Christians With Chronic Illnesses – Details, episodes & analysis

Some church teachings feel like oxygen when you’re suffering and others quietly teach you to blame yourself for pain you never chose. We’re sharing a deeply personal story from my upbringing in Pentecostal and charismatic spaces, where the Holy Spirit felt close, worship was expressive, and healing was treated as something you could reach for with enough faith. That kind of Christianity can be full of wonder and hope, and we don’t want to dismiss what’s beautiful about it. We also need to name what happens when chronic illness enters the picture and the promised outcomes don’t arrive.

We talk through how “name it and claim it” thinking and prosperity gospel assumptions can create spiritual shame for people with chronic illness, disability, and mental health struggles. We share an embarrassing culture shock moment at a Baptist school, then dig into a childhood “healing” story around food allergies and why I no longer interpret it as a clean miracle. As an adult living with POTS, major depressive disorder, and likely MCAS, I’m learning how fluctuating symptoms and complex diagnoses can complicate the testimonies we build and the certainty we cling to.

We also wrestle with the hard, honest question: if God can heal, why doesn’t He heal everyone? I explain why I’m choosing acceptance without self-condemnation and staying open to prayer while refusing the lie that chronic illness is my fault. If you’ve ever felt pressured to perform joy, blamed for not being healed, or exhausted by spiritualized answers, you’re not alone. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and if the conversation resonates, leave a review so more chronically ill Christians can find this community.

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Support the show

•  Share your story: CWCIPodcast@gmail.com
• Contribute towards the production of Christians With Chronic Illnesses:
  • https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• Follow us:
  •  Facebook:
    Christians With Chronic Illnesses
  • TikTok, IG, X, Threads, Twitch, & YouTube:
    @CWCIPodcast
  •  Discord Support Group
    https://discord.gg/ZaWMkbGSty 
• Visit our website
  • https://christianswithchronicillnesses.buzzsprout.com/2552643/about

A seizure in airport security, a college freshman year shaped by fear, and a long road through brain fog, pain flares, and panic attacks! We talk with Lexi about what it’s like to live as a Christian with chronic illness when your body feels unpredictable and your mind is exhausted from staying on alert. Her story holds the tension so many of us feel: trusting God while still needing real medical care, real coping skills, and real people who show up. 

Lexi walks us through her health journey with epilepsy, fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, IgA deficiency, and Chiari malformation, including what seizures can look like, why prevention matters as an adult, and how life decisions like driving, work, and future plans get complicated fast. We also get practical about the messy process of finding the right medications, what happened when a misdiagnosis led to the wrong prescription, and why gene testing can be worth considering when side effects hit hard. 

We go deep on mental health with honesty and care: anxiety, major depressive disorder, CPTSD, therapy over many years, EMDR, and the reality that antidepressants and anxiety meds can be life-giving but require support. Lexi shares a simple plan that can protect you during med changes: pick safe people from different parts of your life and ask them to check in, because you may not be able to reach out first. We also talk about chronic illness and faith, deconstruction and reconstruction, and the kind of joy that does not deny reality, plus Psalms that can become your borrowed words when you cannot find your own. 

If you’ve been looking for a Christian chronic illness podcast that mixes faith with practical mental health and chronic pain support, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share it with a friend who’s struggling, and leave a review so more people can find this community.

• https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• https://www.buzzsprout.com/2552643/support

Purchase here:
https://a.co/d/6dM3f89

Music for The Supernatural Case of an Accidental Time Traveler Ad:
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/sketch-book
License code: FFWQZDUHONOHPA8O

Support the show

•  Share your story: CWCIPodcast@gmail.com
• Contribute towards the production of Christians With Chronic Illnesses:
  • https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• Follow us:
  •  Facebook:
    Christians With Chronic Illnesses
  • TikTok, IG, X, Threads, Twitch, & YouTube:
    @CWCIPodcast
  •  Discord Support Group
    https://discord.gg/ZaWMkbGSty 
• Visit our website
  • https://christianswithchronicillnesses.buzzsprout.com/2552643/about

Skepticism about chronic illness is more common than people admit and it can quietly damage friendships, workplaces, and church community. So we tackle it head-on. Our host, L. A. Sprague, is answering listener questions while managing a rough POTS day, and she walks through why fluctuating symptoms can look like “flakiness” from the outside even when someone has real integrity and a strong work ethic.

