Invisible Strength

We discuss the realities of living with autoimmune and chronic conditions while exploring realistic solutions to improve our lives. We discuss helpful tips and tricks to manage symptoms and proactively improve our health trajectory. We're here for support, laughs, and grace as we figure out these diseases together! www.invigorateyourjourney.com

Invisible Strength is a health podcast hosted by Karin Wagner and Chris Burton, with 92 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Karin Wagner and Chris Burton hosts Invisible Strength, a health show with 92 episodes published.

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  Episode #35

  Rest Maxing, Surprise Triggers & Living Well with MCAS, POTS & EDS, with Lauren | Invisible Strength Podcast

  Sep 30, 202637 minS3

  Lauren didn't know people weren't supposed to be in pain all the time until a doctor told her. In this episode, Karin and Lauren (@nourishing_lauren) talk about a lifetime of symptoms brushed off as "normal," living with MCAS symptoms, POTS, and hypermobility EDS, and how she found her biggest trigger (lemon and the citric acid hiding in everything). She also explains how she works full time and studies by "rest maxing." You'll hear honest, funny, practical talk about self-advocacy, social life, and self-compassion when your body has other plans. Free RESET workbook: https://invigorateyourjourney.com/reset-workbook/ Explore our community of chronic illness warriors, resources, and guidance to living your best life: https://www.invigorateyourjourney.com ⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is for education and shared experiences only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare team before making changes. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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  Episode #34

  Ep. 92: Lupus, AVN, and Building a Career on Your Own Terms with Sakshi

  Sep 23, 202630 minS3

  This week, Karin sits down with Sakshi — a 24-year-old lupus warrior who also lives with avascular necrosis (AVN), the same degenerative bone condition Karin has navigated herself. Sakshi shares how she's held down a demanding corporate job while managing chronic pain, what it took to get diagnosed after doctors initially dismissed her symptoms as a routine skin issue, and the moment a specialist's careless comment made her change rheumatologists for good. Key takeaways: Diagnosis took over a year and multiple dismissals. A "skin issue" in 2018 turned out to be an early sign of lupus, but it wasn't confirmed until butterfly rashes and a month-long fever landed Sakshi in the hospital in 2019. A supportive manager makes corporate + chronic illness sustainable. Sakshi works from home, communicates proactively about flare days, and has built a working relationship where flexibility goes both ways. Self-advocacy with doctors is non-negotiable. After a rheumatologist told her it would be "easier" if her symptoms turned out to be cancer instead of incurable lupus, Sakshi switched doctors — and encourages every warrior to get a second or third opinion rather than settle. Community replaced isolation. Starting an Instagram page to share her story connected her with warriors who understand pain her friends and family couldn't fully grasp. Invisible strength is the unseen prep work. Looking "fine" in a photo can hide hours of physical and mental preparation just to leave the house. Grab the free RESET workbook mentioned in this episode— it's the same first step we walk every client through before coaching.Connect with Sakshi: instagram.com/lupuswithsakshiConnect with us: https://www.invigorateyourjourney.com #Lupus #AvascularNecrosis #ChronicIllness #InvisibleIllness #autoimmunewarrior ⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is for education and shared experiences only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare team before making changes. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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  Episode #32

  Hiding an Autoimmune Diagnosis for 10 Years at NASA — Cindy's Story | Invisible Strength Podcast

