This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with chronic illness content creator, Shayla Talei McCain. She was diagnosed with CRPS at 17, and a decade later her body pivoted again — into gastroparesis, a diagnosis that took eight months and 100 lbs of weight loss to finally get answers on.
We're diving into:
🔥 CRPS at 17 — what Complex Regional Pain Syndrome actually is, why it's so misunderstood even by providers, and what it looks like when you have no choice but to grow accustomed to the pain
📉 The gastroparesis chapter — eight months of unexplained weight loss, being told it was her ADHD medication, the medical gaslighting while visibly malnourished, MCAS and what finally got her answers
👶 Pregnancy and chronic illness — the medical clearance process, the remission-like state that surprised her, and what it means to be preparing for the worst while hoping for the best
🧒 Motherhood — what it looks like to parent when you can't always show up the way you planned, how she explains her illness to her kids, and the profound lessons her daughters have taught her about living life inside chronic illness parameters
📱 Building a platform — when sharing became healing, why chronic illness content hits differently than any other kind, and what it means to lose the choice to hide your illness when it becomes visible
✍️ Throwing away the script — what chronic illness is "supposed" to look like according to the world, why that framing is wrong, and how to build something of your own inside the parameters you've been given
Come back Wednesday — we are breaking the fourth wall on content creation and asking the one question we've both wondered about: would we do it all again?
xx,
Alex
💬 Comment: What's one part of chronic illness you WISH was showed online more?
TIMESTAMPS:
Intro:
00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!
00:00:48 Get to know our guest, Shayla McCain
The Diagnosis Journey — CRPS, Gastroparesis & Finding Answers:
00:02:27 Life before symptoms
00:04:01 What CRPS is — the diagnosis, management tools, mirror therapy
00:11:09 Identity, guilt & the before and after of diagnosis
00:14:21 The acceptance curve — grief, chronic illness & what acceptance actually looks like
00:17:44 The gastroparesis chapter — weight loss, medical gaslighting & finally getting answers
00:21:08 When your illness becomes impossible to hide
Life, Love & Motherhood With Chronic Illness:
00:24:46 Deciding to have children with chronic illness
00:31:01 Losing the choice to hide your illness when it becomes visible
00:32:14 Being a chronically ill mom & explaining the unexplainable to kids
00:39:42 Lessons from motherhood on this side of all of it
Redefining Life With Chronic Illness:
00:43:08 Throwing away the chronic illness script — making it your own
00:47:18 The Telegraph article & what chronic illness is "supposed" to look like
Conclusion:
00:48:32 One Brain Cell Show: We Were Liars (Prime Video) & Below Deck Mediterranean (Bravo)
00:50:44 Where to find Shayla McCain online
00:51:03 Come back Wednesday — breaking the fourth wall on content creation!
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Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568
Connect with our guest, Shayla McCain:
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shaylatalei
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@shaylatalei
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Shaylatalei
• Website - https://www.ShaylaTalei.com
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Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/
#CRPS #Gastroparesis #ComplexRegionalPainSyndrome #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #ShaylaTalei #ChronicIllnessMom #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #MedicalGaslighting #ChronicIllnessContent #Motherhood #ChronicIllnessMotherhood #ContentCreator #ChronicIllnessCommunity #TPN #PivotingWithChronicIllness #ChronicIllnessAcceptance #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson
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