Have you experienced an illness with symptoms that other people can’t see? The truth is that there are countless people who live in this world with invisible illnesses. Today’s guest shares her own story of living with such a condition and how she helps others navigate a health care system that often leaves them out of the conversation.

 

LISTEN TO EPISODE 85 OF THE FED AND FEARLESS PODCAST

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About Morganne Skinner, RN

Morganne is a registered nurse currently working in Public Health and has been a nurse for six years. Outside of work, Morganne can be found running or hiking trails. She qualified for the Boston Marathon and then left the country to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia.

Morganne lived in Zambia for two years in a rural village with the Lunda tribe. She worked in all things development, public health, and agriculture. Her interests include all things women’s health and nutrition, inspired by her public health experience in Zambia and now along with her own health challenges with endometriosis.

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Living With Invisible Illnesses

So much of western medicine is based on what can be measured and observed. However, not all illnesses are observable. Endometriosis is one of these illnesses. There are times when people downplay these very real conditions or assume that they’re not even real, to begin with.

Morganne explains the mental toll this can take.

To effectively communicate your needs, Morganne stresses the importance of trusting yourself and setting boundaries. The fact of the matter is you only have to disclose as much as you are comfortable with. At the same time, sharing what you’re comfortable sharing helps to normalize your experience and hopefully builds more empathy going forward.

 

Taking Charge of Your Health

Sadly, many conditions like endometriosis do not receive the scientific attention they deserve. Too often this puts the onus on the patient themselves to search for information. There is certainly information out there, but understanding what is valid and what your doctor can help you with can be difficult to navigate. To that end, we talk about how you can equip yourself with the best information and work alongside your doctor to receive the help you need.

If you have an invisible illness, what strategies have you found to communicate your needs? Leave a comment below! 

 

Got a question you’d love to hear me answer on the show? Leave me a voice message here!

 

IN THIS EPISODE

• The complex nature of living with an invisible illness [4:45]
• Morganne’s experience receiving an endometriosis diagnosis [13:21]
• Teaching doctors and nurses to better listen to their patients [18:34]
• Dealing with the limitations of current medical knowledge [23:37]
• Strategies for effectively communicating your needs [34:30]
• Finding a positive angle when experiencing challenging conditions [41:20]

 

QUOTES

“A lot of people think of endometriosis as a woman’s problem or like menstrual cramps. But it’s a whole-body disease and it affects a lot.” [10:26]

“I think it’s great for people to be involved in their care and to take responsibility and initiative. But also it should not fall one hundred percent on the patient.” [25:09]

“There’s no one size fits all for endometriosis and I might not have understood that to the degree that I do now had I not gone through my own experience.” [45:04]

 

LINKS

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