I Am Not My Pain with Melissa Adams

Podcast host, Melissa Adams is signing off with gratitude from the I Am Not My Pain Podcast. Thanks to the encouragement and purpose from her sponsor, Heroes Circle, Melissa began the show wishing to bring living with chronic illness out of the shadows and into the light! After four seasons including 100 episodes with 56 chronic illness warriors from all over the world, this podcast has proved to...

Continuing our conversation with warrior, Stephanie Venneri. Stephanie went in for a routine filling in 2021 and due to negligence, left with Trigeminal Neuralgia nicknamed the “Suicide Disease.” Excruciating pain and limited speaking time swiftly ended her over twenty year singing career, her livelihood and passion. Other diagnoses followed such as Hemicrania Continua, SUNA, Anesthesia Dolorosa a...

Meet warrior, Stephanie Venneri. Stephanie went in for a routine filling in 2021 and due to negligence, left with Trigeminal Neuralgia nicknamed the “Suicide Disease.” Excruciating pain and limited speaking time swiftly ended her over twenty year singing career, her livelihood and passion. Other diagnoses followed such as Hemicrania Continua, SUNA, Anesthesia Dolorosa and TMD/TMJ. Tune in to Part...

Continuing our conversation with warrior, Michelle Milheiras. Michelle began experiencing vulva pain after a tailbone injury at only eight years old. Heavy periods, chronic UTI symptoms and yeast infections followed. Doctors dismissed and misdiagnosed her for over a decade, common for pelvic issues. Her pain and symptoms became so severe she had to leave her job. She was at last diagnosed accurate...

Meet warrior, Michelle Milheiras. Michelle began experiencing vulva pain after a tailbone injury at only eight years old. Heavy periods, chronic UTI symptoms and yeast infections followed. Doctors dismissed and misdiagnosed her for over a decade, common for pelvic issues. Her pain and symptoms became so severe she had to leave her job. She was at last diagnosed accurately with Pelvic Floor Dysfunc...

Throwing it back to S1E8 with warrior, Leanne Million. Leanne’s identity was one of drama teacher, actress and all around go getter until she experienced a concussion in a car accident. Managing her physical pain and issues with her neurological function from post-concussion syndrome, Leanne had to leave her job and felt huge pieces of her identity slip away, a common occurrence in the lives of th...

Continuing our discussion with warrior, Kashinda Marche from S2E13. In 1995, Kashinda was a nineteen-year-old, new mother when she received the life-changing diagnosis of HIV. Reaching a breaking point with her mental health, Kashinda chose to focus on changing her mindset. Four neurosurgeries and many diagnoses followed throughout the years including Hidradenitis Suppurative, Autoimmune Disorder,...

We are throwing back to S2E12 with warrior, Kashinda Marche. In 1995, Kashinda was a nineteen-year-old, new mother when she received the life-changing diagnosis of HIV. Reaching a breaking point with her mental health, Kashinda chose to focus on changing her mindset. Four neurosurgeries and many diagnoses followed throughout the years including Hidradenitis Suppurative, Autoimmune Disorder, Adrena...

Continuing our discussion with warrior, Courtney, who along with uncommon conditions of POTS and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, struggles with worsening unexplained and life-altering symptoms. After experiencing extremely painful and concerning complaints for over a month and receiving little help from her family physician and other specialists, Courtney reluctantly attended her local emergency departmen...

We are throwing back to S2E7 with warrior, Courtney, who discussed the dismissiveness, gaslighting and judgements she faces on her odyssey to find respectful medical care. Courtney manages multiple rare conditions, which include POTS and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, but she also struggles with worsening unexplained symptoms, which are accumulating over time. Her uncommon, complex and ultimately poorly...

Continuing our conversation with warrior, Aston Martinez. Diagnosed in adulthood with ADHD and Autism, Aston knows the challenges of managing neurodivergence and her many chronic conditions. Tune in to Part Two as Aston discusses how you can support your neurodivergent loved one and how she handles her anxiety and past trauma when going to the doctor. Aston is diagnosed with ADHD, Autism, Ehlers-D...

Reintroducing warrior from S2E9, Aston Martinez. Diagnosed in adulthood with ADHD and Autism, Aston knows the challenges of managing neurodivergence and her many chronic conditions. Listen to Part One as she shares her story and her struggles from multitasking her neurodivergence with doctors, medications, and all her symptoms and emotions. Aston is diagnosed with ADHD, Autism, Ehlers-Danlos Syndr...

