If you're seeing two of these or getting this episode really late, apologies. I realized half of my listeners didn't get the episode because I released it in video format versus audio. 🤦🏽♀️ Either way everyone should have at least one version of the episode. Thanks for understanding. Heeeyyy! Longtime no see. lol Life has been busy and a bit hectic and I'm ready to let you in on everything that's been going on. And the most exciting news. You'll be getting new episodes starting Nov 5! First o...
Nov 04, 2021•16 min
Heeeyyy! Longtime no see. lol Life has been busy and a bit hectic and I'm ready to let you in on everything that's been going on. And the most exciting news. You'll be getting new episodes starting Nov 5! First off we have incorporated Lichen Sclerosus Support Network and we are an official not-for-profit! Find out what we've been doing and what our future plans are. Want to volunteer? lssupport.net/volunteer Want to donate? lssupport.net/donate Secondly, my family caught covid and my husband an...
Oct 30, 2021•16 min
Hey!!! Welcome! I'm so happy you're here. I've got some AMAZING news. We have released the searchable provider directory! It's ready for you to explore. It's brand new so we have to work out all the kinks as we grow it but it's better than nothing. https://lichensclerosuspodcast.com/searchable-lichen-sclerosus-provider-database/ We have some equally exciting news. We are turning Lichen Sclerosus Support Network into an official nonprofit! Our mission will be to prevent the negative emotional and...
Apr 30, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 43
Hey! Welcome! I’m so glad you are here with us today! We are going to shake this up a bit and have a live round table discussion about the concepts of acceptance and resilience with some members of the LS Warriors membership. The concepts of acceptance and resilience are critical to living with a disease such as Lichen Sclerosus. In this round table discussion, I will ask our participants a series of questions relating to these concepts and Lichen Sclerosus. I would love to hear your thoughts on...
Apr 16, 2021•56 min•Season 2Ep. 42
I’m so glad you are here with us today. In today’s episode, we are joined by Jen, one of the LS Warriors! She is here to share the amazing story of her journey with Lichen Sclerosus. Jen’s journey involves a traumatic birth and a lot of stress to her vulva and vagina. She discusses what this process was like, how her symptoms manifested after the birth of her daughter, her diagnosis, and how she now deals with stress and Lichen Sclerosus. If you want to reach out to Jen, you can message her on T...
Apr 09, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 41
Uncover the potential connection between your diet and long-term health with this groundbreaking research on Diet and LS. Erica Eberl is a 23-year-old dietitian and LS warrior who was diagnosed less than a year ago. She has used her skills and resources to research LS and diet and shares her findings to help others. After Erica Eberl was diagnosed with LS, she did extensive research on diet and LS and found three studies that she was able to share. One study from Italy found that avocado and soy...
Apr 02, 2021•52 min•Season 2Ep. 40
Unearth the root cause of your Lichen Sclerosus and transform your life with Heather Cooan's real talk about nutrition and lifestyle changes. "But she didn't let that hold her down, and she advocated for herself and was able to heal her cancer and her Lichen Sclerosus support Network through the use of naturopathic therapy." Heather Cooan is a certified nutrition therapy practitioner and functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner. She found her passion for nutrition after her own battle with L...
Mar 26, 2021•59 min•Season 2Ep. 39
Today we are joined (again) by therapeutic nutrition consultant, LS warrior, and cancer survivor, Heather Cooan. Last episode we heard her diagnosis story. Unfortunately, Heather went undiagnosed for over 25 years, allowing her Lichen Sclerosus to develop into vulvar cancer. This was a gross failure of the medical system. In today’s episode, we learn how Heather advocated for herself and fought for her values. Today her Lichen Sclerosus is in remission and she is now cancer-free! Her story remin...
Mar 19, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 38
Today we are joined by therapeutic nutrition consultant, LS warrior, and cancer survivor, Heather Cooan. Heather’s journey from how the medical system let her down to self-advocacy and taking control of her health and body is nothing short of incredible. Her story will be told in two parts. Today, we begin with when Heather’s symptoms first began to manifest, how they impacted her life, and how she was repeatedly let down by the system. Email me at kathy@lichensclerosuspodcast.com or DM me on IG...