We get practical and specific about discernment versus dismissal. We share a simple way to understand flare-ups using a cold and flu comparison, why invisible illness can be confusing for healthy people, and how to respond with empathy without turning off your brain. We also talk about patterns: what honest communication looks like, when boundaries are healthy, and how chronic illness is not the same thing as manipulation.

Then we shift into everyday life with POTS and chronic illness: what a “good day” means when you still have symptoms, how light sensitivity and brain fog shape your ability to be present, and what helps. Finally, we have some fun with a POTS starter pack, including electrolytes, sodium, compression socks, migraine tools, mobility aids, and the underrated idea of building one clean “safe room” at home for recovery and peace.

If you’ve ever wondered how to love chronically ill people well or how to advocate for yourself without shame, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find Christians With Chronic Illnesses.

• https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• https://www.buzzsprout.com/2552643/support

Purchase here:
https://a.co/d/6dM3f89

Music for The Supernatural Case of an Accidental Time Traveler Ad:
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/sketch-book
License code: FFWQZDUHONOHPA8O

Support the show

•  Share your story: CWCIPodcast@gmail.com
• Contribute towards the production of Christians With Chronic Illnesses:
  • https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• Follow us:
  •  Facebook:
    Christians With Chronic Illnesses
  • TikTok, IG, X, Threads, Twitch, & YouTube:
    @CWCIPodcast
  •  Discord Support Group
    https://discord.gg/ZaWMkbGSty 
• Visit our website
  • https://christianswithchronicillnesses.buzzsprout.com/2552643/about

She’s a family pastor in Alaska, a lifelong Nazarene, and someone who goes home after church and crashes on the couch in pain. Kylie joins us to talk about what it’s like to lead in ministry while living with PCOS and suspected endometriosis, including chronic fatigue, inflammation, brain fog, and the quiet grief of realizing you can’t do what you used to do. If you’ve ever wondered how faith holds up when symptoms don’t let up, this conversation gets honest fast. 

We dig into what PCOS can look like beyond the textbook, why endometriosis is so hard to diagnose, and how daily management can affect everything from food choices to motivation to energy for work. Kylie also shares how getting a clear diagnosis can be both heavy and relieving because at least you know what you’re up against. Along the way, we talk about church life, accessibility, and how chronic illness can make you more attentive to the needs people rarely say out loud. 

Then we go deeper into theology and hope. Kylie explains why “God gives us everything we need” doesn’t mean “God gives us everything we want,” and how she resists prosperity-gospel pressure while still trusting God’s presence and provision. We talk about 2 Peter 1:3–4, what to hold onto in flare-ups, and how to think about God’s care when someone is terminally ill. We also share practical ways to encourage pastors with chronic illness, because pastors are people too. 

Subscribe, rate, and share Christians With Chronic Illnesses, then leave a review and tell us what part of Kylie’s story you want to hear more about.

• https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• https://www.buzzsprout.com/2552643/support

Purchase here:
https://a.co/d/6dM3f89

Music for The Supernatural Case of an Accidental Time Traveler Ad:
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/sketch-book
License code: FFWQZDUHONOHPA8O

Support the show

•  Share your story: CWCIPodcast@gmail.com
• Contribute towards the production of Christians With Chronic Illnesses:
  • https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• Follow us:
  •  Facebook:
    Christians With Chronic Illnesses
  • TikTok, IG, X, Threads, Twitch, & YouTube:
    @CWCIPodcast
  •  Discord Support Group
    https://discord.gg/ZaWMkbGSty 
• Visit our website
  • https://christianswithchronicillnesses.buzzsprout.com/2552643/about

A chronic illness diagnosis felt, to L. A. Sprague, like both a punch in the gut and a deep exhale at the same time. Having lived with unexplained symptoms, she understood that the real torment was often the unknown and the fear that nobody believed her. She explains why receiving a name for what was happening brought relief—not because she was glad to be sick, but because validation changed everything.

