Episodios

  • Headache on the Hill: 15 Stories of Migraine Advocacy

    Headache on the Hill: 15 Stories of Migraine Advocacy
    Apr 1 2026

    This week, co-hosts Sophia and Bernadette take you inside Sophia’s third year at Headache on the Hill, a biannual advocacy event where patients, neurologists, researchers, and headache advocates travel to Washington, D.C. to meet directly with lawmakers and push for stronger federal migraine and headache policy!

    In this episode, we share and react to powerful stories from 15 inspiring advocates that Sophia interviewed at Headache on the Hill. From a high school student fighting for the next generation facing migraine and a cluster headache patient navigating an often invisible condition, to a trigeminal neuralgia advocate and her dedicated partner, each voice highlights the strength and diversity of the headache community.

    You’ll also hear expert insights from neurologists on how to access the right diagnosis and care, plus the life-changing wisdom that helps keep our community strong, supported, and, of course, Chronically Peachy!

    Timestamps

    00:00 — Welcome & intro to Chronically Peachy

    00:43 — What is Headache on the Hill?

    01:56 — The migraine funding gap & why advocacy matters

    03:03 — This year's three legislative asks: Headache Act, Safe Step Act & Connect for Health Act

    04:10 — Advocate stories: Keely, Isabella, Heather & Sharon

    06:50 — Reflecting on hope, grief & finding purpose in pain

    09:54 — Hearing from the medical community: Dr. Baha, Dr. Barbara & Isaac

    11:35 — Reframing self-blame & the migraine threshold

    14:07 — Migraine beyond head pain: nervous system dysfunction

    16:28 — Beyond migraine: spotlight on all headache disorders

    17:29 — Advocate stories: Michael (cluster headache), Lisa & Chris (trigeminal neuralgia)

    20:01 — Caregiving, navigating the ER & intersectional barriers to care

    22:15 — No place for Pain Olympics: every story belongs

    24:26 — Life-changing advice from advocates: Alicia, Christy, Jacqueline, Mandy & Montana

    26:08 — Learning to say no without apologizing

    28:44 — Cheryl's chronically peachy secret: her "sugar honey iced tea" playlist

    30:00 — Sophia reflects on her favorite moments from the event

    31:43 — How to get involved with Headache on the Hill (in person & virtually)

    33:10 — Outro & where to find us

    Follow us on social media

    🎙 Chronically Peachy IG: @chronicallypeachypod

    ✨ Bernadette’s IG: @ChronicAccounts

    ✨ Bernadette’s TikTok: @ChronicAccounts

    ✨ Bernadette’s Threads: @ChronicAccounts

    🍑 Peachy Day website: www.peachyday.co

    🍑 Peachy Day TikTok: @peachyday.co

    🍑 Peachy Day IG: @peachyday.co

    Music: honey jam by massobeats
    Más Menos
    34 m
  • The Real Migraine Toolkit: Preventative, Acute & Lifestyle

    The Real Migraine Toolkit: Preventative, Acute & Lifestyle
    Mar 18 2026

    Is your migraine toolkit built for attacks, or built to support your whole life?

    In this episode of Chronically Peachy, co-hosts Bernadette and Sophia break down what it really means to build a migraine toolkit: preventative treatments, acute medications, neuromodulation devices, and everyday lifestyle habits that make the biggest difference.

    Bernadette shares her experience living with chronic refractory migraine, the trial-and-error behind finding what works, and the small but powerful tools that make daily life more manageable. From recognizing early warning signs to navigating the emotional ups and downs of living life alongside migraine symptoms, this is a layered, real-world approach to migraine care that nobody talks about.

    We also get into the emotional side of caring for migraine: self-compassion, survival mode strategies, and why it’s not about perfection. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or rethinking your approach, this episode reminds us that managing migraine isn’t just finding one-off tools, it’s about building sustainable systems to support our lives.

    Plus in this episode’s Migraine Mythbusters, we unpack a viral question: does the daith piercing actually help migraine…or is it just a myth?


    Timestamps

    00:03 - Your migraine toolkit isn’t just for attacks; it’s a preventative approach.

    01:38 - Bernadette’s approach to building a migraine toolkit.

    02:20 - Undiagnosed for years: the moment everything finally clicked.

    03:03 - Why preventative treatment is the foundation (not optional).

    04:40 - Bernadette’s approach to acute/abortive medication.

    05:29 - Understanding when to take acute/abortive medications.

    06:05 - How medication underuse can impact migraine.

