This week on Calling in Sick, #1 NYT-Best Selling author, Sheila Masterson (The Poison Daughter), is back to talk about the ONE thing I think every chronically ill person who has ever tried to build a career, meet a deadline, or show up for their work on a bad pain day desperately needs to hear.
Tune in to hear about:
🤕 What a bad migraine day actually looks like for Sheila — the reality of standard narcotics not working, the GI piece, and what Sheila describes as "endurance training for pain"
🏢 Corporate America vs. entrepreneurship with chronic illness — why traditional workplaces are rarely built for disabled employees, and what the trade-offs of self-employment actually look like
📚 Ableism in entertainment — why traditional publishing timelines are inherently ableist, what "crash publishing" costs a chronically ill author, and how Sheila vetted agents and publishers by asking directly how they advocate for disabled clients
🗓️ The project manager approach to chronic illness — how Sheila builds buffer time into every deadline, runs three part-time assistants for seamless cross-coverage, and plans brain-heavy tasks around her hormonal cycle
🥄 Spoon theory in practice — what low-spoon vs. high-spoon tasks actually look like in a writing career, and how to protect your best energy for what matters most
✍️ Unlocking creativity during a flare — dictating voice notes, editing instead of drafting, using audiobooks to get into a receptive headspace without overstimulation
🎬 Adapting TV sets for chronic illness — the quiet rooms, audio relay services, and dynamic scheduling she is building into the Hulu adaptation of The Poison Daughter.
xx, Alex
💬 Comment: What is your number one accommodation or hack that has made building a career with chronic illness more sustainable?
TIMESTAMPS:
Intro:
00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!
Navigating Chronic Illness & Careers:
00:01:00 What a Bad Migraine Day Looks Like & how Sheila manages them
00:07:40 Corporate America vs. Chronic Illness
00:11:05 Managing Teams & Delegating Tasks with a chronic illness
00:18:00 Stress, Healthcare & Self-Advocacy
00:30:00 Low Spoon vs. High Spoon Tasks
00:32:45 Unlocking Creativity During Bad Flare Days
00:36:40 Adapting TV Sets for Chronic Illness
00:40:40 Disability Representation in the Entertainment World
Conclusion:
00:45:00 Thank you for listening!
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Connect with our guest, Sheila Masterson:
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sheilareadsandwrites/?hl=en
• Newsletter & Bonus Chapter - https://sheilamasterson.com/
• Buy The Poison Daughter - https://link.amazon/B02AN6S1O
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Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/
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