Beyond My Diagnosis with Michele Weston

Welcome to Beyond My Diagnosis , the podcast that brings real conversations, real stories, and real breakthroughs in health, healing, and hope. I’m your host, Michele Weston—Holistic Health and Wellbeing Coach—and I'm here to help you look past the symptoms and into the deeper story of living with your chronic condition. Each week, we go beyond the chart and challenge the status quo of conventional care. From powerful patient journeys to expert insights in functional medicine and integrative practitioners, using mindset and lifestyle medicine, you’ll get the tools and inspiration to become the most informed, empowered version of yourself. This is not just about managing illness—it’s about reclaiming your health, your voice, and your life. Let’s get curious. Let’s get courageous. And let’s go Beyond My Diagnosis .

Beyond My Diagnosis with Michele Weston is a health podcast hosted by Michele Weston, with 53 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Michele Weston hosts Beyond My Diagnosis with Michele Weston, a health show with 53 episodes published.

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  Episode #52

  The Power of Community When You’re Facing a Health Crisis

  Sep 29, 202618 min

  Send us Fan Mail This week on Beyond My Diagnosis , Michele is doing something special. While she is away tending to her own health, she has invited trusted members of her community to step behind the microphone and share their perspectives with you. For this special podcast takeover, sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington, co-founders of The Passionistas Project, are your guest hosts. They are talking about something they have spent years creating for other women but unexpectedly discovered they needed themselves: community. Nancy shares the deeply personal story of what began as what everyone expected to be routine gallbladder surgery. While Nancy was under anesthesia, her surgeon discovered a mass on her gallbladder that appeared suspicious enough that the planned procedure was stopped. When Nancy woke up, she did not initially know what had happened. Amy ultimately became the person who had to tell her sister that the surgery had not gone as planned and that doctors were concerned the mass might be cancerous. 52-Passionistas In the weeks that followed, Nancy was recovering from one procedure while preparing for another and living with the frightening possibility of cancer. During that uncertainty, she describes feeling surrounded by what she calls “light and love” as family, friends, and members of The Passionistas Project community reached out with messages, phone calls, practical help, and emotional support. 52-Passionistas Ultimately, testing determined that the mass was benign, but Nancy’s recovery was still long and difficult. The experience gave both sisters a very personal understanding of why community matters when health suddenly changes. Amy shares the experience from the caregiver’s side. As Nancy’s sister, business partner, and one of her primary caregivers, Amy found herself managing appointments, insurance complications, logistics, their business, and the emotional reality of watching someone she loves face a frightening diagnosis. When Nancy could not carry her usual share of their business for approximately six months, the community they had built began supporting Amy too. 52-Passionistas What makes their message especially meaningful is that Amy and Nancy are not suggesting that everyone needs to join their particular community. Their message is much simpler: find your people. Your community may be family, friends, a support group, people who share your diagnosis, a professional network, an online community, or people who understand what you are going through without requiring you to explain every part of it. Amy and Nancy also talk about the value of having a place where you do not have to talk about illness at all, where you can simply be part of life outside your diagnosis. 52-Passionistas This special episode is a reminder that support is not only emotional. Sometimes community looks like a text or a phone call. Sometimes it means helping someone navigate an insurance problem, covering part of a workload, sharing a resource, making a spreadsheet, or simply reminding someone that they do not have to figure everything out alone. What You’ll Hear Why Amy and Nancy Harrington are taking over Beyond My Diagnosis for this special episode How what was expected to be routine gallbladder surgery became a frightening health scare for Nancy What it was like for Amy to receive unexpected news while Nancy was still under anesthesia How Nancy coped with the possibility that the mass on her gallbladder could be cancerous Why Nancy describes feeling surrounded by “light and love” during one of the most uncertain periods of her life How friends, family, and community supported Nancy through surgery and a difficult recovery What caregiving looked like for Amy as both Nancy’s sister and business partner How illness can affect a small business when one partner suddenly cannot work Why practical support can be just as meaningful as emotional encouragement How Amy and Nancy’s own community stepped in when they became the ones who needed help Why people outside your immediate family can provide a different kind of support during illness The importance of finding a community where you can talk about your health when you need to, but can also simply be yourself when you do not Why Amy and Nancy believe no one should have to navigate a difficult season completely alone About Amy and Nancy Harrington Amy and Nancy Harrington are sisters, longtime business partners, and co-founders of The Passionistas Project, a community dedicated to helping women feel seen, heard, connected, and supported. Their professional backgrounds are in entertainment and production, and they eventually brought their storytelling experience into work centered on amplifying women’s voices. Through The Passionistas Project, they have created interviews, events, publishing opportunities, and a global sisterhood where women connect around personal growth, business development, social impact, and the experiences that shape their lives. For Amy and Nancy, the word “sisterhood” has particular meaning. They describe themselves as best friends since birth and have worked together professionally for more than two decades. They created their community because they wanted other women to experience the kind of connection and support that has always been central to their own relationship. During Nancy’s health crisis, they unexpectedly experienced firsthand the support system they had worked so hard to create for others. 52-Passionistas Connect with The Passionistas Project The Passionistas Project The Passionistas Project Sisterhood The Passionistas Project on Instagram The Passionistas Project on Facebook The Passionistas Project on LinkedIn

