Take a Pain Check

Join us on this week's episode on Take a Pain Check as Dawn Richards, diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, shares her incredible journey from diagnosis to clinical remission. She opens up about changing rheumatologists, managing methotrexate side effects, and the transformative impact of exercise. She discusses her life both as a researcher and being patient partner in research. Finally, she discusses her involvement with the Canadian Arthritis Network, CIHR IMHA and the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance. Be sure to like, subscribe and share this episode! https://arthritispatient.ca/tips-and-tricks-when-taking-methotrexate/ https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/27297.html Dawn's socials: Twitter - @TO_dpr Our socials: Website: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeapainch... Twitter: https://twitter.com/takeapaincheck​​​ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

In this episode, Natasha talks to Kohle Merry about his journey with osteoarthritis. From undergoing joint injections to a hip replacement at just 29, Kohle's resilience is evident. As an engineering grad with aspirations for physiotherapy school, his surgical timeline redirected him to a PhD candidate in rehab science. He discusses the hurdles younger adults encounter in a rehab as it is setup predominantly for seniors and delves into the emotional struggles of persistent pain. Drawing from his experiences as a patient, tech enthusiast, and researcher, Kohle talks about his drive and how he wants to be part of the intersection between healthcare, patient partner lens and technology. A marathoner at heart, Kohle shares how he modified his active regimen so that he could keep running. Dive into this story of perseverance, from marathons to medical battles, and learn about how to implement self-advocacy in health. Be sure to like, subscribe and share this episode! Kohle's socials: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/kohle-merry-01018b120 Our socials: Website: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeapainch... Twitter: https://twitter.com/takeapaincheck​​​ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

In this week's episode of Take a Pain Check, prepare to be inspired as host Natasha welcomes the Sharona Franklin, an artist from Rural British Columbia. Sharona's story, despite grappling with multiple diagnoses, such as SJIA, AS, IBD, Pericarditis, and Vasculitis, transforms into a remarkable journey of unwavering resilience and strength. Natasha and Sharona dive deep into the profound impact of childhood struggles, the intricate complexities of the youth care system, the unique experiences of rural living, the challenges of dropping out of school, mental health battles, and navigating a unique family dynamic as one of eight siblings. Sharona fearlessly shares her early years, marked by the agonizing pain of being unable to eat. The conversation takes an intimate turn as Sharona vulnerably unveils the challenges she faced growing up within the youth care system, grappling with the involvement of social workers and lawyers in her life, and the far-reaching impact on both herself and her siblings. Despite these obstacles, Sharona discovered a wellspring of solace and empowerment through her passion for art. Natasha and Sharona embark on an exploration of the power of artistic expression, as Sharona recounts her early forays into creativity as a means to escape the confines of her circumstances. They delve into the judgments she faced due to perceptions surrounding having an assistant when doing art, and how she harnessed her lived experiences to create art that illuminates the unseen challenges of living with chronic illness. Lastly, Sharona ends off the episode raising awareness and fostering understanding, breaking down barriers and championing the voices of those facing similar struggles. Sharona's socials: Instagram: @hot.crip, @disabled_personals, @paid.technologies Articles to learn more about Sharona's journey: https://www.artbasel.com/stories/sharona-franklin-bioethics-disability-activism-statements-art-basel-2023?lang=enhttps://luttecollective.com/featured-artists/sharona-franklin Our socials: Website: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeapainch... Twitter: https://twitter.com/takeapaincheck​​​ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

On this week's episode of Take a Pain Check with your host Natasha, we delve into the world of Nikki Bhatti. Nikki bravely shares her personal journey living with rheumatoid arthritis - from the first instances of joint pain in her fingers and toes, to the evolution of her medication journey with her current medication called Actemra. Listen in as she discusses the social implications of managing arthritis, and dives deep into what it is like being a South Asian woman managing cultural expectations while grappling with her own health. Natasha and Nikki dive into the discussion on lifestyle changes. Nikki discusses her experience with gym visits and swimming, along with the adaptations she's had to make to her work schedule due to morning stiffness and flare-ups. Hear about her experiences with arthritic nodule surgery and how she navigates disability within the workplace. Lastly, Nikki highlights her significant contributions to arthritis research as a part of the APAB board at Arthritis Research Canada, including the creation of an educational video. Natasha and Nikki end off the episode by discussing how they met each other! Resources mentioned in the episode: https://youtu.be/ll0avFOq210 Check out our socials: Website: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeapainch... Twitter: https://twitter.com/takeapaincheck​​​ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck Check out Nikki's socials: Instagram: strengthwithra

