Unfixed Podcast
27 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago -Sharing intimate conversations between two people creatively contending with adversity. One person has a chronic health condition. The other is a professional working within a relevant field or facing their own, unique battle. Each episode is an invitation to lean into curiosity, compassion, and empathy, while recognizing that we can all live powerful lives despite – or because of – our challenges. This podcast is a co-lab between Unfixed and Beyond My Battle.
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Episodes
Ep. 14 Bless the Beasts with Jennifer Trepanier and Morgan McCarthy
June 15, 2021 04:10 - 34 minutes - 79.1 MBDogs are unspoken healers. For some, they offer companionship, to others they act as an essential lifeline. In this episode, two women living with chronic illness explore the joy and purpose dogs brought into their lives. Morgan was born with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, while Jennifer developed debilitating autoimmune diseases. For Morgan, her service dog Dewey became her reason to get out of bed every day and gain more independence. For Jennifer, a desire to bring joy to others caused ...
Ep. 13 Dads with Disability ft Anthony Sanchez and Brian Langhans
June 01, 2021 04:01 - 36 minutes - 83.2 MBDads are often likened to superheroes. Tireless providers and valiant protectors, they’ve rightfully earned the comparison. Some dads, however, are actual superheroes fighting battles every day. Single dad Anthony Sanchez visibly dons his cape, while dad Brian Langhans wears his costume underneath. Despite different journeys, both men uncovered their powers in a similar way – through a sudden, life-changing disability. Brian was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease after a car accident, while Anth...
Ep. 12 Dismantling Stigma with Dawn Averitt and Melody Moezzi
May 14, 2021 21:06 - 45 minutes - 104 MBHIV/AIDS, mental illness, and activism. Three topics rooted in stigma that become more complex when they intersect with another taboo topic – women. Not many dare to step into these challenging arenas, but for two prolific activists, Dawn Averitt and Melody Moezzi, fighting for better care for women has been their life’s work. In this episode, Dawn and Melody share their parallel journeys into activism. What started as a small flame at an early age ignited into full-blown passion for advocac...
Ep. 11 Finding My People - Online Communities with Jenny McGibbon and Stefanie Grant
May 01, 2021 04:00 - 37 minutes - 85 MBHaving a chronic illness as a young adult can be isolating. Healthy peers don’t understand and the medical world feels designed for older people. Then one day, you find people like you online. These online communities weren’t always there – a few brave pioneers paved the way for these safe spaces to take flight. In this episode, Stefanie Grant and Jenny McGibbon discuss how they started sharing their health journeys online in their early 20s. For both Stefanie, who has facial pain disorders ...
Ep 11: Finding My People - Online Communities with Jenny McGibbon and Stefanie Grant
May 01, 2021 04:00 - 37 minutes - 85 MBHaving a chronic illness as a young adult can be isolating. Healthy peers don’t understand and the medical world feels designed for older people. Then one day, you find people like you online. These online communities weren’t always there – a few brave pioneers paved the way for these safe spaces to take flight. In this episode, Stefanie Grant and Jenny McGibbon discuss how they started sharing their health journeys online in their early 20s. For both Stefanie, who has facial pain disorders ...
Ep. 10 Approaching Terminal Illness with Openness with Pierre Zimmerman and Dylan Shanahan
April 15, 2021 04:00 - 43 minutes - 101 MBMost of us don’t like to think about the end until we’re forced to. In this episode, two men suddenly confronted with their own mortality talk about the grace they found on the other side of suffering. Dylan, a writer and Chinese medicine doctor, was diagnosed with ALS in 2017. Pierre, a Buddhist Chaplain specializing in end-of-life care, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Together, the two discuss the transformative growth and meaning they found when they learned to let go and embrace their...
Ep. 9 Our Heroes with Bethany Cook and Tamara Cook
April 01, 2021 04:00 - 42 minutes - 97.2 MBSometimes our heroes aren’t legendary figures, they're the ones right in our home. Bethany Cook’s world shattered when she was diagnosed with Narcolepsy and Cataplexy on the brink of young adulthood. Her mother, Tamara Cook was there to catch her as she fell into grief. As Bethany faced loss of identity, Tamara dealt with the loss of loved ones. Together the two have marched side-by-side in the battlefield of life while caring for each other’s needs. In this episode Bethany, a grad student ...
Ep. 8 Women's Bodies, Women's Healthcare with Sarah Ramey and Brianna Cardenas
March 15, 2021 04:00 - 43 minutes - 100 MBThe number of illnesses that qualify as mysterious is staggering. They also predominantly affect women. In this episode, author Sarah Ramey and Physician Assistant and professor Brianna Cardenas draw from a well of wisdom as patient advocates with mystery illnesses to explore the gender inequities, biases, and systemic barriers to getting proper care. They discuss how patients must stand their ground in seeking proper care within a broken healthcare system that often tells us it's all in ou...
