Peeps, what do you do when your body feels like a courtroom where you’re constantly losing the case?

In this episode of The Chronic Brew, we sit down with Celestial Doble, known to the chronic illness community as The Thriving Zebra. As a former paralegal and recovering gym addict, Celestial was used to "powering through"—until a complex web of diagnoses including POTS, MCAS, EDS, and ME/CFS changed the rules of her life forever.

Today, Celestial joins us to share her "Zebra’s Guide" to navigating the storm. We discuss:

• The Advocacy Edge: How her legal background gave her the tools to fight for answers in a medical system that often dismisses "invisible" illness.

• The Power of Regulation: Why nervous system regulation and hormone health became the keys to managing her flares when traditional medicine fell short.

• Identity & Strength: What it looks like to redefine your worth when you can no longer rely on physical "hustle" or high-intensity workouts.

• Spoonie Parenting: Real talk on managing family life, "chronic guilt," and communicating your limits to the people you love most.

Grab your favorite mug and join us for our new opening segment, "The First Sip," as we dive into the "Sweet and Bitter" moments of the chronic journey.

Connect with our guest: Follow Celestial Doble on Instagram: @TheThrivingZebra

Support The Chronic Brew: If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow warrior. Your story is your power.

> Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and advocacy purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare professional for your specific medical needs.

Chronic Illness, POTS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, MCAS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, EDS, ME/CFS, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Hashimoto’s, Nervous System Regulation, Self-Advocacy, Women's Health, Hormone Healing, Spoonie Life, Chronic Pain, The Thriving Zebra, The Chronic Brew.

Grab your favorite drink and settle in for a raw, honest conversation at The Chronic Brew. Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on a topic that hits close to home for so many in the chronic illness community: medical malpractice and "bad doctors." I’m joined by my amazing co-host for the day, Pretty Rude JJ, as we dive into why the medical system feels like it’s failing us. We’re moving past the "medical gaslighting" and getting into the real-world mechanics of how good care goes bad. We’ve broken the conversation down into three real talk segments:

• 💰 Segment 1: The System Made Them Lazy. We talk about the "assembly line" nature of modern medicine. Is it the doctor's fault, or is the insurance-driven system forcing them to rush through our 15-minute appointments?

• 🧠 Segment 2: The Brain Shut Down. This is all about those mental traps doctors fall into—like Anchoring Bias—where they decide it's "just anxiety" and stop looking for the real cause. We’re sharing tips on how to snap them out of it.

• 🔪 Segment 3: They Just Didn't Care. We’re looking at the big, unforgivable breaches of duty. We deep-dive into the Michael Jackson/Dr. Conrad Murray case to see what happens when a doctor completely ignores the standard of care for personal gain or convenience.

Whether you’re a patient fighting for a diagnosis or just someone tired of being unheard, this episode is about finding your voice and understanding the "why" behind the white coats.

• The King of Pop’s Fatal Care: A breakdown of how Dr. Conrad Murray’s "extreme deviations" from medical standards led to the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson.

  • Read the Michael Jackson Case Details

• The $7.9 Million Florida Stroke Verdict: How a Miami-Dade jury held cardiologists accountable for stopping a patient's necessary blood-thinning medication, leading to a debilitating stroke.

  • Read the Florida Stroke Case

• The $4.25 Million New Hampshire Cancer Delay: A heartbreaking look at what happens when a primary care doctor ignores a patient's concerns for four years, allowing a curable lump to become terminal cancer.

  • Read the New Hampshire Cancer Delay Case

Connect with us! Don't forget to follow Pretty Rude JJ and share your own "bad doctor" stories with us on social media. Your voice matters, and you are your own best advocate.

Judgment of Dr. Conrad Murray | Court TV Podcast

This video provides an excellent audio-first deep dive into the Michael Jackson trial, offering the expert testimony and legal arguments needed to fully understand the "Breach of Duty" we discussed in the episode.

What happens when the medical emergency ends, and the silence begins?

After weeks of non-stop work, teaching, battling the meteoropathy, and enduring a major renal stent exchange, Mr. Cool Beans took a necessary break. Now, they're back to share a raw look at the quiet period that follows an acute medical crisis.

In this deep solo reflection, we explore the truth about recovery: the hardest work isn't always the procedure itself—it's the emotional processing afterward.

We dive into:

• The shock of the standstill—feeling adrift when the urgent schedule stops.

• The emotional backlog and the unexpected grief that hits when your mind finally catches up to the trauma your body survived.

• The essential shift from fighting your body to partnering with it.

• Why mental recovery must be treated as its own, non-negotiable phase of healing.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt pressure to "bounce back" quickly after a major health event. It’s a powerful validation that you are worthy of the rest, and that the quiet work is the most crucial work of all.

Keywords: Chronic Illness, Medical Crisis, Renal Stent, Post-Crisis Processing, Grief, Mental Health, Emotional Backlog, Chronic Pain, Solo Reflection, Kidney Health, Meteoropathy, Recovery.

"I'm Not Rude, I'm Disabled": The Fierce Advocacy of Pretty Rude JJ

What happens when a chronic illness forces you to stop working and you lose the identity you spent your life building?

