Creating a Life Beyond Chronic Illness: A Conversation with Racheli

Creating a Life Beyond Chronic Illness: A Conversation with Racheli

In this episode of Inside FLARE, I sit down with Racheli, entrepreneur, wellness advocate, world traveler, and one of the incredible people who has helped shape FLARE [http://flareendo.org] from the very beginning. What makes Racheli’s story so special is that it goes far beyond her experience with endometriosis. We talk about healing, entrepreneurship, travel, creativity, and the courage it takes to keep building a life that feels true to who you are, even when it doesn’t look the way you imagined. Racheli shares her journey with endometriosis, the hope she placed in surgery, and the difficult realization that healing isn’t always as simple or straightforward as we hope. We also talk about trauma, EMDR, Chinese medicine, and the importance of finding an approach to healing that feels right for you.One of my favorite parts of our conversation is hearing how Racheli completely reimagined her life after leaving the corporate world. She has now traveled to more than 70 countries, built a career rooted in wellness and meaningful connection, and continues to inspire others to live with intention and curiosity. We also share a story I’ve never really told before. When I first started dreaming about FLARE, I imagined it as a virtual art gallery. It was Racheli who encouraged me to think bigger and imagine bringing people together in person.Looking back now, as artists from around the world prepare to join us for FLARE’s exhibition in New York City this fall, I’m so grateful she challenged me to dream beyond what I thought was possible.This conversation is centered around resilience, trusting your intuition, embracing unexpected turns, and realizing that healing isn’t about getting your old life back. Sometimes it’s about creating a life that’s even more meaningful than the one you thought you were supposed to have. I’m so grateful Racheli shared her story, her perspective, and her heart with all of us. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.Find Racheli on:*Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racheliaye*Website: https://www.roamingwithrae.com/links Keep creating, keep healing💛-Priscilla Thanks for reading FLARE Journal! This post is public so feel free to share it. FLARE Journal is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to FLARE Journal at flareendo.substack.com/subscribe [https://flareendo.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Endometriosis, Art & Big Announcements for the Community

Big FLARE updates! Today I'm taking you behind the scenes of the exhibition, introducing two incredible artists joining the show, and announcing a brand new initiative that I am ridiculously excited about!In this episode, I’m bringing you behind the scenes and sharing updates of FLARE’s art exhibition, that's slowly (and very excitingly) coming together.We talk about why I refuse to settle for "good enough," the unexpected magic that happens when you put yourself out there, and some of the amazing artists who are helping shape this project.I’m spotlighting the work of participating artists Racheli and KYRIANNA, sharing more about their incredible projects and why I’m so excited to have them involved in the show. Their work is beautiful, powerful, and exactly the kind of art that makes me want to create spaces where these stories can be experienced in person.To learn more about the exhibition listen to this episode [https://youtu.be/Kb4__CamLrA?si=mEwt0-6_T8uzYRty] where I go into more details, the inspiration and vision.Plus, I'm announcing something brand new: FLAME [https://flameforward.netlify.app/] https://flameforward.netlify.app/(Female Leaders Advancing Metal Education), a creative community and initiative for women welders. Yep, we're talking sparks, sculpture, metalwork, and building community through art in a whole new way.If you've been following along with FLARE, consider this your official backstage pass. If you're new here, welcome. We're talking endometriosis, art, creative dreams, and all the fun, messy, unexpected ways ideas turn into reality.Grab a cup of tea/coffee/drink-of-choice, come hang out, and get excited with me because there's a lot happening and I'm excited to share it with you! ART EXHIBITION INFO:Website: https://flareendo.org/exhibition Art Exhibition SUBMISSION FORM:https://forms.gle/PGrHWh73HqH8yVCx5PODCAST EPISODE WITH MORE DETAILS [https://youtu.be/Kb4__CamLrA?si=mEwt0-6_T8uzYRty]Artists mentioned:⁠Racheli Aye⁠IG: https://www.instagram.com/racheliayeWebsite: https://www.roamingwithrae.com/⁠KYRIANNA⁠IG: https://www.instagram.com/kyrianna.artWebsite: https://www.kyrianna.art/⁠Kellie Gillespie⁠IG: https://www.instagram.com/kellie.gillespie.artWebsite: https://www.kelliegillespie.com/New Women-in-Welding Community(FLAME Female Leaders Advancing Metal Education)⁠IG: https://www.instagram.com/we.are.flame/Website: https://flameforward.netlify.app/FIND FLARE ON:*WEBSITE: https://www.flareendo.org/ *INSTAGRAM:https://www.instagram.com/flare.endo *FACEBOOK:https://www.facebook.com/flareendo* PINTEREST:https://www.pinterest.com/flareendo* X:https://x.com/flareendo* SPOTIFY: Thanks for reading FLARE Journal! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to FLARE Journal at flareendo.substack.com/subscribe [https://flareendo.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Art, Advocacy, and Medical Gaslighting | Chelsea's Endometriosis Story

In this episode of Inside FLARE, I sit down with Chelsea Hardesty, patient advocate, artist, mother, founder of Getting the Better of Endo [https://linktr.ee/betterofendo?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnNL6ch6Xs4ZrXRo2CjdhvHsrU4hDeacBed5y665Gq0n_AgXknwfdgg4Kpdj0_aem_t9GSlUQ9VMR2UMYEx3kE2w], and one of the first people who truly understood the vision behind FLARE when I shared it with the world. Chelsea shares the reality of living with symptoms for sixteen years before finally being diagnosed with endometriosis after one doctor completely missed disease that another specialist found just weeks later covering her bowel, bladder, and colon. We talk about what happens when years of dismissal slowly make you question your own body, your instincts, and your reality. This conversation goes far beyond diagnosis. We dive into the emotional and physical complexity of living with chronic illness, from multiple surgeries and high-risk pregnancies to pelvic floor dysfunction, chronic pain, and the long-term impact medical gaslighting can have on mental health. What makes Chelsea’s story especially powerful is the way she transformed her experience into action. Through advocacy work on Capitol Hill, poetry, community storytelling, and traveling art installations at state capitols, she is helping reshape how people understand endometriosis and why awareness through art matters so deeply. This is one of the most layered, honest, and important conversations I’ve shared on Inside FLARE so far. Not only because of Chelsea’s story, but because it reflects the reality so many people quietly live through every day. If you have ever questioned your pain, felt dismissed, or wondered how to turn something painful into something meaningful, this episode is for you. Keep creating, Keep healing💛 -Priscilla Chelsea, the president of Getting the Better of Endometriosis is a researcher with a strong passion for endometriosis awareness, as well as support for those suffering from the illness. Driven by her own personal experiences, she strives to make a meaningful impact on society to support the chronically ill. Show Notes: * Getting the Better of Endo on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/gettingthebetterofendo] * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@betterofendo?_t=ZP-8v7jPs7ZIlS&_r=1] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gettingthebetterofendo/ * Project 514 415 [https://tr.ee/WZAWXUbzNe] - Explore the Lived Experience of Endometriosis Through Art and Literature * SATIRE V [https://tr.ee/cysf7cTEFA] * The American End of Endo Project [https://tr.ee/IBUu_Tukf3] * Worldwide EndoMarch [https://tr.ee/QuCBwqQ_au] Get full access to FLARE Journal at flareendo.substack.com/subscribe [https://flareendo.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Sophie’s Endometriosis Story | Being Diagnosed Young, Navigating Anxiety, and Learning to Trust Yourself