    06:23 - Migraine brain fog: why it’s so hard to help yourself mid-attack.

    06:53 - Learning your warning signs before it’s too late.

    08:00 - Neuromodulation devices: a non-medication option explained.

    10:26 - The real strategy: blending meds with lifestyle tools.

    11:00 - Movement as medicine (when it helps… and when it doesn’t).

    11:39 - Other foundational lifestyle habits in Bernadette’s toolkit

    12:14 - How to stay consistent without burning out.

    14:11 - Migraine survival mode: practical tools for your worst days

    16:44 - Bernadette’s advice for building a migraine toolkit

    19:14 - Migraine mythbuster: Does the daith piercing work?


    Sources referenced

    • Literature review: Daith piercing: Revisited from the perspective of auricular acupuncture systems. A narrative review

    • Expert opinion: Daith Piercings & Migraine


    Follow us on social media

    🎙 Chronically Peachy IG: @chronicallypeachypod

    ✨ Bernadette’s IG: @ChronicAccounts

    ✨ Bernadette’s TikTok: @ChronicAccounts

    ✨ Bernadette’s Threads: @ChronicAccounts

    🍑 Peachy Day website: www.peachyday.co

    🍑 Peachy Day TikTok: @peachyday.co

    🍑 Peachy Day IG: @peachyday.co
    Más Menos
    24 m
  • Dr. Mina: The Empathetic Headache Neurologist Behind @MigraineswithMina (Part 1)

    Dr. Mina: The Empathetic Headache Neurologist Behind @MigraineswithMina (Part 1)
    Mar 4 2026
    Have you heard? A social media sensation in a white coat, raised in a family of physicians and fueled by her own migraine experience, is reshaping the narrative around headache medicine for 170,000 followers and counting!In this episode of Chronically Peachy, Sophia and Bernadette sit down with Dr. Mina, known online as @MigraineswithMina, to talk about what compassionate migraine care looks like from both sides of the exam room.Coming from a family of doctors and living with episodic migraine herself, Dr. Mina shares why she chose headache neurology as her life’s work, and how that decision meant challenging stigma even within her own field. She opens up about the very real insurance barriers patients face when trying to access care, and why rebuilding trust with patients who have spent years feeling dismissed is at the heart of everything she does.We break down:How living with migraine herself has transformed the way Dr. Mina cares for patientsThe 4 stages of migraine (and why prodrome and postdrome matter more than you think)Why early, accurate diagnosis is critical to preventing central sensitizationWhat’s next in migraine care: PACAP therapies, neuromodulation, biomarkers, and the growing role of AIIf you’ve ever felt dismissed, misunderstood, or stuck in trial-and-error treatment cycles, this conversation is a reminder that better care is possible and that careful diagnosis and treatment with an empathetic neurologist can be life-changing.In Part 2, we’ll go behind the scenes of @MigraineswithMina to see how Dr. Mina has built a trusted, stigma-breaking platform for migraine education. She shares what it’s like showing up online as a physician, patient, mom, and advocate all at once, and why representation in medicine matters more than ever.Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome to Chronically Peachy and introducing Dr. Mina02:30 – Growing up in a family of physicians and choosing medicine04:06 – Why headache medicine felt different and worth fighting for05:28 – The stigma of specializing in migraine, even within neurology06:19 – Living with migraine and how it transforms patient care08:18 – Insurance barriers and the realities of accessing treatment11:31 – Validation, trust, and rebuilding hope after years of dismissal13:46 – Why getting a migraine diagnosis matters14:41 – Why early diagnosis prevents central sensitization17:26 – Why migraine education & training matters so much19:45 – When to see a headache specialist20:22 – Emerging treatments and research in migraine24:17 – The four phases of a migraine attack and redefining what counts as a “headache day”27:20 – Wrapping up Part 1, with a sneak peek of Part 2Follow Dr. Mina on social media✨Dr. Mina’s IG: @Migraineswithmina ✨Dr. Mina’s TikTok: @Migraineswithmina Follow us on social media🎙 Chronically Peachy IG: @chronicallypeachypod✨ Bernadette’s IG: @ChronicAccounts✨ Bernadette’s TikTok: @ChronicAccounts✨ Bernadette’s Threads: @ChronicAccounts 🍑 Peachy Day website: www.peachyday.co🍑 Peachy Day TikTok: @peachyday.co🍑 Peachy Day IG: @peachyday.coMusic: noon by massobeats, honey jam by massobeats
    Más Menos
    28 m
  • Bernadette's Story: Finding Hope Through Chronic Migraine

    Bernadette's Story: Finding Hope Through Chronic Migraine
    Feb 18 2026

    After decades of being misdiagnosed while living alongside migraine, how do you turn frustration into advocacy, education, and a flourishing online community?

