The Light of Life: Recent Episodes
Naomi DeBello
A young lady sharing stories about the medical world while bringing inspiration and hope to her guests and audience with the power of the light of life. New episodes every Monday.
Hipolito shares his journey to a healthier life after reaching 20 stone in weight. In pounds, that is 280!! He realized he had to address his trauma to heal himself and become healthy again. Hipolito's message to everyone is "Never give up".
DISCLAIMER: Please consult your doctor first if you have questions about coming off prescription medications.
This week's episode Kevin discusses how your lifestyle impacts your health. How often do you exercise? What is your diet like? Are you taking care of your mental health?
Bruce is a medical doctor who was part of the breakthrough of proving fibromyalgia is a real disease. Bruce emphasizes how much doctors rely on federal funding for scientific research and technology advancements. Since medicaid has been cut from federal funding, it's a very scary time. Not only have millions just lost healthcare coverage, multiple hospitals will get shut down because of the amount of money they make from Medicaid and Medicare.
Christina and Heather are mothers with children with congenital heart defects. Christina has an 8 month old daughter and Heather has a 3 year old son. Both Christina and Heather discuss how they felt when they were told their children had CHD, how to adapt as a parent, and the challenges that come from fear of the unknown. Gwen is a fellow CHD who shares how the most challenging part was not being able to play sports as a child. Gwen also shares inspiring advice to never give up and it will be okay in the end. Gwen also shares if you have a gut feeling something is wrong, notify your cardiologist right away.
Louis De Jaeger is an environmentalist and has studied gut health. Louis shares advice on how to improve the health in your gut and why living a healthy, active lifestyle is so important. Louis also brings awareness to how global warming and climate change affects peoples health as well.
Morgan is a registered nurse working in Pediatric intensive care and NICU. Morgan works with patients with congenital heart defects!! Morgan shares a story of working the night shift and a baby she was taking care of sadly passed away overnight. She shares a lot of doctors and nurses dwell on the the ones who didn't make it rather than the ones who have made it and can live life. Naomi acknowledges how terrible that must feel and how her perspective has grown into sympathizing with doctors more.
Lois has a son who was diagnosed with learning disabilities from the age of six. Lois discussed how her son would constantly withdraw himself from the class every day because the teachers would yell at her, "What is wrong with your son?" Lois says this time was utterly heartbreaking. She took matters into her own hands and discovered teachers need to teach using all of the methods, not just one.
Jeremy has lived with chronic depression his entire life. It certainly didn't help that he lived in a household of alcoholics. Jeremy has acknowledged that likely he will live with depression for the rest of his life, and that's okay. His advice to people struggling is to not give up.
Mary lives with chronic UTIs. She describes how UTIs affect her every day life from an incredible amount of pain and constantly needing to use the restroom. Due to her chronic illness, she unfortunately cannot work full time because of how unpredictable her condition can be. "Every day is different." Mary's advice is to not give up.
Roxanne is returning to the podcast! You may remember Roxanne from "Spirits and The Afterlife with Roxanne" from September 2023. Roxanne shares what her four near death experiences were like. Her first one she nearly fell off a cliff. The last three she nearly bled to death. Roxanne shares what death experiences are like and how you enter the middle world, and afterlife.
Amy Wang-Hiller returns to the podcast!! You may remember Amy from "Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Disabilities, and Ableism with Amy" back in February 2023. Amy shares how with the help of physical therapy her mobility has begun to improve. She also shares uplifting advice to not compare yourself with anyone else because we are all on our own journey. Amy and Naomi both describe how managing energy is so important for people with chronic illnesses, and how to avoid burnout. Amy also shares a collaboration she is working on that she will announce soon to hopefully give musicians a chance at affordable health care.
Follow Amy on Instagram @thrive_on_wheels to learn more about her upcoming website!
"You just said something the entire world needs to hear! PTSD is a physical injury to the brain." Teresa went through a lot of trauma in her life. At only 3 years old, she witnessed two family members try to kill each other with hairbrushes. At 10 years old, she was told an Anti-Semitic comment and envisioned for decades about a green tank driving by. She shares that to this day, she still has nightmares of a green tank. Teresa also shares how she lost her brother, who passed away from a drug overdose. Teresa has treatment resistant depression and does not believe treatment will work for her. Naomi adds how PTSD is specifically a physical injury to the brain, not a mental illness. Trauma causes physical brain damage.
Eileen developed vocal dysphonia at 60 years old, one year before she was planning to retire. Unfortunately, her profession involved her singing voice and she needed to retire a year early because of dysphonia. Eileen shares botox injections in her vocal chords was part of her treatment, along with speech therapy. Eileen also brings awareness to a website where you can find dysphonia doctors in your state who want to help with your case.
