The Invisible Illness Club | Chronic Illness, Auto Immune

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.instagram.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.

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
Visit The Invisible Illness Club website
Listen to more episodes of The Invisible Illness Club Podcast
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.

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
058 The Invisible, Full Time Job of Chronic Illness
060 Faith in Different Seasons: Remembering that God is bigger than chronic illness
Resources
Join The Unseen Sisterhood newsletter
Visit The Invisible Illness Club website
Listen to more episodes of The Invisible Illness Club Podcast
Credits
Hosted by April Aramanda
The Invisible Illness Club Podcast — Let’s talk honestly about life, faith, and chronic illness.
Music licensed through AudioJungle.

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
Instagram: 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

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
Join The Unseen Sisterhood newsletter
Visit The Invisible Illness Club website
Subscribe to The Invisible Illness Club Podcast
Credits
Host: April Aramanda
Podcast: The Invisible Illness Club Podcast
Music: AudioJungle

What happens when chronic illness changes your identity, your relationships, and even the way you show up at church? In this conversation, April sits down with Kaylen Soriano of  Chronic Yet Undefeated⁠
to talk honestly about epilepsy, masking, loneliness, faith, emotional exhaustion, and learning how to trust God in seasons that feel unpredictable. Together, they explore church culture, gratitude without toxic positivity, and the difference between real hope and pretending everything is fine.
What You’ll Learn
What life with epilepsy can actually look like behind the scenes
How chronic illness can slowly reshape identity and relationships
Why masking becomes so common in church culture
The emotional toll of unpredictability and canceled plans
How Kaylen worked through bitterness, fear, and victim mentality
What “real hope” looks like when healing doesn’t happen instantly
Why your emotions are not too big for God
The difference between gratitude and dismissing grief
How chronic illness can deepen trust and dependence on God
One Tiny Step
The next time someone asks how you’re doing, try giving one honest sentence instead of the automatic “I’m fine.”
Not a full explanation.
Not your whole story.
Just one honest sentence.
Guest Info
Kaylen S., Chronic Yet Undefeated
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587608874826
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChronicYetUndefeated
Resources
The Invisible Illness Club Website⁠ www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com
The Invisible Illness Club Podcast⁠ https://bit.ly/4jjOEDs
Join The Unseen Sisterhood Newsletter⁠ https://www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com/unseen-sisterhood-newsletter
Credits
Hosted by April Aramanda
Podcast:  The Invisible Illness Club⁠
Music from AudioJungle

There’s a kind of exhaustion that comes from living inside constant management mode.
Not only physical exhaustion. Mental exhaustion too.
In this episode, I’m talking honestly about the invisible workload that comes with chronic illness — the symptom tracking, energy calculations, recovery planning, medication management, decision fatigue, and emotional weight people rarely see.
Because chronic illness is more than symptoms. It’s the nonstop mental tabs running in the background all day long.
If you’ve ever felt tired of constantly managing your body, wondering whether something is “worth the crash,” or grieving how much effort everyday life takes now, this episode is for you.
You are not weak for feeling overwhelmed by something that never fully shuts off.
Let’s talk honestly about life, faith, and chronic illness.
What You’ll Learn
The invisible mental workload of chronic illness
Why decision fatigue becomes so overwhelming
The emotional exhaustion of constantly managing symptoms
Grieving spontaneity, ease, and mental freedom
Why survival mode affects identity and emotional health
Encouragement for women carrying invisible burdens every day
One Tiny Step
Pay attention to one invisible thing you’re carrying today without criticizing yourself for it.
Maybe it’s symptom monitoring.
Maybe it’s recovery planning.
Maybe it’s simply getting through the day.
Instead of calling yourself lazy or dramatic, acknowledge the effort your body requires from you right now.
Resources
Join The Unseen Sisterhood newsletter + community
Visit The Invisible Illness Club:The Invisible Illness Club
Credits
Hosted by:
April Aramanda
Podcast:
The Invisible Illness Club Podcast

