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  • The Perrin Technique— Review of the Books Part 3: The Concise Perrin Technique: A Handbook for Patients by Dr. Raymond Perrin

    The Perrin Technique— Review of the Books Part 3: The Concise Perrin Technique: A Handbook for Patients by Dr. Raymond Perrin
    2026/06/18
    Category: Health & Wellness — Chronic Illness / Invisible Illness Support "Sometimes, healing begins when your symptoms finally have a story that makes sense, not a perfect story, and not the only story, but a story that helps you stop blaming yourself." —Donna Piper There's a specific kind of grief that hits when your body has been trying to talk to you for years, and nobody ever handed you the translator. That's where this episode starts, before Donna introduces the book that finally gave her one. This week is a book talk on The Concise Perrin Technique: A Handbook for Patients by Dr. Raymond Perrin, the patient-friendly companion to his larger clinical text. Donna shares why it was the first thing that made her ME/CFS feel less like a mystery and more like a map. In this episode: The body-based theory behind the Perrin Technique, and how a disrupted nervous system and lymphatic drainage create fatigue, brain fog, and crashes that feel random but aren't. Why ME/CFS isn't "just tired," and what post-exertional malaise (PEM) really feels like, including the delayed crash that hits a day or two later. The phrase that changed Donna's relationship with her limits: do half of what you think you can do. What changed at home once her husband read the book, too. A simple daily pacing check-in you can try with no equipment. Who it's for: anyone living with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, long COVID, POTS, MCAS, hypermobility (including hEDS), lipedema, or any chronic illness involving pacing or nervous system dysregulation, plus the partners and family trying to understand it. Book mentioned: The Concise Perrin Technique: A Handbook for Patients by Dr. Raymond Perrin: https://amzn.to/4h7Vmwa Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_donna Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 01:29 The Perrin Technique: A Clearer, More Practical Path 05:01 Real Talk: A Specific Kind of Grief 08:24 Connective Thread: A Patient Handbook 09:58 Takeaway 1-ME/CFS: A Body-Based Explanation 11:57 Takeaway 2-ME/CFS: Not Just About Energy, It's Recovery 13:37 Takeaway 3- The Perrin Technique: Patient Involvement 18:56 Takeaway 4- ME/CFS: Doing Half 20:44 Takeaway 5-Emotionally Validating 24:00 Myth Busters 27:08 Feel Good Flow 32:47 Shared Education & Lived Experience Resources: 🤔Got a question for me? Every month, I do a listener coaching episode—and I'd love to hear from you! Send your questions, stories, or flare-up confessions to donna@donnapiper.com, and you just might hear your answer on the show. 💲Discount Get $20 off the Visible Wrist Band 2.0 Click the link: https://join.makevisible.com/73784699c7db3e **Wearable heart-rate and activity sensor, with charging cable and strap included. 5 days battery life Manufactured by Polar, the world leader in heart-rate monitoring Designed for illness, not fitness HSA/FSA Eligible 💗Springrose Give $20, GET $20 When you share Springrose with friends, they get $20 off their first purchase and you get $20 towards your next purchase!* Share the love. https://oken.do/0l3hpr6v 💗Equip Fuel With Real Food Meet Prime Protein, the original beef protein powder, with over 20g of delicious grass-fed beef protein. No junk or fillers https://www.equipfoods.com/DONNA15 📖 Book The Concise Perrin Technique: A Handbook for Patients by Dr. Raymond Perrin https://amzn.to/4h7Vmwa The Concise Perrin Technique is described by Hammersmith Books as a practical patient handbook explaining the "why and how" of using the Perrin Technique to support ME/CFS recovery and healthy lymphatic drainage from the brain; the publisher also lists contents including how the technique works, CFS/ME and fibromyalgia, treatment, FAQs, tests, and the Perrin questionnaire. The official Perrin Technique site describes the approach as an osteopathic method developed in 1989 that aims to support drainage from cerebrospinal fluid into the lymphatic system through spinal movement and soft tissue work around the head, neck, back, and chest. The Perrin Technique self-help guide states that at-home routines are intended for patients currently working with a licensed Perrin Technique practitioner and include flexibility, breathing, self-massage, contrast bathing, active head rest, strengthening exercises, and cross crawl. The CDC describes ME/CFS as a complex, chronic, debilitating disease involving reduced ability to function, post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, and either cognitive impairment and/or orthostatic intolerance. The CDC also defines PEM as worsening symptoms after previously tolerated physical or mental exertion; symptoms often worsen 12 to 48 hours later and can last days or weeks, and pacing is used to help prevent flare-ups and relapses. 🎙️Podcast The Perrin Technique Part 1: ...
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    35 分
  • Fascial Counterstrain

