Deanna Steinle was diagnosed with Generalized Myasthenia Gravis at thirty a neuromuscular disease with no cure that can affect every voluntary muscle in the body, including the ability to breathe. Today she's a rare disease advocate, speaker, and the face of the Rare Connections: GMG film produced by Alexion. Deanna and Kim talk about the crisis that led to her diagnosis, the grief of losing the life you planned, and why the people standing next to us matter as much as any treatment. A powerful conversation for every chronic illness community.
CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Meet Deanna Steinle: Advocating for the GMG Community
02:35 A Late Diagnosis: Deanna's Journey to Understanding Her Symptoms
05:00 Accepting a Life Forever Changed
06:55 What Rare Disease Communities Have in Common
09:05 Inside the Rare Connections GMG Film
12:52 Tools Every Chronic Illness Community Can Use
14:55 Loving on Our Caregivers: The Forgotten Side of Diagnosis
19:34 Where to Watch and Connect with Deanna

CONNECT & RESOURCES

Deanna Steinle:

🔗 Instagram: Resilience is Beautiful
🔗 Facebook: Deanna Steinle
🔗 LinkedIn: Deanna Steinle
🎬 Rare Connections: GMG

The Chronic Truth Podcast:

🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com
📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast
📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast
💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials
📋 Community Survey: Survey

Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic

Jan Rothney was a psychology lecturer in health and social care when her body finally shut down completely leaving her bedbound and asleep for nearly a month. Because she already understood the science of what was happening, she knew exactly what to do: stop pushing, celebrate tiny wins, and send safety signals to a brain that had been running on overdrive for a decade. More than 20 years later, she's the author of Breaking Free and founder of Reset to Thrive. In this conversation with Kim Nash, she explains exactly how the brain creates chronic symptoms and what it takes to change that.

CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction to Chronic Illness and Personal Journey

01:55 The Build-Up to Chronic Fatigue

08:48 The Turning Point: Realizing Recovery is Possible

18:59 Practical Strategies for Healing

27:04 The Importance of Support and Community

37:58 Setting Boundaries and Self-Care

47:53 Conclusion and Encouragement for Listeners

CONNECT & RESOURCES

Jan Rothney:

🌐 Website: resettothrive.co.uk
📱 Facebook: Breaking Free
📱 Instagram: @BreakingFree_recovery
📚 Breaking Free (2nd edition)

The Chronic Truth Podcast:

🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com
📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast
📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast
💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials
📋 Community Survey: Survey

Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic

After healing her multiple sclerosis naturally over 20 years, Christine Ruch discovered the missing piece that no diet, supplement, or lifestyle change could address: nervous system dysregulation. Her journey from Boulder holistic chef to transformation guide reveals why emotional capacity matters as much as nutrition, how unconscious patterns keep us sick, and the radical difference between forcing healing through rules versus trusting your body's innate wisdom. For anyone managing MS, autoimmune disease, or compounding chronic conditions, this conversation offers hope beyond the pill bottle.

CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS

00:00 The Journey of Self-Healing
03:11 Awakening to Deeper Healing
10:50 Understanding the Nervous System's Role
15:05 Transforming Emotional Landscapes
20:17 Building Trust with Your Body
25:07 The Non-Linear Path of Healing
30:04 Creating a Safe Space for Healing

CONNECT & RESOURCES

Connect with Christine Ruch:
🌐 Website: ChristineRuch.com
📝 Substack: Writing on the healing path and holistic transformation (linked from website)
📱 Instagram: @christineruch.ms (podcast links, articles, and select content)
📞 Book a Call: Free discovery calls available at ChristineRuch.com
💬 WhatsApp Mentorship: 3, 6, and 9-month immersions with 24/7 nervous system support

Resources Mentioned:

• McDonald's Criteria for MS: Diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis (referenced by host Kim Nash)
• Costa Rica Healing Experience: Transformational nervous system work with two healers (2022)
• Holistic Nutrition & Celiac Disease: Christine's entry point to natural healing (2006)
• Nervous System Regulation: Vagus nerve work and dysregulation patterns in autoimmune conditions

The Chronic Truth Podcast:
🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com
📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast
📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast
💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials
📋 Community Survey: Survey

What happens when routine surgery becomes a cancer diagnosis mid-operation?

This week, Kim sits down with Phantom from Phantom Electric Ghost Podcast, a musician, software engineer, and podcasting veteran with nearly 1,300 episodes under his belt. What started as a routine cyst removal at 27 became a terrifying discovery when Phantom could hear his surgeons realize mid-operation that he had stage 3 sarcoma spreading toward his spine.

In this episode, Phantom reveals:

• ​🔴 Shocking discovery: Stage 3 sarcoma spreading toward spine discovered during "cyst removal"—patient could hear surgeons' realization
• ​🟢 Recovery resilience: Spent months at mother's house planning comeback with custom mountain bike parts bought with disability payments
• ​🟣 Creative advocacy: Nearly 1,300 podcast episodes later, it now supports a worldwide organization for the disabled.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Chronic Truth Podcast

01:33 Guest Introduction and Background

02:46 Facing Cancer: A Personal Journey

06:09 Navigating Treatment and Recovery

10:10 Empathy and Caregiving

12:16 Holistic Approaches to Health

16:01 The Power of Creativity and Expression

17:33 Advice for the Newly Diagnosed

18:42 Closing Thoughts and Resources

Connect with Phantom:

