On One Condition

Jen shares her journey with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a condition marked by high blood pressure in the lungs, which severely affects her daily life. She recounts her initial symptoms, eventual diagnosis, and the physical and mental challenges that followed. As a former hospice nurse and caregiver, Jen reflects on her transition to patient, detailing the emotional impact of her increasing dependence on others. She is now an advocate for those with PAH and rare diseases, working to raise awareness and connect people to clinical trials and support networks. The song that Jen selected is The Climb by Miley Cyrus.

Kerri lives with Myasthenia Gravis (MG), a rare autoimmune condition that has turned her life upside down. Through profound reflections, she shares the multifaceted impact of MG on her life, touching on themes of resilience, loss, and gratitude. Kerri describes the strength required to live with an “invisible disability” and the journey to reframe her life around moments of beauty and simplicity. This discussion with Kerri feels like a journey in itself, filled with wisdom and warmth. The song that Kerri chose is Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell.

In this heartfelt episode, Daniel opens up about his journey with his son, Lucas, who was diagnosed with Menkes disease, a rare genetic disorder. Daniel shares the emotional challenges, personal growth, and love that shaped his family's experience. He discusses the need to adjust expectations as a parent, from the small things like waiting nine years for Lucas to grab his finger, to facing the reality that Lucas' life would be short. The podcast touches on the emotional rollercoaster of caring for a child with a life-limiting illness, but also celebrates the joy Lucas brought to their lives. Daniel’s reflections are filled with warmth, sorrow, and lessons learned from his son’s light. The song that Daniel chose is Starlight by Muse.

Erin opens up about discovering Huntington's disease in her family when she was in her early 30s. She talks about her father and how his outbursts and behavioral changes, often misunderstood, were early signs of the disease. Erin reflects on her own diagnosis, the emotional burden of being gene-positive, and the delicate task of caregiving while also being a mother. We also talk about Erin’s passion for writing and storytelling, particularly her books, which focus on HD, rare diseases, and patient advocacy. She emphasizes the power of storytelling in the HD community, giving a voice to patients, caregivers, and families. The song that Erin selected is Yer Fall by Hey Rosetta.

Mike discusses his lifelong battle with eczema and recent struggles with suspected topical steroid withdrawal (TSW). After being prescribed steroid creams in 2021, Mike found that using it months apart worsened his flare-ups. Eventually, he stopped using the creams, which led to severe symptoms affecting his entire body. Mike shares the physical and emotional challenges of living with eczema, and the importance of self-advocacy and alternative approaches to treatment. Through his voice, he hopes others will consider ways of managing eczema before moving on to treatments such as steroid creams. The song that Mike selected is Everybody breaks by Ivan and Alyosha.

In this emotional episode of the podcast, Sierra speaks about her journey as a mother to Jack, who was diagnosed with the ultra-rare Warsaw Breakage Syndrome. She opens up about the complexities of Jack’s medical challenges, including a congenital heart defect, microcephaly, and severe growth restriction, all of which were discovered early in her pregnancy. Sierra emphasizes the importance of trusting her instincts and being Jack’s fiercest advocate in a healthcare system that often left her feeling overwhelmed. She turned her experience into action by creating Librarey, sharing what she learned to help parents in similar situations. Sierra chose the song Make You Feel My Love by Bob Dylan.

Jamie shares her experience living with Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune condition affecting the thyroid. She talks about how her symptoms, such as fatigue and joint pain, were often dismissed as normal, leading to a delayed diagnosis. We talk about how difficult it was for her to find a treatment for her narcolepsy, due to the lack of diversity in clinical trials. Jamie also shares how medication shortages are affecting her and others, and how dire the situation is in the US. Jamie is an advocate for more education about chronic illnesses, particularly in recognizing symptoms in children, and she highlights her work in increasing the understanding of autoimmune diseases. The song that Jamie chose is Fight Song by Rachel Platten.

John lives with inclusion body myositis (IBM), a rare muscle-wasting disease. He shares how his symptoms, such as difficulty climbing stairs and playing guitar, were initially mistaken for aging, and later led to a misdiagnosis of ALS. He describes the emotional impact of living with a rare disease, the challenges of receiving an accurate diagnosis, and the frustration of the limited treatment options available for IBM. Despite these challenges, John remains committed to raising awareness and advocating for research to improve the lives of those affected by IBM and other rare diseases. The song that John selected is Into the mystic by Van Morrison.

Both Ray's children were born with FSHD (Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy), a common yet lesser-known form of muscular dystrophy. He discusses the challenges they face daily, such as muscle weakness and limited mobility. Ray highlights the importance of the patient voice in understanding and treating rare diseases, drawing from his professional experience in the rare disease sector and his role as a father. He also touches on the role of community support and the ongoing need for research to better understand and combat FSHD and other rare diseases. The song that Ray chose is SPACES, a song written by the Spinal Muscular Atrophy community and sung by James Ian.