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  Episode #51

  Chronic Illness, Trauma, and the Nervous System: Finding Strength Without Pushing Through

  Sep 23, 202627 min

  Send us Fan Mail This week on Beyond My Diagnosis , something special is happening. Michele is handing over the microphone to guest host Ramona Kossowan, a Certified Women’s Empowerment Coach, Gentle Trauma Release Practitioner, and Fitness Trainer. Rather than a traditional interview, Ramona is taking listeners through lessons she has gathered from more than a decade of working with women who have faced chronic health conditions, physical limitations, trauma, and significant life challenges. She is careful to acknowledge that every person and every diagnosis is different, so her invitation is simple: consider what is helpful for you and leave what is not. At the heart of the episode is an important distinction between acceptance and resignation. Ramona shares the story of a woman living with a progressive breathing condition who had been doing everything she could to prevent her health from worsening. When oxygen became necessary, she initially experienced it as a failure. Through their work together, Ramona watched what happened when the woman stopped using all of her energy to fight her current reality and began finding ways to work within it while remaining curious about what might still be possible. That same idea appears in Ramona’s experiences working with women living with rheumatoid arthritis and other physical limitations. Rather than measuring success against what someone “should” be able to do, she describes adapting movement and strength training to the body in front of her. One client who could not comfortably hold a five-pound dumbbell eventually reached a point where she could say something far more meaningful than a number on a workout plan: “I feel powerful.” Ramona then takes the conversation deeper into an area central to her work: the nervous system. She shares why she believes nervous system support should be considered alongside other aspects of wellness, particularly when someone has spent years living in survival mode. She discusses her work with women experiencing chronic pain and fibromyalgia and explains how trauma, stress, identity, relationships, self-care, and health can become interconnected. Importantly, this is not a conversation about blaming trauma for illness or suggesting that nervous system work replaces medical treatment. It is about widening the lens and asking what else may deserve attention when someone is trying to care for their whole self. Ramona also shares practical examples of what creating greater safety and breathing room can look like in everyday life. It might mean creating a transition between a stressful workday and the evening, noticing patterns of over-functioning, allowing yourself to receive help, eating more mindfully, spending time with safe people, connecting with pets or nature, or simply asking, “What can I do today to show up for myself?” What You’ll Hear Why Ramona Kossowan is taking over Beyond My Diagnosis as a special guest host The important difference Ramona sees between accepting your current reality and resigning yourself to it Why constantly pushing against physical limitations can sometimes take more from us than it gives How Ramona has adapted strength and movement work for women living with chronic health conditions Why progress does not have to look like someone else’s version of success How curiosity can coexist with acceptance when navigating a diagnosis Why Ramona includes nervous system support in her work with women How years of stress and survival mode can affect the way someone cares for themselves Why receiving support can be difficult for women who are accustomed to over-functioning How small moments of safety, rest, connection, and nurturing can become meaningful forms of self-care Why the question “What can I do to show up for myself?” can be a powerful place to begin Ramona’s Free Gentle Trauma Assessment During the episode, Ramona invites listeners to explore her Gentle Trauma Assessment, a free resource designed to help you notice physical, emotional, and cognitive patterns that may be connected to trauma and begin connecting some of the dots in your own experience. Take Ramona’s Free Gentle Trauma Assessment About Guest Host Ramona Kossowan Ramona Kossowan is a Certified Women’s Empowerment Coach, Gentle Trauma Release Practitioner, and Fitness Trainer whose work focuses on helping women reconnect with themselves and move beyond limiting narratives, past experiences, and patterns that may be keeping them stuck. Her approach grew from both professional training and personal experience. Inspired by her mother’s work in holistic health, Ramona knew she wanted to create a heart-centered business of her own. Her entrepreneurial journey began after maternity leave, when returning to a job that no longer felt meaningful prompted her to find another path. She began mentoring other mothers in herbal wellness, opened her private fitness studio in 2017, and became a certified Empowerment Coach in 2020. Today, her work brings together empowerment coaching, movement, strength, and gentle trauma release practices. Ramona believes that when women have the opportunity to heal, reconnect with themselves, and become more empowered in their own lives, the effects can extend into their families, relationships, and communities.