In honour of Canadian Mental Health Week and Lupus Awareness Month, tune in to this week’s episode as Krissy Stephenson, a successful business owner and chronic illness warrior, shares her journey of living with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Lupus. Krissy discusses the challenges of finding a good rheumatologist who understands the complexities of her conditions, her medication journey, and her experience with pregnancy and RA. Krissy also introduces us to the Spoon Theory, a powerful metaphor used by those with chronic illness to explain their limited energy each day. She talks about how she allocates responsibilities as a mother and entrepreneur and discusses her mental health journey with a therapist who also has Lupus. Join us as we explore Krissy’s inspiring story of perseverance, hope, and resilience, including her experience as a kindergarten teacher and her successful Direct Superior Hip Replacement surgery that changed her life. Don’t miss this week’s episode of Take a Pain Check. Check out our socials: Website: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeapainch... Twitter: https://twitter.com/takeapaincheck​​​ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck Check out Krissy's socials: Instagram: @chronicallyillkrissy Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

Join host Natasha on this week's heartwarming episode of Take a Pain Check, as she sits down with Isabella, a remarkable 13-year-old girl who shares her inspiring journey with Lupus, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, and Sjogren’s. Isabella's story began during the pandemic, when she experienced excruciating pain in her elbows at the tender age of 9. Initially hesitant to see a doctor, she attributed the pain to her extracurricular activities. However, after her hands turned purple due to Raynaud's, she finally sought medical help.

In this episode, Natasha and Isabella discuss the challenges faced by vulnerable patients and their families during the diagnosis process. Isabella shares how she was dismissed in the clinical setting, but her resilience and determination led her to make the necessary lifestyle changes. She talks about how she embarked on a medication journey which had its ups and down. She also discusses her journey with using mobility aids from a young age. Despite the obstacles, Isabella's unwavering spirit shines through, as she adapted to homeschooling with her sister and found support from her family and close friends.

Isabella also shares how she used music and humor to cope with her pain, despite the challenges with her hands when she played piano. Her advocacy journey and involvement with the Arthritis Society, including attending their yearly camp and kids' programs, are also discussed. Isabella's story of hope and perseverance will inspire you to live life to the fullest, even in the face of adversity. So, don't miss this episode of Take a Pain Check, and join Isabella on her journey towards living her best life!

On this week’s episode on Take a Pain Check, Jacqueline and Alexa Child come on the podcast to talk about their own personal experience of living with a chronic illness and being a sister of someone who has a chronic illness, respectively. Jacqueline starts off by discussing her diagnosis journey with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and other chronic illnesses. She talks about bad joint and muscle pain, having a butterfly rash, experiencing sensitivity to the sun, and dealing with GI symptoms that led her to seek help from a medical professional. On the other hand, Alexa discusses how she was 3000 miles away for law school, and she started off not really understanding what Jacqueline was dealing with. But once she truly learned more about it, it changed her as a person and gave her a unique perspective. Growing up in Telluride, a ski resort, there were no hospitals nearby and no specialist nearby so Jacqueline discusses her access to care barriers. Alexa and Jacqueline discuss their lives’ living together and how they became more mature than others around them as they had different lived experiences. Jacqueline talks about the difficulties being honest with Alexa about her symptoms as it’s hard a challenge to ask for help. Moreover, Jacqueline talks about her heart surgery after being born with a congenital heart defect at age 25. They end off the episode by talking about Dateability, a dating app for the chronically ill and disabled. Dateability was made based on the lived experiences of Jacqueline’s dating life and constant rejections. They talk about how the app works, their future goals for the app and how they hope to connect this ever growing community.

