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 be a profound, inspiring, and healing experience for her and hopefully, for her listeners as well. T...
May 14, 2024•8 min•Season 5Ep. 1
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 and TMD/TMJ. Listen as in Part Two Stephanie discusses her feelings towards the dentist who caused he...
May 07, 2024•37 min•Season 4Ep. 15
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 One as Stephanie shares her remarkable story and how she manages gender and racial bias when seeking...
Apr 30, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 14
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 accurately with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Endometriosis, Interstitial Cystitis, Lupus, Anxiety and Depressio...
Apr 23, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 13
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 Dysfunction, Endometriosis, Interstitial Cystitis, Lupus, Anxiety and Depression. Michelle now wishes to ed...
Apr 16, 2024•38 min•Season 4Ep. 12
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 the chronically ill. Tune in as we hear Leanne reveal how she began the process of shifting her mindse...
Apr 09, 2024•44 min•Season 4Ep. 11
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, Adrenal Insufficiency, Pituitary Adenoma, and Peripheral Neuropathy. Listen to Part Two as Kashinda...
Apr 02, 2024•30 min•Season 4Ep. 10
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, Adrenal Insufficiency, Pituitary Adenoma, and Peripheral Neuropathy. Tune in to Part One as we hear Kashin...
Mar 26, 2024•43 min•Season 4Ep. 9
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 department only to be confronted with negligence and judgement. Tune in as Courtney talks about how her traum...
Mar 19, 2024•37 min•Season 4Ep. 8
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 understood diagnosed conditions alone create their own significant difficulties when accessing emerg...
Mar 12, 2024•38 min•Season 4Ep. 7
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-Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Narcolepsy, Epilepsy, Chronic Activated E...
Mar 05, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 6
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 Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Narcolepsy, Epilepsy, Chronic Activated Epstein Barr...
Feb 27, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 5
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 the medical profession, and managing her new reality. With persistence, Samah was finally diagnosed...
Feb 20, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 4
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 medical profession, and managing her new reality. With persistence, Samah was finally diagnosed with p...
Feb 13, 2024•34 min•Season 4Ep. 3
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 medical profession, and managing her new reality. With persistence, Samah was finally diagnosed with p...
Feb 13, 2024•34 min•Season 4Ep. 3
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 shares as a certified life coach with other parents to support their journeys with their chronically ill...
Feb 06, 2024•37 min•Season 4Ep. 2
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 arose years later when her daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and her other two children with...
Jan 30, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 1
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 nationally recognized as a Lyme disease, mold illness, and functional medicine expert. She is the f...
Jan 23, 2024•23 min•Season 3Ep. 30
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 Lyme disease, mold illness, and functional medicine expert. She is the founder of two alternative cl...
Jan 16, 2024•25 min•Season 3Ep. 29
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 Trigeminal Neuralgia affects her relationships, more about Occipital Neuralgia, how she copes with ...
Jan 09, 2024•29 min•Season 3Ep. 28
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 her incredible story as well as more information and perspective on the rare condition of Trigeminal N...
Jan 02, 2024•28 min•Season 3Ep. 37
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 way. In Part Two, Tylia discusses how she manages her mental health including a special way to help...
Dec 26, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 26
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 shares her struggle transitioning from the pediatric medical world to adult and her suggestions for tho...
Dec 19, 2023•28 min•Season 3Ep. 1
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 suggestions on managing the condition as you age, her advice for the recently diagnosed and what she wis...
Dec 12, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 144
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 experience with fibromyalgia and the modalities which help her not only cope but live a full life with ...
Dec 05, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 23
Continuing our throwback to S1E21 with warrior, Samantha Moss. Listen in as Sam shares more about how she finds acceptance and embraces her new life as a patient advocate, blogger, podcaster, and author, with her biggest passion being her global Facebook support group called, Medical Musings with Friends ; now 1,800 members strong. To learn more about Samantha Moss or her new book, you can visit her blog, " My Medical Musings " https://mymedmusings.com/ or listen to her Podcast, " Medical Musing...
Nov 28, 2023•44 min•Season 3Ep. 22
We are throwing back to S1E20 with warrior, Samantha Moss. Sam had a successful management career in financial services until 2014, when she had a severe bowel prolapse resulting in a permanent colostomy. Many diagnoses followed including a complex idiopathic Rare Bone Disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Sam constantly struggles with pathological broken bones and a future filled with unpredictability. Tune in to hear Sam’s amazing story of finding acceptance and embracing her new life as a patient...
Nov 21, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 21
Continuing our conversation with warrior, Jenny Jones from S1E27. Jenny lives with two rare, chronic conditions called Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) and Short Bowel Syndrome and more recently was diagnosed with Post-Concussion Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Esophageal Dysmotility. Due to FAP, she underwent a total colectomy at age nine. Complications resulted in six additional surgeries and an eighth surgery to remove her gall bladder. Her genetics and additional factors led Jenny to decide ...
Nov 14, 2023•28 min•Season 3Ep. 20
Let’s catch up with warrior, Jenny Jones from S1E27. Jenny lives with two rare, chronic conditions called Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) and Short Bowel Syndrome and more recently was diagnosed with Post-Concussion Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Esophageal Dysmotility. Due to FAP, she underwent a total colectomy at age nine. Complications resulted in six additional surgeries and an eighth surgery to remove her gall bladder. Her genetics and additional factors led Jenny to decide not to have b...
Nov 07, 2023•28 min•Season 3Ep. 19
Finishing our conversation with warrior, Jenny McPherson. Jenny has lived with chronic migraine disease for over forty years. During that time, she has spent tens of thousands of dollars even with insurance to treat her disease including Botox, many different medications, treatments, and even migraine surgery. Jenny spends her days juggling life as a contracts professional working for an aerospace company and mother while managing the before, during, or after of a migraine attack. Listen to Part...
Oct 31, 2023•24 min•Season 3Ep. 18
