Powered By Plasma: Recent Episodes
Colin Seal, Lisa Massey
Life comes at you fast! Now imagine trying to navigate the awkwardness and weird situations you find yourself in, all while dealing with a chronic illness. It’s emotional. It’s funny. It’s hard.
My name is Colin and my partner in crime is Lisa. We were both born with a chronic illness called common variable immunodeficiency and our medication comes from the generosity of plasma donors.
See, we are all Powered by Plasma, some like Lisa and I rely on plasma medicines to survive, while others have the ability to donate plasma and help patients like us.
Join us as we navigate the awkwardness of life with a chronic condition. Together, we can find the missing pieces that make the journey a little more fun and hopefully just a little easier.
The holidays can be a tough and stressful time in normal circumstances. Add a chronic illness in the middle of a global pandemic, and now we are talking good reality tv level drama.
Lisa, Nancy, and Colin share what the holidays have been like for their families over the last several years and discuss what new traditions they have developed throughout the pandemic. Throw in Lisa's knowledge of ham and Nancy's disdain for Elf on a Shelf, and you have a complete guide to surviving the holidays while prioritizing your health and setting boundaries where needed.
We hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday, no matter what it looks like this year for you and your family.
Articles mentioned in this episode:
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-clears-astrazenecas-covid-antibody-treatment-immunocompromised-rcna8130
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-new-long-acting-monoclonal-antibodies-pre-exposure
https://www.fda.gov/media/154704/download
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34843105/
In this episode, we talk about a couple of resources that Colin and Jodi use to practice gratitude, and we want to ensure we link over to those for anyone interested. We do not get anything in return for promoting these, but we wanted to ensure you had the links.
Colin - 5 Minute Journal (https://www.intelligentchange.com) They also have an amazing newsletter that is free and has some great resources and articles.
Jodi: Daylio Mood Tracker (https://daylio.net)
And for those who may not be aware of what doom scrolling is, here is the definition.
Doomscrolling and doomsurfing are new terms referring to the tendency to continue to surf or scroll through bad news, even though that news is saddening, disheartening, or depressing. Many people are finding themselves reading continuously bad news about COVID-19 without the ability to stop or step back. (https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/doomsurfing-doomscrolling-words-were-watching)
Just when it looked like there was a light at the end of the tunnel with the COVID-19 pandemic, Public Officials started to roll back mask mandates and other protections. Now the Delta variant is causing positive cases to increase and prolonging our hope for normalcy.
Jodi Taub, LCSW, rejoins Colin and Lisa to discuss the anxiety and stress those in the PI community continue to live with during the pandemic. She also provides some ways to help us deal with the ever-changing environment around us.
Jodi Taub, LCSW, is a psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience, and she is a member of the Primary Immunodeficiency community. She specializes in treating issues related to mood and anxiety disorders, and the emotional issues that arise from coping with chronic illness and disease.
Jodi talks with Colin and Lisa, co-Founders at ImmuneCompetence.org about living with primary immunodeficiency, the importance of mental health and how COVID-19 is amplifying all everything.
You can find Jodi online at www.joditaubtherapy.com or on Instagram @chronicillnesstherapist.