From there, she discusses navigating the medical system. Some doctors, she notes, hand patients a label and send them back to life with no guidance, while others take the time to listen, explain, and connect them to meaningful resources. She shares what it felt like to be on her own, why that experience can push patients into advocacy, and why community support matters so deeply for those living with chronic illness.

She also addresses the mental health dimension, emphasizing that chronic illness does not only affect the body. L. A. Sprague opens up about living with major depressive disorder alongside POTS, describing the cycle of progress and setbacks, and how a single virus can undo months of effort. She then turns to a question she hears often: when does it get easier? While she does not offer a simple answer, she describes a path forward that includes grief, one small gratitude, and one small next step.

Finally, she reflects on the theology of suffering with honesty. Chronic pain, she explains, can reshape how a person sees God and may even introduce doubt about God’s goodness. She frames belief as trust without certainty and points to the image of taking Christ’s yoke and allowing Him to carry the heavier side.

If this conversation helps you feel less alone, please subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so that more chronically ill Christians can find the community.

• https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• https://www.buzzsprout.com/2552643/support

Purchase here:
https://a.co/d/6dM3f89

Music for The Supernatural Case of an Accidental Time Traveler Ad:
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/sketch-book
License code: FFWQZDUHONOHPA8O

Support the show

•  Share your story: CWCIPodcast@gmail.com
• Contribute towards the production of Christians With Chronic Illnesses:
  • https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• Follow us:
  •  Facebook:
    Christians With Chronic Illnesses
  • TikTok, IG, X, Threads, Twitch, & YouTube:
    @CWCIPodcast
  •  Discord Support Group
    https://discord.gg/ZaWMkbGSty 
• Visit our website
  • https://christianswithchronicillnesses.buzzsprout.com/2552643/about

Your health can collapse in a way that looks invisible from the outside, yet changes everything on the inside. Seth Noorzad, a Santa Barbara attorney, joins us to tell the story of a sudden crash into chronic illness, a Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis diagnosis, and what he strongly suspects is ME/CFS. He puts words to the hardest part: the body becomes a different reality, your energy system shrinks, and even rest stops working the way it used to. If you’ve struggled to explain chronic fatigue syndrome to friends, family, or employers, you’ll hear language that finally fits.

We also follow Seth’s unexpected path to faith, from a childhood shaped by broad, New Age spirituality, to Plato’s claim that justice is “the health of the soul,” to a surprising spark from The Prince of Egypt that pushed him to read the Bible for the first time. He shares why he considered Islam, what he found compelling about clear moral direction and daily prayer, and how a first visit to church opened the door to Catholicism. The Liturgy of the Hours becomes a turning point, not just as a prayer practice, but as a way to belong when illness makes life feel small.

From there, we get practical: spoon theory and pacing, the challenge of being believed without perfect lab markers, and how Seth reshapes his legal career into manageable work he can do from home. We end with the questions chronic illness raises about suffering, meaning, and love, including Seth’s reflections on redemptive suffering and resisting bitterness. If this conversation encourages you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people living with chronic illness can find it.

Follow Seth's Poetry Here:
Threads: @noorzadseth
Instagram: @noorzadseth 

• https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• https://www.buzzsprout.com/2552643/support

Purchase here:
https://a.co/d/6dM3f89

Music for The Supernatural Case of an Accidental Time Traveler Ad:
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/sketch-book
License code: FFWQZDUHONOHPA8O

Support the show

•  Share your story: CWCIPodcast@gmail.com
• Contribute towards the production of Christians With Chronic Illnesses:
  • https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• Follow us:
  •  Facebook:
    Christians With Chronic Illnesses
  • TikTok, IG, X, Threads, Twitch, & YouTube:
    @CWCIPodcast
  •  Discord Support Group
    https://discord.gg/ZaWMkbGSty 
• Visit our website
  • https://christianswithchronicillnesses.buzzsprout.com/2552643/about

We sit down for a Halftime Show Q&A that gets real about chronic illness communication, especially the moment you realize your closest friends or family may not understand how much you’re struggling. We talk through a simple approach: ask if they have space, be straightforward about what’s happening physically and emotionally, and clearly name your limits around plans, outings, and expectations.