Rest sounds peaceful in theory. In real life with chronic illness, it can feel anxious, guilty, frustrating, and emotionally unsafe. In this episode, April Aramanda talks honestly about the pressure to always be productive, the guilt that comes with slowing down, and why rest can feel so hard even when your body desperately needs it. This conversation explores chronic illness, emotional exhaustion, faith, and the struggle to believe your worth still matters when your output changes.
What You’ll Learn
Why rest can trigger anxiety and guilt
The emotional pressure of always feeling “behind”
How chronic illness complicates rest and recovery
The connection between productivity and self-worth
What scripture says about rest and restoration
One Tiny Step
The next time your body asks for rest, try not to apologize for it.
Resources
Join the Unseen Sisterhood!
A weekly newsletter and community for women navigating chronic illness, faith, boundaries, and real life.
https://theinvisibleillnessclub.kit.com/unseen-sisterhood
The Invisible Illness Club Website
https://theinvisibleillnessclub.com
The Invisible Illness Club Podcast
https://theinvisibleillnessclub.com/podcast
Music Credit
Audio Jungle
https://audiojungle.net
 

In this episode, April talks with podcaster and chronic illness advocate L. A. Sprague from the podcast Christians with Chronic Illness. Together, they dive into the grief that comes when chronic illness changes your identity, your energy, your plans, and even the way you see yourself.
L. A. shares her experience living with POTS and major depressive disorder, the tension between ambition and rest, and the pressure many chronically ill people feel to constantly prove their worth through productivity.
They also have an honest conversation about faith, healing, doubt, disappointment, and what it looks like to trust God when life does not unfold the way you thought it would.
One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is L. A.’s practical approach to self-care through what she calls “little Leah” — learning to treat herself with the same compassion she would offer a child.
This episode is for anyone grieving who they used to be while trying to figure out who they are now.
What You’ll Learn
What it feels like to grieve your old identity after chronic illness
Why productivity can become tied to self-worth
How internalized ableism shows up in everyday life
The emotional tension between rest and pushing yourself
A practical way to care for yourself with more compassion
How faith can feel heavy during chronic illness
Why doubt does not make you a bad Christian
The role gratitude can play during painful flare days
What a fulfilling life can still look like with limited energy
Memorable Quotes
“Maybe what true faith looks like is uncertainty.” — L. A. Sprague
“You are more than a product.” — L. A. Sprague
“God already has you on a mission field.” — April Aramanda
“You’re human. You’re a person worth caring for.” — L. A. Sprague
One Tiny Step
The next time your body needs something — water, food, rest, medication, a break — pause and ask yourself:
“If this were a child asking for care, how would I respond?”
Then offer that same care to yourself.
Guest Information
L. A. Sprague
Host of Christians with Chronic Illness, a podcast focused on honest conversations around faith, suffering, chronic illness, and hope.
Resources
Join the Unseen Sisterhood!
A free weekly newsletter and community for women living with chronic illness. You’ll get encouragement, honest conversations, practical support, and reminders that you are not alone. https://theinvisibleillnessclub.kit.com/unseen-sisterhood
The Invisible Illness Club Website https://theinvisibleillnessclub.com
The Invisible Illness Club Podcast https://theinvisibleillnessclub.com/podcast
Music Credit Audio Jungle https://audiojungle.net

Moving, pain, exhaustion, overwhelm, and trying to keep going anyway. A short honest reminder for anyone carrying more than people can see.
What You’ll Learn
Why “normal life” can feel overwhelming with chronic illness
The pressure many people feel to keep proving their worth through productivity
A gentler way to move through exhausting seasons
Why small steps still matter
Memorable Quotes
“You do not have to carry today perfectly for it to count.”
“Sometimes faith looks less like confidence and more like taking the next small step anyway.”
“You’re doing more than it looks like.”
Reflection / Journal Prompt
What would change if you stopped measuring your worth by how much you got done today?
One Tiny Step
Focus on the next thing in front of you. Not the next fifty.
Resources
Join the Unseen Sisterhood!
A weekly newsletter and community for women living with chronic illness.
https://theinvisibleillnessclub.kit.com/unseen-sisterhood
The Invisible Illness Club Website
https://theinvisibleillnessclub.com
The Invisible Illness Club Podcast
https://theinvisibleillnessclub.com/podcast
Music Credit
Audio Jungle
https://audiojungle.net
Credits
Hosted by April Aramanda