This morning, a podcast episode I recorded with My Spoonie Sisters went live.
Listening to it brought up a lot—pride, vulnerability, nervousness, and something deeper I’ve come to trust in myself: truth. Not the polished kind, but the kind that lives in the body. The kind you earn.
In the episode, I talk about something I haven’t always had the space (or safety) to name in public: my own lived experience with chronic pain, and what it feels like to be on the receiving end of medical gaslighting.
To be clear: I’m not telling this story for sympathy. I’m telling it because this is the kind of story that too many people share quietly, behind closed doors, with no real outlet or validation.
It’s the story of being disbelieved, minimized, shuffled between specialists, or flat-out ignored.
I know what it’s like to hurt and still be told “everything looks normal.”
To have to over-explain. To self-edit. To doubt your own body because the system won’t believe it.
And somewhere along the line, that pain gave way to something else: rage.
Not aimless anger—but sacred, focused, clear-eyed rage. The kind that says, this isn’t just happening to me. This is structural.
And it’s costing people their dignity, their well-being, and in some cases, their lives.
That rage became the spark that lit the fire behindThe Audacious Patient.
From Hands-On Care to System-Wide Strategy
What a lot of folks don’t know is that I’m a licensed acupuncturist—and that’s not something I’ve “moved on” from or grown out of. It’s foundational to how I see the body, healing, and care. The one-on-one work I’ve done in clinic has shaped me in profound ways.
But again and again, I witnessed something that broke my heart:
People couldn’t keep up with treatment—not because they didn’t want to heal, but because the system made it impossible.
High out-of-pocket costs. Insurance red tape. Fatigue from constant gatekeeping.
They’d come to me for help managing their pain, but the deeper wound was systemic.
And I realized: to help the people who are slipping through the cracks, I needed to widen my approach.
So I started shifting my focus—not away from healing, but toward the education and advocacy that could empower more people to access it.
That’s where The Audacious Patient comes in.
It’s not a clinic. It’s a movement. A platform. A reclamation.
It’s where I get to build tools, content, and resources for people who’ve been burned by the system—and who deserve to navigate it with more clarity, support, and sovereignty.
I’m Still in the Work
I’m still an acupuncturist. I still care deeply about the power of one-on-one connection, presence, and care.
But I’m also a strategist. A survivor. A truth-teller.
And I’m letting that part of me lead, too.
If you’ve ever lived in a body that felt like a battleground, or tried to advocate for yourself in a system that wasn’t listening—know this: you’re not alone, and you’re not wrong.
And if you want to hear more about where this work comes from (raw, real, and voice shaking just a little) you can listen to the podcast episode on Spotify here:
👉 My Spoonie Sisters: The Audacious Patient Episode
Or search My Spoonie Sisters anywhere you listen to podcasts!
I hope something in it reminds you that your story matters, your body’s truth is valid, and you’re not asking for too much.
You’re asking for care. And care is a birthright.