We’re back, Wounded Healers family! After a little podcast break, we’re catching you up on all the metaphorical roses and thorns in our lives. This episode is full of heartfelt updates — we share the beautiful moments that have been blooming for us, as well as some of the harder ones we’ve been moving through.

With care, we briefly touch on the loss of a loved one to suicide and the loss of a pregnancy due to a missed miscarriage. We know these topics can be sensitive, so please take care while listening if you need to.

We are so grateful to be back behind the mic and reconnecting with this incredible community. Grab a cup of tea, settle in, and let’s catch up.

Episode 69: Where We've Been 

In this episode, Amy shares the latest advancements and medical interventions on the horizon for people living with Rheumatoid Arthritis. While managing RA can often feel like an uphill battle, there is hope on the horizon. Tune in to hear encouraging insights, emerging treatments, and what these developments could mean for the future of RA care.

Guided Meditation for Chronic Pain:

https://youtu.be/Fdr-jK4XrrM?si=bfvpb6EAXh-FFMx-

Episode 68: The Future of RA: Medical Breakthroughs You Should Know 

In this episode we talk about the promising autoimmune treatments that are in development. 

Sources mentioned: 

T-Cell Vaccine Studies

DEN‑181 Phase I Trial in Humans [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9714780]

Peptide–MHC Complex Vaccine in Animal Models [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9714780]

Preclinical Peptide-Based Vaccine Studies [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25964493/]

Local Anti‑Inflammatory Gene Delivery

Immune tolerance induction with multiepitope peptide [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25964493/]

RNAi & Epigenetic Gene Silencing

RNA interference-based gene therapy for successful treatment of rheumatoid arthritis [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19392574/]

Probiotics: Strains That Show Promise

Rheumatoid arthritis and the intestinal microbiome: probiotics as a potential therapy [https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1331486/]

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT)

A single case report described a patient with refractory RA who experienced symptomatic improvement after FMT [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7869316/]

Pre-clinical Mouse Study on FMT [https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-024-03303-4]

Precision Medicine and Biomarker Testing

Companion Diagnostics Study [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8391624]

Stay informed about PrismRA or comparable predictive tests [https://www.reddit.com/r/rheumatoid/comments/18n1oy3/precision_medicine/]

Clinical Trials Near You

You can search for trials involving new medications, immune therapies, diet studies, and more:

 ClinicalTrials.gov (Worldwide) [https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/]

 * Search for “Rheumatoid Arthritis” + your country
 * Filter by “recruiting” if you’re interested in taking part
 * Includes info on the treatment, who qualifies, and how to apply

Episode 67: Finding the Cure

Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis comes with more questions then answers—and sometimes, it’s hard to know where to even start. In this episode, we explore how ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for asking the tough, nuanced questions about RA that we may not always feel comfortable bringing to the doctor or our loved ones.

But we don’t stop there. We also dive into one of the most emotionally complex parts of living with a chronic condition: explaining it to others. Whether it’s your boss, your child, your partner, or a skeptical friend, communicating what RA really feels like—without overwhelming or under explaining—can be a challenge.

Tune in as we test out how ChatGPT can help us frame these conversations, offer supportive language, and build bridges of understanding with those around us.

Resources: 

United States Arthritis Foundation: https://www.arthritis.org/

United Kingdom Versus Arthritis: https://versusarthritis.org/

Episode 66: RA Questions, AI Answers: How ChatGPT Can Help

Amy asks Janessa the tough questions! Do you believe in the devil? Do you believe in hell? How do you feel about the gays? Do you now believe that sex belongs only in marriage? How are you reconciling science like the Big Bang and what it says in the bible?

Resources:

Wesley Huff [https://www.instagram.com/wesley_huff/]

Biblically Heard [https://open.spotify.com/show/1OBPaQjJKrCrH5lsdCzVbo]:

Oxford Academic

The Bible Project [https://www.youtube.com/@bibleproject]

C.S Lewis' book Mere Christianity [https://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652926]



Episode 65: When Doubt Meets Grace: The Road to Faith (Part 2 of 2)

In this episode part ( 1 of 2), Janessa shares her deeply personal and evolving journey with faith-a path marked by struggle, questioning, and ultimately transformation. What began as a battle with God has become an unexpected awakening, shifting her perspective from self-focused to compassion for others.

Quote:

"Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words."-St. Francis of Assisi

Biblical story mentioned:

 Genesis 32:22-32

Episode 64: When Doubt Meets Grace: The Road to Faith (Part 1 of 2)

We are both back - finally! 

This weeks episode is all about how we can think about relaxation as a skill - something we can train ourselves in. We even featured a little mediation at the end. Please enjoy! 

Episode 63: Relaxation as a Skill

Join Janessa for the Wounded Healers first solo episode. This episode is  intimate and short but drives home the essence of being a recipient, giver and or an observer of random acts of kindness. We explore stories from strangers about their experiences with kind strangers. We discuss the psychology of the impact of good deeds and the reminder of the interconnectedness of humanity. 

HuffPost articles:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/strangers-helping-someone-they-dont-know_n_5ae385fde4b055fd7fcbd035

Episode 62: Random Acts Of Kindness (are good for the brain, heart & soul)

In this episode Amy & Janessa dive into a thoughtful discussion inspired by Presence and Potential by Martha Creek. Join us while we explore practical ways to navigate disagreements-approaches that allow us to stand firmly in our own  beliefs while honoring the humanity and perspective of others. It's about creating space for understanding without feeling the need to take on someone else's views. 





Book link: Presence and Potential by Martha Creek. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CL4XQ36R/?bestFormat=true&k=presence%20and%20potential%20martha%20creek&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-pd-bk-d_de_k0_1_16&crid=8SMYKXCIT87H&sprefix=presence%20and%20pot

Episode 61: Presence & Potentail 

In this episode we dive into the stories of people who have lived exceptional lives, despite the odds being stacked against them. We hope you find it inspiring! 

Please share any episode ideas you have with us @woundedhealerspodcast [https://www.instagram.com/woundedhealerspodcast/]



Episode 60: Overcoming Adversity

Janessa Gil (@janessagildebeijl) · Zencastr

Janessa Gil (@janessagildebeijl)

We are two women diagnosed with autoimmune diseases in our early 20s. We were lucky enough to find eachother and find community and that is something we would like to bring to anyone else who may be in a similar place.

The Wounded Healers Podcast