Living With Ulcerative Colitis: Chronic Illness, Gut Health, and Learning to Advocate for Yourself | EP03

Living with an invisible chronic illness often means trusting yourself before the system catches up. How do you know when something is wrong if no one else can see it?

Callie Greenberg reconnects with longtime friend Lauren Buchsbaum for an honest conversation about life with a chronic inflammatory condition and the reality of navigating care that often feels incomplete. Although Lauren lives with ulcerative colitis, her experience mirrors many of the same challenges faced by people with endometriosis and other autoimmune conditions.

Lauren shares what it was like to receive treatment without clear explanations and to live with symptoms and side effects she was never warned about. She reflects on how that uncertainty pushed her to ask better questions, seek holistic support, and become a stronger advocate for herself. The conversation explores the connection between physical symptoms, mental health, and daily habits, along with the emotional weight of living with an illness others cannot see.

This episode offers a reminder that healing is rarely about one answer. It is about learning your baseline, listening closely to your body, and making small, supportive changes that help you feel more like yourself again.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcome to Endo Warriors and Lauren Buchsbaum’s Story

01:55 Early Symptoms, Misdiagnosis, and Feeling Dismissed

03:20 Learning to Advocate for Yourself in Chronic Illness Care

05:20 Accepting New Baselines and Listening to Your Body

06:45 The Emotional Weight of Invisible Illness

10:15 Steroids, Side Effects, and Finding Specialized Care

14:38 Anxiety, Dehydration, and the Mind-Body Connection

18:42 Food Triggers, Nutrition, and Inflammation

24:16 Blending Western and Holistic Approaches

28:01 Gentle Movement and Somatic Therapy for Healing

32:18 Advice for Anyone Newly Diagnosed

Connect with Lauren Buchsbaum: Follow Lauren on Instagram

Connect with Callie Greenberg:

Visit the Own My Endo website

Follow Endo Warriors on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm