’s resolutions and create a plan that actually works — chronic illness style. The end of the year can feel like a mixed bag of emotions: gratitude, grief, hope, and even exhaustion. And guess what? That’s totally okay. In this episode, I’m sharing how to reflect, rese...

This week, we’re Calling in Sick for the very first episode dedicated to PAIN—one of the most universal yet misunderstood experiences in the chronic illness community. Chronic pain is complex, persistent, and deeply personal, which is why I’m kicking off a special series exploring this topic. In this week’s episode, I open up about my personal journey with pain, from childhood episodes to managing...

This week on Calling in Sick, I sit down with Alex Gray (@alexogray), UK-based TV presenter, actress, and founder, to reflect on her journey with chronic illness. We unpack the toll of hustle culture on health, the disorienting feeling of being a stranger in your own body, and the challenges of navigating life without a clear diagnosis. We explore how chronic illness reshapes relationships - the w...

In this week’s episode of Calling in Sick, I go into depth on how to navigate the holiday season with a chronic illness. It is *so* easy to over do it, when everyone around you is baking Pinterest worthy desserts and listing all the things they’re thankful for… like their health. We have to think through the logistics of traveling (if you haven’t, go watch episode 11 for more tips), socializing, a...

In this week’s episode of Calling in Sick, I’m joined by comedian and content creator, Joe Glasgow (@joeglasgowshow). We talk about his plunge into the chronic illness life and how leaning into creativity and comedy has shaped how he has processed and navigated the sick life. Tune in to hear about our symptom “upgrades,” how we navigate being “two faced” and an enlightening discussion on what brin...

In this week’s solo episode of Calling in Sick, I dive into the reality of processing and shifting our identity due to a Chronic Illness, whether you have an official diagnosis or not. I talk about the struggles that come from comparing ourselves to others and how we define self-worth, especially relative to our life before getting sick. The discussion also sheds light on how often we feel misunde...

In this episode of Calling in Sick, I sat down with the incredibly funny and sweet Alexandra Kopko. You may know her from her TikTok @alexandrawideeyes, where she uses her incredibly relatable sense of humor to create educational and absolutely hysterical content about living and thriving with a chronic illness. We talk about navigating your way to a diagnosis in your 20s and the funny-not-funny s...

In this episode of Calling in Sick, I’m sharing my tips and tricks for navigating a hospital stay or ER visit, which we all know can be an overwhelming experience. I wanted to make a practical guide for anyone with chronic illness faced with a trip to the ER or hospital after I spent 72 hours in the hospital last week getting IVIG for an autoimmune flare up. I share my top 5 tips, which cover ever...

This week I got to sit down with my friend, and personal Functional Practitioner, Aubree Steen! We got to chat about the foundational elements of Functional medicine - everything from how providers get their credentials to the hand map analogy that describes the key pillars of functional medicine. We also discussed today’s supplement culture… who actually needs supplements, why functional medicine...

Welcome back to Calling in Sick! This week I had the honor of chatting with Olympic rock climber, Jesse Grupper. His energy is absolutely infections, and his story of getting to the Olympics is inspiring to say the least. We talk about how although no one day defines a lifetime, it’s the things we do daily that make a difference. Tune in to hear Jesse’s protocol for managing his chronic illness (u...

Welcome back to Calling in Sick! This week I had way too much fun chatting all things dating, sex and intimacy with Ali DiGiacomo of @AnotherDayWithRA.We share our own highs and lows of how chronic illness has impacted our romantic relationships - from the lens of dating and intimacy. Join in for some vulnerable oversharing, lots of belly laughs, spicy tips and tricks we’ve picked up along the way...

Welcome back to Calling in Sick! This week I had the honor of chatting Traditional Chinese Medicine with Brehan Crawford, L.Ac founder of Crawford Wellness. Brehan explains the history of TCM and breaks down how to integrate it with your current chronic illness protocols and Western Medicine. We also discuss some practical ways to dip a toe into the world of TCM — hello foot soaks & hot water sipp...

Welcome back to Calling in Sick! This week, tune in to meet Cooper Wildeson - Alex’s husband, rock and partner of 10 years. The two share how they met, what dating was like before and after different diagnoses and practical tips on how they’ve navigated being sick and staying in love. So come and be a third-wheel this week — no doctor’s note required! To hear more about Alex’s diagnosis story, tun...

Welcome to the first episode of Calling in Sick! Tune in to hear what this podcast is all about and get to know me, your host, Alex. I make a long story long and share a bit on my health journey, which started at age 6, how this has all made me who I am, and details on the various diagnosis I’ve picked up along the way - Polyarteritis Nodosa (Vasculitis), Lupus / Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (M...

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, expl...