Eileen's website: dysphonia.org
Jenny is a nurse who has worked in the emergency room and for the last 30 years worked in hospice. Jenny shares the harsh realities of how difficult it can be, not only physically, but also emotionally. She shares it's important to remember that in hospice care, you are doing your best to make the patients feel comfortable.
Jenny's website: jennylytle.com
Fitz Koehler is returning to the podcast!! You may remember Fitz from "A Remarkable Cancer Story and Fitness Advice with Fitz" from March 2023 on The Light of Life! Fitz returns to share what her life is like currently and how to improve your quality of life.
Fitz's website: fitzness.com
John has a son with nonverbal autism. John shares the challenges there are to take care of one with a serious disability. His advice is to seek out support and community to connect with people you can relate to. John shares this has helped him and his family a lot.
John's website: johnfela.com
Chad went through a turbulent time when his liver failed due to multiple chronic illnesses. He shares how difficult it was to wait while on the transplant list because his doctors said he could go at any day. Facing death, Chad realized how precious life is and to not dwell or fear death, since it is inevitable for everybody.
You can find Chad's book, "Beyond the Darkness" on Amazon.
Michael is returning to the podcast!! You may remember Michael from "Pectus Excavatum" back in May last year. Today, he is discussing another story. Michael had the first symptoms of appendicitis right before he was going to perform an operation on a dog. (Michael is a veterinarian.) He was in a lot of pain and informed his boss. His boss said, "You need to go to the emergency room. I guarantee you that is appendicitis." Michael is eternally grateful - if he did not leave work when he did he could've died. Michael also discusses the agony and frustration it indeed is when you wait for your emergency surgery for 13 HOURS.
Abby struggled for seven years with an eating disorder in her teens. She mentions a lot of factors played into her disorder, including not having the greatest home life, having a tense relationship with her father, and being diagnosed with a medical condition that made her need to temporarily control her diet. Abby mentions a lot of cases revolve around feeling the need to control something in the person's life, and most of the time, it ends up being food. Abby also bravely shares how body dysmorphia can make it hard for someone to be willing to recover. She says her advice is to put sticky notes on mirrors telling yourself you are worthy no matter what.
"Schizophrenia is quite possibly the most misunderstood mental illness ever." - Dale Walsh
Today's guest is Dale, who is 100% recovered from Schizophrenia. He discusses how it's not just hallucinations - there's also delusions. Nothing particularly causes it, and most people don't make it to 50 years old, much less 50 years in recovery - which Dale is.
Dale bravely shares he was found incompetent and forced to get help. Deep in his delusions, he could not convince himself why he needed help. Eventually, 20 years later, after 10 hospitalizations and taken involuntary to psych wards, he wanted to recover on his own.
Dale's advice to people who know someone with Schizophrenia - Be patient with them. It's hard to understand. Dale's advice to those struggling - take your medications.
Thank you so much Dale, this was incredibly eye opening.
Daniel discusses various topics about biology and how to live a healthy life. He also brings awareness to medicine and technology improving lives as it is being advanced every day.
Lauren was only 10 years old when she was rushed to the emergency room after complaining of not feeling well and having difficulty breathing. It was discovered her kidneys shut down and her lungs were filling with blood. Her lungs managed to be saved but her kidneys could not. Lauren was put on the list for a kidney transplant. Endless appointments, blood draws, and scans. In May 2015, she got the call. A pair of kidneys were being airlifted to her local hospital just for her. She is grateful to have had a smooth recovery and no rejection. Lauren shares although it was so long ago, she still needs to manage her kidneys every day with blood draws and medications.
WARNING: This episode contains details of violence.
Imagine being 13 years old and having to call the police on one of your parents. Erik came from a broken home and called the police on his stepfather because he was hitting his mother. Years later, Erik spiraled into a drug addiction that nearly took his life. He learned along the way, your past doesn't define and you can turn your life around. Erik is living proof you can turn your life around!
"I was suffering from a spinal cord injury and I was labeled as a drug addict." Brian shares his story of his experience in the emergency room and how he was treated. He wasn't listened to at all and dismissed. Naomi and Brian both share the importance of second opinions (why Naomi's even here today.) Brian asks an eye opening question to Naomi, "Are you still angry about the situation?" Naomi says she's not angry, however, she knows she cannot trust just any hospital ever again. Brian understands completely, as his experience has also made him not be able to trust anybody in the medical industry.
You can find Brian's book, "Healthcareless" by Brian Van Korn, on Amazon.