    In this episode of Chronically Peachy, Sophia flips the mic and interviews co-host Bernadette about her lifelong journey with migraine. What began as childhood abdominal attacks, followed by years of being misdiagnosed with “chronic sinusitis,” evolved into chronic daily migraine, which pushed Bernadette towards seeking answers, growing resilience, and reclaiming her life.

    Bernadette opens up about leaving the classroom, growing her migraine advocacy platform, @ChronicAccounts, to 30,000+ followers across Instagram and TikTok, and why dismantling migraine stigma has become her mission.

    We dig into what it feels like to spend years in the dark before finding clarity and what it feels like to rebuild your life with education, validation, and community front and center.

    Plus, we debut a new segment, Migraine Mythbusters, and tackle the infamous McDonald’s fries and Diet Coke “hack”!


    Follow us on social media

    🎙 Chronically Peachy IG: @chronicallypeachypod

    ✨ Bernadette’s IG: @ChronicAccounts

    ✨ Bernadette’s TikTok: @ChronicAccounts

    ✨ Bernadette’s Threads: @ChronicAccounts

    🍑 Peachy Day website: www.peachyday.co

    🍑 Peachy Day TikTok: @peachyday.co

    🍑 Peachy Day IG: @peachyday.co

    Music: noon by massobeats, honey jam by massobeats

    Más Menos
    31 m
  • Sophia’s Story: How 10 Years of Chronic Migraine Changed My Future

    Sophia’s Story: How 10 Years of Chronic Migraine Changed My Future
    Feb 4 2026

    What happens when the chronic illness you grew up watching becomes your own story to live?

    In our first episode of Chronically Peachy, co-hosts Bernadette and Sophia dive into Sophia’s story growing up alongside her mom’s struggle with chronic migraine, facing her own diagnosis in her early 20s, and using art to navigate chronic pain.

    Together, we explore denial, grief, growth, and what it truly means to rediscover purpose while living with chronic illness day by day.

    Sophia also shares how migraine unexpectedly shaped her journey to earn an MBA at Stanford and inspired her to create Peachy Day, a migraine prevention app designed to help people better understand their health, prevent attacks, and feel less alone in their chronic illness journey.


    Timestamps

    00:00 - What if chronic illness could be a secret advantage?

    02:04 - Finding micro joys on hard days.

    03:06 - Double life: migraine founder by day, mural artist by night.

    05:37 - Living boldly with unpredictable migraine, without toxic positivity

    09:17 - My migraine story started with my mom.

    12:10 - The anger no one warns you about.

    13:55 - Lessons my mom learned from three decades of migraine, without a formal diagnosis.

    16:34 - Am I the Hero or the Victim? I had to choose.

    17:46 - Art saved my life: creativity as therapy and self-expression

    19:30 - I got into Stanford Business School… and panicked.

    20:05 - How I demanded accommodations without apologizing

    21:31 - “Coming out” as the migraine girl at university.

    23:25 - Turning storytelling into advocacy and maximum impact.

    24:46 - Designing Peachy Day and migraine-friendly tools for the community

    30:14 - How to ask for support, and support people in your life with migraine


    Follow us on social media!

    🎙 Chronically Peachy IG: @chronicallypeachypod
    ✨ Bernadette’s IG: @ChronicAccounts
    ✨ Bernadette’s TikTok: @ChronicAccounts
    🍑 Peachy Day Website: www.peachyday.co
    🍑 Peachy Day TikTok: @peachyday.co
    🍑 Peachy Day IG: @peachyday.co


    Music tracks: honey jam by massobeats, noon by massobeats

    Más Menos
    34 m
  • Teaser: Welcome to Chronically Peachy

    Teaser: Welcome to Chronically Peachy
    Jan 30 2026

    This is Chronically Peachy: the podcast where migraine and chronic pain conversations get real, but stay peachy! Hosted by Sophia Fang (@peachyday.co) and Bernadette Gorczyca (@ChronicAccounts), we share unfiltered stories, migraine hot takes, and community-centered conversations with neurologists, experts, and advocates.

    Our first episode launches on Wednesday, February 4th!


    Music track: honey jam by massobeats

    Source: https://freetouse.com/music

    Royalty Free Music for Videos (Safe)
    Más Menos
    1 m