This Is Not What I Ordered

Freeman Willerton is a business consultant and sits on a government advisory board in Alberta, Canada. He's been on a multifaceted health journey that has changed his relationship with his body and his identity. Freeman has been living with fibromyalgia since the early 1990s, impacting how his body responds to stress. He also began transitioning his gender in 2011 and lived as a woman for the following four years, though he has recently re-transitioned and currently identifies as a man. Freeman is guided by Brené Brown's work on vulnerability, shame, and how we relate to feelings of worthiness and belonging. He is always on the search for the multiple truths within himself and focused on finding balance in his life and identity. On the side, he gravitates toward any work or activity where he can find enlightenment, such as cooking, woodworking, being outdoors and adventuring. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Rhonie McBerry is a licensed radiation therapist providing care to those living with cancer, and she's the author of Embracing a New Normal: Words That Surround Your Soul devotionals. Rhonie learned to embrace a new normal after being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in June of 2014 and now uses the power of words to encourage others to see past their darkest days and toward a brighter horizon. In this episode, Rhonie talks about the concept of devotional writing, using modern dance as a means to enhance and commune with her faith, and the importance of carving out a “happy place” for oneself in their daily routine. We also discuss cupcakes and the necessity of little indulgences. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Lanie Smith is the owner and founder of Integrative Art Therapy in Phoenix, Arizona, working with driven helping professionals whose success has come at the cost of their own health and well-being. After developing ulcerative colitis a few years ago, she has turned her attention toward supporting clients with a spiritual approach she calls “EcoArt Wellness,” which combines nature and the creative process to help people tune in as an antidote to burnout and chronic stress. In this episode, Lanie discusses why she emphasizes essentialism and simplicity in her life, the importance of maintaining a strong connection with the outdoors, and staying in touch with her senses. She believes in sustainable self-care as a lifestyle to experience less stress, more ease, and natural creative flow. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