Cameron works in the medical field as an EMT. An EMT is an emergency medical technician. Cameron also shares his experience studying orthopedics in medical school. He hopes to one day eventually become a surgeon.
PJ shares his story living with the heart condition Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. PJ and Naomi are friends from PACE. PJ mentions the Adult Congenital Heart Association is wonderful support for everyone across the country with congenital heart defects. PJ also bravely opens up about PTSD and how even being inside a hospital is difficult for him. PJ and Naomi both share about their nightmares over the years (very common symptom of PTSD) and Naomi says her biggest PTSD symptom today is not being able to tolerate the sight of blood.
Appendicitis is quite common for a lot of people. Natalie bravely shares her story with appendicitis and emergency surgery. Natalie was in a lot of pain one night and throwing up constantly. She went to the emergency room in the morning only to discover her appendix was severely inflamed. The only treatment for appendicitis is to have the appendix taken out in an operation. Natalie had the operation immediately. Once she came out of anesthesia, she felt a lot better and was no longer in agonizing pain. Natalie gives helpful advice to anyone who is about to have an operation.
"It's your life. Nobody else's life. It's your story. Nobody else's story."
Aisha discusses how important it is to appreciate your life. To focus on the things you have rather than the things you don't have. Don't take everything for granted, you never know what can change.
In 1970, Ken Kunken became quadriplegic after suffering a serious spinal cord injury. This left him completely paralyzed. Ken became a district attorney and was the first quadriplegic to graduate from Cornell University in New York. Due to his new challenges, Ken realized he was unable to get around in public places. It was 1971, before any accommodations for people with disabilities were made publicly. Ken had the once in a lifetime opportunity to testify to Senator Kennedy on why we need public places to be accessible for everybody. Ken Kunken is one of the reasons why we have The Americans With Disabilities Act today, finally passed in 1990. The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures wheelchair ramps and elevators to be accessible, discrimination against disabilities to be illegal, and ensures people with disabilities to receive fair employment.
At two different moments in her life, Nancy survived cancer and alcoholism. Nancy shares how she got sober after attempting to take her life. Nancy also shares how she began helping others through equus coaching. (Horses.)
Nancy's website for women struggling with anything related to mental health (depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, alcohol/drug abuse, etc.): sherecovers.org
Max lost his vision in college. Max describes his most difficult challenges unable to see. He also encourages everyone to find their community of people who have similar disabilities as you do.
Katherine shares her story surviving stage 3 Breast Cancer. Katherine also shares the truth about forgiveness.
"Forgiveness is NOT you acknowledging that what the person did is okay. What forgiveness truly is is letting go of the past for YOU to be at peace."
Wise words, and a very important life lesson.
Sarah was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 15 years old. Sarah describes her years living with diabetes was a constant battle because she couldn't stand poking herself with a needle to pump insulin into her system. Unfortunately, this is very dangerous for people with diabetes and she was told her heart attack 20 years later was due to extremely high BLOOD SUGAR. Wait... HIGH BLOOD SUGAR can cause a HEART ATTACK?? You mainly think heart attacks are caused by high cholesterol or high levels of stress, No wonder they always say, "Too much of anything is bad for you."
"The first thing people need to know is, whatever you're struggling with whether it is depression or another mental health issue, is that: It is NOT your fault." Wise words from this week's guest, Kenji. Kenji bravely shares his story battling depression and even shares at one point he was ready to give up. Kenji and Naomi have attended the same culinary school in college and Kenji shares school saved his life from the infamous 2020 pandemic.
What happens when a medical doctor suddenly becomes a patient? Michael is a medical doctor working in the emergency room. He shares heartbreaking yet inspiring stories about triumphing after intense hospital stays and long doctor hours.
"Never give up." Fierce says to everyone listening. "No matter how hard it may be, never give up."
Fierce survived a terrifying brain aneurysm. She needed to relearn how to walk. How it happened is haunting. Fierce was watching TV at home with her boyfriend. It was just like any other day. Suddenly, Fierce sees on the wall numbers that spell out "911". Nothing was happening, but she told her boyfriend, "Call 911!" Her boyfriend calls 911, and still nothing is happening. But Fierce then pointed to her head and blacked out.
Fierce's story of perseverance, strength, and wisdom is beyond inspirational.
Joel and Naomi have a significant thing in common: Both have had open heart surgery! Joel shares his experience with having been diagnosed with CHD until adulthood. He began receiving symptoms at the age of 16 but was not officially diagnosed until a mind-blowing 26!