    Fascial Counterstrain
    2026/06/11
    "Your body may not need more force, it might just need more safety. Your body might not have been resisting healing, it's just maybe a continuation of the protecting that it's been doing the whole time." —Donna Piper What if your body isn't failing you… it's protecting you? In this episode, Donna Piper unpacks a quiet but powerful shift for anyone living with chronic illness: healing doesn't always come from pushing harder—it often begins with feeling safer. Through a deeply personal lens, she introduces fascial counterstrain, a gentle, hands-on therapy that works with the body instead of against it. You'll hear why so many chronic illness bodies stay stuck in tension, how the nervous system plays a hidden role in pain, fatigue, and swelling, and why "doing more" might actually be keeping you from healing. Donna breaks down how this approach supports everything from lymphatic flow to brain fog—without force, strain, or overwhelm. If you've ever felt dismissed, confused by your symptoms, or exhausted from trying everything… this conversation offers a different way forward. In this episode, you'll learn: What fascial counterstrain actually is (in simple terms) Why chronic illness bodies stay in protective "bracing" patterns How gentle therapy can support pain, fatigue, and nervous system overload The connection between fascia, lymphatic flow, and whole-body healing A simple way to start rebuilding trust with your body today Key takeaway: Your body may not need more effort—it may need more safety. Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_donna Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 01:01 What is Fascial Counterstrain? 03:16 Real Talk: Living with Chronic Illness 08:09 Fascial Counterstrain: The Gentle Way 11:41 Connective Thread: Precision, Not Pressure 22:22 What is Fascia? 25:32 Fascia and the ME/Chronic Fatigue Connection 29:29 Why Facial Counterstrain Matters to Lymphatic and Venous Flow 33:56 Myth Busters 38:16 Feel Good Flow 44:11 Shared Education & Lived Experience Resources: 🤔Got a question for me? Every month, I do a listener coaching episode—and I'd love to hear from you! Send your questions, stories, or flare-up confessions to donna@donnapiper.com, and you just might hear your answer on the show. 💲Discount Get $20 off the Visible Wrist Band 2.0 Click the link: https://join.makevisible.com/73784699c7db3e **Wearable heart-rate and activity sensor, with charging cable and strap included. 5 days battery life Manufactured by Polar, the world leader in heart-rate monitoring Designed for illness, not fitness HSA/FSA Eligible 💗Springrose Give $20, GET $20 When you share Springrose with friends, they get $20 off their first purchase and you get $20 towards your next purchase!* Share the love. https://oken.do/0l3hpr6v 💗Equip Fuel With Real Food Meet Prime Protein, the original beef protein powder, with over 20g of delicious grass-fed beef protein. No junk or fillers https://www.equipfoods.com/DONNA15 🔗Links: Official Directory: Find a trained practitioner in your area using the Counterstrain.com Practitioner Directory or check The Jones Institute Locator. [1, 2] Patient Resources: Learn exactly what to expect during a session and how FCS targets the interstitium on the Fascial Connections Patient Guide. Mechanisms & Education: Dive deep into the physiological rationale behind the technique, such as the reduction of interstitial inflammatory stasis, via Tuckey and Associates Education Page. [1] Training Pathways: Healthcare professionals can explore course levels and Mastery Training requirements at the Counterstrain Training Schedule.
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    48 分
  • No, Karen! I Couldn't Diet My Way of the Lipedema

    No, Karen! I Couldn't Diet My Way of the Lipedema
    2026/06/04

    "Just food alone isn't going make all of these systems behave together. Most of the time with connective tissue disorders, you have constipation, you have gut issues, you have dysautonomia. There's so many things that you have that food alone isn't going to change the actual diseased part of this." —Donna Piper

