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What does it mean to grow up and grow older with a rheumatic disease?Andrea Ou-Hingwan and Cristina Montoya share their experiences navigating chronic illness from adolescence into adulthood.Andrea was diagnosed with lupus at 16 and founded TLC (Taking Life as a Challenge), a support group for youth living with chronic illness. She continues to advocate for people with invisible disabilities through education, storytelling, and volunteer work.Cristina is a registered dietitian and the founder of Arthritis Dietitian. Having lived with rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s disease for over 20 years, she supports people with inflammatory arthritis through practical, nonrestrictive approaches to nutrition.Together, they discuss:• Their diagnoses and early healthcare experiences• Unexpected challenges in adulthood• Careers, workplace accommodations, and self-advocacy• Family planning and parenting with chronic illness• Mental health, grief, and coping strategies• Social support and invisible disabilities• Advice for young people and familiesWatch now to hear their honest lessons, challenges, and perspectives on building a meaningful life with rheumatic disease.Read more about our in person event from last year: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/in-per... !Our socials: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/ https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/  https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck https://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-check https://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheck https://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheck https://www.x.com/takeapaincheck Subscribe to the Take a Pain Check Foundation for more patient stories, expert conversations, and resources for young people living with rheumatic diseases.

Lisa Wang went from being an athlete to being in a wheelchair at the age of 14. Now, she's the winner of take a pain check's 2026 STEM Without Limits Scholarship. What happens when a life-changing chronic illness diagnosis at age 14 inspires a lifelong mission to find a cure?In this episode of the Take a Pain Check Podcast, Lisa Wang shares her journey navigating juvenile ankylosing spondylitis from enduring severe diagnostic delays, debilitating pain, and mobility loss to becoming an award-winning student researcher fighting for the future of pediatric rheumatology.We discuss:- What it is like being diagnosed with a severe rheumatic disease in high school- Overcoming mobility challenges, crutches, and the stigma of an "old person's disease"- Navigating the fear of biologics, injections, and complex treatment plans- How Lisa turned her personal health struggle into academic and research excellence- Her work in the lab studying cellular biomarkers to discover new treatments- Winning top scholarships and paving the path toward becoming a clinician-scientist- The power of patient story-sharing in driving scientific research forwardHow do you transform your greatest physical pain into your biggest life achievement?Watch the full conversation to learn how resilience, patient advocacy, and scientific curiosity can turn a diagnosis into a groundbreaking career.Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this episode.Take a Pain Check's Socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck / take-a-pain-check https://www.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-check/?originalSubdomain=ca / thttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRF07SYaN-9fbatNCKhL08ghttps://www.x.com/takeapaincheckDonate today: https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapainc...#JuvenileArthritis #ArthritisAwareness #PediatricRheumatology#Rheumatology #scholarships #ChronicIllness

He’s the ONLY Full-Time Pediatric Rheumatology Provider in an Entire StateWhat happens when one clinician is responsible for providing pediatric rheumatology care across an entire state?In this episode of the Take a Pain Check Podcast, Brandon Ko shares the realities of serving children and families throughout New Mexico—many of whom must overcome long travel distances, workforce shortages, financial barriers, and delayed access to specialized care.We discuss:* What it is like to be New Mexico’s sole full-time pediatric rheumatology provider* How delayed care affects children with rheumatic diseases* The challenges facing rural and underserved communities* How advanced practice providers can help address workforce shortages* Brandon’s regional partnership with Children’s Hospital Colorado* Burnout, advocacy, mentorship, and sustainable healthcare models* What policymakers and healthcare institutions must do nextHow far should a family have to travel to access essential care and what happens when only one provider is available to help?Watch the full conversation to learn how collaboration, advocacy, and innovative care models can help close the gap.Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this episode.Instagram: unm_pediatric_rheumatology, unmchildrens, rheumappLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/brandon-ko-pnpRhAPP organization: www.rhapp.orgTake a Pain Check's Socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-checkhttps://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheckhttps://www.x.com/takeapaincheckDonate today: https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapaincheck

Living with Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM) isn’t just physical. It’s emotional, unpredictable, and often invisible.In this episode of Take a Pain Check, we talk with Marissa Douglas, a PhD student at Georgia Institute of Technology, who has been navigating JDM since childhood.Marissa shares: • What early symptoms were missed and how she finally got diagnosed • How sun exposure, chlorine, and stress trigger flares • The mental weight of long-term medications • What infusion life is really like • Making major life transitions while managing disease • Learning how to advocate for yourself when you’re not taken seriously • Rebuilding identity, confidence, and trust in your bodyThis episode is about navigating life when your body doesn’t always cooperate. If you’ve ever felt dismissed, overwhelmed, or like you’re “starting over” during a flare this conversation is for you.https://www.takeapaincheck.com/https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-checkhttps://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheckhttps://www.x.com/takeapaincheckInstagram: marissy.kins123 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissa-d-226164269?trk=contact-infoDonate to Take a Pain Check Today: ⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapaincheck

What happens when chronic illness impacts not just one person, but an entire family?In this episode of Take a Pain Check, Estela Mata shares her journey living with chronic pain since her teens, being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and supporting her sisters living with lupus while navigating her own health challenges. As President of Looms for Lupus, Estela has transformed lived experience into advocacy, community, and support for others navigating autoimmune disease and chronic illness.Together, we discuss the emotional reality of invisible illness, caregiving, grief, advocacy, mental health, and what it means to rebuild trust with your body after years of pain and uncertainty.This conversation is honest and deeply validating for anyone living with chronic illness, autoimmune disease, or chronic pain and for the people who love and support them. If you’ve ever felt dismissed, overwhelmed, isolated, or unseen in your health journey, this episode is for you. https://www.takeapaincheck.com/ https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/  https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck https://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-check https://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheck https://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheck https://www.x.com/takeapaincheck Estela's social'sTwitter:   / looms4lupus   YouTube Link:    / @looms4lupus136   Facebook link:   / looms4lupus   Instagram link: www.instagram.com/looms4lupus Newsletter Link: Resources (looms4lupus.org) Website: Looms For Lupus - www.looms4lupus.org LinkedIn:   / estela-mata-carcamo-00898230   Facebook: facebook.com/estela.mata.18 Instagram: www.Instagram.com/estela_mata Tik tok: www.tiktok.com/@estela.mataDonate to Take a Pain Check Today: ⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapainc...

She spent years treating rheumatoid arthritis. Then she became the patient. What happens when the person who’s supposed to have the answers suddenly doesn’t?In this episode of Take a Pain Check, Natasha sits down with Dr. Saimun Singla who is a triple board-certified pediatric rheumatologist whose life changed after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis after becoming an attending physician.  Dr. Singla opens up about what it’s really like to navigate the healthcare system from both sides and how her diagnosis forced her to rethink everything she believed about medicine, patient care, and healing. We get into:- What doctors don’t fully understand until they become patients- The gaps in care that patients feel every day- Integrative vs functional medicine- How gut health, hormones, and environment may be impacting autoimmune disease- Physician burnout and what it actually looks like- What the future of medicine needs to becomeThis isn’t just a conversation about rheumatoid arthritis. It is about what happens when medicine becomes personal and why the system needs to change.Dr. Singla's Socials:https://www.instagram.com/rheum.to.grow.tx/Our socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-checkhttps://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheckhttps://www.x.com/takeapaincheckDonate to Take a Pain Check Today: ⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapaincheck

This week on Take a Pain Check, we’re joined by Ela Murray, a university student who has been living with Central Nervous System Vasculitis which an invisible, life-altering condition since childhood.Symptomatic at just 8 years old and diagnosed at 16 during the height of COVID, Ela shares what it was really like navigating years of uncertainty, MRIs, a brain biopsy, steroids, seizures, and university life while still finding her voice as a young advocate.In this episode, we talk about:• Delayed diagnosis and navigating complex medical systems• The impact of steroids on body image, confidence, and mental health• Living next to a hospital while trying to experience “normal” university life• Finding purpose through advocacy and youth representation• What it means to show up vulnerably on stage and in everyday lifeThis episode is a reminder that young patients deserve to be heard, believed, and supported both medically and emotionally. Watch now, share with someone who needs to hear this, and join us in prioritizing youth voices in healthcare.Donate to Take a Pain Check Today: ⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapainc...Vasculitis Canada: https://vasculitis.ca/Our socials: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/ https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/  https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck https://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-check https://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheck https://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheck https://www.x.com/takeapaincheckDon't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes.

Your pain might not mean damage and that could change everything. In this episode of Take a Pain Check, we sit down with Vanessa Blackstone, Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center, to talk about Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) — a science-backed approach helping people move beyond “just managing” chronic pain. We break down how the brain can learn pain, why fear keeps symptoms stuck, and how safety, language, and emotional trust can unlock real recovery. If you’ve been told your pain is permanent, this conversation may completely change how you see your body. Donate to Take a Pain Check Today: ⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapainc... Our socials: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/ https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/  https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck https://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-check https://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheck https://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheck https://www.x.com/takeapaincheck Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes.

What happens when both a mother and daughter are diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis?In today’s episode, we sit down with USPORTS basketball athlete, advocate, and STEM Without Limits scholar, McKinley Penninga, and her mom Lisa Penninga, to talk about navigating life as a family living with the same chronic illness.Diagnosed years apart, McKinley and Lisa share:- how psoriatic arthritis shaped their mother-daughter bond- the early signs Lisa saw in McKinley based on her own lived experience- what it was like recognizing symptoms she personally knew all too well- how both supported each other through flare days, school challenges, and identity changesMcKinley opens up about staying in basketball, balancing varsity-level training with chronic pain, and proving that invisible illness doesn’t define your athletic ability. Lisa shares the parent perspective while managing her own health needs — something rarely talked about in chronic illness stories. Together, they discuss advocacy, youth voice in healthcare, the STEM Without Limits Scholarship, and how their shared experiences are shaping the healthcare provider McKinley hopes to become.Donate to Take a Pain Check Today: ⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapainc...Our socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-checkhttps://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheckhttps://www.x.com/takeapaincheckDon't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes.

