The Invisible Illness Club | Chronic Illness, Auto Immune

047 Chronic Fatigue, Faith, and Learning to Slow Down with Belinda Mooney

This episode originally aired earlier in the podcast and remains one of the most meaningful conversations we’ve had about slowing down and caring for our health while living with chronic illness.
 
In this conversation, I sit down with Belinda Terro Mooney to talk about living with chronic fatigue and the long road of learning to care for a body that simply can’t keep the pace of a busy life. Belinda shares how decades of fatigue shaped the way she approaches health, faith, and daily life. We talk about the pressure many women feel to keep going even when their bodies are exhausted, the importance of creating margin, and how small lifestyle changes can make a real difference over time. It’s an honest look at invisible illness, support systems, and learning to live with hope even on the hard days.
What You’ll Learn
What it can look like to live with chronic fatigue for decades
Why constantly pushing through illness often makes symptoms worse
The role of lifestyle habits like sleep, hydration, movement, and rest
Why asking for help is one of the hardest lessons many women face
How creating margin in your life can support both health and faith
The difference between “positive thinking” and what Belinda calls hopeful thinking
Memorable Quotes
“Slow down and be well.”
“There are a lot of good things in the world. It’s simply too much.”
“A hopeful thought is a thought that leads you to feel hope.”
“Stop being so self-reliant that you can’t ask for what you need.”
Resources
Belinda Mooney
Website: https://belindaterromooney.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belindaterromooney/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090824557201
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdXvux59JZU_QsQhW-2BZZw
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/belindaterromooney/
 
Join the Unseen Sisterhood
https://theinvisibleillnessclub.kit.com/unseen-sisterhood
Joining gets you access to the weekly newsletter and our Facebook group! You will also have access to a special bundle of products just for those who join.
 
The Invisible Illness Club Website
https://theinvisibleillnessclub.com
 
The Invisible Illness Club Podcast
https://theinvisibleillnessclub.com/podcast
Credits
Hosted by April Aramanda
The Invisible Illness Club Podcast https://theinvisibleillnessclub.com/podcas
Music: Audio Jungle https://audiojungle.net

046 Faith, Chronic Illness, and Honest Spirituality with Stephanie Boyle

This episode originally aired earlier in the podcast and remains one of the most meaningful conversations we’ve had about faith and chronic illness.
 
What does faith look like when your body won’t cooperate with the life you planned? In this conversation, I’m joined by writer and speaker Stephanie Boyle, who also lives with chronic illness. We talk about the tension many people feel between faith and suffering, why easy spiritual answers often fall flat, and what it means to practice an honest kind of spirituality when your life has changed in ways you never expected. If you’ve ever wrestled with big questions about God, pain, and hope, this conversation will feel like sitting down with someone who understands.
What You’ll Learn
Why chronic illness often reshapes a person’s faith journey
The problem with overly simple spiritual answers to suffering
How honest conversations about pain can strengthen faith rather than weaken it
The emotional weight of living with an illness others can’t see
What it can look like to hold onto hope in the middle of uncertainty
Memorable Quotes
“You can love God deeply and still have hard questions.”
“Chronic illness changes how you understand faith.”
“Hope isn’t pretending everything is okay.”
Resources
Stephanie Boyle:
Finished by Friday website
Instagram
Facebook
 
Join the Unseen Sisterhood!
Joining gets you access to the weekly newsletter and our Facebook group! You will also have access to a special bundle of products just for those who join.
Credits
Hosted by April Aramanda
The Invisible Illness Club Podcast
Music: Audio Jungle

045 The Episode That Started The Invisible Illness Club

This episode goes back to the very beginning of The Invisible Illness Club. In this replay of episode one, April shares why the podcast started and the experience that led to creating a space where chronic illness, faith, and real life can be talked about honestly. If you’re new here, this episode explains the heart behind the show. If you’ve been listening for a while, it’s a look back at where the conversation first started.
What You’ll Learn
Why The Invisible Illness Club podcast started in the first place
The confusing reality of living in a body that looks fine from the outside
The emotional weight that often comes with chronic illness
Why honest conversations about illness, faith, and real life matter
What this community was always meant to be
One Tiny Step
Send this episode to one person who might understand what it feels like to live in a body others don’t fully see.
Resources
Join the Unseen Sisterhood community
Grab the Boundary Setting Script Pack with 12 ready-to-use boundary scripts for every day life!
Credits
Host: April Aramanda
Podcast: The Invisible Illness Club
Music: Audio Jungle

