Ep 149: A birthday miracle: How letting people in led to relief and renewal

Send us Fan MailHey friends. This holiday season, I am grateful to share a story that is quite vulnerable for me. My hope in sharing is that someone needs this encouragement today - like I have needed in so many moments over the last decade. Thank you for loving me well and following along the podcast!The story starts with a single itchy spot and unfolds into a decade-long battle that touched every part of life—body, mind, and spirit. I share what it felt like to spiral each evening, why secrecy fed my shame, and how a simple, brave choice to let people in began to change the experience. As a psychologist, I understood the importance of support, yet I still fought the very human urge to hide. That tension, and the relief that followed, set the stage for a turning point I never saw coming.We walk through the medical odyssey—clean blood work, reassuring biopsies, and the maddening feeling of being told I was “healthy” while my skin told a louder truth. I talk about the resilience it takes to keep calling specialists, the discouragement of repeated insurance denials, and the quiet faith that carried me through nights when hope felt thin. Then the plot twists: a nudge to check for a cancellation, a dermatologist who immediately recognized the pattern, and a new biologic that promised help with minimal side effects. The approvals didn’t come easy, but when the phone finally rang on my birthday, everything shifted.You’ll hear about the first injection and the immediate relief, the joy of taking a hot bath without fear for the first time in years, and the gratitude that comes when daily suffering finally loosens its grip. This is a conversation about chronic itching and dermatology, yes—but more than that, it’s about persistence, self-compassion, and faith in the face of setbacks. If you’re navigating a chronic condition, fighting shame, or searching for answers, I hope this encourages you to keep going and to let someone walk with you. If the story resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find their way here.Support the showwww.bethtrammell.com