Shadi is a hospital doctor that has worked in the Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Room, and General Hospital. Shadi shares how overwhelming it is for doctors and how even doctors can develop PTSD from patients having medical complications. Naomi never realized how true that is. Shadi asks Naomi about her experience and Naomi drops MAJOR BOMBSHELLS about how she didn't develop PTSD until 2 years later and how her perspective has ENTIRELY CHANGED ON HER COMFORT CARE SITUATION.
Jeff discusses how meditation benefits your every day life. He says even if you just take 20 minutes a day to meditate, you will be much less stressed. He also mentions the 5 Regulations to meditate successfully.
Jeff also mentions you can order his book, The Yielding Warrior, for FREE!
Jeff's website: theyieldingwarrior.com/book
Naomi went under anesthesia last week. This was the first medical procedure she's had in almost 7 years. Naomi opens up about her feelings of the hospital and surgery. She surprisingly acknowledges how desensitized she is and wonders if there is anyone else out there who feels the same way.
James and Naomi are friends from the CHD community. James was born with the heart condition Tetralogy of Fallot, which consists of a defect in each chamber of the heart. 4 different defects. James discusses his experience in the hospital after his open heart surgeries and how he became involved in the CHD community. James also encourages everyone to take care of your mental health and bravely opens up about his struggle with PTSD.
Disclaimer: If you have medical conditions, please stick to Western, modern day medicine. If we are born with a defect, there is nothing we can do in Eastern to "heal" us. We need to keep our prescription medications, we need hospitals and technology.
Francisco shares what chiropractors do to help patients relieve back pain and joint pain,
Michael was born with Pectus Excavatum. Pectus Excavatum is an encaved chest where the two chest cavity bones were indented. Michael shares how difficult it was to breathe and the pain he was in prior to his surgery. The surgery to fix his chest involved pushing out the chest cavity bones to properly align with the ribcage. Michael shares he can no longer feel the middle of his chest because of the operation. Naomi reveals she can't either. They both conclude it's due to the cartilage that needs to be ripped off to open/pull forward the two chest cavity bones.
It's no secret that doctors who work in hospitals are insanely overworked. So many lead to burn out and dangerously high levels of stress. Ethan is an attorney/agent for doctors in the medical field, helping them maintain a schedule so that they can take care of their patients, but in addition, take care of THEMSELVES. Ethan also shares the cold hard truth: Doctors are SUFFERING, financially and mentally. He shares a heartbreaking story about a doctor who called him asking for a lawyer. She stated, "I'm so burnt out, I'm so stressed out. My salary has JUST BEEN CUT IN HALF. They made me sign a contract after they promised I would be compensated in other ways, and that hasn't happened." Ethan told the woman, "Okay, we can help you out." After that phone call... Ethan NEVER heard from her AGAIN.
Breast cancer, emergency heart transplant, bitter divorce, and your child dying.
Just one of these alone would be traumatizing to go through on its own, but Laura went through all four of these tragedies within... ONE YEAR.
Yes, one YEAR.
Maybe it is time to take a step back and reflect on how good we really have it. Laura's resilience is unfathomable. Her strength is admirable.
Naomi personally believes it is a full-blown miracle Laura was able to keep her SANITY.
If Laura can learn to cope and heal, anybody can recover from anything.
Hug your loved ones, tell them you love them. You never know what can happen to you.
"I had a horrible cardiologist. He just would not listen to me or take anything I said seriously and would dismiss my symptoms." Krista shares this among her many unfortunate experiences with doctors in the medical industry. Naomi relates, adding, "Please get a second opinion from a different doctor from a different hospital." There IS such thing as bad doctors. Either they don't understand your case enough, or simply don't care. Specifically look out for doctors who are dismissing your symptoms, ordering unnecessary tests and/or procedures. If anything does not feel right in your gut, it's most likely not good.
Tiffany Rich was born with cystic fibrosis, a congenital lung defect that impacts the fluids produced in your lungs, like mucus, and digestive juices as well. Tiffany discusses how she was on the transplant list for 3 years before receiving a pair of lungs. Tiffany also brings awareness to the fact of how important organ donation is and encourages everyone to register to donate organs after passing. Naomi also encourages this, adding you can donate blood while still alive.
Andrew suffered a major injury from a mild accident. As he was chopping wood with his uncle, a disc in his neck slipped and left him with damage in his neck. Andrew discusses physical therapy, occupational therapy, and how the support from friends and family helped him recover. Andrew also gives inspiring advice to people who have disabilities.