Dateability: https://info.dateabilityapp.com/  

Jacqueline and Alexa's socials:  @dateabilityapp @jacquelineechild @alexabchild  Check out our socials:  Website: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeapainch...  Twitter: https://twitter.com/takeapaincheck


 Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck    Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara  

Alli Buchanan joins host, Natasha, on this week’s episode on Take a Pain Check to discuss her diagnosis with Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA). Alli’s starts by talking about her diagnosis journey and how it took her 10 years to get diagnosed. Physicians were aware of Alli’s family history with PsA but did not take that into account when her symptoms progressed. Because of Alli’s mom’s experience with PsA, Alli discusses how her mom was her biggest advocate as she spent a lot of time reliving her own journey. The conversation dives into the importance of talking about arthritis and its lack of representation in the science curriculum. Not only that, Alli talks about the medications she went on and how this led her to develop Toxic Shock Syndrome. She discusses that a medication that may work today, but it may not work tomorrow. She talks about her accommodations, such as having transportation and picking her university courses before other people. Additionally, Alli mentions how she balances her social life, academics and arthritis while going to college and how her friends have been able to support her. Finally, they end off the episode by talking about Alli’s arthritis Instagram page and a recent quiz she made to see how much her friends knew about her arthritis.

Quiz on Alli's friends: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CljWiTljOeV/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=   

Check our Alli's Socials:  Instagram: @alli.arthritis   

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara 

It started off in the hospital when Juanita told her friend she would be back to school in two days. Soon, those two days turned into months of isolation, treatments, etc. On this week’s episode, Juanita Garcia comes on to share her story with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) and Lupus at ages 13 and 20, respectively. Being born and brought up in Columbia, Juanita shared her health care journey while going through the Canadian vs Columbia’s system. She discusses the difference in wait times, getting blood results, and overall patient care. At the age of 13, Juanita was isolated for months from her family and peers due to her weak immune system. Her parents were also told that she wouldn’t make it when she could not get to the hospital quickly. Despite all of this, Juanita continued to be resilient. Once she found  medications that worked, things got better. Natasha and Juanita discuss the different types of patients that exists, both of them being ones that actively want to learn more about their disease. Not only that, Juanita comes to a point in her life where she had to learn to accept her disease as her new reality. Juanita shares her change in mindset and how she had to turn her disease into her friend. Lastly, Juanita shares how her journey allowed her to really get involved in her passion — research and health. She ends off the podcast episode by talking about her patient partner work with the SPOR Evidence Alliance group and the COVID END team.

Take a Pain Check's Merchandise Design Fundraiser Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/take-a-p...   

Check out Juanita's Socials:  @juanitagarciarecio @_me_the_hero   

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara   

Dr. Molly Dushnicky brings her JIA and physician perspective to this week’s episode on Take a Pain Check. In this episode, Dr. Molly discusses the story of her JIA diagnosis at the age of two with approximately 45+ impacted joints. She faced barriers of access to care in her hometown Thunder Bay in Northern Ontario as there was no pediatric rheumatologist then and even now. She talks about how she had to be flown down to The Hospital of SickKids in Toronto and CHEO in Ottawa to be treated. Dr. Molly is a fighter who did not let the disease stop her from being active. She is passionate about soccer, curling and rock climbing and learned different strategies to overcome her disability. Dr. Molly discusses her advocacy through the challenges as well as accommodations at each stage of her life with her diseases from elementary to high school, and from university to medical school. She also provides insight to her residency and fellowship programs. Lastly, Dr. Molly shares her path to her career in pediatric rheumatology and how her passion drew her to what she loves to do today.   

Take a Pain Check's Merchandise Design Fundraiser Event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/take-a-p...  

Check out Dr. Molly Dushnicky's socials: Twitter: @MDushnicky  

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara  

This week’s episode features Dr. Natasha Gakhal (Adult Rheumatologist) and Dr. Evelyn Rozenblyum (Pediatric Rheumatologist), who come on the podcast to discuss their collaborative transition clinic in Toronto, Canada. They begin the episode by discussing where their interest in rheumatology came from and what drew them to focus on adult medicine vs pediatric medicine. They discuss how they met each other and what really led them to make this clinic including year long discussions at the table, challenges along the way and more. 

Will parents be allowed in the appointment? What happens when I turn 25? Why am I now getting input from 3 different health professionals? These are all questions answered in the episode!  