    If you've ever been told to "just eat less and move more" while living with a chronic illness, this episode is for you.
    ​Today, we are tackling the heavy emotional toll of lipedema, gaslighting in modern medicine, and the myth of the "perfect diet." For decades, many of us have lived with unspoken, unnamed chronic conditions, carrying the guilt that our bodies weren't responding the way society says they should.
    ​In this episode, we break down why the responsibility of nutrition isn't about finding a magic, reinvented wheel—it's about learning how to interact with food in a way that genuinely supports your unique body. You are in control of your plate, and you deserve to feel good about what you eat.
    ​Key Takeaways from This Episode:
    • ​You Did Not Fail: Lipedema is a medical condition, not a willpower issue. You are not lazy, weak, or the problem.
    • ​The Nutrition Myth: Why 99.9% of commercial diet programs won't work for lipedema, and why the real power lies in figuring out what foods support your unique inflammation levels.
    • ​Finding Peace in a Label: How getting an official diagnosis for a chronic illness can help you finally ease into healing rather than fighting your own anatomy.
    • Remember: You have been living in a body that has not been fully understood by modern medicine. You are not alone, and you are doing the best you can.

    Connect with Donna:
    Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_donna
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper

    Episode Highlights:
    01:23 The Lipedema Talks
    07:07 Diet is NOT the Whole Story
    12:14 Real Talk: You Cannot Reverse Lipedema with Just Diet
    22:08 Connective Thread: Nuance
    29:17 Myth Busters
    34:19 Feel Good Flow
    39:10 Shared Education & Lived Experience

    Resources:
    🤔Got a question for me? Every month, I do a listener coaching episode—and I'd love to hear from you!
    Send your questions, stories, or flare-up confessions to donna@donnapiper.com, and you just might hear your answer on the show.

    💲Discount
    Get $20 off the Visible Wrist Band 2.0
    Click the link: https://join.makevisible.com/73784699c7db3e
    **Wearable heart-rate and activity sensor, with charging cable and strap included.
    5 days battery life
    Manufactured by Polar, the world leader in heart-rate monitoring
    Designed for illness, not fitness
    HSA/FSA Eligible
    💗Springrose
    Give $20, GET $20
    When you share Springrose with friends, they get $20 off their first purchase and you get $20 towards your next purchase!* Share the love.
    https://oken.do/0l3hpr6v
    💗Equip
    Fuel With Real Food
    Meet Prime Protein, the original beef protein powder, with over 20g of delicious grass-fed beef protein. No junk or fillers
    https://www.equipfoods.com/DONNA15
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    43 分
  • Dear Body, I'm Back! Surgery, Swelling, and the Sacred Weirdness of Healing

    Dear Body, I'm Back! Surgery, Swelling, and the Sacred Weirdness of Healing
    2026/05/28

    "Remember why you want surgery. It's no one else's business." —Donna Piper

    Chronic illness can turn basic things like walking, sitting, or flying into strategic missions. When surgery enters the chat, it is not about chasing skinny; it is about survival, mobility, and pain relief. This solo episode sits in that tender, unglamorous middle of fear, hope, and raw honesty.
    In this story, Donna shares a second high-volume lipedema surgery in Germany, traveling solo with ME/CFS, POTS, MCAS, and hypermobility EDS in the mix. Her experience reshapes what healing, body image, and "success" look like inside a chronic illness body.
    Hit play to hear the real cost and quiet wins of this decision, and how our bodies keep asking to be trusted again.
    • Why lipedema surgery in Germany was about walking, not shrinking
    • Navigating flights, hotels, food, and accessibility with chronic illness
    • High-volume liposuction details and anesthesia tweaks that helped
    • Compression garments, MLD, swelling, and the reality of recovery
    • Body dysmorphia, vulnerability, and learning a new body story
    • Myth-busting around "vanity," weight stigma, and mental health
    • Simple 4-4-4 breathwork to calm the nervous system in hard moments

    Connect with Donna:
    Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_donna
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper

    Episode Highlights:
    01:48 Real Talk: 2nd Surgery
    07:53 Solo-Traveling to Germany
    10:49 Surgery Details and Recovery
    20:03 Post-Surgery Challenges and Adjustments
    22:52 Emotional and Mental Aspects of Healing
    27:21 Conective Thread: Healing is Not Linear
    31:25 Myth Busters: Remember Your Why
    34:47 Feel Good Flow
    37:31 Shared Education & Lived Experience

    Resources:
    🤔Got a question for me? Every month, I do a listener coaching episode—and I'd love to hear from you!
    Send your questions, stories, or flare-up confessions to donna@donnapiper.com, and you just might hear your answer on the show.

