Arthritis Life7 Jul 2020

Episode 1: Sarah Dillingham

Episode at a Glance

She and Cheryl discuss their best advice for newly diagnosed patients, explore how fatigue can be more debilitating than pain, highlight the importance of mental health treatment for chronic conditions, and dig into the impact of rheumatoid disease on everyday life.

Sarah's experience designing her own custom wedding day splint (due to not wanting to wear the typical ugly splints available in the current market) led her to form a start-up called Grace and Able, where she's developing more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing wrist braces. She also runs the Women with Rheumatoid Disease Facebook community.

Here's the show breakdown:

01:25 - Sarah's diagnosis story and brief medical history
08:30 - Highlights and lowlights from Sarah's experience with medical providers
23:34 - Sarah's advice for newly diagnosed patients (includes a discussion on social media)
38:00 - How rheumatoid disease has affected Sarah's experiences at work
42:27 - The effects rheumatoid disease has had on Sarah's friendships and romantic relationships
47:11 - The origin of Sarah's custom wedding day splint, which led her to form Grace & Able.
51:00 - How chronic illness has affected Sarah and Cheryl's mental health.
59:54 - Why fatigue is the hardest part of coping with RA (even more so than pain).
1:07:20 - What to do when there are no more treatment options - how to have this discussion with your doctor and care team.
1:11:41 - Sarah's frustrations with day to day living, and how she's learned much of what she's needed to cope with pain and daily living challenges from other patients and not health professionals.
1:18:00 - The three MOST important parts of Sarah's current management of her condition.

Additional links relevant to this episode:

Get more support at:

Rheum to THRIVE, an online course and support program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected**.** See all the details and join the program or waitlist now!

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER:

All content found on this podcast was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or heard on this channel.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(217)

Becoming Immune Confident with Sjogren’s & MCAS, with Dr. Kara Wada

In this empowering conversation, Cheryl and Dr. Kara Wada explore what it means to take charge of your health with conditions like Sjögren’s syndrome and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). Dr Kara...

18 Jun 1h 7min

Exploring the Intersection of Cancer and Rheumatoid Arthritis, with Dr. Singh

They also explore exciting new therapies like CAR T-cell treatment, along with practical advice on self-advocacy, building the right healthcare team, and what it truly means to thrive while living wit...

4 Jun 44min

Rheumer Has It: Role of the Multidisciplinary Team in Rheumatic Disease: OT, PT, Counseling and More!

They explain how occupational therapists, physical therapists, mental health professionals, pharmacists, and others can help you manage fatigue, pain, anxiety, daily routines, and life after diagnosis...

21 Mai 29min

Pregnancy, Postpartum & Parenting with Rheumatoid Arthritis, with Mariah Leach

Cheryl and Mariah discuss everything from medication decisions during pregnancy to adapting family life, traveling with chronic illness, managing expectations, and finding “micro moments” of joy along...

7 Mai 43min

Body Weather: Making Sense of Chronic Illness in an Unpredictable Body

She shares her complex diagnostic journey across multiple autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, highlighting the uncertainty and overlap many patients experience. Cheryl and Lorraine discuss shiftin...

21 Apr 1h 4min

Introducing New Rheum to THRIVE Facilitators Gittel Aguilar & Eileen!

Eileen and Gittel talk about why they’re passionate about leading support spaces, what those groups are really like (spoiler: welcoming, not intimidating), and how connection can make a huge differenc...

15 Apr 46min

Making Movement Accessible with Inflammatory Arthritis, with Jamie Boder

The conversation also dives into the emotional side of chronic illness, including fear of movement, the importance of interoception (body awareness), and how to avoid the boom–bust cycle of overdoing ...

2 Apr 59min

Rheumer Has It: Myths and Misconceptions About Arthritis Research: What Patients Should Know

Together, we walk through how to find reputable research, what “peer-reviewed” really means, and why one exciting study doesn’t equal a proven treatment. Dr. Li also explains key concepts like plain l...

26 Mar 34min