Additionally, they discuss the benefits of going to a transition clinic, such as the environment, other people around your age, and the multidisciplinary care. They stress the importance that it is more than just physical health while emphasizing on mental, reproductive health and more. Not only that, they discuss the type of care patients can expect, the resources that the clinic provides for youth and young adults, and the common challenges that patients face. Finally, they end off the episode discussing where they see the future of the clinic going and feedback they plan on implementing.  

Sign up for our December Joint Chat Rheum Session on Sunday, December 18th at 2pm EST/11am PST: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvcemuqj4tG9bv5GacH2ETnmLJ0Yjxcha4    

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara  

This week’s episode features Naomi Abrahams, a PhD student at the University of Ottawa, who lives with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. The episode starts off by Naomi talking about how life felt like when being misdiagnosed for 3 years. She brings Natasha along her journey to when her symptoms started with joint swelling and pain in her hips that then moved to her elbows. Eventually, she wasn’t able to brush her teeth or eat food without pain. Her world changed and she had frequent visits to the dentist and had tons of MRIs. This led her to finally figure out her personal medication and treatment journey. Moreover, Naomi explains how she never experienced pediatric care but was experiencing symptoms when she was 15. On her 18th birthday, she was given her new diagnosis in which she felt as though she was “thrown into the adult world”. Additionally, Natasha and Naomi both discuss the pros and cons of having a rheumatoid factor negative vs positive one. They also discuss the similarities they had in terms of medications they had been on (DMARDS and biologics). Following that, they continue the conversation by talking about their own physiotherapy pathway, specifically what it’s like to do physiotherapy in a flare up and the financial aspects of getting billed through insurance. They discuss the MRI vs infusion fatigue, moving out to university with arthritis, and hair loss/growth with medications. Then, they get into the fun stuff like how Naomi told her boyfriend that she had arthritis and how he now supports her. Natasha and Naomi discuss how they met each other specifically through the Choice Research Lab, patient engagement in research and how important patient partners are. Last but not least, they end off the episode discussing their experience together at the CBC Ottawa Radio station, filming the CBC documentary and more!  

CBC documentary and article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/juvenile-idiopathic-arthritis-podcast-creator-network-cbc-1.6614184CBC radio segment: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-100-ottawa-morning/clip/15943512-juvenile-idiopathic-arthritis 

Check out Naomi's socials:  Instagram: @naomiabrahams  

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara  

In this week’s episode, Sarah Shaw becomes the host and discusses the hot topic: workplace and arthritis with guests — Michael Kuluva, Annette McKinnon and Natasha Trehan (host of TAPC). They discuss working with a rheumatic diseases at various stages of life and address the challenges in keeping employment. Unemployment and underemployment lie at the core of poverty and the financial security of people with rheumatic disease. Income has long been recognized as a social determinant of health with significant implications on the quality of life, health status, and access to health care benefits. Join the four individuals as they dive deep into their journeys, passions and hurdles.

This episode was created from the World Arthritis Day Twitter Space event held on Oct 12th, 2022.

In this week’s episode, Christina Hepner talks about her symptoms that started when she was 19 in her sophomore year. Christina relates that she tried to hide her pain in university just to live a normal college life and used humour to cope with it for 1 whole year. However, after she returned from her summer break, she no longer could hide her disease from her friends who spoke about how much fun they had in the summer. Christina started bawling her eyes out and told her friends that she spent her time in so much pain and disclosed her arthritis diagnosis. She was lucky to have a great support system which helped her mental health. Christina discusses how her arthritis made her feel like she wasn’t herself most of the time. She gained weight, had knee surgery and dealt with depression. She mentions how she worked through those hurdles with physiotherapy, changing her mindset and implementing lifestyle changes such as weightlifting and eliminating certain inflammatory foods that she researched. Finally, the episode ends with Christina talking about her job in a non-profit organization for the visually impaired as a digital marketer and her current disease status being in remission.

