But You Don’t Look Sick - A Podcast About HS

Having a chronic illness often means relying on a caregiver to provide support in times of need. In this episode, HS warrior Jasmine Espy and her mother, Muriel Espy, get candid about giving, receiving, and accepting help while navigating life with a chronic condition.

HS can be complicated, and it can help to lean on your friends for support—as long as they get it. In this episode, host Jasmine Espy talks with fellow HS advocate Leia Ali, founder of the Empowered HS Goddess Foundation, about how to feel less isolated with a chronic disease like HS, tips on explaining the condition to others, and why friendships can be like a tree, from its deepest roots to falling leaves. 

Chronic illness can greatly influence your fashion choices, especially if you are coping with a flare, but what you choose to wear also impacts your emotional wellbeing. In this episode, host Jasmine Espy speaks with writer, speaker, digital content director, and pattern designer Aaronica Cole about how you can express yourself through your clothing and accessories, how fashion is a type of armor, and why you should always get dressed for your own happiness and satisfaction.

Dermatologist and HS specialist Steven Daveluy, M.D. shares top strategies for navigating both the acute and chronic pain that is an intricate part of the skin condition.     Pain can be a huge part of living with hidradenitis suppurativa, explains dermatologist Steven Daveluy, M.D., an HS specialist with Wayne Health in Detroit. In this episode, Dr. Daveluy talks to host Jasmine Espy about some effective pain-management tools for handling both acute and chronic pain episodes, as well as the best ways to advocate for yourself and find support in the HS community.  

Intimacy is complicated, and that’s especially true if you are living with hidradenitis suppurativa. On this episode, host Jasmine Espy and special guest Leia Ali, founder of the HS Goddess Foundation, discuss the importance of feeling confident in your body, having honest conversations, and finding physical and emotional ways to build a stronger connection with your partner.

As our bodies change before our eyes, it can be hard to see ourselves for who we are outside of being sick. On this episode Jasmine talks with Aaronica Cole about how HS changes our bodies and how we see ourselves, and also how outsiders’ perspectives filter in. We explore body trauma from flare-ups, inflammation, and scarring, and why self-kindness is vital.

Do you live with a chronic condition that is invisible to others, but very real to you? Our podcast hosts, Jasmine Espy gets it. She wants you to know you are not alone. Through candid conversation and even a little humor, this podcast explores the physical pain, emotional toll, medical challenges, and resilience that shape the HS experience, creating space for validation and community. Because not looking sick doesn’t mean someone isn’t fighting a daily battle.