He could barely move at 15 and now he’s redefining strength. When doctors told Zac Spinosa he might never train again, he refused to accept it. Diagnosed with Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Macrophage Activation Syndrome, he refused to let that be the end of his story. Instead, he built Forge Fitness, a community where disability doesn’t mean limitation and pain becomes power. In this episode of Take a Pain Check, Zac opens up about hitting rock bottom and choosing to fight back, building a gym that truly includes people with chronic illness, the mindset shift that changed everything, and what strength really means when your body is working against you. If you’ve ever been told you can’t, this episode will make you believe you can. Watch now, get inspired, and rethink what strength looks like.Donate to Take a Pain Check Today: ⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapainc...Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes.Our socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-checkhttps://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheckhttps://www.x.com/takeapaincheckZac's socials:  @ZacTheArthritisCoach

In this episode of Take a Pain Check, host Natasha sits down with Stacey Ivits, Registered Social Worker, advocate, and author of Navigating Your Vasculitis Journey. Stacey shares her journey living with vasculitis and Crohn’s disease, highlighting the realities of medical trauma, body image challenges, and the emotional impact of chronic illness.We discuss: Stacey’s diagnosis story and what it was like growing up with a rare and invisible illnessThe role of therapy (DBT, EMDR, and more) in healing from medical traumaThe importance of specialized mental health support for people with long-term conditionsHer guidebook and course, Navigating Your Vasculitis Journey, created to empower and support patientsWhy body image and disordered eating need more recognition in chronic illness careStacey’s story reminds us that chronic illness affects both body and mind and that healing also means advocacy, community, and education.Donate to Take a Pain Check Today: ⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapainc...Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes.Our socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/  / takeapaincheck_     / takeapaincheck    / take-a-pain-check     / @takeapaincheck    / takeapaincheck  https://www.x.com/takeapaincheckStacey's socials:LinkedIn: Stacey Ivits, Facebook: Stacey Ivits, Instagram: @staceyivitsmswrsw

At 28, Michael Santillo was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis after years of unexplained pain that made even simple tasks like putting on socks or driving which became nearly impossible. Instead of letting it define him, he turned his journey into an inspiring mission: founding the annual “Let’s Get Loud for AS” gala.In this episode of Take a Pain Check, we talk about:- His road to diagnosis and the symptoms he faced- The mental and physical health challenges that followed- How AS impacted his relationships and love life - The creation and growth of “Let’s Get Loud for AS”Whether you’re living with AS, supporting someone who is, or just looking for inspiration, Michael’s story is a reminder that even in life’s toughest moments, there’s room to create change. Donate to Take a Pain Check Today: https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapainc...Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes.Our socials: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/ https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/  https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck https://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-check https://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheck https://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheck https://www.x.com/takeapaincheck Instagram: mmichael.ss and letsgetloudforas

In this episode, we explore the legal landscape surrounding injury, illness, and chronic pain. Personal injury lawyer Shane Katz joins us to unpack the most common misconceptions about personal injury law, the truth behind medical malpractice claims, and the importance of compassionate legal representation. We discuss how the legal system can serve as a tool for empowerment—especially for those navigating complex medical conditions—and what patients need to know when dealing with insurance companies and systemic healthcare failures. Shane shares stories from his practice and offers practical advice on when to seek legal help, how to advocate for yourself, and why justice matters just as much as healing.Donate to Take a Pain Check Today: https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapaincDon't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes.Our socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/https://www.instagram.com/takeapainch... https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-...https://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheckhttps://www.x.com/takeapaincheck

In this episode of Take a Pain Check, Maggie Douglas opens up about her complex journey living with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Fibromyalgia, and PCOS. She walks us through the physical and emotional challenges of early symptoms, delayed diagnosis, and navigating the transition from pediatric to adult rheumatology care.This week also features something a little different: a conversation about the short film Fibro and the New Me. Maggie shares her reactions to the portrayal of fibromyalgia on screen, reflects on the importance of accurate representation, and unpacks how media can both validate and educate. From support systems to self-discovery, this episode is a candid exploration of resilience, identity, and what it really means to find yourself in the midst of chronic illness. Donate to Take a Pain Check Today: https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapaincDon't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes.Maggie's socials: IG - mdouglas0423, FB/Linkedin - Maggie DouglasOur socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/  / takeapaincheck_     / takeapaincheck    / take-a-pain-check     / @takeapaincheck    / takeapaincheck  https://www.x.com/takeapaincheck

In this powerful episode of Take a Pain Check, we sit down with Mya Barnett, a driven and inspiring young woman living with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). Diagnosed at just 11 years old, Mya shares the reality of growing up with a chronic illness, how it shaped her confidence, impacted her daily life, and led to major decisions like undergoing jaw surgery. From navigating school accommodations and finding community at IWK summer camp, to becoming a camp counsellor and launching a homemade soap line for psoriasis. She also opens up about her experience travelling to Europe with Global Brigades Canada and managing her condition on the go.Donate to Take a Pain Check Today: https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapaincDon't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes.Our socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://ca.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-checkhttps://www.youtube.com/@takeapaincheckhttps://www.facebook.com/TakeaPainCheckhttps://www.x.com/takeapaincheck