by Karin Wagner and Chris Burton
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
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Publishing Since
9/17/2023
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July 1, 2026
<p>If you’ve ever been told it’s “just bad periods,” “just IBS,” or “just anxiety” — this one’s for you.In this episode of the Invisible Strength Podcast, Karin Wagner and Chris B. sit down with Kelly Jones, who spent roughly a decade fighting to be believed before finally being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and endometriosis — and who later faced a spinal cord tumor and major spine surgery.</p><p>Kelly opens up about what it does to your sense of self when doctors dismiss your pain, how she learned to lean on her gut instinct even after her confidence was stripped away, and the slow, honest work of building a life that works with a chronic body instead of against it. </p><p>She talks about the “good day trap” of doing ten things at once, the guilt of feeling like a burden, the friends she lost as a flaky teenager who couldn’t explain why, and the support, faith, therapy, and sourdough bread that brought her back.</p><p>This is a warm, real conversation about pacing, self-trust, and finding meaning in the middle of the unknown. </p><p>Press play — and if you’ve been doubting your own body, come feel a little less alone.</p><p>Free quizzes, workbooks & resources: https://www.invigorateyourjourney.com</p><p><br></p>
June 24, 2026
<p>When Siana Smith's leg kept going numb at work, she and her colleagues laughed it off. It wasn't until she felt an electric shock shoot down her spine during a self-tape that she knew, deep in her gut, something was really wrong. </p><p>After being told "it won't be MS," she finally saw the white dots scattered across her brain on an MRI screen — and burst into tears. This is the story of what came next.</p><p>In this episode, Siana — a London-based actor, digital creator, and the voice behind @chronicallyiconicwithms — sits down with Karin and Chris to talk honestly about life with multiple sclerosis. </p><p>She shares the invisible symptoms most people never see (brain fog, deep painful itching, that "stepped-in-a-puddle" sensation with no water in sight), how she learned to pace herself through 12-hour film days, and the surprising moments of connection that came from being radically open about her diagnosis.</p><p>Whether you're newly diagnosed, supporting someone who is, or just need a reminder that strength can look like simply getting out of bed, this conversation will leave you feeling a little less alone. <strong>Hit play and meet someone who decided to be unapologetically herself.</strong></p><p><strong>Key Takeaways</strong></p><ul><li><strong>You're allowed to grieve a diagnosis</strong> — and the emotions won't be linear. Scared one day, angry the next, okay the day after. All of it is normal.</li><li><strong>Invisible symptoms are real symptoms.</strong> Looking "fine" on the outside doesn't mean the inside isn't working overtime through brain fog, nerve pain, and numbness.</li><li><strong>Openness creates connection.</strong> Talking about MS didn't make Siana weaker — it built a support system and unexpected community, because "courage is contagious."</li><li><strong>Self-kindness is a strategy, not a luxury.</strong> Siana asks herself: "If this were someone I loved, how would I want them to react?" — then treats herself that way.</li><li><strong>Rest is productive.</strong> Planning a recovery day between work days isn't quitting; it's protecting future-you.</li><li><strong>Holistic and medical approaches can coexist.</strong> Medication, diet, movement, and therapies like hyperbaric oxygen aren't either/or — and the right mix is a personal decision.</li><li><strong>A diagnosis doesn't define you.</strong> "You can achieve everything you want in life in spite of having a diagnosis."</li></ul><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><ul><li><strong>00:00</strong> — Welcome + meet Siana</li><li><strong>00:45</strong> — Who Siana is beyond her diagnosis</li><li><strong>01:37</strong> — The "I want to be Annie" moment and falling in love with acting</li><li><strong>04:01</strong> — Life before diagnosis: the first strange symptoms</li><li><strong>05:28</strong> — Seeing the MRI, hearing "MS," and the months of fear that followed</li><li><strong>07:13</strong> — The grieving process and navigating MS day to day</li><li><strong>08:54</strong> — Learning self-kindness and pacing</li><li><strong>10:36</strong> — How being open about MS changed everything</li></ul><ul><li><strong>15:04</strong> — Why she started documenting her journey online</li><li><strong>17:01</strong> — The invisible symptoms people don't see</li><li><strong>18:32</strong> — Pacing herself through long days on set</li><li><strong>19:27</strong> — Lifestyle changes: quitting vaping, the gym, saying no</li><li><strong>21:07</strong> — Protecting yourself when the world keeps spinning</li><li><strong>23:02</strong> — When to tell people + the headshot photographer who also had MS</li><li><strong>26:02</strong> — Finding joy and the mindset shift that primed her</li><li><strong>28:04</strong> — Treatments: monthly injections and hyperbaric oxygen therapy</li><li><strong>30:34</strong> — Diet and the foods that help her feel her best</li><li><strong>32:55</strong> — Advice for someone newly diagnosed and scared</li><li><strong>34:05</strong> — What "invisible strength" means to Siana</li><li><strong>35:29</strong> — Skydiving for the MS Society: "If I can do that, I can do anything"</li><li><strong>38:23</strong> — Silver linings she never expected</li><li><strong>39:39</strong> — What's ahead: acting dreams and embracing life</li><li><strong>40:40</strong> — Her final message: you are not your diagnosis</li><li><strong>41:35</strong> — Where to find Siana online</li></ul><p>🌱 Community, resources & coaching: <a href="https://www.invigorateyourjourney.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.invigorateyourjourney.com</a></p><p>Siana on TikTok & Instagram: @chronicallyiconicwithms</p><p>#ChronicIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #InvisibleIllness #HealingJourney #ChronicFatigue #ChronicIllnessSupport #AutoimmuneSupport #InvisibleStrengthPodcast #ms #multiplesclerosis </p><p>⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is for education and shared experiences only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare team before making changes.</p>