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  Episode #50

  When Chronic Illness Interrupts Life: Michele’s Unexpected Hospital Stay

  Sep 15, 202616 min

  Send us Fan Mail This episode of Beyond the Diagnosis was not the episode Michele planned to record. After spending several days in the hospital, Michele is finally home, and her friend Julie DeLucca-Collins has stepped behind the microphone for an unexpected podcast takeover. This time, instead of Michele asking the questions, Julie turns the conversation around and asks Michele what happened and what this experience has reminded her about living with a chronic condition. Michele shares how a long, hot day in New York was followed by a persistent headache that felt different from what she normally experiences. As the discomfort moved toward the eye where she had previously experienced optic neuritis, Michele knew she needed to pay closer attention. Her neurologist ordered blood work and a urine test, and concerns about dehydration and her kidney function eventually became part of a much larger medical evaluation. 50-Wellness Wednesday Julie DeLucca.txtTXT The conversation also explores the realities of managing more than one piece of your medical history at the same time. Michele has lived with MS for years and also has a history of bariatric surgery, which can make something as seemingly simple as drinking enough water more complicated. Julie and Michele talk about why general health recommendations still have to be considered in the context of the individual person and why patients need to be able to tell their healthcare professionals what is realistic for their bodies. Michele also shares what it felt like to become the patient again, including dealing with hospital safety protocols because of her drop foot and balance issues. She talks about the frustration that can come with losing some independence while also recognizing that the nurses caring for her have protocols they need to follow. One of the most personal parts of the conversation is Michele’s reminder that self-advocacy does not have to mean becoming adversarial. Even when she was tired, uncomfortable, and ready to go home, she tried to remember that the people caring for her were doing their jobs under difficult circumstances too. Now that she is home, wellness looks much simpler. It means seeing her dog, getting outside for a short walk, enjoying some fresh air, resting, and giving her body time to recover. Julie closes this special Wellness Wednesday conversation with a reminder that wellness practices do not always have to be complicated. A few minutes of intentional breathing, turning off notifications, listening to something calming, getting outside when you can, prioritizing sleep, or simply allowing yourself to rest can all be meaningful ways of caring for yourself. Going beyond a diagnosis does not mean pretending your diagnosis never affects your life. Sometimes it means knowing your body well enough to recognize when something has changed, communicating that clearly to your healthcare team, and accepting that there are moments when pushing through is no longer the right answer. What You’ll Hear Why Julie took over Michele’s microphone for this unusual episode What happened before Michele ended up spending several days in the hospital How heat affects Michele personally when she is managing MS Why the location and persistence of Michele’s headache concerned her How her previous experience with optic neuritis affected the way she interpreted her symptoms Why Michele’s neurologist ordered blood work and additional testing How Michele’s history of bariatric surgery affects the way she approaches hydration Why knowing your own body is an important part of communicating with your healthcare team What Michele experienced when hospital staff took additional precautions because of her drop foot and balance issues Why Michele believes kindness and self-advocacy can exist together in healthcare What Michele needed most when she finally came home How small wellness practices can support us when our bodies are asking for rest