044 You Look Fine: Faith, Bipolar Disorder, Lupus, and Healing That Isn’t Neat (with Natasha Minier-Robinson)

Natasha shares life with bipolar disorder, PTSD, lupus, grief, and faith—and what healing looks like when it’s messy.
What You’ll Learn
What it felt like to be “high-functioning” while secretly struggling with self-harm and mood episodes
Why mental health labels can feel like stigma, while chronic illness labels can feel like relief
Natasha’s lupus story: pain, swelling, ER visits, and finally getting answers
How she connected food to flare-ups and what changed when she cut processed foods
The pressure of looking okay while you’re collapsing behind closed doors
Faith without the fake smile: why sickness and belief can exist in the same body
Why creativity (writing, art, building, making) can help your nervous system release what it’s carrying
What she wishes church communities understood about mental health
A sentence she wishes she heard earlier: “God has not forgotten you.”
Memorable Quotes
“You don’t see me behind closed doors.”
“A diagnosis can feel like a label… or a lifeline.”
“Faking it makes the depression worse.”
“Healing can look different for everybody.”
“God has not forgotten you.”
One Tiny Step
Pick one place this week to tell the truth—without overexplaining.
Try: “I’m not doing great today. I’m taking it slow.”
Resources
EMDR therapy (ask a trauma-informed therapist if it’s a fit for you)
Natasha’s website: https://natasharrobinson.com
Instagram: @natasha_r_rob
Natasha’s books (available on Amazon)
Credits
Host: April Aramanda
Guest: Natasha Minier-Robinson
Music: Audio Jungle
Produced by: The Invisible Illness Club

043 The Quiet Grief of Losing Your Independence

We talk a lot about surviving chronic illness. Today we’re gently challenging the way we define independence. What if losing physical capability doesn’t mean losing strength? What if dependence isn’t failure?
 
This episode explores grief, identity, and how faith reshapes what it means to live fully in a body that doesn’t cooperate.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Why losing independence feels deeper than inconvenience
The hidden fear of becoming a burden
How faith reframes dependence without minimizing grief
A small shift that helps you live fully inside limitation
MEMORABLE QUOTES
“I didn’t plan on building my life around appointments and a weak body.”
“My body has a way of fact-checking my ambition.”
“I am still grieving the capable version of me.”
“Needing help is not failure. It’s human.”
“Independence may shift. Your value doesn’t.”
ONE TINY STEP
Accept one offer of help this week without apologizing.
No explanation. No minimizing.

042 The Waiting Is the Hardest Part: Living in the In-Between With Chronic Illness

Waiting for medical answers can feel harder than the diagnosis itself. In this solo episode, April talks about the emotional toll of living in the in-between — the fear, grief, and exhaustion that come with waiting for test results, scans, and clarity while managing chronic illness. This episode offers validation, gentle grounding, and honest faith for anyone stuck in the middle.
What You’ll Learn
• Why waiting is so hard on the body and nervous system
• The common lies that get louder when answers are delayed
• How to care for yourself without pretending everything is fine
• What faith can look like without certainty or resolution
Memorable Quotes
• “Waiting isn’t passive. It costs energy.”
• “The middle matters, even when nothing is settled.”
• “You’re not failing because this feels heavy.”
Reflection / Journal Prompt
What part of the waiting is hardest for me right now — the uncertainty, the loss of control, or the fear of what comes next?
One Tiny Step
Choose one thing you won’t do during this waiting season — over-explaining, over-Googling, or over-bracing — and give yourself permission to stop.
Resources
Listen to the full episode
The Invisible Illness Club
Credits
Hosted by April Aramanda
Music via Audio Jungle

041 Living With Chronic Fatigue: Slowing Down Without Giving Up

Chronic fatigue forced Belinda to slow down. This conversation is about listening sooner, asking for help, and finding hope that actually holds.
What You’ll Learn
What chronic fatigue can look like over decades
Why slowing down isn’t quitting — it’s maintenance
How therapeutic lifestyle changes support real life with illness
The difference between optimism and hope when your body won’t cooperate
Why asking for specific help matters more than “pushing through”
How faith can support you on unmanageable days without pressure
Memorable Quotes
“Slowing down removed the chaos — and my body felt it immediately.”
“Hope isn’t pretending things are fine. It’s doing what you can and trusting the rest.”
“People want to help. Asking gives them permission to love you well.”
“Chronic illness doesn’t disqualify you from purpose.”
Resources
Email: belinda@belindaterromooney.com 
Website: https://belindaterromooney.com/
https://instagram.com/belindaterromooney/
https://facebook.com/belindaterromooney/
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/belindaterromooney/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdXvux59JZU_QsQhW-2BZZw
https://www.pinterest.com/belindaterromooney/
https://www.amazon.com/therapeutic-lifestyle-changes-workbook-comprehensive/dp/1955225028
https://www.enroutebooksandmedia.com/alookatlife
 