Ashley and Naomi are longtime friends. They went to the same high school together. Today on The Light of Life, Ashley bravely shares what she has been going through within the last few years. She is currently is acute chronic heart failure and a transplant may be in her future. Ashley gives inspiring advice to not give up when things are looking bleak. Ashley and Naomi both confirm heart failure can happen to older people as well as people of any age with congenital heart disease. Both Naomi and Ashley have had experience of being in heart failure and in an emotional moment, Naomi assures Ashley to hold onto hope because there are surgeries that can make you better, transplant or open heart. Naomi is living proof CHD can improve, although still incurable.
David had a very turbulent childhood. He says himself his parents should have never been married and were constantly screaming at each other. Growing up in a stressful environment can cause children behavior issues and mental health issues. David shares he resorted to self-sabotage and carried the trauma with him until he sought help in his late 20s. David gives helpful advice to anyone who has trauma from childhood.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Darlene. Darlene shares her story living with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and POTS. She also discusses Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and how many different types of scary and disturbing events can cause it.
In 2014, Daniel began having consistent, excruciating headaches for over two weeks. Two weeks into his headaches, he started having vision problems. He decided to go to his optometrist. While there and after his optometrist examined his eyes, Daniel was handed a note that read: "YOU NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY." Once Daniel arrived at the hospital, BRAIN SURGERY. Daniel had suffered a massive brain hemorrhage. Daniel spent two years in rehabilitation relearning how to walk, talk, and smile. Daniel shares important advice to people who have suffered from brain injuries.
Heather is a health coach specializing in emotional eating. Heather talks about various topics such as how mental health impacts your physical health and also discusses her book she had written about her own journey.
Suzanne was not developing properly as a teenager. She was also told she would never be able to have children. Her reproductive organs never fully developed. This was due to a prescription of DES that her mother took while she was pregnant with her. DES is a medication that activates estrogen in order to prevent miscarriages in pregnancy, It sounds like a promising medication, especially if you want to continue pregnancy, give birth, and keep the baby. However, it has damaging side effects that can create birth defects in newborns. Suzanne and Naomi both discuss how side effects of medication will be inevitable and how their fears are whenever they are prescribed a new medication, or in Naomi's case... taken off multiple and having nearly irreversible complications. Suzanne encourages people to do more research into DES, you may just be surprised.
Disclaimer: Please consult with your doctor about stem cell activation patches before using.
Deana's daughter was born with Cornelia-DeLange Syndrome, a rare brain defect that causes seizures and developmental delays. Each year was becoming increasingly difficult. Once Deana's daughter went into her teenage years, the situation progressively got worse. However, Deana discovered a cure to her daughter's condition! Stem cell patches. Stem cell patches are designed to stimulate your stem cells to repair any defect and disability in the body. We all have stem cells and stem cells' purpose is to repair damage in the body. THE WEBSITE: www.jaevision.com
Can I have children? What is the hardest part of being in the hospital? Can you heal from PTSD over time? Naomi has never been ready to answer these questions and more... until now.
Warning: This episode contains GRAPHIC DETAILS of physical abuse. As sensitive of a subject as it is, it's quite horrifying how nobody discusses the issue that is abuse. Dana mentions October is child abuse awareness month and shares her story undergoing nearly her whole life being abused. She discusses about how she was physically abused as a child and also had an incredibly toxic first marriage. Dana also shares how abuse survivors have a much higher percentage rate of developing depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and a lot... very sadly... even take their own lives. Dana shares it's hard to give advice to people who have been in similar situations because she understands some people cannot escape which is heartbreaking.
Mental illnesses are just as damaging as physical illnesses. This week, Naomi speaks with Nick about mental health and self-esteem. Nick is a recovering alcoholic who shares his story and brings up key points to the stemming of mental illness. Trauma is known to be the biggest root cause of addiction, depression, anxiety, and other illnesses. Naomi and Nick both discuss in their experiences childhood trauma played a factor. Nick's website: www.cordbrick.com
Eating disorders have the highest-mortality rate out of every psychiatric illness. This week, Rebecca shares her story suffering from bulimia for five years before she sought help. Rebecca also shares what her life is like today and no matter how bad things can seem, you CAN recover! Rebecca is now a health coach working with Chemical Free Body helping people with mental health. She shares you can have a FREE 30-minute therapy session on the website www.wakeupfeelgood.com and www.chemicalfreebody.com. You can have the therapy session for any mental health issue you are struggling with whether it's eating disorders, depression, anxiety, PTSD, or anything else! Naomi and Rebecca both encourage everyone to do the FREE 30-minute session. Our final message is to please take care of yourself and always keep your mental health in check.