This week on The Chronic Brew, we sit down with Jessie Myers, known online as "Pretty Rude JJ," to explore the raw emotional cost of sudden disability. Jessie shares the intense personal journey from managing an illness to becoming unable to work, a pivotal shift that forced her to redefine her entire future.

We dive deep into:

• The profound grief and emotional toll of losing your career and professional self-worth.

• The exhausting fight for validation when dealing with an invisible illness—from doctors, friends, and family.

• The moment she chose to turn her struggle into fierce advocacy and education for others.

If you've ever felt unseen, unheard, or like you were a burden because of your health, Jessie’s story offers validation and a powerful blueprint for finding your voice.

Social Media:

• "prettyrudejj" on IG, TikTok, and Threads
• PrettyRudeJJ.square.site

Keywords: Chronic Illness, Disability Advocacy, Invisible Illness, Validation, Grief, Loss of Identity, Pretty Rude JJ, Chronic Pain, Disability Support.

On the Road to Resilience: A Farmer's Fight with Dialysis (ft. Jarod Palmer)

In this special episode, host Mr. Cool Beans took the microphone on the road (right after a doctor's appointment!) to capture an incredible conversation. Jarod Palmer is living a life defined by intense commitment: carrying forward his family's generational legacy of hard work and farming tradition while navigating the life-long demands of dialysis.

This session is a raw and powerful masterclass in resilience. Jarod shares his deeply personal story of how he learned to cope with a chronic illness diagnosis, the mental shifts required to schedule treatments around a sun-up-to-sundown job, and where he finds the motivation to uphold his heritage on the days he feels most drained.

• How Jarod balances the physical demands of farming with the exhaustion of dialysis.

• The small, meaningful coping mechanisms he uses to feel productive on his hardest days.

• The unexpected way the rhythm of the seasons helped him accept the rhythm of treatment.

Connect with Jerod Palmer: Check out his journey and show him some support! Tiktok: Jarodpalmer8 Facebook: Jarod Palmer (Photo with Blue shirt)

Find all links mentioned in this episode in the show notes below!

Next Week: We switch gears but keep the theme, talking to a guest who had to completely pivot their career after a chronic illness diagnosis. Subscribe so you don't miss it!

We established that our energy is a finite resource. Now, we're forging the armor to protect it. This episode dives deep into the uncomfortable truth that for those with chronic illness, boundaries aren't rude—they are non-negotiable acts of survival.

We tackle the biggest barriers to energy management: the guilt that comes with saying "no" and the fear of being a "burden" when you need to ask for help.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The Time and Activity Boundaries: Concrete scripts for saying "no" to loved ones and protecting your physical energy.

• Silencing the Internal Critic: The most vital boundary against the voice that tells you you're "lazy" or "should be able to do more."

• Reframing the Narrative: Why asking for help is an act of courage, not a sign of failure.

• The Specific Ask Strategy: How to use small, manageable requests to make receiving help easy and guilt-free.

I share my personal reflection as a CKD patient (GFR 24-30) on why defending your peace is the most critical element of chronic management.

Bonus: Get a powerful tease for our next episode where we talk to an incredible guest: a working farmer who manages his demanding schedule around his dialysis treatments!

#DefendingYourSpoons #SpoonTheory #Boundaries #ChronicFatigue #CKD #AskForHelp #SelfAdvocacy #ChronicLife

Welcome to a new chapter of The Chronic Brew! In this pivotal episode, we’re expanding our focus beyond Chronic Kidney Disease to embrace the entire chronic illness community.

Join us as I share the personal story behind this rebrand and reveal why this is so much bigger than my own journey. We dive into the staggering global impact and economic burden of non-communicable diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Then, we bring the conversation home to a struggle so many of us know too well: chronic fatigue. I introduce the powerful Spoon Theory as a tool for managing limited energy and offer a raw, personal reflection on what living with an unpredictable body truly feels like.

Whether you live with a chronic illness or support someone who does, this episode is for you. Tune in to feel seen, understood, and part of a bigger conversation.

Episode Highlights:

• The personal reason behind the podcast's rebrand.

• The global and economic impact of common chronic illnesses.

• A deep dive into what chronic fatigue truly feels like.

• How to use the Spoon Theory to manage your energy.

• A raw reflection on the emotional toll of living with CKD.

#ChronicIllness #ChronicFatigue #SpoonTheory #CKD #Podcast #Health #Wellness

Join us on this episode of The Chronic Brew as we sit down with the amazing Michelle, the creator behind Hobbies for Broken Bodies. Michelle's journey with multiple chronic illnesses—including Chiari Malformation, POTS, EDS, and gastroparesis—has taught her the incredible power of finding purpose through creativity. We'll explore how she’s blended humor and advocacy to build a vibrant online community, the unexpected lessons she's learned along the way, and how a creative outlet can truly be a lifeline. Plus, Michelle shares her experience writing for The Mighty and what she wishes others understood about living with chronic illness. Get ready for a conversation that's honest, inspiring, and full of heart.

Links:

• Follow Michelle on Instagram: [@hobbiesforbrokenbodies]

• Follow The Chronic Brew on Instagram: [@mrcoolbeans2889]

• Read Michelle's article on The Mighty: [https://themighty.com/topic/fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-symptoms-invisible-instagram/ ]