This episode feels really special to me. I’m joined by Sophie, a member of the FLARE team, our unofficial “Substack Queen,” and an incredibly talented writer and creative. Sophie shares her experience being diagnosed with endometriosis at young age, and what it was like trying to understand something so complex at the time. We talk about what it means to grow up with a condition that most people around you don’t fully understand. How, at that age, you often don’t question what you’re told, even when something doesn’t feel right. How those early experiences can shape the way you see your body, your pain, and your voice over time. One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is when Sophie opens up about trust. Not just trust in doctors, but how repeated dismissal or lack of clarity can slowly turn into questioning yourself. Your symptoms. Your instincts. Your reality. Sophie also brings in her creative perspective in such a meaningful way. As a writer and zine creator, she has found ways to express her experience through storytelling and art, including a zine that reflects her personal journey with endometriosis. It’s a reminder that creativity can become a powerful outlet for processing something that is often so difficult to put into words. We also talk about the mental health side of endometriosis in a way that feels very real and very honest. The anxiety, the overthinking, and the emotional weight of not knowing what’s happening in your own body, especially at such a formative age. I’m so excited for what Sophie is building within FLARE as well. She will be leading one of our very first online workshops, creating space for others to explore storytelling and creative expression in a way that feels approachable and personal.What stood out to me most in this conversation is how quietly these experiences build. It’s not always one defining moment, but a series of small ones that shape how someone learns to cope, adapt, and make sense of what they’re going through. Sophie is from Belgium and is currently based in New Zealand. I appreciate her sharing her experience and perspective on the varying ways healthcare systems across countries address endometriosis She recently had a surgery herself and I feel lucky to have connected with her around the same time I had started my recovery process in March. Sophie brings such a thoughtful, grounded, and creative voice to this space, and I’m so grateful she shared it here. If you were diagnosed young, or if you’ve ever felt unsure about your own body because of what you’ve been told, I think this episode will resonate with you in a really personal way. This is you’re reminder that you are allowed to trust yourself. Keep creating, Keep Healing💛-Priscilla FLARE Journal is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to FLARE Journal at flareendo.substack.com/subscribe [https://flareendo.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Mental Health and Endometriosis | A Therapist’s Perspective on Chronic Illness, Trauma, and Healing

For the first time, we’re welcoming a mental health professional onto the podcast, someone who doesn’t just understand chronic illness clinically, but works closely with patients living with endometriosis and other long-term conditions. I sit down with Danielle Sampson, trauma therapist and founder of Aligned Connections [http://www.traumatherapybuffalo.com], to talk about the emotional and psychological reality of living with chronic illness, and why this part of the experience is so often overlooked. We get into the gap that exists in both healthcare and mental health spaces when it comes to truly understanding chronic illness, and how little formal training many professionals actually receive in this area. We talk about the connection between chronic pain and anxiety [https://spondylitis.org/spondylitis-plus/the-link-between-stress-and-chronic-illness-tools-for-stress-management/], the emotional toll of navigating a body that feels unpredictable, and the importance of validating experiences that are so often minimized or dismissed. One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is the reminder that while chronic illness may be ongoing, the mental health impact does not have to be something you carry alone or without support. We discuss the impacts and importance of taking care of your mental health, and how it’s not separate from your physical health, it is essential to it. This episode is exactly why FLARE exists: to open up conversations that are not happening enough, and to bring in perspectives that help people feel seen, understood, and supported in a deeper way. I’m excited to share this conversation with you, and hope it gives you language, validation, and a sense of connection if you’ve ever felt like this part of your experience wasn’t being acknowledged. You’re not alone in this. Keep creating, Keep Healing💛-Priscilla Show Notes: * Danielle’s Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/alignedconnectionspllc ⁠ [http://⁠https://www.instagram.com/alignedconnectionspllc ⁠] * Danielle’s website: ⁠⁠https://www.traumatherapybuffalo.com [https://www.traumatherapybuffalo.com] * cPTSD: ⁠Cleveland Clinic⁠: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24881-cptsd-complex-ptsd [https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24881-cptsd-complex-ptsd] * ⁠Link between chronic stress/chronic illness and inflammation⁠: https://spondylitis.org/spondylitis-plus/the-link-between-stress-and-chronic-illness-tools-for-stress-management/ [https://spondylitis.org/spondylitis-plus/the-link-between-stress-and-chronic-illness-tools-for-stress-management/] * History of American gynecology: ⁠Medical Bondage by Deirdre Cooper Owens⁠: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34689315-medical-bondage [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34689315-medical-bondage] * Directory of therapists trained in perinatal mental health: ⁠Postpartum Support International⁠: https://postpartum.net/get-help/provider-directory/ [https://postpartum.net/get-help/provider-directory/] * Directory of therapists that do EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): ⁠EMDRIA⁠: https://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/ [https://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/] Get full access to FLARE Journal at flareendo.substack.com/subscribe [https://flareendo.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]