Take a Pain Check

Today, we have Spencer Hamilton talk about his story of being diagnosed in years, being a pro skateboarder and changing his lifestyle to one that suits his needs. Spencer talks about how he managed to remain a pro skateboarder even though his ankylosing spondylitis diagnosis took quite a while to diagnose.   

To start off season 3, we have Julie Bastarache talk to us about her incredible work advocating on social media. As well as her journey to being diagnosed with RA while living in a separate province (state) from her own family, having to change career paths due to her diagnosis and having to learn how to advocate for herself. To end off we play a game of arthritis Would you Rather!   Check out her...

To end off season 2, we have Dr. Arif Jetha talk to us about vulnerable people in the workplace. His research has shown several findings when it comes to youth and young adults being hesitant to pick the right job for them due to workplace accommodations. We also give our perspective on which jobs we love and are scared to enter!

We got the pleasure to interview Ingrid He this week on Take a Pain Check. We cover an abundance of interesting topics such as the struggle to obtain a diagnosis of Sjogren's Syndrome and this rheumatic disease once thought as a mental illness from several doctors. Throughout this episode, we learn about advocacy. Join us as we learn about the app Ingrid created to help herself and others sufferin...

This week we have Jalesa Martin come on our podcast to talk about her diagnosis with lupus that led to other chronic illnesses. Not only that, she shares her medication journey, knee replacement and the fears she has for the future. Jalesa ends off with showing us her advocacy work at university, her podcast and the articles she writes to convey her battles.

Rahul Vivekanandan, a close friend of Natasha, comes on our weekly podcast Take a Pain Check. We talk about how their friendship started, the accommodations made in the friendship whether it’d be at hanging out at a friend’s house or at school, and finally how they both support each other regardless of the situation. We end off with a game and some valuable advice to takeaway!  Be sure to wat...

Today, we have a fun and serious conversation with Brianne Chou about friendships and arthritis. We explore school, accommodating friends with a disease and learning about what they go through on a daily basis.

This week we have Vina Mohabir, one of our favs, come on to talk about her diagnosis of Trigeminal Neuralgia. We discuss expectations of parents on their kids with chronic illnesses, how trauma can be resolved with psychological measures, and how experiences in a field can turn into a full time enjoyable job.

Dr. Karine Toupin April - a scientist in Ottawa - and Laurie Proulx - her lead patient partner -  talk about their stories in regards to Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Asthma. They talk about their struggles in the rheumatology world and how their research project can change the lives of youth and adults diagnosed with arthritis. They also discuss the importance of options and complementar...

Take a Pain Check stars Spencer O’Brien on this week’s episode. Being in the Olympics while managing a disease, additional injuries and surgeries that come with this career, and the differentiation between what is arthritis and what isn’t are all topics that are discussed. We end off with a cute game. Stay tuned till the end to hear it all!

Sarah Fischer, a teen with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, joins us for a conversation about her swimming career with a disease, her JRA warrior platform and a genetic component. Not only that, we compare the Canadian and American resources when it comes to rheumatology in our experiences.

American Fashion Designer, Michael Kuluva comes on Take a Pain Check this week to talk about schooling, his fashion label, how it felt to have Kendall Jenner on the runway, professional skating for Disney on Ice and his rheumatoid arthritis journey.

Hey all! Thanks for supporting us through season 1. We are excited to be back with season 2. Today, it is just the co-hosts talking about their experiences with COVID-19, new life updates, different treatments they have had experiences with and going to specialists for check ups.

This week we have Laura Trenton come on our podcast to talk about her journey with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), Art in Motion, Runanthropic and being a high school teacher. We feature a few questions from our followers as well!

Today, Eileen Davison gives us tons of insight on her rheumatoid arthritis journey, being a single mother, her blog, and elaborates on her lifestyle changes.   You can find this week's game on our IG TV where we compare JIA and RA with some laughter and informative explanations!

Have you ever met twins with the same chronic disease? There's only a 4% chance of fraternal twins being diagnosed and this week we were lucky enough to get twins on! This week we have Makayla and Carly Fox come on our podcast to talk about Ankylosing spondylitis, Make a Wish Foundation, moving out and living their lives with JIA.

Jordan Colangelo comes on our weekly podcast to talk about what it is like to be in a relationship with someone that has a rheumatic disease. His JIA knowledge is also tested and he might actually be more knowledgeable than we thought!

This week's guest is speed skater Bethany Mckinley-Young. Having suffered from JIA since the age of 13, speed skating at the national level and the Canadian Games, she joins us to talk about being an athlete with a chronic disease.

This week we have Julie Beausoleil, a mental health advocate, on our podcast to talk about JIA as the only thing she ever knew, mental health, medications, and we end off with some laughter:)

Maggie also known as Arthritis Kid, comes on our fun weekly podcast to talk about music as a form of escapism, a viral TikTok, arthritis camp and being confident with juvenile arthritis.

David Porte, the chair of Cassie and Friends, comes on our weekly podcast to give us the parent perspective, the behind the scenes of his charity organization and information about support out there.

In our second episode, we have the president and founder of Rheumours, an organization and University of Alberta club that aims to dispel rumours about rheumatic diseases. We laugh and cry in this episode as we talk about the journey that got her here and her own fight with arthritis. 

Hi everyone! This is our new podcast Take a Pain Check. This is the beginning of our journey together as two young adults sharing our stories with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). Medications, advocacy, support groups and much more!