June 17, 2026
<p>Imagine being a 19-year-old college freshman, playing in every game of your first Division 1 soccer season — and then, over a single winter break, watching your body start to fail. </p><p>Unexplained bruises. Out of breath after a few steps. Sores that wouldn't heal. For Webb Kosich, that was the beginning of a months-long fight against aplastic anemia, a rare bone marrow failure disease that strikes roughly two people in a million each year.</p><p>In this episode, Webb takes Karin and Chris back through the whole journey: the terrifying weeks of waiting for a diagnosis, being helicoptered to Johns Hopkins, nine straight days of chemotherapy, and the bone marrow transplant from his sister — his "perfect match." </p><p>He's honest about the darkest moments too: dropping out of school, quitting the sport that defined him, losing 40 pounds, and watching his own father cry for the first time. </p><p>But this is ultimately a story about what carried him through — family, a tight group of friends, faith, and the stubborn goal he wrote down next to his hospital bed: get back on the field.</p><p>Whether you're newly diagnosed, supporting someone who is, or just need a reminder that the little things matter more than we think, Webb's perspective will stay with you. </p><p>Hit play and hear how he found his way back. </p><p><strong>Listen now, then take our free 2-minute quiz at </strong><a href="invigorateyourjourney.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>invigorateyourjourney.com</strong></a><strong> to find the support that meets you where you are.</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Symptoms can sneak up disguised as nothing.</strong> Webb brushed off early bruising and fatigue as a rash or being out of shape — a reminder to take persistent, unexplained changes seriously.</li><li><strong>The waiting can be harder than the diagnosis.</strong> Sometimes a diagnosis, even a scary one, brings a strange relief because you finally have one answer to work with.</li><li><strong>You can't do it alone — and you shouldn't try.</strong> Webb credits his survival to his parents staying by his hospital bed every single night and a friend group that took seven back-to-back calls the night he was diagnosed.</li><li><strong>Goals are fuel.</strong> Writing down concrete goals (start, make all-conference, score goals, live normally again) gave Webb something to fight toward on his hardest days.</li><li><strong>Vulnerability is strength, not weakness.</strong> Especially for young men and athletes, letting people see you struggle deepens relationships and actually strengthens leadership.</li><li><strong>"Stack up little wins."</strong> A walk outside, sitting in the sun, a call to grandparents — small actions add up and boost morale when the big picture feels impossible.</li><li><strong>You are more than your worst season — or your diagnosis.</strong> Webb learned his identity isn't soccer, and that letting go of that single definition was its own kind of freedom.</li></ul><p>Chapters:</p><ul><li><strong>00:00</strong> — Welcome and introductions</li><li><strong>01:46</strong> — What soccer gave Webb beyond the game</li><li><strong>03:55</strong> — The first strange symptoms over winter break</li><li><strong>05:43</strong> — The fear of the unknown and the weeks of waiting</li><li><strong>07:16</strong> — What aplastic anemia actually is</li><li><strong>08:47</strong> — Receiving the news: leukemia or aplastic anemia</li><li><strong>12:42</strong> — The first time stepping back on the pitch</li><li><strong>19:40</strong> — How faith became part of the journey</li><li><strong>21:34</strong> — Suffering, compassion, and showing up for others</li><li><strong>23:29</strong> — Feeling alone even with a great support system</li><li><strong>30:43</strong> — A new chapter: transferring to GW for a final season</li><li><strong>35:25</strong> — What "invisible strength" means to Webb</li><li><strong>36:50</strong> — Advice for anyone in the thick of it right now</li><li><strong>40:12</strong> — Where to follow Webb + closing</li></ul><p>🌐Resources and FREE quiz: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1VLNm1XZFlIWGc5YmVUUnMwYlM1N3NLNFRiZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttWlpNV1RwUVJxZXpFdWx1bWJCbmRVNzR4Z3pvc3JCZUczczBBcHV5b1kyTjB5US1IX3VHQjJ4WDdKYTBvRGRUQUVWM0Nna3ctdTR1ajdpcVdRYThlbTMyMlZfbmlxY2VkZE5HOEREOTVVWEhSdTQ3dw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.invigorateyourjourney.com%2F&v=3dJSD7RRQKg" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.invigorateyourjourney.com</a></p><p>📲 Follow Webb on Instagram @webb.kosich11</p><p><br /></p><p>⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is for education and shared experiences only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare team before making changes.</p>
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Victoria Gibbs
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Kim
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Brittni Hills
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Courtney Whitney
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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
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