Then we go to the deeper ache so many chronically ill Christians carry: grieving who you could have been. We don’t pretend it’s a one-and-done process. Grief can come in waves, and it can surprise you even on days when life is good. We share a faith-forward perspective on identity and worth, reminding you that you’re not a backup plan and your life isn’t a waste because your trajectory changed. Chronic illness may reshape your capacity, but it doesn’t erase your purpose or your belovedness.

We also share what encourages us most, from friends who validate what we’re going through to those Holy Spirit moments of gratitude during flares. And yes, there’s a quick, fun detour into favorite female anime characters before we get honest about friendships lost, friendships gained, boundaries, and the kind of community that truly shows up.

If you’re navigating chronic illness, symptoms, disability grief, or strained relationships while trying to hold onto Christian faith, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, rate, and share the show, then leave a comment with the question you want answered next.

• https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• https://www.buzzsprout.com/2552643/support

Purchase here:
https://a.co/d/6dM3f89

Music for The Supernatural Case of an Accidental Time Traveler Ad:
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/sketch-book
License code: FFWQZDUHONOHPA8O

Support the show

•  Share your story: CWCIPodcast@gmail.com
• Contribute towards the production of Christians With Chronic Illnesses:
  • https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• Follow us:
  •  Facebook:
    Christians With Chronic Illnesses
  • TikTok, IG, X, Threads, Twitch, & YouTube:
    @CWCIPodcast
  •  Discord Support Group
    https://discord.gg/ZaWMkbGSty 
• Visit our website
  • https://christianswithchronicillnesses.buzzsprout.com/2552643/about

The day started with a lisp and a stubborn “I’m fine,” then crashed into choking on saliva and legs that wouldn’t rise. From that freefall, Miles met a rare diagnosis—Guillain-Barré syndrome—an ICU room, and a neurologist who moved fast. IVIG and faith proved to help his health improve. And what looked like an ending became a mission with pedals, scripture, and a mountain that dares you to quit.

We walk with Miles through the missteps and the miracles: a chief-of-staff ER doctor who helped him skip the line, a medicine that dried secretions so an MRI could happen, and a spinal tap that finally named the enemy. He explains the “GBS hangover” with clarity—nerve pain that flares, a heavy tongue that trips words, and a fatigue that feels like living underwater. You’ll hear how he manages triggers and how a former sprinter learned to pace both body and soul.

Purpose enters like a second wind. Miles for GBS channels all donations directly to patients through the GBS-CIDP Foundation’s aid bucket—100% going to walkers, therapy, and bills when work and insurance collapse. He and his wife cover campaign costs so every dollar lands where it helps most. The jersey carries 1 Peter 4:10, because his lifelong gift—athletics—now serves others. He’s training to climb Mount Ventoux with his 82-year-old coach and his best leadout man who lives with MS, showing what courage looks like in community.

This story blends rare disease insight with practical hope: early signs to watch, treatment basics, fatigue management, and the unshakable claim that God does not leave us. Listen for the details, stay for the heart, and share it with someone who needs proof that weakness can become purpose. If this moved you, subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend who could use strength for their own climb.

