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Major Pain

Major Pain

Written by: Jesse Mercury
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The Major Pain podcast is a collection of interviews from people living with chronic illness and disability. Our goal is to spread awareness, empathy and community around experiences often lived through in isolation. Through sharing these stories important themes have become increasingly apparent, including the dangers of medical gaslighting, the importance of self-advocacy and the fact that none of us are in this alone. You can share your thoughts, your story, or inquire about appearing on the show at majorpainpodcast@gmail.com.Major Pain Podcast Hygiene & Healthy Living
Episodes
  • ‘Green Plastic Whistle’ Makes Music with Multiple Sclerosis as Disease and Direction

    ‘Green Plastic Whistle’ Makes Music with Multiple Sclerosis as Disease and Direction
    Jul 9 2026
    Pointing to Edward’s first symptom of Relapse–Remitting MS is tricky. From anxiety in his 20s, to poor sleep and numb hands, to back pain and difficulty walking, the road to diagnosis has been rocky. When he finally received confirmation—in the form of a terrifying MRI showing countless lesions on his brain and spine—Edward was a new father in his early 30s. Coming to terms with a lifelong condition that presents differently for everyone was a process that has slowly shifted his outlook on both his past and his future. In this episode, we speak with Edward about what his journey through symptoms and diagnosis looked like, and reflect on how facing down a debilitating illness can change your outlook on life if you let it. A musician from a young age, today Edward is exploring live performance with his solo project, Green Plastic Whistle, and facing an aversion to fame that derailed some previous opportunities. As he puts it, being told you have an unpredictable disease, that has the potential to impact anything from bladder function to your ability to see, really puts fear into perspective. With cautious optimism and a balanced take on the pros and cons of the medical system, Edward and Jesse delve into how you envision your future when you don’t know what your health will hold. They explore the promising remyelination medications that have the MS community abuzz and what it’s like to start a family in the midst of disease progression. Edward’s experience with Multiple Sclerosis has given him a new perspective on how we prioritize our lives and what’s possible when you begin to face the future without fear. Learn more about Edward’s solo project, Green Plastic Whistle: https://www.instagram.com/greenplasticwhistle/ Listen to Green Plastic Whistle on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/0b6gv1y0qrwlp4bp3ztmusnsa?si=d557f3eb1a0947c2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV_reArTc7g Watch the episode on YouTube or Spotify, listen here on our website or on your favorite podcast platform. PODCAST LINKSWEBSITE: https://majorpainpodcast.comEMAIL: majorpainpodcast@gmail.comSUBSCRIBE: https://majorpainpodcast.com/subscribeSPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/5NDoD07WJmICdfdRKq0TyNAPPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/major-pain/id1562947550?mt=2&ls=1 SOCIAL MEDIAINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/majorpainpodcastTIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorpainpodcastYOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@MajorPainPodcastFACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/majorpainpodcast AFFILIATE LINKSRARE PATIENT VOICE: https://rarepatientvoice.com/MajorPainPodcastAMAZON SHOP: https://www.amazon.com/shop/majorpainpodcastNEURAHEALTH: https://www.neurahealth.co/majorpain
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Long COVID to Long-Term Wellness: Katie Brennan’s Journey to Build ThriveNinety

