Calling In Sick

In this Calling in Sick x Ask Alex, I’m joined by Cortney Gensemer, PhD - scientist, chronic illness patient and mom - to talk about the questions so many of us with chronic illness are quietly worried about. Motherhood. And obviously, as someone who is newly pregnant, I had a LOT of questions for Cort!! So this week, we're diving into: 🤰 What pregnancy actually looked like with hEDS, POTS & MCAS 🏥 Why MFM appointments are every chronic illness woman’s favorite appointment ever 👶 The genetic question everyone is afraid to ask: will my child have my chronic illness? 💼 How Cortney found a sustainable balance for work, health and motherhood 🩺 How chronic illness actually prepares you to be an incredible mother And we also answer YOUR questions! Including: 🤍 How to manage burnout as a parent with CFS 🤍 What a genetic mutation in COL5A1 or COL5A2 actually means for cEDS 🤍 How to ask for help when your body just can't keep up xx,  Alex 💬 Comment: What's the one question about chronic illness and motherhood you've been afraid to ask? TIMESTAMPS Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick’s Ask Alex! Motherhood and Chronic Illness: 00:02:29 Courtney's motherhood & postpartum journey 00:08:00 Why chronic illness patients love their Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialists  00:14:15 What sharing our pregnancies publicly was like 00:17:15 The concerns about passing down chronic illness conditions 00:23:42 How pregnancy has shifted our mindsets towards life with chronic illness 00:25:29 Chronic illness parenting hacks 00:31:12 What navigating a medical crisis for your child is like, while YOU are managing YOUR chronic illness 00:39:20 How Cortney has juggled her career, motherhood and chronic illness Audience Q&A: 00:43:25 Chronic Illness Burnout Tips  00:48:22 Pain medication and juggling the long-term risks 00:50:33 MFM and Preconception Planning 00:56:06 Genetics and EDS Conclusion: 01:00:11 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? Connect with our guest: Cortney Gensemer! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cortdoesscience/ • Substack - https://cortneygensemer.substack.com/ • Website - cortneygensemer.com 🔗 If you have a complex chronic illness, check out Chronicle Connect and patient participation opportunities at chroniclebio.com  ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: Things that have been helping my chronic illness — and now my first trimester too!! ✨Salonpas Lidocaine Pain Patches — https://amzn.to/3P6rAON ✨Momcozy Pregnancy Pillow — https://amzn.to/4nEIlgZ #ChronicIllnessResearch #hEDS #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #POTS #MCAS #MastCellActivation #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #PatientAdvocacy #CortDoesScience #ChronicleBio #ChronicIllnessCommunity #MedicalGaslighting #PatientScientist #Omics #ChronicPain #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with someone who lives this chronic illness life from both sides of the equation. Cortney Gensemer, PhD is a scientist at ChronicleBio, a patient with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, MCAS, POTS, and adrenal insufficiency, and the creator behind @CortDoesScience, and she is not holding back. This week we're diving into: 🔬 What it's actually like to study your own disease 🩺 The challenges of specialized care and diagnosis for the chronic illness population 🧬 How "omics" research is what’s connecting the dots across chronic illnesses to move beyond labels and actually find answers 💊 Our hot takes on if: diagnostic labels 100% helpful, wellness culture is actually toxic, patients are more informed than their providers, and so much more xx,  Alex 💬 Comment: What's one thing you wish your doctor actually understood about your condition? TIMESTAMPS Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:04:48 Alex’s Picks of the Week (Abercrombie, Rag & Bone, MOTHER Denim) My chat with Cortney Gensemer: 00:02:50 Cortney's journey: From athlete to patient to scientist 00:09:36 What researching her own disease did for her identity and diagnosis journey 00:23:25 What being a patient and scientist is like 00:26:23 Starting @CortDoesScience" on social media 00:30:34 Developing patient-science training and lab accessibility 00:37:07 Transitioning to biotech at ChronicleBio Chronic Illness Hot Takes: 00:47:04 Are diagnostic labels meaningless? 00:49:51 Should patients read primary literature? 00:54:41 Is it the doctor's fault if they don't understand your condition? 00:56:47 Is social media harmful or helpful for our community? 01:01:51 How should we be evaluating the wellness industry? Conclusion: 01:14:04 One Brain Cell Show: Love is Blind, Working Moms, I'm Sorry 01:18:20 Where to connect with Cortney Gensemer 01:20:01 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? Connect with our guest: Cortney Gensemer! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cortdoesscience/ • Substack - https://cortneygensemer.substack.com/ • Website - cortneygensemer.com 🔗 If you have a complex chronic illness, check out Chronicle Connect and patient participation opportunities at chroniclebio.com  ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: Things that have been helping my chronic illness — and now my first trimester too!! ✨Salonpas Lidocaine Pain Patches — https://amzn.to/3P6rAON ✨Momcozy Pregnancy Pillow — https://amzn.to/4nEIlgZ #ChronicIllnessResearch #hEDS #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #POTS #MCAS #MastCellActivation #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #PatientAdvocacy #CortDoesScience #ChronicleBio #ChronicIllnessCommunity #MedicalGaslighting #PatientScientist #Omics #ChronicPain #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GET YOUR TISSUES READY!!!! Because this week, on Calling in Sick, I’m sharing the biggest news yet… after 7 years of praying, delayed timelines, a miscarriage and so many set backs. We. Are. FINALLY. PREGNANT!!!!!!  