The Invisible Illness Club | Chronic Illness, Auto Immune

Natasha shares life with bipolar disorder, PTSD, lupus, grief, and faith—and what healing looks like when it’s messy.

• What it felt like to be “high-functioning” while secretly struggling with self-harm and mood episodes
• Why mental health labels can feel like stigma, while chronic illness labels can feel like relief
• Natasha’s lupus story: pain, swelling, ER visits...

• Why losing independence feels deeper than inconvenience
• The hidden fear of ...

Chronic fatigue forced Belinda to slow down. This conversation is about listening sooner, asking for help, and finding hope that actually holds.

• What chronic fatigue can look like over decades
• Why slowing down isn’t quitting — it’s maintenance
• How therapeutic lifestyle changes support real life with illness
• The difference between optimism and hope when your body won’t cooperate
• Why asking for specific help ma...

This episode isn’t tidy or inspiring. I’m stuck in bed, waiting on answers, and my body scares me right now. I talk honestly about exhaustion, fear, faith questions, and what it’s like to stop pretending you’re fine when you’re not. If you’re surviving the day instead of living it, you’re not alone.

• Why it’s okay to say “this sucks” without rushing to hope
• What the waiting season really feels li...

In this episode, April talks with Bethany Bacon about living with hydrocephalus after being born at 24½ weeks, holding onto genuine hope, and learning not to let chronic illness—or the world’s opinions—define you. Bethany also shares the heart behind her Anchored in Hope coaching program and how listeners can connect with her.

• What it can look like to hold hope that feels real, not performative
• Bethany’s earl...

Starting the year tired, in appointments, and waiting on answers — this episode is about choosing quiet hope in a body that needs care.

• Why hope doesn’t have to feel confident to be real
• How to hold grief and gratitude at the same time
• What it looks like to start a new year already exhausted
• Permission to define success by listening to your body
• Why “manageable” can be a meaningful goal

• How to reflect on your year with honesty and grace
• Ways to recognize growth that doesn’t look like achievement
• Reflection prompts around energy, joy, and compassion
• How to release guilt and carry peace into the new year

• “You don’t have...

Holiday gatherings don’t have to drain you. Here’s how to protect your energy, say no with grace, and still feel connected.

• Why guilt creeps in when you set limits
• How to communicate your boundaries clearly and kindly
• Simple scripts for saying no or leaving early
• How to let go of pressure and find joy in quieter moments

• “You don’t owe anyone a detailed medical update over mashed po...

• Why “toxic gratitude” makes hard days harder
• The difference between pretending and practicing gratitude
• Gentle journal prompts for finding small joys
• How faith helps you hold gratitude and pain at the same time

• “Gratitude doesn’t erase pain — it makes room...

After the holidays, your body crashes and your guilt kicks in. Here’s how to rest without apology — because recovery is sacred work.

• Why your post-holiday crash isn’t weakness
• How to identify guilt-driven thoughts about rest
• Real-life examples of what true rest looks like
• Mindset shifts to help you rest without apology

• “Recovery isn’t laziness. It’s the part your body’s been waitin...

Hey friend. This one’s simple — no lessons or bullet points today. I just wanted to take a breath with you and say thank you. For real. For showing up, for listening, for being part of this messy, beautiful space we’ve built together. When I started The Invisible Illness Club, I hoped it would help women feel seen. What’s happened has been so much more. Every message you’ve sent, every episode you’ve shared, every quiet moment you’...

Asking for help shouldn’t feel like failure — but for so many of us living with chronic illness, it does. In this episode, April gets real about the guilt, pride, and fear that make it so hard to ask for help, even when we desperately need it. From a moment of vulnerability in the shower to redefining what strength really means, this honest conversation invites you to see help not as weakness, but as connection.

Virtual assistant agency owner Stephanie Boyle shares how living with multiple sclerosis reshaped her work, motherhood, and mindset. We dig into boundaries without guilt, pacing work with alarms and self-check questions, co-parenting through flares, and starting a business small (on your body’s timeline). This one’s a masterclass in honoring limits without losing your ambition.

• The schedule that listens: using alarm...

This episode dives into what it really looks like to support a spouse living with chronic illness. Matt shares the long, emotional journey to his MCTD diagnosis — from years of pain and self-doubt to finally finding answers. Latricia offers honest insight into the emotional weight of watching someone you love struggle and how she’s learned to listen, show up, and advocate without losing herself in the process. Together, they talk a...

Entrepreneurship is often painted as hustle, consistency, and 5 a.m. mornings. But when you live with chronic illness, that version of productivity just doesn’t fit. In this episode, I pull back the curtain on what it really looks like to run a business when your body has other plans. From working in bed with a laptop tray to building flexible schedules that honor your energy, I’ll share the practices and mindset shifts that keep m...