    Long COVID to Long-Term Wellness: Katie Brennan’s Journey to Build ThriveNinety
    Jun 26 2026
    Katie Brennan’s experience with Long COVID began in the earliest days of the pandemic, while she was working with the UK’s National Health Service on data-driven policy changes to improve care for patients. Though her experience with the acute phase was relatively minor, instead of steadily recovering, she developed a range of ongoing symptoms—difficulty breathing, sudden heart rate spikes, dilated pupils, fatigue, brain fog, and difficulty focusing. Although she was still functional enough to work, everything felt harder, and she no longer felt like herself. Eventually, she realized she had Long COVID. Navigating the push–crash cycle is common for many people with chronic illness: Katie would push herself too hard, frustrated by what her body could no longer handle, then crash and face hours or days of exhaustion and other symptoms as she recovered. A second COVID infection eroded what gains she had made. Recognizing the need to try something new, Katie attended a fitness class run by former biathlon Olympian and world champion Andrea Henkel Burke. Andrea’s combination of gentle but purposeful movement and various nervous system regulation techniques gave her participants small, tangible ways to control the body’s shift out of near-constant fight-or-flight into essential rest-and-repair. Together, Katie and Andrea founded ThriveNinety, which aids people with Long COVID and other infection-induced conditions by translating science into simple, practical tools that help restore how their bodies function and help them rebuild capacity and performance. Their program provides movement and other sensory inputs that are accessible for anyone, wherever they’re at in their illness recovery or maintenance. They also guide participants through nutritional changes known to have a positive effect, such as anti-inflammatory diets. Throughout her journey, Katie has discovered the phenomenal impact of listening to her body’s cues and making proactive adjustments that enable her to live a healthy, happy, active life with Long COVID. ThriveNinety shows others how they, too, can improve and even thrive in the face of long-term illness. Learn more about ThriveNinety’s programs and mission: https://www.thriveninety.com/ Buy the book, Recovery Kitchen: https://www.thriveninety.com/recovery-kitchen PlayWatch the episode on YouTube or Spotify, listen here on our website or on your favorite podcast platform. PODCAST LINKSWEBSITE: https://majorpainpodcast.comEMAIL: majorpainpodcast@gmail.comSUBSCRIBE: https://majorpainpodcast.com/subscribeSPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/5NDoD07WJmICdfdRKq0TyNAPPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/major-pain/id1562947550?mt=2&ls=1 SOCIAL MEDIAINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/majorpainpodcastTIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorpainpodcastYOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@MajorPainPodcastFACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/majorpainpodcast AFFILIATE LINKSRARE PATIENT VOICE: https://rarepatientvoice.com/MajorPainPodcastAMAZON SHOP: https://www.amazon.com/shop/majorpainpodcastNEURAHEALTH: https://www.neurahealth.co/majorpain
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Season 6 Premiere! Catching Up With Danni, Courtney, Joan and Kaitlyn

    Season 6 Premiere! Catching Up With Danni, Courtney, Joan and Kaitlyn
    Apr 18 2026
    Today we kick off the sixth season of Major Pain by catching up with previous guests Danni, Courtney, Joan and Kaitlyn. Danni is a baker who was risking extreme pain every time she would eat, and doctors had no idea why. She returns to the show with a huge update: she finally has a diagnosis! She tells us how a pocket of fluid around her heart and shortness of breath finally triggered doctors to take her seriously, opening a diagnostic pathway that has resulted in treatment and answers. Listen to her original episode here: https://majorpainpodcast.com/every-time-this-baker-eats-she-risks-intense-abdominal-pain/ Courtney used to think of herself as a hot potato patient, being passed from specialist to specialist in search of a diagnosis for her mystery illness. She returns to the show with a new diagnosis of Yao syndrome and new treatment plan, and is even seeing the doctor her disease is named for! Listen to her original episode here: https://majorpainpodcast.com/the-infuriating-contradictions-of-undiagnosed-illness/ Joan lives with a complex and frustrating form of GERD that has prevented her from lying flat for the past 5 years. She returns to the show having recently undergone surgery called toupet fundoplication, aimed at managing her symptoms. She describes the surgery and the outcome, discussing whether she feels it was a worthwhile procedure. Listen to her original episode here: https://majorpainpodcast.com/joan-of-heart-from-pedal-playhouse-on-her-complex-medical-journey/ Kaitlyn originally appeared on the show as a recent college graduate who had been diagnosed with 14 chronic illnesses. She returns with an additional diagnosis and a new outlook on life. Listen to her original episode here: https://majorpainpodcast.com/kaitlyn-tells-us-about-living-with-14-chronic-illnesses/ PlayWatch the episode on YouTube or Spotify, listen here on our website or on your favorite podcast platform. PODCAST LINKSWEBSITE: https://majorpainpodcast.comEMAIL: majorpainpodcast@gmail.comSUBSCRIBE: https://majorpainpodcast.com/subscribeSPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/5NDoD07WJmICdfdRKq0TyNAPPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/major-pain/id1562947550?mt=2&ls=1 SOCIAL MEDIAINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/majorpainpodcastTIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorpainpodcastYOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@MajorPainPodcastFACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/majorpainpodcast AFFILIATE LINKSRARE PATIENT VOICE: https://rarepatientvoice.com/MajorPainPodcastAMAZON SHOP: https://www.amazon.com/shop/majorpainpodcastNEURAHEALTH: https://www.neurahealth.co/majorpain
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    1 hr and 56 mins
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