Check out Christina's socials:  https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaHepnerMedia https://www.instagram.com/christina_hepner/ https://twitter.com/ChristinaHepner 

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

As a baby, she started off crawling then walking. After, she reverted back into crawling. On this week's episode, we invite Alexa Sutherland, an actress and writer from Los Angeles. She talks about her 4 chronic condition, including Ankylosing Spondylitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia and Graves Disease. She starts off the episode by explaining the joints impacted for each condition and how she differentiates the pain for each of them. Alexa describes the struggles she endured at each point in her life with every added diagnosis, specifically the social and emotional aspects. In particular, she talks about the switch to home schooling due to the inability of her school faculty to accommodate. Ultimately, she decided to become her own boss and thrive in an environment that was meant for her. As the conversation continues, Alexa shares her experience with online college and discusses how online school helped her further explore her passions. She dives into her experiences with injection days and how the auto injector was her ultimate life saver to becoming more confident in giving herself her injections. Additionally, Natasha asks Alexa about dating while living with a chronic illness which led to them talking about insecurities relating to being “too difficult” to be with. Lastly, they discuss Alexa’s acting gigs, specifically Deadly Cheer Moms and navigating accommodations.

Check out Alexa's socials:  https://twitter.com/glowlexa https://www.instagram.com/glowlexa 

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

On this week's episode on Take a Pain Check, Charlotte Ryder-Burbidge discuss her diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Celiac Disease. She was diagnosed away from home during her studies. Luckily, she discusses how she had great housemates during that time that supported her. Natasha and Charlotte both discuss the differences in being with their parents when receiving a diagnosis vs not being with them. They both relate on the struggles of studying science while dealing with hand pain and inflammation. For Charlotte, that lead to her feeling the need to skip classes and not care about school for the longest time. On the other hand, she also developed other lifestyle changes such as going to the gym. As the conversation continues, they both discuss their experiences on triple therapy and the side effects they've experienced. Finally, the episode ends off with talking about Arthritis Research Canada's patient advisory board where Natasha and Charlotte first met.  

Next Joint Chat Rheum Session on Sunday, October 23 at 2pm EST/11 am PST: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArcOmtpzsqHNSY5FVgIF1TetCQ_MZYbJhK  

Check out Charlotte's socials: Instagram @charryder   

Arthritis Research Canada: https://www.arthritisresearch.ca/  

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

“Managing my arthritis can be compared to being the mayor of a village” Sadiq told Natasha, on this week’s episode. Sadiq Jiwa, a 26 year old professional golf player from Vancouver, Canada currently on the road for the PGA tour. The conversation starts off with Sadiq’s diagnosis story at the age of six and what life was like being young with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Moreover, the comments from people in school as well as the emphasis of confusing growing pains with arthritis pains. As the discussions progresses, he talks about his journey moving from pediatric to adult care and the difference in care as well as his way of articulating his health. Being a professional golfer, Sadiq explains that he had to start learning pain management techniques from the beginning. Lastly, Natasha and Sadiq both discuss their work with the Arthritis Patient Advisory Board from Arthritis Research Canada and other smaller arthritis awareness groups to help spread awareness and share their stories about overcoming their adversities.

Sadiq's blog on TAPC: https://www.takeapaincheck.com/post/inflammation-and-intimacy

Arthritis Research Canada: https://www.arthritisresearch.ca/

Check out Sadiq's socials: Instagram: @jiwanator  

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara 

“Don’t say you're disabled” they said. These were comments Anna Samson received when they were using mobility aids to help them get through their daily tasks while living with a chronic illness. This week on Take a Pain Check, Anna Samson comes on the podcast to to talk about their life with Ankylosing Spondylitis and Fibromyalgia as a 23 year old. They start off the conversation by talking about their initial symptoms and explaining the 4 year wait to get a diagnosis. After receiving a diagnosis, Anna talks about their experience finding resources to help them understand their own conditions. Moreover, Natasha and Anna discuss the benefits of physiotherapy. The conversation progresses to talking about disability in different settings, specifically the blue and red seats on the TTC subway. Throughout Anna’s journey, they learned how to advocate for themselves in a health care setting and how they become more confident. Not only did they have to talk about their symptoms, but they had to “get better at talking to people.” Finally, Anna explains their involvement in Take a Pain Check as an ambassador, as well as their work in Health Union.