    💲Discount
    Get $20 off the Visible Wrist Band 2.0
    Click the link: https://join.makevisible.com/73784699c7db3e
    **Wearable heart-rate and activity sensor, with charging cable and strap included.
    5 days battery life
    Manufactured by Polar, the world leader in heart-rate monitoring
    Designed for illness, not fitness
    HSA/FSA Eligible

    💗Springrose
    Give $20, GET $20
    When you share Springrose with friends, they get $20 off their first purchase and you get $20 towards your next purchase!* Share the love.
    https://oken.do/0l3hpr6v

    💗Equip
    Fuel With Real Food
    Meet Prime Protein, the original beef protein powder, with over 20g of delicious grass-fed beef protein. No junk or fillers
    https://www.equipfoods.com/DONNA15
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    41 分
  • The Perrin Technique: How To Diagnose And Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Me And Fibromyalgia Via The Lymphatic Drainage Of The Brain by Dr. Raymond Perrin, 2nd Ed. Part 2

    The Perrin Technique: How To Diagnose And Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Me And Fibromyalgia Via The Lymphatic Drainage Of The Brain by Dr. Raymond Perrin, 2nd Ed. Part 2
    2026/04/16
    "ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is more than just fatigue. What we do, or specifically what we don't do, actually aids in more healing. So doing less equals faster, better outcomes."—Donna Piper A focused revisit to the Perrin Technique that zeroes in on practical steps for easing crashes and brain fog. This is part 2 of our series on The Perrin Technique. This week, Donna dives into chapter 10 to pull out clinician-ready moves and patient routines. Her experience shows how targeted lymphatic drainage, thoracic mobility, and pacing change day to day tolerance over months. Donna describes weekly clinic work and daily self-care that turned theoretical protocol into measurable recovery, and why slow, gentle practice mattered most. Play this episode to hear the chapter 10 breakdown and actionable next steps. • Chapter 10 deep dive from Dr Raymond Perrin 2nd Ed • Perrin Technique steps for neuro-lymphatic drainage • Contrast bathing and thoracic region protocols • Cervical and cranial sacral techniques explained • Pacing and rest as core treatment strategies • Practical self-care routines and when to seek a certified practitioner Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_donna Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 01:28 The Perrin Technique: Chapter 10 Intro 10:13 Real Talk: ME/CFS— More Than Fatigue 16:14 Connective Thread: A Systemic Dysfunction 35:25 Myth Buster 41:15 Feel Good Flow 45:02 Shared Education &Lived Experience Resources: 🤔Got a question for me? Every month, I do a listener coaching episode—and I'd love to hear from you! Send your questions, stories, or flare-up confessions to donna@donnapiper.com, and you just might hear your answer on the show. 💲Discount Get $20 off the Visible Wrist Band 2.0 Click the link: https://join.makevisible.com/73784699c7db3e **Wearable heart-rate and activity sensor, with charging cable and strap included. 5 days battery life Manufactured by Polar, the world leader in heart-rate monitoring Designed for illness, not fitness HSA/FSA Eligible 💗Springrose Give $20, GET $20 When you share Springrose with friends, they get $20 off their first purchase and you get $20 towards your next purchase!* Share the love. https://oken.do/0l3hpr6v 💗Equip Fuel With Real Food Meet Prime Protein, the original beef protein powder, with over 20g of delicious grass-fed beef protein. No junk or fillers https://www.equipfoods.com/DONNA15 💗Books: 📖The Perrin Technique: How to diagnose and treat CFS/ME and fibromyalgia via the lymphatic drainage of the brain, 2nd Ed: https://amzn.to/4sV1ehf 📖The Concise Perrin Technique: A Handbook for Patients: https://amzn.to/47JSEcG 📖https://theperrintechnique.com/self-help-guide/ X: DO LESS, HEAL BETTER. The Perrin Technique Chapter 10 unpacked: contrast baths, cervical drainage, thoracic mobility, and severity scoring to track recovery. Tune in and get clear actions to discuss with your clinician. #DearBodyImListeningPodcast #ThePerrinTechnique #DrRaymondPerrin #MECFS #ChronicFatigue #fibromyalgia #LymphaticHealth #NeuroLymphaticDrainage #AutonomicNervousSystem #ThoracicSpine #Inflammation #ContrastBathing #SelfGuidedMovements #StressReduction #DietAndNutrition #Hypermobility Quotes: 05:30 "Pain equals no gain; more equals no gain; more actually makes me worse." —Donna Piper 07:14 "For healing, you want to look at it as a few years that you're going to be doing this. It's taken a long time to get sick in most cases, so it does take a while to get better. This is not a miracle… You probably are going to feel worse because you're going to be detoxing. Some of these toxins are going to be coming out, so you might feel worse. And then that is how you know that it's working." —Donna Piper 19:08 "When you have ME/CFS, you're not just tired, you're having a whole body problem with drainage, nervous system stress and physical dysfunction."—Donna Piper 26:08 "You're not doing anybody any favors, including yourself if you push yourself through the pain barrier. Pain is the body's natural protection; it tells you when to stop." —Donna Piper 36:09 "ME is one of those conditions that punishes excess. Too much stimulation, that's a problem. Too much activity is a problem. Cognitive effort is also a problem. Too much emotional stress is a problem. Too much treatment, believe it or not, is also a problem." —Donna Piper 39:27 "Some healing is microscopic at first. You can't see that healing that it's doing inside of your body. You may notice you're crashing less violently. You may see that you recover a little faster… You have slightly more room between effort and consequence, and that is really where the nuances are, and that's what counts." —Donna Piper 40:15 "Don't let the ...
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    47 分
  • The Perrin Technique: How To Diagnose And Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Me And Fibromyalgia Via The Lymphatic Drainage Of The Brain by Dr. Raymond Perrin, 2nd Ed.