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  Beyond My Diagnosis with Michele Weston

  Mindfulness, Mini-Meditations, and Chronic Illness: From The Archives

  Sep 8, 202642 min

  Send us Fan Mail Mindfulness, Mini-Meditations, and Chronic Illness: A Healing Conversation with Simone Giangiordano In this episode of Beyond My Diagnosis, I talk with Simone Giangiordano , Compassion-Based Business and Lifestyle Coach and creator of the BalanceUP® Community. Simone joins me to explore the real, daily experience of living with chronic illness, and why mindfulness, mini-meditations, and self-compassion can change not only how we cope, but how we live. We talk about fatigue, fear, stigma, neuroplasticity, and the emotional layers of managing chronic illness in a world that doesn't slow down. Simone shares how contemplative practice helped her heal, how compassion reduces second-level suffering, and why mindfulness is not about perfection, but presence. In this episode, you will learn: • How mindfulness and mini-meditations help calm the nervous system • Why self-compassion is essential for anyone living with chronic illness • How neuroplasticity allows the brain to rewire emotional patterns • Why mindfulness reduces stress, stigma, and emotional overwhelm • Small, simple ways to bring awareness into daily tasks like walking, dishes, or brushing your teeth • How to use breath, intention, and presence to navigate pain and fatigue About Simone: Simone Giangiordano is a CCT Certified Instructor, chronic illness advocate, and the founder of the BalanceUP® Community. She teaches individuals how to build meaningful, sustainable lives and businesses that honor their health. Her signature program, The Power of I Can’t®, empowers people to find creative pathways around health limitations so they can flourish. Simone’s Links: Website: https://www.simoneg.net Full Bio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ck56wNRTAbFgjzVWdaLzzaVXDJ4OMMwj/view

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  Episode #49

  Understanding Neurodivergence: How Different Brains Learn and Thrive with Lisa Richer