Next Joint Chat Rheum Session on Tuesday, August 16th at 7pm EDT: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsc-CvqDMtEtdQYezlNi8gJhkW5roy5_TK

Self-Advocacy Live: https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cb5sHwVIC8P/

Makeup Live: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaQI5eBKKTG/

Health Union: https://www.instagram.com/healthunion/ 

Check out Anna's socials:  Instagram @chronicallyillxo TikTok @chronicallyillxo Twitter: @chronicallyillx  

Check out our socials: Website: https://www.takeapaincheck.ca/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeapainch... Twitter: https://twitter.com/takeapaincheck​​​ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck 

Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

Imagine being 30 and needing to plan your funeral while also planning your will. This is the exact experience Amanda Ishii had to go through a few years ago. On this week’s episode, Amanda discusses her journey living with Lupus, Crohn’s disease, Colon cancer and Multi Organ Dysfunction. Amanda explains her initial symptoms and jumps into the importance of social and mental support when it comes to dealing with a chronic illness. Moreover, Amanda brings up therapy, a resource that not only helped her by providing her someone to talk to but also is used by many people in all communities as a tool for support. As the episode progresses, Amanda discusses what life was like throughout college to present day with an ileostomy bag in social settings, while playing basketball and when travelling. Since a young age, basketball was a passion of hers. Even with a medical device, Amanda continues to pursue basketball professionally while knowing her limits; she is unstoppable. Finally, Natasha and Amanda end off the podcast episode by talking about a new initiative Amanda is starting up to supply 3rd world countries with medical and school supplies for free, The Mango House.

Check out Amanda's socials: Instagram: @haparae @themangohouse_cebu  

Sign up for the July Joint Chat Rheum Session: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ofuCspjsoGdduKrpgemnDZa1As6TvwYhL   

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Devyn Nichols, a 14 year old content creator for Take a Pain Check, comes onto the podcast to discuss her diagnosis with undifferentiated Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. When talking about Devyn’s diagnosis journey, she brings up medical gaslighting to which led to her seeing many family doctors and rheumatologists. Natasha and Devyn discuss side effects they’ve experienced on Methotrexate and Prednisone, as well the insecurities that came alongside being teenage girls. Not only that, Devyn explains the struggle of having peers and school faculty not understanding that arthritis fluctuates, appointments can’t be on weekends and it's not “just joints that are sore sometimes but will go away”. From a young age, gymnastics was Devyn’s dream but soon after being diagnosed with arthritis she came to a realization that she had to let it go. With that in mind, Devyn mentions that letting go opened up a whole new world for her. Finally, they end the episode talking about Devyn becoming an arthritis advocate and discussing her involvement with Take a Pain Check, as well as her personal Instagram account @devs_jia_journey.  

5 minute video explaining JIA:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CTxoNO4g_DS/ 

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Devyn's socials: Instagram: devyn_nicholsss, devs_jia_journey  Tik-Tok: devyn_nichols   

Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara 

On this week’s episode, Aleina Margos joins Natasha to discuss her journey with Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA). Being diagnosed during the pandemic, Aleina starts off the episode by elaborating on her rheumatoid arthritis, including symptoms, topicals and  pill medications that she was prescribed at first. Aleina and Natasha discuss the affects of their medication, like discolouration and how they abstain from scratching the skin. Aleina elaborates about her diagnosis period and how she received a lack of support from her friend. The conversation progresses onto the bonding of costochondritis, as well as the confusion and struggle a patient experiences when they start experiencing other pains that might not actually be arthritis.  Finally, Aleina and Natasha shine light on the power of community via social media. Aleina expands on her own Instagram page, as well as her involvement in Patients Rising and being a TAPC ambassador.  

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast do not represent or reflect the official policy or position of the Take a Pain Check Foundation and podcast. All information shared is from personal experiences and does not constitute medical advice. We do not take responsibility for any statements expressed during the Podcast and Take a Pain Check does not endorse any products or services. Any said products or services mentioned on this podcast may not be suitable for you or your condition. Please consult with your physician if you have medical questions as it may pertain to your condition.