    The Perrin Technique: How To Diagnose And Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Me And Fibromyalgia Via The Lymphatic Drainage Of The Brain by Dr. Raymond Perrin, 2nd Ed.
    2026/04/09

    "Take a look at everything that's been going on with your body and your health, and see if you can be at least okay with the knowledge that this is something that you need to treat in a different way, and relish in the fact that it is not something you've been making up and it there are some real treatment out there." —Donna Piper

    A clogged brain drainage system rewires energy, hormones, and recovery so daily life becomes a series of compromises. This matters now because new research and hands-on approaches reveal a physical route to symptoms often written off as psychological.
    This week, Donna walks through her Perrin technique diagnosis and yearlong treatment journey after unexplained fatigue, showing how structural, autonomic, and lymphatic factors converged to create measurable change. Her story reframes chronic fatigue syndrome and ME as treatable physiological conditions.
    Tune in to hear the practical breakdown:
    Perrin technique and neuro lymphatic drainage
    How hypothalamic dysfunction drives ME/CFS symptoms
    Common structural and autonomic signs to watch for
    Self assessment basics and when to see a practitioner
    Realistic timelines and treatment expectations
    Related conditions: fibromyalgia, EDS, MCAS

    Connect with Donna:
    Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_donna
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper

    Episode Highlights:
    01:01 Discovering The Perrin Technique
    06:22 Real Talk: Dr. Raymond Perrin and His Life Work
    10:35 Connective Thread: 7 Facts
    25:57 Myth Buster: Not Psychological, But Physiological
    27:48 Feel Good Flow
    29:59 Shared Education and Lived Experience

    Resources:
    🤔Got a question for me? Every month, I do a listener coaching episode—and I'd love to hear from you!
    Send your questions, stories, or flare-up confessions to donna@donnapiper.com, and you just might hear your answer on the show.
    💲Discount
    Get $20 off the Visible Wrist Band 2.0
    Click the link: https://join.makevisible.com/73784699c7db3e
    **Wearable heart-rate and activity sensor, with charging cable and strap included.
    5 days battery life
    Manufactured by Polar, the world leader in heart-rate monitoring
    Designed for illness, not fitness
    HSA/FSA Eligible

    💗Springrose
    Give $20, GET $20
    When you share Springrose with friends, they get $20 off their first purchase and you get $20 towards your next purchase!* Share the love.
    https://oken.do/0l3hpr6v

    💗Equip
    Fuel With Real Food
    Meet Prime Protein, the original beef protein powder, with over 20g of delicious grass-fed beef protein. No junk or fillers
    https://www.equipfoods.com/DONNA15

    💗Books:
    📖The Perrin Technique: How to diagnose and treat CFS/ME and fibromyalgia via the lymphatic drainage of the brain, 2nd Ed: https://amzn.to/4sV1ehf
    📖The Concise Perrin Technique: A Handbook for Patients: https://amzn.to/47JSEcG
    📖https://theperrintechnique.com/self-help-guide/
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    33 分
  • My Season 2 Premiere