Credits
Hosted by April Aramanda
The Invisible Illness Club Podcast
Music: Audio Jungle

040 This Sucks. And I’m Still Here.

This episode isn’t tidy or inspiring. I’m stuck in bed, waiting on answers, and my body scares me right now. I talk honestly about exhaustion, fear, faith questions, and what it’s like to stop pretending you’re fine when you’re not. If you’re surviving the day instead of living it, you’re not alone.
What You’ll Learn
Why it’s okay to say “this sucks” without rushing to hope
What the waiting season really feels like with chronic illness
How exhaustion shows up beyond the physical
What faith can look like when you don’t understand what’s happening
Why honesty is sometimes the bravest thing you can offer
Memorable Quotes
“This sucks. Being stuck in bed, being alone most of the time—it all sucks.”
“My body scares me right now.”
“Relief and exhaustion can sit in the same room.”
“I don’t feel close to God right now, and I’m still talking to Him.”
“No tidy ending today. Just honesty.”
One Tiny Step
Say the truth out loud today—to yourself, to God, or to someone safe.
No fixing it. No reframing it. Just naming it.
 
Resources
The Invisible Illness Club community - The Unseen Sisterhood
Episode 25 - Normal Labs, Real Symptoms: Patient Advocacy & Hope with Rheumatologist Dr. Reeti Joshi
Episode 20 - When God Doesn't Heal: Holding Onto Faith with Chronic Illness
Credits
Hosted by April Aramanda
Music via Audio Jungle
Produced for The Invisible Illness Club

039 Chronic Illness, Identity, and Faith: Bethany Bacon on Being Seen Beyond Symptoms

In this episode, April talks with Bethany Bacon about living with hydrocephalus after being born at 24½ weeks, holding onto genuine hope, and learning not to let chronic illness—or the world’s opinions—define you. Bethany also shares the heart behind her Anchored in Hope coaching program and how listeners can connect with her.
What You’ll Learn
What it can look like to hold hope that feels real, not performative
Bethany’s early medical story: born at 24½ weeks and living with hydrocephalus
How she thinks about faith in a broken world (and why she talks openly about spiritual battle)
A simple morning rhythm Bethany uses to stay grounded when symptoms and stress flare
How a painful moment in public criticism impacted her identity for years
Why she created her Anchored in Hope coaching program and what it includes
Memorable Quotes
“People are wanting genuine hope.”
“Chronic illness doesn’t have to define a person.”
“I can’t control other people’s reactions. All I can do is obey the Lord.”
“It’s in my head… and it’s not in my head.”
“God wants you to see yourself as His child, not through the way the world does.”
Resources
Bethany Bacon: Created in His Image
Anchored in Hope coaching program
Website: created-in-his-image.com (with dashes between the words)
Credits
Host: April Aramanda
Guest: Bethany Bacon
Music: Audio Jungle
Produced for: The Invisible Illness Club Podcast

038 Starting a New Year With Chronic Illness: Hope When Your Body Is on High Alert

Starting the year tired, in appointments, and waiting on answers — this episode is about choosing quiet hope in a body that needs care.
What You’ll Learn
Why hope doesn’t have to feel confident to be real
How to hold grief and gratitude at the same time
What it looks like to start a new year already exhausted
Permission to define success by listening to your body
Why “manageable” can be a meaningful goal
Memorable Quotes
“Hope doesn’t require certainty. It requires permission to keep going anyway.”
“I didn’t need the day to look different. I needed my body to feel safer in it.”
“Getting through the day counts.”
“Sometimes the bravest thing we do is keep showing up gently.”
One Tiny Step
Give yourself permission to define success this week as listening to your body — nothing more.
Resources
Rest & Refocus Workbook – a gentle reset for tired bodies and overwhelmed mind
Credits
Host & Producer: April Aramanda
Music: Audio Jungle