Episode 65 - Beyond the White Coat: Empowerment in Patient Partnerships

In this week's episode of Take a Pain Check, Natasha welcomes Cassidy Bradley, a medical student at Dalhousie University, who bravely shares her journey with Fibromyalgia and POTS. Cassidy's story starts with her symptoms emerging during her time as a national-level speed skater, eventually leading to hip surgery. She discusses her mental health struggles and the benefits of therapy in coping with chronic illness, as well as accepting her disability and navigating accommodations in medical school.

Cassidy opens up about the challenges she has faced with hip surgery, physiotherapy, and managing fibromyalgia and POTS, including temperature sensitivity and allodynia. She shares the adjustments she has made, such as using a heated blanket and wearing braces. Additionally, she highlights her advocacy work as a patient partner in research, advocating for the patient voice and aligning research with patient needs and values, along with Natasha who shares her own patient partner experience.

Cassidy also shares her positive experiences at Brigadoon Village, a camp for children with chronic illnesses, where she found support from counselors and fellow campers. Don't miss this insightful episode as Cassidy Bradley shares her inspiring journey on Take a Pain Check!

Cassidy's socials:
Twitter and Instagram: @Cassidybradley_

Check out our socials:
Website: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeapainch...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/takeapaincheck​​​
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck

Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

#fibromyalgia #medicalstudent #dalhousie #speedskater #rheumatology #pots