💻 ⁠Website⁠

🔗 ⁠Podcast

📱 ⁠Instagram⁠

📘 ⁠Facebook⁠

📺 YouTube

🎨 Sista Creative Rising

To support the show, visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is brought to you by:

The Chronic Truth Podcast, LLC

Host/Executive Producer: Kimberly Nash

Co-Producer & Podcast Creative Director: Jay Wilson, for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Podcast Mechanic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chelcie Rice has had Type 1 diabetes since the late 1980s, diagnosed at 25, with no technology, no community, and a pamphlet for guidance. By 2005, he'd lost vision in one eye. Instead of retreating, he built a platform using comedy and storytelling to break the stigma and reach the people who are still navigating it alone. He joins Kim Nash to talk about diabetes burnout, the landmines inside online support groups, how workplaces fail their diabetic employees, and why humor might be the most underrated tool in chronic illness advocacy.

CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction to the Chronic Truth Podcast
01:06 Chelsea's Journey with Type 1 Diabetes
04:35 Navigating Complications and Community Support
10:06 Advocacy and the Importance of Community
12:57 Understanding Diabetes in the Workplace
15:48 The Role of Community in Chronic Illness Management
21:11 Advice for Newly Diagnosed Patients
23:35 Connecting with Chelsea and Closing Thoughts

CONNECT & RESOURCES

📱 @type1comedian

The Chronic Truth Podcast:

🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com
📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast
📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast
💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials
📋 Community Survey: Survey

Production: Podcast Mechanic

What happens when your voice fails while your husband battles cancer?

This week, Kim Eileen Meehan, a longtime special education teacher and lifelong choir member, whose voice began failing just as her husband faced serious cancer surgery. While learning to give injections and manage tube feedings—wearing a mask in 2021—hospital staff thought she was crying when her voice cracked and broke. She wasn't.

In this profoundly moving episode, Eileen reveals:

• ​🔴 Devastating timing: Voice cracking while learning injections/tube feedings—hospital staff mistook competence for tears
• ​🟢 Triple identity loss: Retired teacher, widowed 15 months ago, voice "busted"—all identities gone at once
• ​🟣 50,000-100,000 affected: Spasmodic dysphonia makes vocal cords slam together—a rare disease with daily support groups
  
  

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Chronic Truth Podcast
01:14 Eileen Meehan's Journey of Resilience
10:12 Navigating Life Changes and Loss
15:48 Understanding Spasmodic Dysphonia
22:41 Finding Hope and Support in Community

Connect with Eileen:

💻 Website

To support the show, visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is brought to you by:

The Chronic Truth Podcast, LLC

Host/Executive Producer: Kimberly Nash

Podcast Creative Director & Co-Producer: Jay Wilson, for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Podcast Mechanic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

After 42 misdiagnoses for her rare condition (CRPS/Algo Neurodystrophy), Barby turned her suffering into a global mission.

Barby Ingle's pain journey reads like a medical thriller:

• ​🔴 42 misdiagnoses before landing on CRPS (now called Algo Neurodystrophy).
• ​🟢 Carries her DNA test on a flash drive to prevent deadly medication errors.
• ​🟣 Running for office to fix the system that failed her—and millions like her.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Chronic Truth Podcast

01:33 Meet Barby Ingle: A Voice for Chronic Pain Advocacy

03:45 Barby's Health Journey and Advocacy Work

08:02 Barriers in Chronic Pain Management

11:04 Legislative Efforts and Access to Care

17:02 Empowering Patients: Taking Control of Your Health

20:01 Living with Chronic Illness: Strategies for Daily Life

24:08 Conclusion and Call to Action

Follow Barby's Work:

💻 ⁠Website⁠

Subscribe to The Chronic Truth Podcast for more raw conversations about thriving beyond chronic illness.

🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linktree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is brought to you by:

The Chronic Truth Podcast, LLC

Host/Executive Producer: Kimberly Nash

Co-Producer / Editor: Jay Wilson - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Podcast Mechanic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Adison Woods has been navigating chronic illness since childhood: fainting, migraines, back surgeries, and a tick bite at summer camp that nobody connected to anything for 25 years. When her mother finally said, "You have Lyme disease," Adison rolled her eyes. Then the labs came back positive. An infectious disease doctor told her the test was wrong because she'd never been to the Northeast. She got treatment anyway, built a community called Sick and Shining, and is writing a book. She joins Kim Nash for a deeply personal conversation about late-stage Lyme, Babesiosis, the chronic illness pain scale, and why you are not your diagnosis.

CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introducing Addison Woods: Chronic Illness Advocate and Writer
01:41 A 25-Year Mystery: Addison's Childhood Symptoms and POTS Diagnosis
04:50 The Lyme Disease Discovery: Testing, Co-Infections, and Medical Dismissal
09:26 Late-Stage Lyme: Treatment, Antibiotics, and Tick Prevention Tips
14:25 Why Addison Started Sick and Shining
17:38 What Invisible Illness Really Looks Like Day to Day
22:15 The Pain Scale Problem and Growing Awareness Around Chronic Illness
23:47 Writing Her Book and Advice for Reclaiming Identity

CONNECT & RESOURCES

Adison Woods:
📱 @sickandshining | 📧 sickandshining@gmail.com

The Chronic Truth Podcast:

🌐 Website: chronictruthpodcast.com
📱 Instagram: @ChronicTruthPodcast
📘 TikTok: @chronictruthpodcast
💬 Share Your Story: Testimonials
📋 Community Survey: Survey

Production Partner: Podcast Mechanic