We've now launched the Joint Chat Rheum Program and our first session is on Sunday, May 29th at 4pm EST. If you're interested in hanging out with us and making friends with other youth with arthritis, you can sign up here: https://forms.gle/UEPfJSuc5ZSpbwpz8 

Aleina's Socials: Instagram - @arthriticaleina 

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

Take a Pain Check’s Mother’s Day special features Jenni Weaver, a mom of 3 kids, that comes on the podcast this week to discuss her diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis and pustular psoriasis. The discussion starts off with the basics, specifically talking about Jenni’s original symptoms that led to a diagnosis after several years. Natasha and Jenni discuss the set backs in terms of communication in health care, focusing on the struggle of getting a copy of blood test results. The conversation continues with Jenni explaining how she went switched to different rheumatologists and was finally able to find the medication that didn’t cause several allergic reactions. Jenni and Natasha discuss the importance of having someone else advocate for them at appointments. The episode progresses to Jenni providing her tips and tricks on how to manage her disease and parenting with her kids. Finally, they end off the podcast episode talking about the power of social media and online advocacy. Jenni's Socials:  @Gracefully_jen @My_Spoonie_Sisters 

Check out our socials: Website: https://www.takeapaincheck.ca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeapainch... Twitter: https://twitter.com/takeapaincheck​​​Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck

 Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

Dr. Rae Yeung started off her education journey dreaming to be pilot or an astronaut. But she realized quickly, that she had a passion for medicine, children, and rheumatology. The conversation on this week’s podcast episode starts off with a timeline of Dr. Yeung’s journey on becoming a pediatric rheumatologist and a researcher. Dr. Yeung talks about her primary research interest - precision medicine and specifically how this will be able to treat patients on an individualized level based on genes. Furthermore, she clarifies the availability of genetic testing (clinical vs research) for patients. Natasha and Dr. Yeung provide their perspectives on COVID-19 specifically: in person versus virtual visits, the effects and shortages of medications used for both COVID-19 and arthritis, the effectiveness and fears of being on immunosuppressive drugs, and finally the similarities and difference with your immune system with COVID vs arthritis. The discussion progresses into talking about Kawasaki disease, and it’s symptoms that may in fact be COVID-19 related. Lastly, the episode ends off with Dr. Yeung expressing her knowledge of what the future of rheumatology looks like including two major research projects she founded - UCAN CAN-DU and UCAN CURE.

Dr. Rae Yeung's initiatives: https://twitter.com/ucancandu https://twitter.com/SickKidsNews https://twitter.com/CAPRI_Canada https://www.ucancandu.com/ Dr. Rae Yeung's Lab - https://lab.research.sickkids.ca/yeung/

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

This episode is no longer available.

Carrie Zamudio joins our host Natasha this week on Take a Pain a Check to discuss her journey with rheumatoid arthritis. Her story starts off with a long period of time in which she was not being treated and then finally getting diagnosed during the pandemic. We discuss all things arthritis, including bone deformity, her medication journey prior to pregnancy and the fears of afterbirth with rheumatoid arthritis. Carrie now has a newborn daughter. But, flashback to October, she was 5 months pregnant when this conversation happened. Some major questions brought discussed the possibility of remission during pregnancy and if a baby is really healing you internally? Throughout Carrie’s life, she gave up the party life and fashion trends, such as heels and much more. The conversation ends off with the importance of mental health, well-being, lifestyle changes, and being in a good emotional state.

Carrie's Socials:  Instagram: @arthritiscarrie  

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara

This week on Take a Pain Check, we welcome Ravia Khangura who joins our host Natasha to talk about her journey living with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Ravia starts off by explaining how she initially spent weeks in the hospital to get her diagnosis. Growing up, Ravia studied and became a pharmacy technician. However, once we dive deeper into her life, she reveals that she switched her careers to pursue her passion for makeup. Ravia is now a MAC makeup artist, and she shares her workplace accommodations and answers the big question “how and when did you tell your boss you have arthritis?” The episode ends off, with a segment on her elimination process for food, lifestyle changes, the developed love for guided meditation and mindfulness.

Guided meditation resource mentioned by Ravia: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n4F55PPwC-U&feature=youtu.be

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Ravia's socials: Instagram @sunshineravz  & @makeupbyravia  TikTok @sunshineravz_  

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Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara 

“No one knows you better than you, so why let someone else talk for you?” quotes Kasey Bouslaugh, an arthritis advocate from Kansas City. This week Kasey joins our host Natasha on the podcast. We start off with the basics: her story of being undiagnosed for 7 years. Then she opens up about her mental health experiences throughout her arthritis journey. The conversation moves to middle school, when she got bullied, forcing her to put on a brave face. Kasey and Natasha discuss the difference between the Canadian and American health care system, specifically, doctor appointments, labs, and medication. Throughout all of this, Kasey still remains positive and involved in advocacy initiatives such as PR-COIN, PR-COIN PAT, and the Arthritis Foundation, in which she advocates for patients and shares awareness of JIA.  

Do you want to help support Take a Pain Check? Our growth relies on you. Support us today on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/takeapaincheck?fan_landing=true  

Kasey's socials: Twitter: @BouslaughKasey Instagram: @kaseybouslaugh 

PR-COIN socials: https://twitter.com/_prcoin

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Website: https://www.takeapaincheck.ca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeapainch... Twitter: https://twitter.com/takeapaincheck​​​Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck Growing Pains, Copyright, 2018, Alessia Cara #kansascity #advocacy #disability #juvenilearthritis #rheumatology #unitedstates #rheumatic

Have you heard of Cassie and Friends? Do you know the face behind Cassie and Friends? Cassie? Well, Take a Pain Check explores Cassie and her life in today’s episode. We discuss more of the social aspects of living with a rheumatic disease. When is it the right time to tell your friends about your chronic illness? The conversations heads into what it’s like living with arthritis but also being diagnosed with celiac disease. We also talk about dance and the modifications she had to make during practice and on stage. Stay tuned for our game with Cassie on Instagram this week!   SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON & GET YOUR BENEFITS: https://www.patreon.com/takeapaincheck SHOUTOUT TO JOSEPH CAFAZZO OUR NEWEST PATREON! Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephCafazzo   Check Out Cassie's Socials: https://cassieandfriends.ca/ https://www.instagram.com/cassieporte/

Kristen joins Take a Pain Check this week for a conversation about the impact of therapy and behaviour. Kristen was lucky with her diagnosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sjogren's, surprising right? The discussion leads into the topic of friends and family support and jumps right into answering the big question of "how do we as a patient make the right decision for our medications?". Well you might be able to figure that out, if you stay tuned until the end of the episode!

Check out Kristen's social media channels: @WarriorsMoveMountains & @ConnectBehavioralCoaching

This week on Take a Pain Check, Alexandra DiGiacomo, comes onto the podcast to talk about her international knee draining experience. We dive deep into Ali's passions when it comes to script writing, acting, and being a casting assistant for several popular movies. Not only that, Alexandra shares more about her fitness page, workout modifications and training to go into the junior Olympics!

Take a Pain Check's game show host, Brianne, also facilitates a game with the host and guest. Make sure to check it out tomorrow on IG TV so see who wins!

This week on Take a Pain Check, the host interviews Marissa Sangers. She is a parent to an 8 year old girl, Charlotte, who lives with Juvenile Arthritis. We discuss the interesting visit to a plastic surgeon, the parent perspective, and the adjustment of parenting skills. Not only that, we talk about going down the rabbit hole in internet searching. 

American College of Rheumatology Conference Registration: https://www.rheumatology.org/Annual-Meeting/Registration 

UPLiFT Conference Registration: https://conference.gappapain.org/ 

Acute Musculoskeletal Pain Management Webinar: https://www.eventscribe.net/2021/AMPM2021/   

Instagram @rissasangers & @charlottes.superstars 

Facebook JM Sangers Twitter @rissasangers  

TikTok @rissasangers  

Chaufa Nguyen comes onto Take a Pain Check to talk about living life with Lupus while being entrepreneur. We discuss trauma culturally, dealing with a diagnosis by yourself, and developing a positive mindset. We end off with an advice segment that ends up being very inspirational.

Chaufa's social media channels: @chaufanguyen

This week on Take a Pain Check, your host Natasha gets the chance to talk to pediatric rheumatologist Dr. Joost Swart from the Netherlands. They discuss Take a Pain Check's amazing sponsor for the summer, UCAN CAN-DU, the collaboration between Canada and the Netherlands as well as healthcare similarities and differences. The conversation also includes the inside details of what ideal health is, the future of technology and comfortable discussions with patients.  

Check out UCAN CAN-DU: https://www.ucancandu.com/