  Sep 9, 202634 minS3

  Cindy hid her autoimmune diagnosis for 10 years — even from a military discharge board that told her she was "healthy, just didn't want to run." It wasn't until a 12-mile hike, where her husband carried her the final mile, that she finally admitted something was wrong. In this episode of Invisible Strength, Cindy — a NASA program analyst, wife, and mom — walks us through her diagnosis process, the depression and marital strain that pushed her into therapy, and the mindset shift it took to stop equating her worth with her productivity. She talks candidly about the guilt of "trapping" her husband in a harder life, the relationships she's had to distance herself from to protect her health, and how an electric wheelchair changed an entire family vacation. She also shares how she built a support community on Instagram where spoon theory needs no explanation, why she writes for RareDisease.com, and her long-term goal of starting a nonprofit that funds both faster diagnosis and the assistive devices insurance won't cover. Key takeaways: Masking an illness doesn't protect you — hiding it for a decade made Cindy sicker, not stronger A diagnosis can be relief, not just bad news — it ended years of being written off as lazy or "just anxious" Assistive devices are strategy, not surrender Community fills a gap even a great spouse can't Boundaries — with family, with obligations — are health care too Follow Cindy on Instagram: @ sin_der_ellaaaaa Discover Free resources for your own journey at www.invigorateyourjourney.com Invisible Strength is hosted by Karin Wagner and Chris Burton. New episodes every Wednesday. Follow us so you don't miss an episode! If this episode resonated with you, please leave us a review and help us reach more autoimmune warriors and allies! Thank you - we so appreciate it! ⚠️ This content is for education and shared experience only — not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare team before making changes. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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  Episode #31

  Told She'd Never Dive Again: Deanna Steinle on Life w/ Myasthenia Gravis | Invisible Strength Podcast

  Sep 2, 202642 minS3

  Deanna Steinle was a professional diver, speaker, and PR professional before a diagnosis of generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) changed everything. In this episode, she talks with Karin Wagner and Chris Burton about the four and a half years she couldn't be left home alone, the grief that hit a year after the crisis — not before it — and how she got back in the water with disability-certified dive teams starting in 2022. She also shares the question she now asks herself before opening up to anyone about her diagnosis, and the two-weeks-apart crisis (a burst pipe, then a totaled car) that hit in the middle of her diagnosis journey. Get support and explore resources at: https://www.invigorateyourjourney.com Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:14 What is generalized myasthenia gravis 3:23 First symptoms and the road to diagnosis 9:03 The new normal — career, family, insurance 12:17 Four and a half years of not being left alone 14:17 Returning to scuba diving 19:32 Mental health during isolation 21:38 Going back to school at 2am 28:04 What advocacy looks like day to day 30:26 Redefining hope 34:04 Small victories and momentum 36:37 The pipe burst and the car accident 38:09 Helping others communicate their diagnosis 43:19 What Invisible Strength means to Deanna 45:00 Where to find Deanna Follow Deanna: @resilience.is.beautiful See her film on YouTube here . Invisible Strength is hosted by Karin Wagner and Chris Burton, covering what it really looks like to live with autoimmune and chronic conditions — real talk, not just survival tips. New episodes every Wednesday. If you're open to helping us reach more people, please leave us a review! Resources for your own journey: https://invigorateyourjourney.com ⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is for education and shared experiences only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare team before making changes. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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  Episode #30

  She Performed 3 Days With Blood Clots In Her Lungs

  Aug 26, 202643 minS3

  Shanelle Gabriel is an internationally touring poet and singer who's performed at Carnegie Hall , the Vatican, and HBO's Def Poetry Jam — and she's also been living with lupus since 2004, later developing lupus antiphospholipid syndrome. In this episode, Karin and Chris talk with Shanelle about: • The year of dismissed symptoms before her diagnosis — headaches, joint pain, brain fog she wrote off as "getting older" at 19 • The three days she performed while carrying two blood clots in her lungs, because the show was paying her rent • Why she had to stop clinging to any single title — performer, poet, patient — and find "the gift" underneath • The ongoing "shedding" of relationships and commitments that don't support her health • Why she believes every newly diagnosed person needs a mental health professional, not just a support group • Her own definition of invisible strength GRAB THE FREE RESET WORKBOOK — https://invigorateyourjourney.com/reset-workbook NOT SURE WHERE TO START? Free 2-minute Journey Quiz — https://invigorateyourjourney.com/quiz/ FOLLOW Shanelle @shanellegabriel Invisible Strength is hosted by Karin Wagner and Chris Burton, covering what it really looks like to live with autoimmune and chronic conditions — real talk, not just survival tips. New episodes every Wednesday. Hit Subscribe Now! Support & Resources for your own journey: https://invigorateyourjourney.com ⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is for education and shared experiences only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare team before making changes. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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