To donate to patients with GBS, follow this link:
https://go.gbs-cidp.org/gbs26

• https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• https://www.buzzsprout.com/2552643/support

Purchase here:
https://a.co/d/6dM3f89

Music for The Supernatural Case of an Accidental Time Traveler Ad:
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/sketch-book
License code: FFWQZDUHONOHPA8O

Support the show

•  Share your story: CWCIPodcast@gmail.com
• Contribute towards the production of Christians With Chronic Illnesses:
  • https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• Follow us:
  •  Facebook:
    Christians With Chronic Illnesses
  • TikTok, IG, X, Threads, Twitch, & YouTube:
    @CWCIPodcast
  •  Discord Support Group
    https://discord.gg/ZaWMkbGSty 
• Visit our website
  • https://christianswithchronicillnesses.buzzsprout.com/2552643/about

Join L. A. Sprague as she reviews some of TikTok and Reddit's most interesting, weird, and twisted ways of managing chronic illness symptoms including McDonald's burgers, fries, and coke, laying on bathroom floors for hour spurts at a time before returning to bed, and even (trigger warning) domestic battery?! Don't worry, there's some helpful tips here for you too, like adjustable beds, sleeping positions, and unique/affordable tools! Comment your thoughts, link videos for us to review, and enjoy this thrilling, silly, and actually insightful half-time episode.

• https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• https://www.buzzsprout.com/2552643/support

Purchase here:
https://a.co/d/6dM3f89

Music for The Supernatural Case of an Accidental Time Traveler Ad:
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/sketch-book
License code: FFWQZDUHONOHPA8O

Support the show

•  Share your story: CWCIPodcast@gmail.com
• Contribute towards the production of Christians With Chronic Illnesses:
  • https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• Follow us:
  •  Facebook:
    Christians With Chronic Illnesses
  • TikTok, IG, X, Threads, Twitch, & YouTube:
    @CWCIPodcast
  •  Discord Support Group
    https://discord.gg/ZaWMkbGSty 
• Visit our website
  • https://christianswithchronicillnesses.buzzsprout.com/2552643/about

A cancer diagnosis at 28 weeks pregnant should shatter certainty—Emily chose to build something stronger. We sit down with her for a candid, heart-level conversation about B‑cell ALL, the shock of symptoms that didn’t add up, and the long road through treatment and maintenance. She explains the differences between IV, oral, and intrathecal chemo in clear, human terms and shares what sepsis, transfusions, and a surgically placed port actually feel like when they’re not bullet points on a pamphlet.

Faith threads through every scene. Emily traces her early encounter with Jesus back to a camp sermon that made belief personal, then shows how that faith held when her marrow “went silent” and she feared for her baby and her own life. The story of the hemorrhaging woman became a lifeline—a picture of reaching for healing when shame and fear want you to hide. With insomnia and anxiety pressing hard, she found unusual calm through prayer, hymns, and handwritten lyric art taped to hospital walls. Her church community showed up with cards, calls, and real help that made prayer feel like presence.

We also talk about the rest of her health story: growing up with SVT and POTS, fainting in high school hallways, suspecting hypermobile EDS, and navigating the blurry overlap between preexisting symptoms and chemo side effects like ICANS. Emily offers hard-won advice for what to say—and what not to say—to someone in treatment, urges listeners to advocate for themselves without shame, and shares resources that changed her life, from Imerman Angels’ one-on-one mentorship to Tough Friends Art Club and Play It Back Music. And because hope runs, she’s marathon training with POTS, proving that recovery can be slow, wise, and beautifully stubborn.

If this conversation gave you courage or clarity, hit follow, rate the show, and share it with someone who needs steady hope today. Then tell us: what part of Emily’s journey spoke most to you?

• https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• https://www.buzzsprout.com/2552643/support

Purchase here:
https://a.co/d/6dM3f89

Music for The Supernatural Case of an Accidental Time Traveler Ad:
https://uppbeat.io/t/prigida/sketch-book
License code: FFWQZDUHONOHPA8O

Support the show

•  Share your story: CWCIPodcast@gmail.com
• Contribute towards the production of Christians With Chronic Illnesses:
  • https://www.patreon.com/c/CWCIpodcast
• Follow us:
  •  Facebook:
    Christians With Chronic Illnesses
  • TikTok, IG, X, Threads, Twitch, & YouTube:
    @CWCIPodcast
  •  Discord Support Group
    https://discord.gg/ZaWMkbGSty 
• Visit our website
  • https://christianswithchronicillnesses.buzzsprout.com/2552643/about