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Situation Positive Podcast

Situation Positive Podcast

Written by: Matt Cavallo
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 Interviews with individuals who are living with their best positive life despite the challenges of having a chronic illness.© 2021 Situation Positive - All Rights Reserved Hygiene & Healthy Living Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • Chronic Illness: Why We Don’t Talk About It and What Needs to Change

    Chronic Illness: Why We Don’t Talk About It and What Needs to Change
    Apr 26 2022
    https://youtu.be/dxiXjt0yD3k When you think about it, we talk about everything else. We talk about our families, our jobs, our vacations. But when it comes to chronic illness, we clam up. Why is that? Over 157 million people in the US have 1 or more chronic illnesses and yet we don't talk about them. Maybe it's because we are afraid of being judged? Maybe we think people won't want to be around us if they know we have a chronic illness? Whatever the reason, this needs to change. We need to be able to talk freely and safely about our chronic illness journey. We all know someone who has a chronic illness, whether it's a family member, friend, or co-worker. But even though it's so common, we don't talk about it. Why is that? Maybe it's because we think people with chronic illnesses are somehow different from us and that they must be treated differently. Or maybe we're just afraid of saying the wrong thing and making them feel uncomfortable. Chronic Illness Definition A chronic illness is a long-term conditions, lasting a year or longer, that can't be cured but can be managed with treatment. Chronic illnesses can include diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, as well as conditions like arthritis and asthma. One in two Americans has a chronic illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you're one of the millions of Americans living with a chronic illness, you know that it's not always easy to manage your condition. But with the right treatment and support, you can live a full and productive life. List of Common Chronic Illnesses Chronic Illnesses can be common like multiple sclerosis or COPD, or can be a rare disease. MedlinePlus provides the following as a list of common chronic illnesses: Alzheimer disease and dementiaArthritisAsthmaCancerCOPDCrohn diseaseCystic fibrosisDiabetesEpilepsyHeart diseaseHIV/AIDSMood disorders (bipolar, cyclothymic, and depression)Multiple sclerosisParkinson disease The Importance of Communication If we can talk about our chronic illnesses, then we can start to break down the barriers that keep us from living our best lives. We deserve to live life to the fullest! And we are here to support you on your journey. So come talk to us, we're listening! Communication about chronic illness is the key. We need to talk about it so that we can understand it better. And by talking about it, we can help break the stigma that surrounds chronic illness. So let's start the conversation today. At Situation Positive, we are changing the conversation about chronic illness. We have created an inclusive community to share chronic illness stories. We believe that by sharing our stories, we can help others feel less alone on their chronic illness journey. Join us today and be a part of the change! At Situation Positive, we are changing the conversation about chronic illness. We have created an inclusive community to share chronic illness stories. So come on over and join the conversation! Let's talk about chronic illness! Please visit: situationpositive.org for more information or to join our community! Thank you for reading :) #chronicillnessawareness #endthestigma #situationpositive Follow Us on Social Media For more content about living your best life with chronic illness, please follow us on social media. We are a nonprofit community for people living with chronic illness. Your follow helps our community grow. We thank you for your support!
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    2 mins
  • Dennis Hurley: Actor, Advocate, and Albino – His life with albinism and info about the upcoming N.O.A.H. conference