Mar 12, 2021•34 min•Season 2Ep. 37
Hey! Welcome. I'm excited to bring you the second part of my conversation with my LS sister, Jaclyn. In this episode, she shares what it took to go from suffering so bad she had to stop having sex with her new husband to having multi-orgasm sex multiple times a week. I hope this story inspires you because you can do this too! I truly believe you can. It won't be easy but you absolutely can. Please let me know if you're ready to start down the path back to health. We're here to support you. Email...
Mar 05, 2021•38 min•Season 2Ep. 36
Hey! Welcome to the Lichen Sclerosus Podcast. I have a very special LS Warrior with us today, Jaclyn, who is going to share the story of her journey with Lichen Sclerosus. Her progression from feeling alone and hopeless to empowered and thriving is captivating! Jaclyn is truly a beacon of light in our Lichen Sclerosus community and her story is sure to captivate you. This is the story of how Jaclyn began her Lichen Sclerosus journey with little information. While she had started to compile a tea...
Feb 26, 2021•54 min•Season 2Ep. 35
This week we talk about an awful drive I recently had to the doctor's office. I was overtaken by negative thoughts and emotions of what the future might bring. Eventually, I pulled myself out of those negative thoughts and emotions so I could do what I needed to do. I want to share with you my technique for staying in the present and changing my focus. This podcast is brought to you by Lichen Sclerosus Support Network, providing information, education, and support for people with Lichen Sclerosu...
Feb 19, 2021•27 min•Season 2Ep. 34
Does Lichen Sclerosus make penetrative sex painful for you? Has LS been a factor in a relationship breakup? Are you single and wonder if you'll ever be in a healthy relationship again? These are all questions this week's guest had to confront. After the demise of her 10-year marriage, she was determined to find out what was happening to her body. It took many more years for her to get a diagnosis, find acceptance, and ultimately love. Not just romantic love but love for herself. I invite you to ...
Feb 12, 2021•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 33
Welcome to season 2 of Lichen Sclerosus Podcast. For our first episode, the esteemed Dr. Jill Krapf and I discuss new research into women of reproductive age with LS. This under-studied group is often misdiagnosed or turned away being told ridiculous things. If you're between 18 and 50 and want to be part of the research head over to lichensclerosuspodcast.com/survey and fill out the questionnaire. Make your voice heard. We also discuss how the proper application of steroids can make a differenc...
Feb 05, 2021•53 min•Season 2Ep. 32
I woke up this Thanksgiving with a message of gratitude on my heart. Please don't let the fear and anxiety of Lichen Sclerosus pull you from the joy and happiness in your life. Find and focus on the pockets of gratitude and positivity. Make sure you sign up for next months virtual meetup at https://www.subscribepage.com/lsconnect And don't forget to follow me: IG - https://www.instagram.com/lichensclerosuspodcast/ FB - https://www.facebook.com/lichensclerosussupportnetwork...
Nov 28, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Fresh off the first Lichen Sclerosus Podcast Virtual Meetup I'm excited to bring fresh insights. As I'm sure you know because you live it Lichen Sclerosus does terrible things to our sex life. Sometimes stopping it completely. This week we look at how our libido is impacted by LS and how we can get it back. There's tons of information to look at. All links will be on the website show notes page at https://lssupportnetwork.org/is-lichen-sclerosus-lowering-your-sex-drive/. Make sure you sign up fo...
Nov 20, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 30
I'm so excited to bring back one of my favorite guests. Lou! If you don't know who Lou is go back and listen to the episode "Lou's Diagnosis Story". She is so much fun and I could not wait to speak with her again. We go in-depth on my story and discuss some of the decisions I made. My hope is that you learn something from my experiences or at the very least know that you are not alone. Please reach out: IG - https://www.instagram.com/lichensclerosuspodcast/ FB - https://www.facebook.com/lichensc...
Nov 13, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 29
This week four Lichen Sclerosus Warriors share their diagnosis stories with us. Although each of their stories is individualized they all have similarities to our own. LS can be such a lonely disease but by sharing our stories we realize there are thousands of women feeling and going through what we are going through. I hope you feel a little less alone today after listening to this episode. Don't forget to signup for the Lichen Sclerosus Podcast Virtual Meetup - https://lichensclerosuspodcast.c...
Nov 06, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Have you ever thought about how LS will or has affected your relationship? How it has or will affect your partner? This week I was inspired by a DM I received on Instagram from a young man looking to support his companion. The love and care he expressed sent me looking for actionable tips for how we can maintain healthy happy relationships despite LS. Listen to find out how we can support each other in our relationship, how our partners can support us, and how we support our partners. So grab yo...
