Little Shots of Joy & Being GEN X

Little Shots of Joy & Being GEN X

This episode is a fun narration of the positive narrative I created, believed, and embraced during the hardest years of my life that prevented me from sinking and enabled me to power through 1000s of days of Physical Therapy (the fix for my atrophy from Ankylosing Spondylitis + Chronic Fatigue). The keys were finding joy in the smallest things, building up some sort of “joy credit” during the day allowing me room to fall when the worst of my chronic pain and recovery came at night, feeling gratitude and appreciating that I was better than a few years ago (the worst years of my life). This encouraged me to indulge in the little things that spark joy, enjoy the simple pleasures while I can, celebrate small wins, not indulge in the negative making things worse, and building up some sort of “life happiness credit” during a really bad time, that allowed me room to fall when things got worse (Attack by post-viral syndrome, uveitis, costochondritis, insomnia, neuritis while already battling an autoimmune disease) I realized the way I was seeking joy was highly inspired by my Gen X childhood, teenage years and upbringing, and I was recreating joyful sequences that had worked for me many years ago to survive now. I used music and tv shows (even food treats) to give me company and spark joy like they did back when I was in middle school or a MTV Generation teenager. To pay tribute and thank these little gifts I gush about the way I found music back when I moved from England to India and the relation Gen Xers have with our common joy TV shows. This is a very Gen X story that my Indian peers may find nostalgia in the timelines and rituals, while Americans may find Gen X nostalgia in the specific content and some joyful delight in the overlap between experiences in different countries. In this episode, you can learn: * How to truly look at your circumstances in a positive, especially not-negative, light: one of the best mental health strategies * How to create, believe and embrace a positive narrative for years; a key to long term healthy neurochemistry and mental health * How to find joy in the small things and build “joy credit” all day (even at the worst of times) * How to live in the moment, show gratitude for the things you do have, and indulge in them while you can (carpe diem) * How living a joyful positive day can lift your mood and help you enjoy “doing the work” and power through your process to improve your life * How living joyful days can build up “life happiness credit” allowing room to fall in case of disaster and setbacks * How Gen X and MTV Generation kids and teenagers found music, and our joyful relationship, rituals, and bonds with music and tv shows. * How you can use the things you found joyful decades ago to recreate and respark joy especially in a world where they are disappearing (for Millennials and Gen Xers) * How to hack or engineer the way other generations experienced joy into your own life in a different world where those natural analog experiences are scarce (for Gen Z and Gen Alpha) I hope this episode gives you some company and you learn a little something and feel a little something, and smile here and there too. I hope this show is a good friend to you in a world where joy is in short supply and where we all need all the help we can get in getting better, being better, and making and chasing our dreams. Have fun, have joy! Amrit Bandy 00:00 Trailer 00:35 Intro 01:59 Fun ramblings on Generations: Gen X, MTV Generation, Millennials. 03:47 Finding and chasing joy in the little things: Adv. Physical Therapy years (‘22-’25) 12:16 My positive joyful life narrative at the worst time 13:36 Contrasting with a (truer) negative narrative 15:50 Holding on to the +ve narrative saved my life 18:56 Switching to Gen X music and our tv shows 21:10 My Generation served me well: Moving from England to India 23:34 Being an MTV Generation teenager finding new music 27:31 In a relationship with Music, the bonds, the stories, the rituals, the joy 30:04 My friend: The Idiot Box; looking fwd to TV shows, shared joy & common joy 37:32 Tech sucks the joy out of life, funny but true 39:14 Outro Fun & Follow https://www.facebook.com/thebandyingshow/ https://www.instagram.com/thebandyingshow https://www.tiktok.com/@thebandyingshow

Autoimmunity, A Life Sentence PART II

Part II of my medical history picks up where I left off when Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a debilitating part of most autoimmune diseases, took over my body and left me without any energy back in 2020. I talk about the brain fog that came with it, what it felt like, how far down it dragged my life, accelerated by the respiratory issues I had developed, the resilience I showed with my relentless attempts to rebuild by body and mind via breathing exercises and advanced physical therapy for years, all the way through being attacked by a long post viral syndrome which is much like long COVID. This unleashed a host of new debilitating symptoms on my already weak immune system ranging from costochondritis and neuropathy to vestibular neuritis and migraines leading to hypersensitivity to light and sound, sharp nerve pain, the chills, a trembling internal rattling feeling, and much more. This chapter of my life introduced me to everything that was in the fine print of my original autoimmune diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis, specifically the risks, reality, complications, and struggles of being autoimmune, immunocompromised and immunosuppressed. This episode covers most of where I have been and why I disappeared the last 5 years. While it is hard for anything to be more painful than the onset of my autoimmune disorder and the unbearable chronic pain and inflammation that set in with it, this part of the story is even more raw since it is more recent. Also, I did not see any of it coming and it was way outside of my “expertise” of pain tolerance, pain management and physical rehab, and it clearly took me out even harder and longer than the previous times my disease came for me, leaving me not only unable to work, but unable to think or live properly, for years. In this episode, you can learn: * What Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can do to you * What respiratory problems can do to you along with ME/CFS * How to survive and battle Chronic Fatigue and Respiratory issues * How to fight back against Atrophy and Chronic Pain with Advanced Physical Therapy * How to battle an autoimmune disease and stick to a process for years, joyfully * How to not give up during the worst times, survive day to day, and improve your mental health by doing the work while finding joy in small things. * How to stay as positive as you can while dealing with and healing from trauma * What long Post Viral Syndrome (much like Long COVID) feels like and does to you * Why I am starting this podcast now * What you might get out of this podcast I hope this episode gives you some company and you learn a little something and feel a little something. I hope this show is a good friend to you in a world where joy is in short supply and where we all need all the help we can get in getting better, being better, and making and chasing our dreams. Have fun, have joy! Amrit Bandy 00:00 Recap 00:38 What Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Brain Fog feel like 02:50 The End of My Life feeling that my respiratory issues brought on 03:39 A new process to fix my breathing and respiratory issues (2021) 05:03 An attempt to reboot my life and facing failure (2022) 08:05 Back in Advanced Physical Therapy (The Shawshank Mindset), an enhanced intense process 09:55 Feeling some Joy after years (2023) 11:00 Landing in the ER for the first time and Hospitalization 11:59 Back in the ER with Post Viral Syndrome (like long Covid - 2024) 13:03 What Vestibular Neuritis felt like with an autoimmune disease (2015) 13:34 What Post Viral Syndrome Symptoms can do to you and fighting back 15:20 More struggles with medication withdrawal, Insomnia, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) 15:55 Back in the ER with an eye disorder, Uveitis, and Heartbroken 18:16 Adjusting to new limitations on abilities and adjusting expectations from life (2025) 20:11 Why I am starting this podcast now 21:52 What you can get out of this podcast Fun & Follow https://www.facebook.com/thebandyingshow/ https://www.instagram.com/thebandyingshow https://www.tiktok.com/@thebandyingshow