    Dennis Hurley: Actor, Advocate, and Albino – His life with albinism and info about the upcoming N.O.A.H. conference
    Apr 20 2022
    https://youtu.be/zMPAqhrKlc8 Dennis Hurley is an actor, advocate, and albino. He has been living with albinism since birth and has spoken about his experiences in the media. Dennis will be participating at the upcoming N.O.A.H. conference July in Orlando, Florida. In this Situation Positive podcast interview, Dennis talks about about his life with albinism and how it's affected his ability to find work in the entertainment industry. Below is the transcript of our interview. You can also click on the video above to watch the interview, or listen on one of our podcast channels by scrolling to the bottom of the page. Dennis Hurley Interview [00:00:00] Matt: You may know him from sitcoms, like Superstore, [00:00:10] Dennis: Rats gave birth in nacho cheese. Cooked themselves to death. Yeah. [00:00:22] Matt: Or, Justin Timberlake's can't fight the feeling video. We have actor and comedian, Dennis Hurley on our show, Dennis, welcome to the show. [00:00:47] Dennis: Thank you, Matt. It's great to be back. It's been about five years. I'm so glad to be back on your podcast. [00:00:54] Matt: Yeah. You know, and since then we've launched the new podcast Situation Positive. And we're excited that you could join us on this journey. I know you wanted to be here today to talk about a conference you're attending, is that correct? [00:01:09] Dennis: Yes. Yes. This would be my fourth conference with NOAH. NOAH's the national organization for albinism and hypopigmentation, they're a non-for-profit charity. And their goal is to spread awareness and help people with this specific condition of albinism gain information and also fellowship within the community. [00:01:38] Matt: I think community is important that sense of fellowship, that sense of knowing that you're not going through it alone is so important. You know, not to get back to Justin Timberlake, but is NOAH going to make you dress like a happy grocery store guy and dance? [00:01:57] Dennis: I, I think they need to do something different. Cause the last conference was at after we spoke last, it was 2018 and it was in Kansas City, Kansas, and yeah, Matt, you probably seen the video of me dancing with the kids on stage at the hotel in Kansas. But you know, it's, it's, it's been a while since maybe they'll have me do it again, but. They might try to one-up it. I don't know. We'll see. [00:02:25] Matt: So where is the gathering this year? [00:02:28] Dennis: The gathering kind of ironically is in Orlando, Florida. You know, w because a bunch of people with very pale skin, it's, you don't think of Florida being the place to go, but, but, you know, Disney World is there and a kid kids love Disney. So yeah, it's going to be mid-July. At a hotel in Orlando and I'm looking forward to it. [00:02:57] Matt: And are we doing any special performances this year at the conference. [00:03:01] Dennis: Oh, that's, that's interesting because as you mentioned, the last conference in 2018 the 2020 conference was obviously online because of COVID, but in 2018, I ran a workshop for kids doing improv. I don't really teach that much, but I was happy to teach the kids some just basic you know, improv games back then. And as you said, I did the Timberlake video at the beginning to open the conference or we re-danced to it this year. It's going to be a little different. There are still going to be lots of fun activities for kids, but they want to expand it. You know, adults with, with albinism too. So we're, we're actually doing a comedy night and they've hired a local improv team and I'm going to open the show by doing about 10, 15 minutes of stand up, so. [00:03:47] Matt: Oh, wow. That's awesome. [00:03:49] Dennis: Yeah, I'm excited because I'm a little rusty because of COVID. I haven't been able to go out and do stand-up, like in Boston. Or back in the day in Los Angeles. So, but I'm sure I'll groove right back into it.
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    24 mins
  • Why Your Man Spends So Much Time in the Bathroom

    Why Your Man Spends So Much Time in the Bathroom
    Mar 18 2022
    https://youtu.be/vgRRFJ1a2nw Urination is an important function of the body, but as men age it can become more difficult, time consuming, and frustrating. Urination may be painful, difficult, or impossible for men due to various causes such as an enlarged prostate due to Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Men tend to suffer in silence with urination problems. A man may be unable to urinate due to an enlarged prostate, a spinal cord injury, medical condition or even a stroke. If the muscles of the bladder and urethra are weak, then urination may be difficult for men. Some men have trouble emptying their bladder leading to an increased urge or frequency to urinate. Waking up during the night to pee several times is a reality for many men. What men may not know is that this could be a sign of an enlarged prostate. In this article, we are going to focus specifically on the problems an enlarged prostate can cause, and how to find relief. What is a Urologist A urologist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders of the urinary system and the male reproductive organs. Urologists may also provide general medical care for men. Some of the most common problems that urologists treat include urinary tract infections, bladder cancer, kidney stones, and prostate enlargement. What is a Prostate Gland The prostate is a male reproductive gland located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body. The prostate helps produce semen by mixing its fluids with sperm produced by the testicles. For men who are twenty five or older, the prostate begins to grow. The prostate is the largest gland in the body. It can be up to 3 inches (8 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide. When the prostate is healthy, the gland produces a milky-white substance called prostatic fluid. This fluid drains from the urethra and joins with semen to create semen­containing fluids. A man's prostate grows in size as he ages. What is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition in older men that results from an overgrowth of prostate tissue. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located just below the bladder that helps produce semen. As men age, the prostate may grow larger and press on the urethra (the tube that carries urine and semen out of the body). This can cause difficulty in urinating, such as a weak urine stream or the need to urinate frequently, especially at night. BPH is not cancer, but it can lead to other problems such as urinary tract infection or bladder stones. Image from: https://dinerroboticurology.com/blog/prostate/bph-diagnosis/ This condition is common in men over 50 years old, but the prostate commonly starts to at about 25 years old. BPH can cause problems with urination. Men who have problems urinating experience symptoms such as trouble starting or stopping the stream of urine, a weak urinary stream, and a feeling that the bladder has not been emptied completely after urination.  A urologist can diagnose BPH by doing a physical exam and by ordering blood and urine tests. The urologist may also order an ultrasound or a CT scan of the prostate. A urologist may also or urodynamic testing to diagnose BPH. Urodynamics can also help determine the cause of BPH and its progression. Image from: https://www.dralicewhittaker.com.au/pdfs/urodynamic-testing.pdf Common Treatments for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia There are several treatments available for BPH, including medications, lifestyle changes, and surgery. Lifestyle changes include diet, exercise, lowering alcohol and caffeine consumption, and quitting smoking. Surgery is also an option to help with BPH. There are many medication options that can treat Benign prostatic hyperplasia. These medications are broken down into different categories such as alpha blockers,
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    13 mins
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