    My Season 2 Premiere
    2026/04/02
    "When you have these chronic illnesses, it's not a sentence. Saying that you have a disease is empowering, as long as you don't hide behind it." —Donna Piper A fresh start does not always look productive. Sometimes it looks like a missed week, a body that feels louder again, and the quiet fear that progress is slipping. This conversation sits in that space where healing feels uncertain and hard to trust. Donna shares where things stand right now, preparing for a second surgery while navigating the return of chronic fatigue symptoms, and how that tension is shaping a more honest approach to healing. Press play and stay with the conversation as it unfolds. • chronic illness and non-linear healing • chronic fatigue syndrome flare-ups • preparing for surgery with medical trauma nervous system patterns and shutdown • rebuilding self-trust in the body • the Perrin Technique and future tools • redefining what progress really means Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_donna Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 01:14 Season 2: A Very Human Beginning 02:48 Real Talk: Surgery #2 07:32 Connective Thread: What Actually Helped 17:28 Myth Buster: 22.44 Feel Good Flow: Micro Moves, Macro Reliefs 25:30 Shared Education and Lived Experience Resources: 🤔Got a question for me? Every month, I do a listener coaching episode—and I'd love to hear from you! Send your questions, stories, or flare-up confessions to donna@donnapiper.com, and you just might hear your answer on the show. 💲Discount Get $20 off the Visible Wrist Band 2.0 Click the link: https://join.makevisible.com/73784699c7db3e **Wearable heart-rate and activity sensor, with charging cable and strap included. 5 days battery life Manufactured by Polar, the world leader in heart-rate monitoring Designed for illness, not fitness HSA/FSA Eligible 💗Springrose Give $20, GET $20 When you share Springrose with friends, they get $20 off their first purchase and you get $20 towards your next purchase!* Share the love. https://oken.do/0l3hpr6v 💗Equip Fuel With Real Food Meet Prime Protein, the original beef protein powder, with over 20g of delicious grass-fed beef protein. No junk or fillers https://www.equipfoods.com/DONNA15 X: Starting over is not always clean. Sometimes it is messy, delayed, and honest. Donna talks about surgery prep, chronic fatigue flare-ups, and rebuilding trust with the body. Press play! #DearBodyImListeningPodcast #healingtools #selfregulation #lipedema #fatigue #healingprocess #chronicillnesssupport #healingjourney #chronicfatigue Quotes: 04:24 "There's a practical side of getting ready for surgery: the logistics, the packing, the timing, the body prep, the emotional prep. And then there's a deeper layer that's underneath it: the vulnerability, the uncertainty, the memory of what it means to go through something intense in the body again." —Donna Piper 12:00 "There is no magic fix. My surgery is helping with my lipedema, but I'm always going to have it, so I do need to manage it. So if there's anyone saying you don't need to manage your symptoms forever, that's just not true." —Donna Piper 13:28 "When you have these chronic illnesses, it's not a sentence. Saying that you have a disease is empowering, as long as you don't hide behind it." —Donna Piper 16:16 "Everything is connected, and you just have to find the one thing that resonates with you and to look for it in your daily lives." —Donna Piper 16:48 "When you're dealing with chronic illness, fragments matter a lot. Because sometimes, those fragments can become your lifeline, sometimes they become a framework, sometimes they become the thing you return to when your body gets louder again." —Donna Piper 18:14 "A symptom return does not cancel the healing that's happened." —Donna Piper 22:03 "You did not fail. Your body's just changed." —Donna Piper 23:20 "Maybe beginning again is not being together. Maybe it's about being more truthful." —Donna Piper 26:22 "When we have more understanding with ourselves and we know more about what's going on with our bodies, we feel safer, we feel more relaxed, we feel more connected." —Donna Piper Your Host: Donna Piper is a Relationship Coach, Trauma Expert, and Akashic Records Healer dedicated to empowering successful single women to transform their love lives and attract fulfilling partnerships without sacrificing their professional ambitions. With a holistic approach blending therapeutic coaching, trauma-informed techniques, and Akashic Records wisdom, she guides clients to release limiting beliefs, heal emotional blocks, and cultivate unshakable self-trust. Her work focuses on aligning mind, body, and spirit to create lasting change—helping clients refine communication, ...
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    27 分
  • Depression After Recovery: Grief, Guilt, Shame, and Finding Yourself Again