Autoimmunity, A Life Sentence PART I

This episode is part I of my medical history where I narrate the painful story of being diagnosed at a young age with an autoimmune disorder, and how it has shaped me, my days, and the story of my life. This is the first time I have really talked about it more than running it in my head as if I’m telling my person, whom I have never met. I talk about the painful confusing period until I was diagnosed, the shock of being diagnosed with a lifelong, incurable autoimmune disease, the struggles to continue with life instead of running away, the way my disease comes for me and my life over and over again, how I rebuild my body, mind and life each time using a painstaking process of self-help all the way up to everything I had ever built being taken away from me in 2020 when an ugly chronic fatigue took over my body. I also talk about where I have been the last 5 years since I disappeared from most peoples’ lives in the latest installation of my disease taking me out, why I am starting this podcast featuring conversations on chronic and mental health improvement mixed with tons of fun and joy, what you might get out of it, and why this combination is important to me and to this podcast. The medical history part of this episode is specifically meant to be something me and my guests can refer back to in future episodes instead of starting from scratch. In this episode, you can learn: * A little bit of who I am, what I’ve been through, and why I’m starting this podcast * What it feels like to be diagnosed with and live with an autoimmune disorder and how we fight to survive, even thrive * Managing joint pain, atrophy, physical therapy, rehab and how it all feels * Building a process for yourself to fight back and compete against chronic illness * Using mediation, breathing exercises, yoga, running, physical therapy in a process to rebuild your body and mind, and adapting this process * The toll chronic pain and rehab can take on your mental health and joy * Taking your shot(s) when you have the opportunity to do so I hope this episode gives you some company and you learn a little something and feel a little something, and smile here and there too. I hope this show is a good friend to you in a world where joy is in short supply and where we all need all the help we can get in getting better, being better, and making and chasing our dreams. Have fun, have joy! -Amrit Bandy 00:00 Intro 00:35 Welcome to The Bandying Show (and Bandy) 02:18 What I I want this podcast to be, and thoughts on joy 05:35 Where have I been these last 5 years? 06:46 Let's get started 07:35 My Story of being diagnosed with an Autoimmune disorder (2003-2004) 13:05 Trying to rebuild my life instead of running away all the way up to crashing (2005-2012) 15:40 What atrophy can do to your body 16:47 A new process and a new life all the way up to disappearing again (2013-2020) 21:22 The toll of pain and rehab on the body and mind, but the joy of a fuller life 23:23 Enter Chronic Fatigue

Welcome to the Bandying Show

Welcome to The Bandying Show, my space to have conversations with you and my guests about chronic illness, mental health, joy, resilience, and all the strange, funny, deeply human bits in between. I recently realized that my autoimmune disorder, which I kept all to myself for more than 20 years, shaped me, my days, and the story of my life (Queue “The Story” by Brandi Carlile) more than I ever knew. Yes, there will be tons of music references! This is the kickoff episode for me to do a soundcheck, and for you to get used to my voice, learn to not fall asleep to the baritone, or do, if it helps, calibrate your ears to my accent, and find out why we’re both here and “What’s In The Box?” Yes, there will be tons of Gen X references. Most episodes I will pick one serious health topic where I draw you into the work it takes to survive the bad days, and to fight and compete to get better or even thrive, and another fun and joyful one that entertains you and cracks you up making the heavy stuff easier to take in. So, less “Do the work!”, more “This is what it takes!” salt-and-peppered with music, comedy, Gen X nostalgia, some absolutely silly nonsense, and anything else I can think of that helps us stay positive, stick with the process, and make the best of our days. You can have it all! In. One. Show. And you’re already on your way! I hope this show is a good friend to you in a world where joy is in short supply and where we all need all the help we can get in getting better, being better, and in making and chasing our dreams.