Oct 30, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Do you have the itch? You know the one I'm talking about. The one that makes your vulva feel like ants are crawling all over it. That unforgiving desire to scratch. Yeah, that one. This week we discuss why we itch when we do and I give you seven ways ladies combat the itch. As always don't forget to subscribe and share. Follow me on Instagram @lichensclerosuspodcast and on FB @lichensclerosussupportnetwork . Full show notes at lichensclerosuspodcast.com/vulvaritch...
Oct 23, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 26
This week I make my contribution to World Mental Health Day. I am super passionate about the aspect of mental health in Lichen Sclerosus. In this episode, we discuss what research has been done on Lichen Sclerosus and mental health as well as hear from some Lichen Sclerosus sisters and their thoughts on LS and mental health. If you need help with mental health please reach out. I'm always available even if it's just to talk. I shared lots of resources in this episode so please don't suffer in si...
Oct 16, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Did you know you were supposed to check your vulva each month? Yep! But what exactly does that mean? What are we looking for? What do we do if something doesn't look right? In this episode, I share my first experience checking my vulva and provide you with step-by-step directions on how to check yours. First time I checked my vulva So here's the thing. I started this podcast. Being completely ignorant of the practical knowledge needed to be known with Lichen Sclerosus. I didn't know I was suppos...
Oct 09, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Is your train of thought, "I'm going to the doctor so they can tell me what's wrong and they can fix me."? Yeah, mine used to be too. Until I started advocating for myself and made my doctor my partner in healthcare. This week I give you my three-stage plan on how to create that partnership. If you have any tips or tricks you use to advocate for yourself at the doctor's office please share them and I will add them to the show notes on the website. Don't forget to subscribe and follow me on socia...
Oct 02, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Have you recently been diagnosed with Lichen Sclerosus or just started looking into it? If so this is the episode for you. Today we talk about causes, symptoms, treatments, and best practices. This is not a know-all be all, it is the basics to get you started down a path of wellness and acceptance. Don't forget to subscribe. IG - https://www.instagram.com/lichensclerosuspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lichensclerosussupportnetwork...
Sep 25, 2020•16 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Just wanted to let you know I was alive and what's going on.
Sep 18, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 21
This week I give you a health update and explain how I've been practicing giving myself grace. Chronic illness can create changes in our lives that we do not like but have to accept. This is where I find myself at the moment. I don't like it but I have to treat myself with care or I will make it worse. So this episode is the four tips I give in week 4 of my 5-week program "Get OK with LS". I hope they are as helpful to you as they are to me and the ladies that have been through my program. Stay ...
Aug 15, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Has LS taken over most of your waking thoughts? Does it have you questioning your womanhood or sex appeal? Has it made you feel less than? Then you need to listen to this episode. This week I speak with Dr. Anne Whitehouse who has developed a process to refocus our subconscious from our illness back onto the things that are truly important to us. Through daily practice, she has been able to work through anxiety, stress, and fear brought on by the deeply engrained pressures put on us by society. ...
Aug 08, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 19
This week I went off script and had a frank talk about what's been going on with me. It's so important to listen when your body is telling you to slow down or something is wrong. Hopefully, I will be back to full strength next week and we will be back to your regularly scheduled program. Don't' forget to follow me on social media so you can get notified of my live events. Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lichensclerosussupportnetwork/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lichensclerosuspodca...
Aug 01, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Our sister in Lichen Sclerosus, Lou from Australia, shares her diagnosis story with us. Her trials with everything from doctors to mental health. Be prepared to smile and laugh because we had fun. And although our stories are individual to ourselves we share a lot of similarities. So share in the sisterhood of LS. Also, stay tuned to the end for an exciting announcement. Don't forget to subscribe to be notified of the next episode. Instagram @lichensclerosuspodcast Facebook @lichensclerosussuppo...
Jul 24, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 17
This week we dive into support groups. Why you may need one? Why they are important and what to look for in the right support group for you? I'll also introduce you to two Facebook support group admins and let them tell you a bit about their groups. Links for groups as follows: Lichen Sclerosus Sclerosis UK Support Group For Women Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/221930761513570/ Website - https://lsvcukawareness.weebly.com/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/LSclerosus & https://twitte...
Jul 18, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 16