Megan was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 18 years old. Although she was diagnosed relatively quickly, what followed was a 6-year battle to find a doctor that would give her the attention she deserved. During that time, her quality of life went downhill, losing the ability to practice the sports she loved and losing some friends along the way. We discuss the voice of the patient in this interview, as Megan has taken part in Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's Day on the Hill twice. The song Megan selected is You Will Be Found from the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen.

Barak has an extremely rare eye condition called ICE (Iridocorneal Endothelial) Syndrome. Because of this condition, he also developed glaucoma in one eye. In this episode, we talk about Corneal transplants, glaucoma and how to care for your eyes, but also about the advancement of technology and AI as a tool for people with partial vision impairment. Barak selected a full album, Cowboy Carter by Beyonce.

Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) is a rare condition that leads to painful muscle spasms. Lauren believes she had her first symptoms in early 2010s, although she was only diagnosed 5 years ago. She explains how the condition affects her body and her mobility. She also shares the impact it has had on her mental health and how she manages her energy levels to keep SPS at bay as best as she can. The song Lauren chose is It was a good day by Ice Cube.

Mandolen Mull suffers from Crohn's Disease and Dystonia. This episode is focused on the latter, which is characterized by muscular spasm and abnormal posture, usually from a neurological origin. In Mandolen's case, it could have resulted in reduced mobility and difficulty to speak, but she was able to recover almost fully by going through various therapies. Her condition is exacerbated by stress, and she constantly has to manage her stress levels to keep control of her body. In this interview, Mandolen shares how she was able to leverage her brain plasticity to recreate functional neural pathways. The song that Madolen chose is What a wonderful world by Louis Armstrong.

In this 2-part series with Dionne Stalling, we focus on four of the nine conditions that affect her. In part 2, we talk about short bowel syndrome (SBS) and persistent postural perceptual dizziness (PPPD). Beyond discussing the symptoms and how the conditions affect Dionne, we address some important topics in this episode, such as the continuous fight to increase the breadth of what is covered by newborn screening, the challenges of having a restrictive diet and the under-representation of minorities in clinical trials. The song that Dionne chose for this episode is Easy by The Commodores.

In this 2-part series with Dionne Stalling, we focus on four of the nine conditions that affect her. In part 1, we talk about primary immunodeficiency and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. In Dionne's case, both conditions are linked and she shares how. Dionne is a single mum who has had to juggle with a lot of doctor's appointments whilst raising her two children. She opens up about the toll living with rare diseases has had on her family. We also talk about patient advocacy and the organization she created, Rare and Black. The first song Dionne selected is Heaven Knows by Lalah Hathaway.

Rachel's daughter, Charlie, was born with the rare condition GA2 (Glutaric Aciduria type 2). It was identified very early on thanks to newborn screening, but unfortunately it has a very poor prognosis when diagnosed so early. We talk about how GA2 affected Charlie, the importance of communities for parents dealing with such conditions, and the benefits of grief counseling. Rachel also shares the beautiful life lesson Charlie has taught her. The song Rachel selected is I reach for the sky by Social Distortion.

Danielle's journey with idiopathic pathological ketotic hypoglycemia started with her children's diagnosis, although she had it from a young age herself, but was mis-diagnosed. In this interview, we talk about how this rare disease affects her body. She describes the complexity of raising children with a strict diet, where food intake becomes source of anxiety for parents and child. We also discuss the impact patient advocates have in our world, and her contribution to an initiative by the European Parliament. The song that Danielle chose is Nothing Else Matters by Metallica.

Crohn's Disease is extremely unpredictable, and very hard to manage. Natalie was diagnosed with it just as her career was about to start. She didn't let it stop her; she decided to follow her dream of becoming a TV anchor no matter what. It wasn't that easy. She recounts episodes of great struggle and how difficult it is to manage the pain linked to Crohn's. Though the disease has shaped who she is, it does not define her. The song Natalie chose is Swim by Jack's Mannequin.

Gary suffered from Gout for 16 years before getting a diagnosis. The disease affected him so badly that he had to walk with crutches. He shares how he advocated for himself to finally get a diagnosis and the positive impact it had on his life. We also discuss how to prevent Gout flares, through diet and medication. This episode is very personal for me, as I also suffer from Gout. I share my own experience, which is very different to Gary's. The song that Gary chose is Hi Ren by Ren.

David had confirmation of his diagnosis of Cowden Syndrome after his mum passed away with the same condition. David talks about isolation after being diagnosed, and the urge he felt to do something for the rare disease community. He now leads a group open to all men with rare disease, focused on mental health. Through this, he provides a platform for men to open up, or listen to others. The song David chose is Dream Baby Dream by Bruce Springsteen.