Another first for this blog/blogger: I was interviewed by Brianne Benness for her No End In Sight podcast! Brianne has founded and fostered a great community for chronically ill/disabled ppl on Twitter (#NEISVoid), and I was excited to have the opportunity to be interviewed by her for her podcast. The interview is fully transcribed, so you can listen to it or read it, whichever works for you. And then you can check out all the other interesting personal stories featured on the podcast.
NEIS Interview: 7 NOV 2020
Episode 74, posted 19 JUN 2021
[CONTEXT: This interview was recorded in the U.S. during the COVID pandemic, before any vaccines were available.]
Items Referenced During the Interview:
Applying for VA disability – My story of applying for VA disability benefits many years after separating from the military – a guest post I wrote for The Military Guide.
Privilege, Hard Work, Luck – Tread Lightly Retire Early “We’ve been so privileged, but we’ve also worked hard and with intentionality. Privilege, hard work, and luck go hand in hand, and just because hard work is true doesn’t mean you can’t also acknowledge the parts in play that are out of your hands.”
Secondary Gains/Primary Losses – Laura Elliot @TinyWriterLaura “The secondary gains theory makes no sense when compared with the primary losses. Like, sure, 5 years after becoming disabled & after 16 months fighting the DWP I now get £500 a month! I lost: a lucrative career in journalism and the ability to leave my house ever! Such gains!”
Allergic Reaction to Chlorhexidine – My blog post about discovering a severe allergy to the antiseptic Chlorhexidine while pre-op at a VA hospital
Lisa Klimas – Founder of MastAttack, a website that features scientific information about Mast Cell Activation Disorders, and the MastAttack Facebook group
Mold Elimination Diet – Dietary advice I received from my allergist due to my diagnosed mold allergy; this is the exact handout he gave me
Low Histamine Diet – This one is a bit trickier. Histamine levels in foods vary depending on a number of variables, such as how they were transported and handled. There is no one definitive histamine-in-foods list. Many people use the Swiss list, which may not include popular foods from your culture/country/region.
Micro Walks – My exercise pacing blog post about my technique of taking very short, manageable walks, which I call micro walks.
Brianne melting: No End In Sight podcast, Episode 1 (around minute 51)
Crip Camp Virtual – A series of summer workshops in 2020 about disability activism/advocacy, inspired by the movie Crip Camp. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the entire series, which was offered online.
Applying for VA disability – Here are some resources from people who successfully applied as they were separating from active duty, rather than years later, like I did. Here’s a guest post done for my blog. And here are a bunch of posts on VA disability from Doug Nordman‘s blog, The Military Guide.
Health Conditions Mentioned:
Migraine
- American Migraine Foundation (AMF), What is Migraine?
- Migraine with Brainstem Aura (formerly known as Basilar or Basilar-type migraine): NIH resource; AMF resource
- Vestibular Migraine (formerly known as Migraine-Associated Vertigo): Johns Hopkins resource; AMF resource
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
- MastAttack website
- The Mast Cell Disease Society
- American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)
Connective Tissue Issues/Ehlers-Danlos (EDS)/Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS)
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS): NORD resource; Ehlers Danlos Support UK resource
- Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS): NHS resource; Hypermobility Syndromes Association (HMSA) resource
Dysautonomia/Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
- Dysautonomia: Dysautonomia International resource; NIH resource
- POTS: Cleveland Clinic resource; Dysautonomia International resource
COMMENTS? Please let me know what you thought of my first podcast appearance.