  Sep 1, 202652 min

  Send us Fan Mail What if the problem is not that someone is unwilling to learn, communicate, or participate, but that the way we are asking them to do it does not work for their brain? In this episode of Beyond My Diagnosis, Michele Weston welcomes neurodivergent success partner and advocate Lisa Richer for a wide-ranging conversation about ADHD, autism, learning differences, late diagnosis, executive functioning, dysregulation, and what it really means to meet people where they are. Lisa was diagnosed with ADHD in her late 40s after spending decades wondering why certain expectations in school and the workplace felt so much harder for her than they seemed to be for everyone else. Her understanding of neurodivergence began even earlier as a parent. Both of her sons entered early-intervention services as toddlers, and their different learning and developmental needs eventually helped Lisa understand her own brain more clearly. Together, Michele and Lisa explore why taking notes, using captions, needing visual examples, avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, asking “why,” or requiring practical application are not signs that someone is lazy, disrespectful, or less intelligent. They may simply reflect a different way of processing information. Lisa also explains dysregulation and why behaviors such as shutting down, fidgeting, pacing, hand movements, or becoming overwhelmed can be signals that a nervous system needs support, not judgment. She shares a powerful story about realizing that requiring her autistic son to make eye contact actually made it harder for him to listen. The conversation moves from classrooms to workplaces, relationships, parenting, coaching, and leadership. Lisa challenges parents, educators, managers, and colleagues to replace assumptions with better questions: What do you need to be successful? What did you hear me say? What would help this make sense? This episode is ultimately about patience, with ourselves and with one another. Different brains learn differently. Different people communicate differently. And inclusion is not a once-a-year training or a checklist. It is the ongoing practice of creating environments where people can understand, contribute, and belong. If you have ever wondered why something that seems “easy” for one person feels impossible for another, this conversation may change the way you think about learning, communication, and success. Key Takeaways Different does not mean less capable. A person can be highly intelligent and still need information presented in a different way. Memorizing something is not the same as understanding it, and understanding often improves when information is connected to practical application. Late diagnosis can reframe decades of experience. Lisa describes receiving an ADHD diagnosis in her late 40s and recognizing that many past workplace and learning struggles were not character flaws or a lack of intelligence. Learning preferences matter. Notes, captions, visual examples, hands-on practice, repetition, or extra processing time can help information become usable rather than simply heard. Eye contact is not a universal measure of listening or respect. Lisa shares that her autistic son found it harder to listen when he was required to make eye contact. The larger lesson is to avoid assuming one communication behavior works for everyone. Dysregulation can look many different ways. It may show up as fidgeting, shutting down, repetitive movements, visible anxiety, pacing, or escalating behavior. What helps one person regulate may not help another. Better questions reduce judgment. Instead of “Why don’t you get it?” Lisa encourages language such as “Tell me more,” “What did you hear me say?” or “What would help this make sense?” True inclusion is an ongoing practice. Lisa argues that inclusion cannot be reduced to a yearly training or checklist. It requires reflection, implementation, practice, evaluation, and a willingness to change systems and communication. Sometimes the best support is knowing when to hand off. Michele and Lisa discuss recognizing when a student, client, or employee needs a different kind of expertise rather than forcing one method to keep working. About Lisa Richer Lisa Richer is a Neurodivergent Success Partner and Advocate who helps students, athletes, parents, professionals, schools, and organizations move from stuck to success. She is the creator of the Clarity | Confidence | Courage Journey Map™, which helps people identify internal, relational, and systemic roadblocks and build practical paths forward. Lisa combines professional experience in business, HR, career development, training, and neurodiversity consulting with more than two decades of lived experience parenting neurodivergent children and navigating her own late ADHD diagnosis. Her work centers on helping people better understand how they learn, process, communicate, and thrive. Connect with Lisa Richer Journey2Bloom Resources: https://journey2bloom.com/resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journey2bloom/ LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/lisa-richer-6040b74/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Journey2bloom Listener Resources CDC: ADHD in Adults Current information about how ADHD can present in adulthood, including organization, attention, restlessness, relationships, and workplace accommodations. https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/about/adhd-in-adults.html CDC: Autism Spectrum Disorder An overview of autism as a developmental disability involving differences in the brain, with wide variation in communication, learning, and support needs. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/about/index.html CDC: Autism Signs and Symptoms Includes information about differences in social communication, eye contact, movement, learning, and attention. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/signs-symptoms/index.html Job Accommodation Network (JAN) A practical U.S. resource for workplace accommodations and disability inclusion. https://askjan.org/ CHADD Education, advocacy, and support for people affected by ADHD. https://chadd.org/ Journey2Bloom Helpful Resources Lisa’s resource collection for parents, learners, educators, and professionals navigating neurodiversity and learning differences. https://journey2bloom.com/resources/ Know a parent, teacher, manager, coach, or colleague who keeps saying, “Why don’t they just get it?” Share this episode with them. Then visit Journey2Bloom to learn more about Lisa Richer’s work supporting neurodivergent students, families, professionals, and organizations.

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