The Sparkled Life Podcast

Podcast notes episode 5- Advocates and Influencers in the Chronic Illness and Disability Community Hi! Chatting this week about advocates and influencers and how they’re needed in the chronic illness and disability world. Things I chat about: •how I don’t love the word influencers, not a fan of sickgrams or inspirational porn •the definition of advocacy and why it fits betters •this doesn’t happen overnight- it takes to me to grow •how engagement and content are the most important measures and metrics in social media •tips on engagement and why you should respond to the kindness of comments •tips on content creation, including content batching, starting small, keeping it authentic, having a message, have the equipment •partnerships and how that looks for the chronic illness and disability world •knowing the value you bring to the table •defining the scope of a project •working with advocacy opportunities instead of just products Ending on the high note of how the more advocates we have, the better we have at creating a space of not only community but of strong direction in the health care space! Hope you found it useful. Please feel free to reach out anytime on my instagram @thesparkledlife or on the contact page of my website www.thesparkledlife.org. Thanks always for listening and hope your day is good! (If you’d like a transcript of this podcast for accessibility, please contact me and I’ll get it right over! Thank you!)

Hi! Welcome to the sparkled life podcast, where today I’m chatting about disability and medicare on a basic level. To start out, I share a little bit about my own journey with disability and medicare, having been on it for 7 years. What that looked like for me and how the application process went. Then I jump in to the basics: The difference between SSI and SSDI How SSA (ssa.gov) defines the application requirements and disability Where to find the application https://www.ssa.gov/planners/disability/ The checklist for application (https://www.ssa.gov/hlp/radr/10/ovw001-checklist.pdf) Some hopefully helpful tips on how to maneuver the process Medicare - how it doesnt start till 24 months after accepted on to Social Security A medigap and the need of And most important: how disability is a resource for those that need it, and it is needed! But it is not a luxury. It is not something cute. Respect for this and any stigmas thinking otherwise needs to be taken away. As always you can reach out with any questions, comments or love on Instagram @thesparkledlife or in the contact section of my website at www.thesparkledlife.org. Have a gentle and good day and thank you for listening!

Hi! Welcome to the show notes of episode 3 of the sparkled life podcast : positivity- the importance of and when it becomes toxic. In this episode we chat about : *The definition of positivity as a practice *How positivity is defined differently for many people *That positivity is a good thing overall for the body *Personal tips and tricks on how to lead with a positive spirit *The major difference between positivity and toxic positivity - one is a practice, one is a push *How toxic positivity is defined and how it is limiting *Allowing ourselves to feel all 27 human emotions is more empowering then just feeling one *The power of being in control of our reactions, and allowing the proper emotion in alignment with the reaction This is one of my favorite things recently to chat about so I hope you enjoyed it! If you’d like a full copy of the transcript for accessibility, please email me at [email protected]. As always, feel free to comment and connect via instagram @thesparkledlife or via my website at www.thesparkledlife.org. Thank you for listening and hope your day is gentle and good!

Hi! Welcome to the podcast notes for episode 2 of the sparkled life podcast- all about drugs. We’re diving in to the basics of drugs and medicine used in the treatment of symptoms and diseases. Share a little bit about what’s been going on personally- attending Chronicon (@chroniconofficial). Be sure to check out Nitika Chopra @nitikachopra and @healthline! And we moved! So glad to be in a new space. Ok drugs. Please remember I’m not a medical professional, just a google informed professional patient. Discuss all medical issues with your doctors. •chat about what symptoms really are reflections of in multiple sclerosis, ie the demyelination process and the damage of the myelin sheath. •symptoms are real and not in your head •choosing a drug to help relieve symptoms is a quality of life issue. There is no shame. •share my personal drug journey, the highs and the lows. •provide information on my best drug choosing tip- how to make a conscious effort to choose what’s working. And provide a picture of proof for doctors and insurances if needed. •chat NNT (number needed to treat) and NNH (number needed to harm), two numbers/statistics I base my drug decisions off of to make the most efficient and effective decision •we deserve more access to this data and that is always what I encourage health industry leaders when I meet with them on an advocacy level •I was right- it’s www.goodrx.com (: check it out for potentially useful coupons •pharmacists can be your best friends- find a good one! •drugs are just a small piece of the pie of a health journey- we’ll continue diving in to the pie in future episodes! •any questions please feel free to reach out @thesparkledlife on Instagram or www.thesparkledlife.org If you’d like an exact transcript of the podcast for accessibility reasons, please email me at [email protected]. Thank you for listening!! Eliz

Episode 1 - The Sparkled Life Podcast Welcome to The Sparkled Life podcast, episode 1! My name is Eliz Martin, I am the content creator behind the sparkled life and a chronic illness and disability advocate. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 7 plus years ago and its been a hell of a ride. So yay a podcast! Keeping it simple - with an iphone and 10-15 minutes to spare. I’ll pick a certain topic, have a few guests - it’s going to be a great time! This first topic is an intro/about me. I share a little bit about my family, my puppies, my husband. I give the one liners on my diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, how I was abruptly diagnosed, my mobility, how I thrive in life, what DMT’s I’ve tried, being on disability, and health insurance. And to end it out, I share why the heck I’m even sharing. Why I advocate. Hope your day is gentle and good and thank you for listening!