    Depression After Recovery: Grief, Guilt, Shame, and Finding Yourself Again
    2026/03/19
    "Maybe the depression that shows up after recovery is not a sign you're doing it wrong. Maybe it is a sign that your body finally feels safe enough to tell the truth." —Donna Piper Depression after recovery can arrive right when energy improves and symptoms ease, and it can feel like the rug gets pulled out from under us. Chronic illness shapes our identity, routines, relationships, and sense of safety for years, so when the body finally stabilizes, old grief, guilt, and fear often rise to the surface. This episode sits with that reality and treats post-surgery depression and chronic illness recovery as a nervous system story, not a personal failure. Donna shares her journey through lipedema, POTS, hypermobility, and ME/chronic fatigue syndrome, including lipedema reduction surgery that brought more energy than she expected and a wave of depression that arrived weeks later. Her story, clinical background, and research into survivorship and post-treatment depression come together to name what so many of us experience but rarely hear described. Press play to feel less alone in depression after recovery and explore how our bodies, brains, and hearts try to make sense of life after long illness, including: • Depression that shows up after recovery from a chronic illness or surgery • How chronic illness reshapes identity, relationships, and daily life • Grief for lost years, missed moments, and a self that never got to exist • Survivor's guilt when progress arrives, and others are still suffering • Research on survivorship and why depression can appear years after treatment • The nervous system's role in delayed emotional processing • Simple body-based practices to honor grief without losing our progress Connect with Donna: Website: https://www.donnapiper.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnapiper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipedema_donna Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnapiper YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedonnapiper Episode Highlights: 01:41 Depression After Recovery 04:44 Real Talk: Healthy Lifestyle But Not So Healthy 21:26 Connective Thread: When the Story Meets the Science 31:23 Myth Buster: Less Hype, More Health 33:51 Feel Good Flow: Micro Moves, Macro Reliefs 36:24 Shared Education and Lived Experience Resources: 🤔Got a question for me? Every month, I do a listener coaching episode—and I'd love to hear from you! Send your questions, stories, or flare-up confessions to donna@donnapiper.com, and you just might hear your answer on the show. 💲Discount Get $20 off the Visible Wrist Band 2.0 Click the link: https://join.makevisible.com/73784699c7db3e **Wearable heart-rate and activity sensor, with charging cable and strap included. 5 days battery life Manufactured by Polar, the world leader in heart-rate monitoring Designed for illness, not fitness HSA/FSA Eligible 💗Springrose Give $20, GET $20 When you share Springrose with friends, they get $20 off their first purchase and you get $20 towards your next purchase!* Share the love. https://oken.do/0l3hpr6v 💗Equip Fuel With Real Food Meet Prime Protein, the original beef protein powder, with over 20g of delicious grass-fed beef protein. No junk or fillers https://www.equipfoods.com/DONNA15 📖Free 32-page Hypermobility Posture Guide: https://www.chimera-health.com/hypermobility-posture-guide-donna-piper 🔬Research Mentioned • Taylor WD, Yabroff KR, Mariotto AB, et al. "Late-Onset Depression in Older Adults Among 5-Year Survivors of Cancer." JAMA Network Open • Brandenbarg D, Maass SWMC, Geerse OP, et al. "Prevalence of Symptoms of Depression in Long-Term Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." PubMed • Götze H, Brähler E, Gansera L, et al. "Depression and Anxiety in Long-Term Survivors 5 and 10 Years After Cancer Diagnosis." PubMed • Cheshire A, Ridge D, Hughes J, Peters S, Panagioti M, Simon C. "Sick of the Sick Role: • Narratives of What 'Recovery' Means to People With CFS/ME." PMC • Bury M. "Chronic Illness as Biographical Disruption." PubMed • Andersen BL, et al. "Management of Anxiety and Depression in Adult Survivors of Cancer." • Journal of Clinical Oncology / ASCO Guideline • Raison CL, Capuron L, Miller AH. "Inflammation and Its Discontents: The Role of • Cytokines in the Pathophysiology of Major Depression." PMC • Review on chronic stress and depression mechanisms. PMC X: Recovery is not a movie montage. It is pain, progress, then a strange emptiness when life gets quieter. Tune in for a grounded take on post-surgery depression, survivor's guilt, and rebuilding a self after long illness.#DearBodyImListeningPodcast #survivorship #postoprecovery #depressionafterrecovery #healingjourney #nervoussystemhealing #griefwork Quotes: 04:53 "When you've been sick for years, illness becomes a whole ecosystem. It shapes your schedule. It shapes your relationships. It shapes your identity. It shapes how much hope you allow ...
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