Conquering Your Fibromyalgia Podcast

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions After battling with chronic pain and struggling to obtain a diagnosis, Amy from New Zealand finally uncovered her life-altering condition: Fibromyalgia. How did she manage to find relief from her agony and regain control of her life? In this heartfelt episode, Amy joins us to share her challenging journey, from her initial frustrations with the medical syste...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions Ever struggled to manage your health while working in the healthcare field? Meet Anne, a certified pharmacy technician from Phoenix, Arizona, who has been living with fibromyalgia while working in healthcare. Listen as we uncover her unique challenges by keeping her diagnosis a secret from her coworkers due to the stigma. Discover how Anne navigated through...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions This week discusses heart disease, the number one killer of men and women. In addition to having a strong interest in fibromyalgia and related problems, he also has a strong interest in preventing and treating this serious condition. In this week's episode, you hear about his journey. Nearly all heart disease, the accumulation of plaque in the heart&apo...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions Martin shares more poems and his journey of living with an invisible illness known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In this week's episode he shares what is called the Missing Neighbor Exhibit. "It's this whole idea of the millions missing and the people who aren't seen, because they're just too ill to go out. So it's our missing ne...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions In this two-part series we get to hear from the author of Naked Realities, Martin Keogh. The compilation of poems takes a no-holds-barred look at chronic illness. There is no sugar coating within those pages. Those of us living with any of the complex illnesses, such as ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, or long covid, are grouped under the moniker, ‘the millions missing...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions We continue the conversation with Dr. Bruce Campbell discussing narrative medicine as a useful but often neglected tool for doctors and patients to help them feel better and live healthier with fibromyalgia and other chronic health conditions. Every patient has a story that goes beyond the symptoms they bring into the doctor's office. Those stories illu...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions In this week's episode, we discuss narrative medicine as a useful but often neglected tool for doctors and patients to help them feel better and live healthier with fibromyalgia. Every patient has a story that goes beyond the symptoms they bring into the doctor's office. Those stories illuminate how a person became ill, the tipping point that compe...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions We have been conversing with Tamra Rosier in this last of the three-part series. She is an author and ADHD coach and has worked with clients for a long time, helping them live better with their ADHD. This is relevant to the conversation about fibromyalgia because many with fibromyalgia also have ADHD and may be unaware of the role it plays in their struggles...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions This week is part 2 of the multi-episode series of the interview with Tammara Rosier ,  author, and ADHD coach, discussing ADHD, a condition prevalent in 25-75% of those living with fibromyalgia and related problems. People with ADHD see the world through their emotions. Our brains are wired to detect even mild levels of stimulation. It doesn’t matter if it...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions This week we will start with a multi-episode series of the interview with Tammara Rosier , an author, and ADHD coach, discussing ADHD, a condition prevalent in 25-75% of those living with fibromyalgia and related problems. The insights she shares with her clients and her book are valuable for those trying to live better with fibromyalgia and brain fog. We le...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions We continue the conversation with Dr. Heather Martarella, a pain psychologist. This week we discuss thought patterns that are barriers to getting relief from chronic pain. These include negativity and catastrophic thinking patterns. These are also known as pain-related cognitive distortions. We also discuss shifting from a place of acceptance to one of hope....

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions Today and next week, we will take a deep dive into how we understand and think about chronic pain. And to do that, we have a special guest. Dr. Heather Martarella is an expert on helping clients reclaim their lives and find relief from chronic pain and insomnia/sleep issues. She also provides treatment for those coping with chronic illness, most recently inc...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions "Winning to me was being alive." Jake shares how life has been since treating important coexisting medical problems and weaning off suboxone. He is now thriving. We also have listener feedback from Amy in New Zealand. "I recently came across your podcasts & have listened to many of them. I live in New Zealand & have spent the last two...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions Jake shares his story of overcoming oxycontin addiction, treatment with suboxone, and being happy to be alive. However, he struggled in so many other important ways, including academically and economically. The thought of thriving wasn't even considered a possibility. Dr. Lenz is an internist, pediatrician, lifestyle medicine physician, and clinical lip...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions A paradigm shift. We have been looking at disorders of the gut-brain axis along with other disorders of central processing that fall under the umbrella of fibromyalgia. The medical model involves using a straightforward cause with a straightforward solution. Examples include type one diabetes, with the loss of insulin by immune destruction of the cells in th...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions During this week's episode, we will continue the conversation with Dr. Beate VeinVogl , who is a pediatric gastroenterologist and professor at Harvard university, as well as working at Boston Children's Hospital, where she dedicates her time helping children and adolescents, as well as their families, understand and live much better with chronic ab...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions Disorders of gut-brain interaction. A new name for the most common type of problems seen in a pediatric GI clinic. What are they, and how do you get better or help someone with them live better?  You will learn more about them in this series with one of the world's experts, Dr. Beate Veinvogl , specializing in helping children, adolescents, and their fa...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions How can you help build neurologic resilience to buffer the ups and downs of fibromyalgia? What inspired Rose to do the documentary? What are some of the surprising challenges that face the documentary from getting to more people? You will learn about these and more on this week's episode. Rose's story is one of several of those living with fibromya...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions How have you looked at movement and exercise in the past? For many, it can be experienced as an awful-tasting medicine with terrible side effects when attempted in the past. For many of you living with fibromyalgia, this has left you frustrated. Learn this week from Rose's personal experience of putting her fibromyalgia into recovery and working with ma...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions In this week's episode, we are starting a three-part series about arguably one of the single most powerful treatments for fibromyalgia. It is more powerful than common medications, such as duloxetine, cyclobenzaprine, and amitriptyline. We will discuss the powerful role movement played in treating fibromyalgia in Rose Harwood. She was told at age 14 tha...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions In this week's episode, we hear the second half of the interview with Nick Demos, the director of Invisible the Film . When Nick decides to help his mother fight Fibromyalgia, a widely misunderstood syndrome labeled a "woman’s disease," little does he realize that he would have to confront it himself. This week we hear about how he reacted to...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions In this week's episode, we hear the first half of the interview with Nick Demos, the director of Invisible the Film . When Nick decides to help his mother fight Fibromyalgia, a widely misunderstood syndrome labeled a "woman’s disease," little does he realize that he would have to confront it himself. Dr. Lenz is an internist, pediatrician, lif...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions As the year 2022 comes to a close,  I want to thank all of you, the listeners and supporters of the podcast. Your encouragement means a lot. I also want to thank all the guests from this year. You have taught me a lot, and your wisdom has helped and will continue to help those struggling with the invisible illness of fibromyalgia and other related conditions...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions This week's episode discusses these choices and how stress impacts fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The serious answer to what you are struggling with is discussed as well: "Either you're a Hypochondriac, or your central nervous system is out of balance." Dr. Lenz is an internist, pediatrician, lifestyle medicine physician, and...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions Listen to Dan as he shares his story of recovery from months and years of deep despair, fatigue, pain, and more.  His story offers hope. He is passionate about sharing what he has learned to help others through similar struggles. Dan discusses how the central nervous and autonomic nervous systems can get out of balance through various stressors. Dr. Lenz is...