Naomi and Roxanne uncover the questions of is there really an afterlife? Is there a heaven? Is there a hell? Both Naomi and Roxanne have had near-death experiences where both of their spirits left their corpses on Earth and experienced a spiritual journey outside of Earth. Naomi discusses the moment she came back to life through a portal back through the atmosphere and remembers the exact moment she was successfully resuscitated. Roxanne has had 4 near-death experiences she remembers as well. Both Naomi and Roxanne express for years they've both never told anyone.
As much as we would love to avoid it at all costs, we just cannot get away from stress. Christian shares how much stress can play a factor into deteriorating your own medical conditions. Most of the time, stress is also the root cause of chronic illnesses. Christian brings awareness to your mental health impacting your physical health, and in turn, your PHYSICAL health IMPACTING your MENTAL health! Naomi emphasizes how everyone talks about how mental heath impacts physical health, but no one talks about how PHYSICAL health directly IMPACTS your MENTAL health. Naomi shares if you have any medical conditions or complications to always keep your mental health in check.
Naomi shares an important step for everyone even without medical conditions - how to set up medical ID. It is much safer and convenient for confidential information. You can write all of your medical history into your phone. Here's how to do it:
- Go to settings
- Search "HEALTH"
- Click the white background with the red heart emoticon
- Click "MEDICAL ID"
- Click "SET UP MEDICAL ID"
Medical ID allows you to type your medical conditions, medications, and allergies into your phone in case you ever need medical attention. Medical ID will be especially essential if you're experiencing unconsciousness or unresponsive.
Nearly 15 years ago, on July 30, 2008 Geo suffered a sudden, massive heart attack. Geo shares his story on The Light of Life discussing the five week long medically induced coma he was in and when he woke up on September 23, 2008 he was told he needed a heart transplant. He was immediately put on the list for a transplant and within 7 hours a heart was matched for him. He had his heart transplant the next day on September 24, 2008. Geo also shares his experience living with PTSD and spreads an important message to please seek help for your mental health. Naomi relates to PTSD quite a bit, Geo and Naomi both mentioning the most traumatizing part of the hospital is not the surgery, but hearing alarms going off, no sleep, hearing other patients scream, constantly being watched, etc. Geo is also the director of the Progressive Adult Cardiac Experience, helping young adults with heart disease learn life skills.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Dylan Lombard. Dylan shares his story living with MDP Syndrome, the rarest medical condition Naomi has ever heard of. MDP affects only 16 people in the entire world, Dylan being one of them. Dylan shares that the most challenging part of living with MDP is due to it being so rare and unheard of, thousands of doctors have not even heard of it. He also shares a heartfelt poem about how people can accept diversity.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Tim. Tim shares his story battling severe gastrointestinal issues which led him to create Chemical Free Body. Tim also shares the four secrets to healthy teeth and Naomi emphasizes these secrets are very important because your teeth impact your entire immune system, organs, and cardiovascular system.
It really, truly is a small world after all!! The host of The Light of Life, Naomi, has Ebstein's Anomaly. She's always been too afraid to talk about it because she didn't know anyone else who had it. This is completely changing today. Kimmie also has Ebstein's Anomaly. Naomi and Kimmie born with Ebstein's Anomaly. Identical. Naomi and Kimmie's tricuspid valve replaced at 14 years old. Identical. Naomi and Kimmie have met 1,000+ CHD patients but never another Ebstein's Anomaly patient. Identical. Naomi and Kimmie's cardiologists have said to both of them they are the only Ebstein's Anomaly case the cardiologists know of. Identical. Surgeons have told both of them they can't do anything else to help them but are able to do something a decade later. Identical. Doctors have told both of them they have defied the science of cardiology. Identical. Kimmie has gone through the exact same circumstances as Naomi living with Ebstein's Anomaly. Kimmie and Naomi both emphasize they believe the reason it's called an anomaly is simply because this heart condition is an anomaly. It is unheard of, exceedingly rare, and lethal. The amount of babies who are born with Ebstein's Anomaly is a greater number than the amount of patients who survive to adulthood.
Think about your allergies. What are you allergic to? Imagine being allergic to everything. EVERYTHING. Brynn Duncan has Mast Cell Activation Syndrome which is a chronic illness where your mast cells are uncontrollably, constantly releasing histamine. If you get a mosquito bite, usually a bump comes up on your skin, that is a histamine response. Brynn shares what has helped her most with staying positive through over 30 hospitalizations in less than one year and how modern day medicine and technology is saving lives. Brynn and Naomi both share what has helped them cope with being in the hospital for a long period of time. Brynn also shares a few of the couple thousand things she is allergic to including but not limited to: perfumes, smoke, laundry detergent, several different foods, pollen, plants, etc.