San Francisco native Monica Ramil is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. She began her path as a psychotherapist shortly after being hospitalized for acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). She underwent aggressive treatments in the ICU and a complication left her temporarily blind. Monica says her illness had a profound impact on her life and relationships while shifting the way she sees illness and disability. In this conversation, Monica discusses some of the more difficult parts of her medical journey and how they’ve actually helped her feel more gratitude for the connections she has with others.  Her willingness to both explore the darkness and glean the light from her experiences is a mark of her resilience and introspection. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Joanna Zeiger raced as a professional triathlete from 1998 to 2010, placing 4th in the 2000 Sydney Olympics triathlon and winning the 2008 Iron Man 70.3 world championship. She's a seven-time Olympic trials qualifier in three sports: marathon, triathlon and swimming. Joanna still pursues her passion for sports as a top masters runner. In 2009, Joanna was involved in a terrible bike accident that left her with multiple rib cage injuries, resulting in ten surgeries to correct structural and nerve damage and difficult-to-resolve chronic pain. Through her company, Train Away Chronic Pain, Joanna helps people with chronic pain achieve better well-being through exercise and mental skills training. When she's not coaching or running, she's researching. Her book, The Champion Mindset: An Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness, was published in February 2017. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Today I'd like to chat with you about why everything about you is worthy of love. I'll share some of the recent difficult and beautiful moments in my health journey, and the steps I took to transform a challenging experience by practicing acceptance and kindness towards myself. This episode was recorded live from a Facebook broadcast in The Podcast Cafe: an online community where "This Is Not What I Ordered" listeners gather and connect. I spend time thinking with listeners who submitted comments while tuned in to the broadcast, some of which came courtesy of one of our earliest guests, Tara Cameron (Episode 4). Together, let's reflect on treating every part of yourself kindly—even the parts you may not be a fan of—and bringing a welcoming spirit to all that arises in you. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Courtney Brame is a personal trainer living in St. Louis, Missouri. After being diagnosed with herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) six years ago, he experienced a personal and spiritual growth journey that led him to create and host his own monthly podcast called "Something Positive for Positive People." In each episode, he interviews STD-positive people from around the world who share their experiences living with these conditions. His goal is to reduce the stigma living with an STD so that people can feel less alone and live more conscious lives. Courtney believes that happiness is achieved when you become more concerned about what happens through you, rather than to you. Content warning: this episode contains discussions of suicide and depression. If you are feeling distressed, please do not hesitate to call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Leo Newman is a licensed professional health counselor living in Travelers Rest, South Carolina with his wife and son. He's worked in the mental health field for a decade and currently splits his time between private practice and the local community health center. His primary focus is helping individuals and their loved ones learn to live beyond the challenges of their chronic health concerns. Leo began his own journey with chronic health issues in 2005 after being diagnosed with Crohn's disease, and later with ankylosing spondylitis and end-stage renal disease. He's learned that peace and contentment can be found even in the most trying circumstances, and considers his deep connection to his support community to be one of the greatest gifts he's gained from his experience with chronic illness. Leo counts it a privilege to be part of others' communities as they navigate their health challenges. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Krista Niles is a therapist and body positive coach. She specializes in helping plus-size women live full, happy lives and navigate the complicated world of health at every size. She also created the Curvy Cupid Course, an e-course on dating at any size, and a new project called the Body Positive Therapist, which is a hub for body-positive mental health resources that launches later this year. She asks us to reconsider our attitudes toward fat and beauty standards and interrogate the societal myths about how weight is gained and lost, hoping that we can change the narrative around health and body image. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Nichole Acosta is a vegan Type-1 diabetic, spoken-word poet and digital assets manager at Jumo Health, which offers authentic, relatable health education for children and families. She has been performing poetry since she was 11 years old and was diagnosed with diabetes during her freshman year of college. Since then, she has come to recognize that highs and lows are part of a diabetic's life. In all of her work, she lives to inspire and inspires people to live, recognizing that her poetry has the capacity to deeply affect her audience. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Bob Stahl has founded 8 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs in medical centers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a long time practitioner of mindfulness meditation, having lived and practiced for over eight years in a Buddhist monastery, and is the guiding teacher at Insight Santa Cruz and a visiting teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Bob is moved by the Buddha's teachings about impermanence and the body. At one point, he needed to re-learn how to walk due to a dangerous bacterial infection in his foot. To Bob, a fulfilling life is loving and being loved, as well as freeing himself from resentment and grudges.   You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Leslie Haasch runs Stress Baking, a blog where she shares easy-to-follow homemade recipes as well as details about her struggles with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. She likes to put all the highs and lows of her condition out there with a sense of humor because she believes you have to be able to laugh in the face of frustration. For Leslie, a fulfilling life is waking up and not dreading the day ahead. She believes in setting realistic expectations, setting herself up for success, and making the most out of what she terms life's "fluffy dog moments." You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Born in Venezuela, Romina Pacheco is a social justice educator currently based in New Mexico. She is also a wife, mother and thyroid cancer survivor who has been living with chronic fatigue since 2012. She's determined to live life to the fullest, even if it means taking time out to recuperate. She feels blessed for having a supportive community and takes pride in her ability to be assertive, advocate for herself, and seize the opportunities afforded to her. In this episode, she discusses the importance of finding balance between work and lifestyle, how knowledge allowed her to get a handle on her fear, and why she wears her scar as a badge of pride. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Brian Tohana envisions a world of belonging where most people are healed, feel whole, and are accepted for who they truly are. A transformational coach based in Ottawa, Ontario, Brian seeks meaning beyond chronic pain and guides people in aligning their actions with their beliefs. In this interview, he discusses his body's natural inclination to heal, how he was moved to work through all barriers to connections in his relationships, and how his coaching practice is intended to facilitate finding peace and deepening emotional intimacy with others. He also impresses the importance of exploring the nuances of one's emotions and how even the most negative feelings can be used constructively. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

Tara Cameron is a practitioner of East Asian medicine, functional nutritionist and licensed massage therapist based in Kirkland Washington, and is also a doctoral candidate for acupuncture and herbal medicine. Tara struggled with eczema from early childhood, later developing chronic pain and anxiety. More recently, she has had to contend with Red Skin Syndrome, a form of withdrawal from the topical steroids she'd long used to treat her eczema. In this interview, she discusses how her physical ailments have impacted her professional and personal well-being, as well as how she has embraced these conditions to improve her self-image, becoming an even more effective practitioner for her patients. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com   This episode contains discussion of depression and suicidal ideation. If you're feeling distressed, we advise you contact the National Suicide Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.     

Nick P. Ross is a writer, producer, and director in Los Angeles, and he's a super fun guy to chat with. He creates a lot of content for Soul Pancake, a YouTube channel and creative agency known for asking life’s BIG questions. Nick also had cancer (Hodgkin’s Lymphoma) when he was 26. He's ten years post-treatment this year. In this episode, we talk about the comedy that came from one of life's biggest challenges, and think together about some of his poignant and funny moments along the way. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com

In the spirit of vulnerability and trust, I cannot think of a better way to kick off This Is Not What I Ordered than with my own story of chronic illness. That’s right—I’m the first interviewee on the podcast. My dear friend and fellow therapist Jessica is joining me in my living room in San Francisco to ask questions and share memories. Along the way, I want to open up my life a bit and share what I have experienced and where I have grown. For your ears today is my ongoing journey with Multiple Sclerosis, just so you and I can get to know each other better.    You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com.

Living with chronic illness or health challenges can be overwhelming and isolating. It can also be an incredible opportunity for beauty, growth, and connection with our deepest selves. I created this podcast because our journeys are enriched when we share wisdom and support with an understanding community around us. You can read the full show notes at www.thisisnotwhatiordered.com.