Ep. 8 Mystery Illness, Women, and Their Care with Sarah Ramey and Brianna Cardenas
March 15, 2021 04:00 - 43 minutes - 100 MBThe number of illnesses that qualify as mysterious is staggering. They also predominantly affect women. In this episode, author Sarah Ramey and Physician Assistant and professor Brianna Cardenas draw from a well of wisdom as patient advocates with mystery illnesses to explore the gender inequities, biases, and systemic barriers to getting proper care. They discuss how patients must stand their ground in seeking proper care within a broken healthcare system that often tells us it's all in ou...
Ep. 8 Mystery Illness, Women, and their Care
March 15, 2021 04:00 - 43 minutes - 100 MBThe number of illnesses that qualify as mysterious is staggering. They also predominantly affect women. In this episode, author Sarah Ramey and Physician Assistant and professor Brianna Cardenas draw from a well of wisdom as patient advocates with mystery illnesses to explore the gender inequities, biases, and systemic barriers to getting proper care. They discuss how patients must stand their ground in seeking proper care within a broken healthcare system that often tells us it's all in ou...
Ep. 7 The Trauma Link with Veronique Mead and Kristy Boyd
March 01, 2021 05:00 - 45 minutes - 103 MBLife is traumatic. But some of us get an extra whopping dose of it, especially before we've learned tools to help us navigate. In this episode, our guests explore the connection between the nervous system and chronic illness – how being stuck in fight, flight or freeze can lead to long-term physiological consequences. Former family physician and trauma specialist Veronique Mead and trauma survivor Kristy Boyd share their research and personal stories living with chronic illness, illustrating...
Ep. 6 The Curing-Coping Continuum with Tessa Miller and Zoe Miller
February 15, 2021 05:01 - 44 minutes - 103 MBTessa and Zoe don't just share the same last name. At only 9 years old, Zoe “pooped in a blender” to save her aunt Tessa's life via fecal transplant. Today, Zoe is a high school student with her sights set on medical school alongside managing her own disability of hearing loss, and Tessa just published her first book that offers solidarity and wisdom from her rollercoaster ride with Crohn's disease. In this episode, Tessa and Zoe open up about their donor-recipient relationship, the deep ins...
Ep. 5 Athletes with Adversity with Todd Vogt and Susan Wood
February 01, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 80.7 MBTodd is a competitive rower who medaled at the US National Championships and is now training to qualify for the 2021 Paralympics. Susan is also a competitive rower, became an Olympic coach in 2004 and also a photographer and painter. Susan is also a competitive rower, became an Olympic coach in 2004 and also a photographer and painter. They currently share most days together in training. They were also both diagnosed a few years ago with degenerative diseases. Todd is learning to strike the...
Ep. 5 Athletes and Adversity with Todd Vogt and Susan Wood
February 01, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 80.7 MBTodd is a competitive rower who medaled at the US National Championships and is now training to qualify for the 2021 Paralympics. Susan is also a competitive rower, became an Olympic coach in 2004 and also a photographer and painter. Susan is also a competitive rower, became an Olympic coach in 2004 and also a photographer and painter. They currently share most days together in training. They were also both diagnosed a few years ago with degenerative diseases. Todd is learning to strike the...
Ep. 4 Strength in Sharing with Dr. Annie Brewster and Rachelle Alford
January 15, 2021 05:00 - 43 minutes - 101 MBDr. Annie Brewster is an internal medicine doctor, founder of Health Story Collaborative and professor at Harvard. Rachelle Alford is a former ER nurse, dancer and artist. Both live with chronic illnesses. Both strongly believe in the transformational power of sharing one's story. Story-telling heals. And by healing, we mean it empowers, connects and helps us find purpose and meaning through some of the hardest of times. When a doctor delivers a diagnosis, it’s usually the end of the story....
Ep. 3 Humor and Healing with Joel Goodman and Jeneye Abele
January 01, 2021 19:27 - 35 minutes - 81.2 MBAfter being diagnosed with transverse myelitis, CEO of the Argosy Foundation, Jeneye Abele, turned to comedy as a lifeline while adapting to the unpredictable and demanding nature of her medical condition. Like a magic pill, she finds laughter helps her transcend physical discomfort. In this episode, she talks with Dr. Joel Goodman, Founder and Director of the HUMOR Project, about how laughter can help carry us through the most difficult times. Together, they reflect on how an attitude of hu...
Ep 2. Sustaining Ourselves, Sustaining Others with Elissa Altman and Elizabeth Jameson
December 15, 2020 05:00 - 35 minutes - 81.9 MBWebster dictionary defines sustenance as a “something that gives support, endurance, strength.” In this episode, award-winning author and speaker Elissa Altman joins writer, speaker and disability advocate Elizabeth Jameson as they discuss the role of sustenance in their own lives. It is safe to say, this bedrock of support has been stripped from both of them in unique ways throughout their lives. Elizabeth, through the disease progression of MS that has her now living as a quadriplegic. And...
Ep. 1 Intro to the Unfixed Community with Kimberly Warner
December 01, 2020 05:01 - 23 minutes - 52.7 MBKimberly Warner is a filmmaker and the director/producer of the Unfixed documentary and award-winning docu-series. She is also the reason the Beyond My Battle Podcast now bears its new name – the Unfixed Podcast. In this episode, Kimberly talks about her journey living with a rare, neurological condition called Mal de Débarquement Syndrome. Mostly, we talk about why she needed to find others who were learning to thrive with their incurable conditions... and make a film about them.
Ep. 8: Responding to a Loved Ones’ Diagnosis
August 01, 2020 04:01 - 41 minutes - 95.4 MBReceiving a diagnosis is equally as difficult for those who love us. In this episode, we speak with two caregivers who provide their perspectives on what it was like to get that diagnosis for their child, how they initially responded, and how they went on to find community and care for themselves so they could be the best caregiver possible. We also speak with a licensed mental health counselor who talks with us about how any caregiver can address feelings of helplessness, how to support a l...
Ep 7: Turning Diagnosis into Purpose
July 01, 2020 04:00 - 40 minutes - 91.8 MBWhat does it take to own our illness? Why are some people more able to transform a not-so-great situation into something inspiring? In this episode, we speak with three guests who have been able to take their diagnoses and make the most of them to help themselves and others. We also speak with a clinical psychologist who specializes in the characteristic all three guests share – resilience – and who helps us understand the ways we accept our flaws and doubts in order to change the way we see...
Ep 6: Love, Relationship, Illness and Disability
June 01, 2020 04:01 - 42 minutes - 96.4 MBWhether you’re in a relationship or not, you know the unique challenges of finding and maintaining partnership when living with an illness or disability. From the way we see ourselves, to the way others see us, love is both a personal and interpersonal experience. Many find themselves unattractive, burdensome, or unworthy of this basic human need when seeking a companion. Others struggle to communicate effectively while in a relationship. In this episode, we present you with all angles by sh...
Ep. 5: Art, Creative Expression, and Coping
May 01, 2020 04:01 - 40 minutes - 91.9 MBAt some point, we've all experienced how art can transform our state of mind. Whether it is through painting, poetry, or pottery, art is one of the oldest tools for soothing our souls and communicating. In this episode, we share the stories of three artists who use art to cope with chronic illness and channel their feelings in a variety of ways. We later speak with an art therapist who discusses the therapeutic nature of creative expression, how art-making helps us be more present, and why i...
Ep 4: Coronavirus as a Catalyst for Calm
April 01, 2020 04:01 - 31 minutes - 72.6 MBWe made this special episode in an effort to support our community through the many changes and challenging emotions the COVID-19 outbreak stirs up. Pre-existing health conditions, accessibility, and caring for others have been central themes of the coronavirus pandemic. Those most vulnerable (or caring for those most vulnerable) are taking great precaution, and are faced with great fear and frustration. In this episode, we provide you with an outlook on managing that fear – one that might a...
Ep 3: Compassion, Acceptance, and Our Health
March 01, 2020 05:05 - 50 minutes - 116 MBSelf-compassion has become a widely studied and embraced method of extending kindness not just toward our current circumstance, but toward ourselves while experiencing it. Self-compassion is an appealing practice for those living with illnesses and disabilities as it releases common criticisms, shame, and feelings of imperfection while building a sense of understanding and acceptance. For caregivers, self-compassion helps avoid burnout, in effect nurturing the relationships with those we car...
Ep. 2: Applying Mindfulness as Patient and Caregiver
February 01, 2020 18:07 - 33 minutes - 76.6 MBHundreds of studies prove that the millennium-old practice of mindfulness positively impacts one’s health, specifically for those with illnesses or caregiving responsibilities. In this episode, three guests share stories of how they turned to mindfulness to find peace with chronic migraine, chronic fatigue syndrome, and being a parent of a child with muscular dystrophy. Later you’ll hear from a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher who explains how mindfulness works, the importance for ...
Ep. 1: Getting a Diagnosis and the Ways we Respond
January 01, 2020 05:00 - 32 minutes - 74.3 MBAnxiety. Sadness. Anger. Fear. Receiving a life-altering diagnosis is often accompanied by overwhelming emotions. In our first episode, you'll hear the stories of three guests who received the news of multiple sclerosis, retinitis pigmentosa, and Lyme disease with chronic pain, respectively. Our guests touch on how their diagnosis impacted everything from self-worth and identity, to relationships and new behavior. Later in this episode, you'll hear from a mental health professional who expla...