Why do people with pacemakers have so much anxiety about doing certain tasks? Why are we terrified of falling over? Cayleigh and Naomi can both answer these questions. Naomi speaks with Cayleigh, a fellow heart condition friend of hers. Cayleigh talks about her emergency surgery requiring radical pacemaker fixes. Naomi relates to this so well, having also needed an immediate emergency pacemaker implant less than five hours of hospitalization. Cayleigh also mentions how invisible certain chronic illnesses can be and Naomi relates to this as well. Looking at the two of us, you would not think for a second we're sick with something. Cayleigh emphasizes the reliance of high voltage electricity is vital and shares a time when her pacemaker stopped working, and she never noticed it until her cardiologist contacted her.
Chronic illnesses cause young children to mature and become adults mentally quickly. It happened to Naomi, and it also happened to Austin. Naomi and Austin went to the same school at one point during their childhoods, and Austin shares his story being diagnosed with leukemia at 8 years old. Austin shares the challenges of chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant he endured. He also emphasizes how chronic illnesses cause kids to mentally mature to an adult's mentality even before physically and chronologically becoming an adult. Naomi 100% agrees, and reveals this may be why chronic illnesses take such a drastic emotional toll on children.
The mind. The body. Emotions. According to Amy, the word "emotion" means ENGERY IN MOTION. Our moods are our emotions, which is energy in motion. Amy studies herbal medicine and is a motivational speaker helping people with their physical and mental health. Amy shares lots of information about mother nature, the Earth, medicine, and how social media affects mental health.
Amy's links:
7 Key Lessons I learned eBook http://bit.ly/40alBbQ5
Tips for Whole Body Healing eBook http://bit.ly/3J8024E
My Healing Journal http://bit.ly/400bXZs
Workshop: https://mindbodyspiritbreath.ck.page/workshop
The emergency room. The operating room. Emercency surgery. Overwhelming for patients, right? Wait... what about the doctors? The reason Naomi is alive today is because of doctors and this week she spoke to a real medical doctor. Nathan is an OBGYN and shares how overwhelming it is to prepare for emergency surgery. He mentions many doctors and nurses suffer from adrenal fatigue, needing to always care for patients. This interview has given Naomi a whole new perspective and level of respect for all medical professionals. Everyone who works in the medical field is truly a hero. Thank you, Nathan!Here is the link to Nathan's website: https://www.belovedholistics.com
Congenital Heart Defects. Open heart surgery. Endless medical complications. The hospital. It's a lot to endure, but we can make the best of it. This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with one of her heart condition friends, Jacob. Jacob shares his story living with a congenital heart condition, enduring open heart surgery, and the emotional challenges. Jacob gives his advice to people currently living with chronic illnesses, to live life to the fullest and make of it the best you can.
Endometriosis. Why is it misunderstood? How serious can it get? This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Hannah. Hannah shares her story living five years in chronic pain, going from doctor to doctor, before she was finally diagnosed with stage 1 Endometriosis. Hannah shares advice about how there will inevitably be medical professionals who will tell you, "I can't help you." but you've got to keep going to visit more doctors if you are in chronic pain and you feel your health may be in danger. Don't ever give up, because eventually, it could take years, but you will eventually find a doctor who will say, "I think there's something I can do." Hannah also shares advice for those who have undergone or are going to undergo surgery in the future.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Bobbi. Bobbi shares her story suffering from adrenal collapse after a tedious battle with mononucleosis. Bobbi drives home the message to never push yourself too far because she did and became critically ill. She was told she was not going to make it, and only 3% of people survive adrenal collapse. Bobbi's story is incredibly inspiring - seeking out the 3% of doctors who were able to do something about her condition.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with worldwide-known fitness coach Fitz Koehler!! Fitz shares her story of being diagnosed with breast cancer. She shares the physical and emotional challenges of cancer. Fitz gives excellent advice on what true fitness works for us human beings and shares her overall message for all of her followers.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Patti. Patti shares the chilling story of her daughter's fight against cancer. Patti's daughter passed away from her cancerous tumor at only 4 years old. Patti shares the breathtaking, shocking moment when she physically felt her daughter's spirit leave. Naomi gets overwhelmingly emotional and for the very first time ever, publicly shares the time she remembers when she nearly passed away. Patti and Naomi both share the anger and frustration of how even chronic illnesses can be unfair with one another, because some people get better, and some people tragically don't.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Amy Wang-Hiller. Amy shares her story living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. She also talks about the issues surrounding accessibility in public places, the challenges of public transportation for wheelchair users, and ableism.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Cheryl, a physical therapist. Cheryl shares her experience of her careers as a respiratory and physical therapist. She talks about the accommodations she has been researching to help more people who need physical therapy. Cheryl provides insight of the medical professional's point of view working with patients and how liberating it feels when she sees patients' quality of life improve.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Holly. Holly shares her story of being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder where cells damage nerves. Naomi expresses she has never heard of GBS and Holly reveals she never heard of it either until she was diagnosed. Guillain-Barre is extremely rare, less than 0.00001% of the population has GBS. That is 1 out of every 100,000 people. Holly mentions a brilliant fact that the greatest contributor to chronic illness survival is motivation to get through the challenges.
