064 When Your Body Finally Feels Safe: Trauma, Chronic Illness, and Healing with Leanna Wydick

064 When Your Body Finally Feels Safe: Trauma, Chronic Illness, and Healing with Leanna Wydick

What happens when the body you live in becomes a daily reminder of trauma? In this episode of the Invisible Illness Club, April Aramanda talks with Leanna Wydick about surviving domestic violence, sustaining a traumatic brain injury, and navigating life with fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, migraines, and pancreatic enzyme insufficiency. Leanna explains how trauma can rewire the nervous system and influence pain, fatigue, sensory processing, relationships, and chronic illness flares. She also shares how striving to control everything kept her body in a constant state of vigilance—even after she entered a safe and loving relationship. Her healing began when she surrendered her fear to God, learned to receive care without expecting a hidden cost, and allowed familiar tools such as mindfulness, breathing exercises, and a weighted blanket to finally support her nervous system. April and Leanna also discuss acceptance, self-advocacy, grief, boundaries, vulnerability, and the difference between giving up and making peace with the reality of your body today. Content note: This episode includes discussions of domestic violence, strangulation, pregnancy loss, and traumatic brain injury. Please listen with care. In this episode, we discuss * 05:44 Leanna’s experience surviving domestic violence and a near-death assault * 10:13 Recovering from a traumatic brain injury without adequate medical support * 11:11 Message to Audience about Domestic Violence * 13:38 Living with fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, migraines, and pancreatic enzyme insufficiency * 16:42 How trauma can affect the nervous system and chronic illness symptoms * 18:48 Why physical pain can become an emotional reminder of past trauma * 20:56 How control and hypervigilance can exhaust the body * 23:02 Leanna’s “seek and surrender” approach to faith and healing * 29:18 Learning to receive care without expecting a hidden cost * 36:17 Grieving the gap between what your heart wants and what your body can do * 42:36 Small, practical ways to begin caring for yourself * 45:37 What I wish someone said in my darkest moments * 46:56 What is bringing you joy? Memorable takeaways “Imagine that the body you’re living in becomes your reminder. It’s hard not to be triggered every day of your life.” “Acceptance is not giving up.” “You deserve the time, effort, and focus—whatever it takes—to find your safety and find what works for you.” “Untangle that yarn, be vulnerable, and then tackle the little things you find.” “You are precious.” About Leanna Wydick Leanna Wydick is a wife, mother, chronic illness advocate, and early childhood systems-of-care professional. Her work supports families, providers, nonprofits, and organizations by helping them create more connected systems of care. After surviving domestic violence and sustaining a traumatic brain injury, Leanna developed multiple chronic health conditions. She now shares her story to help others understand the relationship between trauma, nervous system safety, chronic illness, faith, grief, and self-advocacy. Outside of her work and health journey, Leanna enjoys reading, gardening, baking, fossils, bats, and spending time with her family—and her delightfully quirky flock of chickens. You can find her at: https://www.facebook.com/leannawydick [https://www.facebook.com/leannawydick]  https://www.instagram.com/Leanna_supermom [https://www.instagram.com/Leanna_supermom]  https://www.tiktok.com/@Leanna_supermom [https://www.tiktok.com/@Leanna_supermom]  A note from April If you are experiencing abuse, please tell someone you trust and seek qualified local support when it is safe to do so. Abuse is not your fault, and you do not deserve it. Connect with the show Listen, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear that healing does not have a deadline—and that they are worthy of the time and care it takes to find safety.

063 The Faith Questions We Whisper: Trusting God Through Chronic Illness and Doubt

What happens when you know all the right answers about God, yet your heart still whispers, “Are You still there?” Chronic illness has a way of making our world feel very small. Symptoms get louder. Appointments take over the calendar. Survival starts replacing living. Somewhere in the middle of the pain, many of us quietly begin asking questions we feel guilty for asking out loud. Does God still see me? Does He still have this? Has He forgotten me? In this episode, we’re talking honestly about the faith questions many Christians with chronic illness carry in silence. We’ll look at the people in scripture who asked hard questions, why honesty isn’t the opposite of faith, and how God remains both bigger than our suffering and closer than we can imagine. If you’ve ever loved God and still wrestled with doubt, this conversation is for you. What You’ll Learn * Why chronic illness can make God feel distant even when He isn’t * Why asking hard questions isn’t a sign of weak faith * What scripture teaches us about honest prayers and honest grief * How chronic illness changes the way we pray * Why survival prayers matter to God * What mature faith can actually look like in hard seasons * How God can be both enormous and intimately near at the same time One Tiny Step If you’ve been carrying questions you feel guilty for asking, try praying them honestly this week. No polishing them. No fixing them. No editing them into church language. Simply bring them to God exactly as they are. Resources * Join The Unseen Sisterhood Newsletter [https://www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com/unseen-sisterhood-newsletter] * Visit The Invisible Illness Club website [https://www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com/] * Listen to more episodes of The Invisible Illness Club Podcast [https://www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com/podcasts] Credits Hosted by April Aramanda Music licensed through AudioJungle. The Invisible Illness Club Podcast — honest conversations about faith, chronic illness, and living fully in hard seasons.