Continuing our discussion from S2E15 with warrior, Samah Khan. Samah’s dream was to be a doctor. She was making her dream a reality when in her penultimate year of medical school, mysterious and chronic symptoms started. She graduated but her health issues forced her to give up practicing medicine, her passion in life. Samah spent the following years searching for her diagnoses, being dismissed by...

We are throwing back to S2E14 with warrior, Samah Khan. Samah’s dream was to be a doctor. She was making her dream a reality when in her penultimate year of medical school, mysterious and chronic symptoms started. She graduated but her health issues forced her to give up practicing medicine, her passion in life. Samah spent the following years searching for her diagnosis, being dismissed by the me...

We are throwing back to S2E14 with warrior, Samah Khan. Samah’s dream was to be a doctor. She was making her dream a reality when in her penultimate year of medical school, mysterious and chronic symptoms started. She graduated but her health issues forced her to give up practicing medicine, her passion in life. Samah spent the following years searching for her diagnosis, being dismissed by the me...

Continuing our conversation with warrior, Dr. Maureen Michele. Dr. Maureen is a military veteran, pediatrician, allergist/immunologist, certified life coach, and author. Above everything, she is a mom to three beautiful kids. Through navigating numerous chronic illness diagnoses for her three children, Dr. Maureen discovered important tools to bring peace and meaning to her life which she now shar...

Meet warrior, Dr. Maureen Michele. Dr. Maureen is a military veteran, pediatrician, allergist/immunologist, certified life coach, and author. Above everything, she is a mom to three beautiful kids. Dr. Maureen was in her pediatric residency when her infant daughter was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. She was naturally consumed with the stress of getting her daughter healthy. Additional challenges ar...

Continuing our conversation with warrior, Dr. Diane Mueller. Dr. Mueller is a survivor of Lyme disease, mold illness, and prolonged IBS symptoms. Suffering for years, she set out on a journey to discover the root cause of her symptoms, earning two doctorates in holistic health care. She currently serves as a naturopathic doctor as well as doctor of acupuncture and oriental medicine. Dr. Mueller is...

Meet warrior, Dr. Diane Mueller. Dr. Mueller is a survivor of Lyme disease, mold illness, and prolonged IBS symptoms. Suffering for years, she set out on a journey to discover the root cause of her symptoms, earning two doctorates in holistic health care. She currently serves as a naturopathic doctor as well as doctor of acupuncture and oriental medicine. Dr. Mueller is nationally recognized as a...

Meet warrior, Laura Launderville. At 17, Laura developed symptoms Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), a painful condition nicknamed the “suicide disease” but like most rare conditions, her diagnosis came much later at age 26. Laura is also diagnosed with the rare condition of Occipital Neuralgia (ON), Chronic Migraine Disease, Lichen Planopilaris (LPP), and IBS-M. Listen to Part Two as Laura dives into how...

Meet warrior, Laura Launderville. At 17, Laura developed symptoms Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), a painful condition nicknamed the “suicide disease” but like most rare conditions, her diagnosis came much later at age 26. Laura is also diagnosed with the rare conditions of Occipital Neuralgia (ON) and Lichen Planopilaris (LPP), Chronic Migraine Disease, and IBS-M. Tune in to Part One as Laura shares he...

Continuing our conversation with warrior, Tylia Flores. Tylia was born with Spastic Cerebral Palsy affecting her motility. Now twenty-eight years old, Tylia also suffers from chronic illness due to a left hip dislocation from Cerebral Palsy and surgeries to correct the issue. Tylia says transitioning to adult care was a struggle as well as simply managing her conditions and mental health along the...

Meet warrior, Tylia Flores. Tylia was born with Spastic Cerebral Palsy affecting her motility. Now twenty-eight years old, Tylia also suffers from chronic illness due to a left hip dislocation from Cerebral Palsy and surgeries to correct the issue. Tylia says transitioning to adult care was a struggle as well as simply managing her conditions and mental health along the way. In Part One, Tylia sha...

Continuing our conversation with warrior, Irene S. Roth. Irene is a full-time writer, blogger, online teacher, and writing mentor coach. Irene has managed chronic pain from osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic migraine disease, and more for the past twenty-five years. After learning to manage her osteoarthritis, Irene began experiencing symptoms of fibromyalgia. In Part Two, Irene shares her sugg...

Reintroducing warrior from S3E5 and S3E6, Irene S. Roth. Irene is a full-time writer, blogger, online teacher, and writing mentor coach. Irene has managed chronic pain from osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic migraine disease, and more for the past twenty-five years. After learning to manage her osteoarthritis, Irene began experiencing symptoms of fibromyalgia. Tune in as Irene discusses her exp...