Please excuse the background noise towards the end of the episode, I wrote subtitles right here with time stamps.
Here is what Holly said at the 12:55 mark: "Whether you're going through GBS or anything, chronic illness or every day struggle, it's really important to connect with other people who have gone through it already and you should connect with other people who are currently going through it. This will benefit everyone by helping each other out."
At the 14:00 mark, Holly says: "Yes, it is really hard to stay positive. You have to find it within yourself. If you can't find the strength within yourself, you can turn to other people and be inspired by the strength in others."
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Jaimie. Jaimie shares her experiences being diagnosed with two different types of breast cancer at the same time. She has also gone through both chemotherapy and radiation treatment for both types of cancer. Jaimie shares what the physical and emotional challenges were battling cancer. She gives uplifting advice to anyone going through a difficult time.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Adriana. Adriana shares her experiences living with Type 3C Diabetes, Pancreatitis, Addison's Disease, Hypopituitary, Hypothyroid, Osteoporosis, Celiac, and Gastroparesis. She also shares her experiences and what has helped her most undergoing over 25 operations within the last 5 years. Naomi becomes emotional, in awe, and overwhelmingly inspired by Adriana's incredible resilience through it all.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Rick. Rick is the author of 12 Hours of Heaven and has created the I Spark Change website. Rick shares his experience of a near-death car crash. He also discusses the trauma and fear of going back into vehicles, as well as the life lessons he has taught himself along the way.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with James. James hosts a podcast called Dr. James Professor of Perseverance. James shares his story about becoming paralyzed after he dislocated three vertebrae in his neck from playing football. He also shares insight on the ABCs. A - Accept Adversity, B - Begin Battling, and C - Conquer Challenges.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi interviews Emily Earhart, the Regional Development Manager of The Adult Congenital Heart Association. Emily and Naomi have a heart-to-heart (pun intended) conversation each sharing their stories of heart failure. We also bring awareness to mental health issues and how mental health is equally as important as physical health. Emily provides information on how to get involved with The Adult Congenital Heart Association.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Marjorie. Marjorie shares her story of being paralyzed from a brain tumor. She also discusses the importance of disability access in public places such as wheelchair ramps, elevators, etc. and how people who do not have a disability can help those who do have disabilities to make a change by providing more inclusivity of accommodations.
This week on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Emily, a published author. Emily shares her mother's story living with cancer. Emily also provides thought-processing insight on The Five Stages of Grief.
This month on The Light of Life, Naomi interviews Liana K. Liana also has a podcast called It's Not Therapy. In this interview, Liana talks about her experiences with the chicken pox and a ruptured appendix that caused gangrene. Liana also speaks about how her chronic illnesses affect her every day life. Naomi and Liana also discover and reveal the truth about PTSD.
Warning: This episode contains details of traumatic events. This episode of The Light of Life, Naomi speaks to Kimberly, a veteran who has served in the military. Kimberly shares her experiences with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Kimberly speaks about what has helped her with her journey navigating through her mental health and how she's come to live in peace. She also gives wonderful and inspirational advice to anyone who has experienced trauma.
This month on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with Scott, a father who tells his daughter's story about living with Down Syndrome.
This month of July, Naomi answers more questions. These questions include novels, films, and television series she can relate to in terms of her medical condition, what Make a Wish is, what the Adult Congenital Heart Association is, and what it's like to have surgery.
Naomi answers the most frequently asked questions about her heart condition and gives advice about being in the hospital.
This month of May on The Light of Life, Naomi speaks with a disability lawyer who has worked in healthcare. We each speak about hospital experiences, the importance of health insurance, The American Disabilities Act, The Affordable Care Act, and many more topics.
Naomi and her special guest Marie, her mother, talk about how well Naomi is doing today. Marie also shares advice for parents who have been in similar situations and Naomi shares advice for people who have been similar situations.
Naomi is a young lady who has experienced six heart surgeries throughout her life. Now that her health is stable, she is ready to share her story and bring hope to others while speaking with guests on her podcasts about various topics. More details on The Light of Life and purpose in the audio.