It’s Invisible Illness Awareness Week!

Today Susie and Erica chat about a plethora of topics related to invisible (and visible) illness. From Susie’s extremely positive experience at the National Writers Conference - Writing West Midlands, the most accessible event she has ever been to, to the excellent service she got at Fortune Feimster’s Comedy show at London’s Hackney Empire when using her wheelchair, to the extra difficulty of booking accessibility at events in general, this episode is packed with goodies.

We also dive into the delicate topics of ableism, sexism and racism and letting go of defensiveness in order to learn and grow.*

Erica shares how Tyler Burey’s “We Move Together” art installation inspired her to take a risk that led to the best encounter in a Toronto park. Check him out on IG: tbureyartist

Two people were shooting a video of themselves dancing and Erica joined in! This led to a very exciting collaboration! Check them out. Jake IG: @thedancingsocialworker Adam IG: happytown.to

Want to hear what came of this collaboration? (You really do! It’s big news!) Head over to @dancepartyonthehill on Instagram. Follow and join in on the celebration!

To follow and support the work of George, the author Susie heard speak and met at the writing conference, follow him on IG: gdbastow_writes and tell him Susie sent you!

Happy Invisible Awareness Week!

*Note from Erica: When I point out (around the 25 minute mark) that I “find myself saying or thinking things that are by nature, racist, or by nature, sexist” I mean that I catch myself with these thoughts that are rooted in unconscious racism or sexism—things that might be stereotypical or offensive that I still need to unpack because they don’t align with who I am and who I am trying to be. I have found the roots of these “isms” to be deep and insidious.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Email: iseeyouthepodcast@gmail.com

Watch us on YouTube: @iseeyouthepodcast

FB/IG:@iseeyouthepodcast

Substack: I See You – The Podcast

ERICA ZACHARIAS:

Website: www.theartoftakingupspace.com/links

IG: @ericazacharias

SUSIE SCHWARTZ:

Website: www.susieschwartz.com

IG: @authorsusieschwartz

Substack: The Quest for Less Health Stress, Secrets of a Thriller Writer

Book: Help the Doctor Help You: 41 secrets and tips for self-advocacy to get the BEST from your appointments. (Available on Amazon, Waterstones.com, Ingram Spark)

In today’s episode on advocating for ourselves and all things appointments, Erica kicks us off with chatting about the time in between—in between having tests done and getting a diagnosis.

Susie jumps in with one of her favourite topics… therapy! She’s found benefits in different types of therapy, but touches on her experience with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and how one step in the exercise particularly helps when feeling anxious about health issues.

Susie also gives some tips from her book, ‘Help the Doctor Help You’ to get the best from medical appointments. For example, before leaving your appointment ask, the next steps: “What do I do if things get worse? What if they don’t get better?”

She also might get a little soap-boxy about finding empathy for our doctors and how that goes a long way to relationship building, which in turn, results in better care. And a little housekeeping… Erica may have been having some trouble with her face holes. That’ll happen, folks.

And due to internet troubles, our sound got a little laggy, but shouldn’t cause you too much trouble.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Email: iseeyouthepodcast@gmail.com

Watch us on YouTube: @iseeyouthepodcast

FB/IG:@iseeyouthepodcast

Substack: I See You – The Podcast

ERICA:

Website: www.theartoftakingupspace.com

IG: @ericazacharias

SUSIE:

Website: www.susieschwartz.com

IG: @authorsusieschwartz

Substack: The Quest for Less Health Stress, Secrets of a Thriller Writer

Book: Help the Doctor Help You: 41 secrets and tips for self-advocacy to get the BEST from your appointments. (Available on Amazon, Waterstones.com, Ingram Spark)

Both Erica and Susie are part-time wheelchair users, and needing mobility aids can come with (unnecessary) shame and embarrassment. (Thanks to outward and inward perceptions of disability). On today’s episode, we unpack the messy emotions that come with this transition.

Susie tells a story of ‘outing’ herself at a local village event, using her wheelchair for the first time in that setting.

We then discuss the benefits to using mobility aids and why it is worth it to push past any shame and use them.

We also discuss how it gets easier, and the emotional punch of being visibly disabled dissipates with time and experience.

What we really want you to know is this: If that transition period is hard, confusing, tricky, just know that that is normal. And it does get easier.

Follow: @chronicallyjenni in IG for education and support

CNIB: https://www.cnib.ca/en/support-us/advocate/advocacy-campaigns/advocating-safer-more-accessible-journeys

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Email: iseeyouthepodcast@gmail.com

Watch us on YouTube: @iseeyouthepodcast

FB/IG:@iseeyouthepodcast

Substack: I See You – The Podcast

ERICA:

Website: www.theartoftakingupspace.com

IG: @ericazacharias

SUSIE:

Website: www.susieschwartz.com

IG: @authorsusieschwartz

Substack: The Quest for Less Health Stress, Secrets of a Thriller Writer