062 The Laundry Can Wait: Learning to Leave Things Undone

Lately, I’ve been spending more time sitting in the pool with my husband while the laundry waits inside. The dishes still need to be done. The emails are still there. The to-do list hasn’t magically disappeared. I’m still tired. I’m still in a flare. For most of my life, I believed rest was something you earned after everything else was finished. Chronic illness only amplified that belief. There is always another symptom to manage, another appointment to schedule, another piece of paperwork to complete. At some point, I realized I had become the manager of my life instead of actually living it. This episode is an honest conversation about unfinished laundry, poolside conversations, and learning that joy doesn’t need permission from productivity. Because the dishes can wait. The people we love won’t always be sitting beside us on a Tuesday afternoon. What You’ll Learn * Why chronic illness can make life feel constantly urgent * How productivity quietly becomes tied to worth * The difference between managing life and living it * Why connection and joy matter even in hard seasons * Permission to enjoy your life before everything is finished * Why leaving things undone isn’t always laziness One Tiny Step Choose one thing this week that brings you joy or connection and do it before your to-do list is finished. * Sit outside with your coffee. * Call a friend. * Watch the sunset. * Float in the pool. Let one thing wait while you remember you’re allowed to live your life too. Related Episodes 1. 058 The Invisible, Full Time Job of Chronic Illness [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-invisible-illness-club-chronic-illness-auto-immune/id1796891851?i=1000771812037] 2. 060 Faith in Different Seasons: Remembering that God is bigger than chronic illness [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-invisible-illness-club-chronic-illness-auto-immune/id1796891851?i=1000773840107] Resources * Join The Unseen Sisterhood newsletter [https://www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com/unseen-sisterhood-newsletter] * Visit The Invisible Illness Club website [https://www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com/] * Listen to more episodes of The Invisible Illness Club Podcast [https://www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com/podcasts] Credits Hosted by April Aramanda The Invisible Illness Club Podcast — Let’s talk honestly about life, faith, and chronic illness. Music licensed through AudioJungle.

061 Disability Is Not a Bad Word: Jenna D’Angelo Shiner on Accessibility, Faith, and Living with Chronic Illness

What does it look like to navigate life when the world isn’t always built with disability in mind? In this episode, I’m joined by Jenna D’Angelo Shiner, who shares her journey from being able-bodied to living with chronic illness and disability. We talk about mobility aids, internalized ableism, accessibility, faith, church culture, and why disability is not a bad word. This honest conversation explores what it means to live fully, advocate well, and create spaces where everyone belongs. What You’ll Learn * Jenna’s journey into disability and chronic illness * The emotional transition from able-bodied to disabled * Why using mobility aids can bring freedom instead of defeat * What internalized ableism looks like and why so many struggle with it * How disability identity shapes the way we see ourselves * Why accessibility matters and practical examples of barriers people face every day * How churches can become more welcoming and inclusive * The relationship between faith, healing, and living with chronic illness * Why loving others includes advocating for accessibility and justice One Tiny Step Take a fresh look at one space you frequent—your church, workplace, favorite coffee shop, or even your home—and ask yourself, “Would this be easy to navigate for someone with a disability?” Small changes can make a big difference. Guest Info Jenna D’Angelo Shiner is a social worker, disability advocate, and passionate voice for accessibility and disability justice. She lives with chronic illness and disability and loves helping people better understand what life actually looks like for those navigating a world that isn’t always designed with them in mind. Find her at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenna.reza [https://www.facebook.com/jenna.reza] Instagram: instagram.com/jenrezdan [http://instagram.com/jenrezdan] Resources * Join The Unseen Sisterhood newsletter * Visit The Invisible Illness Club website * Listen to more episodes of The Invisible Illness Club podcast Credits Host: April Aramanda Guest: Jenna D’Angelo Shiner Music: AudioJungle

060 Faith in Different Seasons: Remembering That God Is Bigger Than Chronic Illness

Faith can look different in different seasons. Not because God changes, but because our view of Him often changes with what we’re walking through. In this episode, April shares how chronic illness can become so loud that it fills the entire frame. Appointments, symptoms, pain, exhaustion, and uncertainty demand attention, and before we realize it, we’ve forgotten to look up. After watching Disclosure Day and reading a thought-provoking quote that pointed to the vastness of God’s creation, April was reminded of something simple and profound: God is still God. The God who created galaxies is not overwhelmed by our diagnoses. He isn’t surprised by our stories. He isn’t intimidated by the things that overwhelm us. This episode is a gentle invitation to lift your eyes, remember God’s greatness, and find hope in the truth that no matter what season you’re in, He remains the same. What You’ll Learn * Why faith can feel different in different seasons of life * How suffering naturally demands our attention * Why chronic illness can make our world feel smaller * What God’s vast creation reveals about His greatness * Why God isn’t overwhelmed by what overwhelms us * How remembering who God is can bring peace, even when circumstances haven’t changed Memorable Quotes “When you live with chronic illness, the illness can become so loud that it fills the entire frame.” “Suffering has a way of demanding attention.” “The God who hung every star in place sees me lying in bed on the days my body refuses to cooperate.” “He is not overwhelmed by the things that overwhelm me.” “Before my diagnosis, He was God. In the middle of my diagnosis, He is God.” “Not that my circumstances are small. But that God is infinitely bigger.” One Tiny Step The next time your symptoms, fears, or questions feel overwhelming, pause for a moment and simply remind yourself: God is still God. You don’t have to have all the answers today. You only need to remember who holds them. Resources * Psalm 139:13 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139%3A13&version=CSB] * Join The Unseen Sisterhood [https://www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com/unseen-sisterhood-newsletter] newsletter * Visit The Invisible Illness Club [https://www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com/] website * Subscribe to The Invisible Illness Club Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-invisible-illness-club-chronic-illness-auto-immune/id1796891851] Credits Host: April Aramanda Podcast: The Invisible Illness Club Podcast Music: AudioJungle