And today I'm getting into ALL of it: 🌍 How we found out in Amsterdam ❤️ What telling our families was like  🤰 How I’m feeling at 6 weeks 🤯 What my autoimmune symptoms have been like  🍼 Why we decided to share this news early  For anyone in their own motherhood journey right now, whether you’re deep in TTC or just curious about what motherhood could like like for you… I see you, I love you, and I hope this episode gives you a little hope. 🤍 xx, Alex, Coop and Baby W 💬 Comment: Do you think we’re having a BOY or a GIRL?!?! TIMESTAMP:  Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:01:00 Alex’s Picks of the Week (Kroma 24K Chicken Bone Broth, Wow Butter) We’re Pregnant!: 00:02:44 How we found out (and why we were SHOCKED!!) 00:09:23 How we told our families 00:21:31 Why we shared the news so early 00:23:37 How my autoimmune diseases are doing, and thoughts on a chronic illness pregnancy 00:26:36 My thoughts on being pregnant with a chronic illness 00:30:57 What sex ed didn't teach us about pregnancy…. 00:34:10 Current symptoms and cravings Conclusion: 00:38:46 One Brain Cell Show: Running Point (Netflix) 00:40:37 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: I’m in my first trimester, which means I’m fighting pregnancy nausea. But!!! I think I’ve found a hack. PROTEIN! Here’s my on-the-go anti-nausea snacks I keep on my person, all the time: ✨Kroma Bone Broth — go.shopmy.us/p-56202425 ALEXANDRA20 for 20% off ✨WOW!Butter — https://amzn.to/4elhC6k #ChronicIllnessPregnancy #PregnancyAnnouncement #AutoimmunePregnancy #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #PregnancyWithChronicIllness #ChronicPain #TTC #TTCCommunity #ChronicIllnessMom #Spoonie #MotherhoodJourney #Progesterone #HighRiskPregnancy #MFM #PregnancySymptoms #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've been following me on socials, you already know this, and if you don’t, then sit down for this new…. Saint Cooper and I are PREGNANT!! 🎉 We spent last week celebrating this surprise, and I took the week of from podcasting. So this week I'm re-releasing my two favorite episodes about my chronic illness and motherhood journey… and honestly, Alex in those episodes had absolutely NO idea what was coming for her this year. 😭 Next week, Saint Coops and I are dropping a full episode giving you the download on this pregnancy journey: how it happened (the old school way, yes really!!!), what finding out was like, how I'm feeling so far, our boy // girl predictions, and everything in between. We'll also be doing an Ask Alex episode answering ALL of your questions about this new chapter: send yours here: https://forms.gle/YYPREsLgYuEPhx4Y9 So much love!! 🤍 Saint Coop, Alex & our little lovie Revisit: This week on Calling in Sick, Saint Coop and I are sitting down for one of the most vulnerable conversations we’ve had yet. We’re talking about the reality of trying to have a baby while living with chronic illness: the planning, the fear, the logistics, the IVF part, and the emotional nuance that doesn’t always make it to Instagram. In this episode, we dive into: • Why we chose IVF instead of trying to conceive naturally • How we are processing this chapter differently (while not being mad at each other) • The caregiving dynamic and how a baby could shift it • Our fears around health, tapering medications, and timing We also revisit our embryo update and give more context to how we’re thinking about implantation, preparation, and what this season of life really looks like behind the scenes. So if you’ve ever wondered about becoming a parent while juggling chronic illness… put your headphones on and turn up the volume. 🎧 Don’t forget: our weekly Ask Alex episode drops Wednesday at 9 AM CST, where we answer your submitted questions (including IVF costs, tapering meds, and filming during flares). xx, Alex 💬 Comment: What’s the biggest fear or question you have about parenthood and chronic illness? TIMESTAMP: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! 00:01:37 Life Updates & Yapping 00:09:14 Alex’s (& Coop’s) Picks of the Week (Hatch, Lola, AG1 and Uni) Chronic Illness & Trying to Become Parents: 00:16:22 Why we are doing IVF & what our experience has been like so far 00:23:24 Why we will only name ONE embryo & how we picked July as the implantation date 00:26:24 How being a caregiver & husband has given Cooper a different emotional experiencing around trying-to-conceive (TTC) 00:33:01 What sharing my chronic illness fertility journey online has been like 00:37:55 The fears and worries we are carrying around having a baby with a chronic illness 00:43:18 Why we’ve decided it’s time to go to Couples Therapy!! 00:44:44 How Cooper and I are diving up the logistics of planing for parenthood & the one thing that made us have a FIGHT 00:54:02 What’s next for our TTC journey Conclusion: 00:57:05 One Brain Cell Show: The Burbs (Peacock) 00:59:20 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 • Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House -- https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ Alex’s Picks of the Week: Since we’re talking about all things baby this week… these are two things we already own that I *think* will come in handy with baby!!! ✨Hatch (alarm clock) — https://go.shopmy.us/p-32414449 — ALEXWILD gives you 55% off at checkout! ✨Lola (blanket) — https://go.shopmy.us/p-37229531 — ALEXWILD gives you 55% off at checkout! And Saint Cooper was SO excited to throw in his most recent favorite products too... ✨AG1 (greens mix) — https://go.shopmy.us/p-40888857 — pro tip, mix with Pineapple and coconut water!! ✨ Uni (lotion) — https://go.shopmy.us/p-43912973 — ALEXANDRA15 for 15% off at checkout! #TryingToConceive #IVFJourney #ChronicIllnessPregnancy #AutoimmuneDisease #HighRiskPregnancy #EmbryoTransfer #FertilityJourney #MotherhoodWithChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #ChronicPain #IVFSupport #CaregivingSpouse #MedicalGaslighting #HealthJourney #ChronicIllnessCommunity #DisabilityAwareness #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices