About a year ago Linda Rinaldi began to feel full body pain. It felt like she had exercised too much, but when it became more extreme, she knew something was wrong. In a matter of days, she was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), a condition she had never heard of. Linda joins this episode of The Health Advocates to share her PMR patient journey and how the diagnosis ultimately led her to becoming a health advocate through sharing her story.

Linda encourages others to listen to their body and speak up: “My advice is: don't stop. Tell the doctor; tell as many doctors as will listen to you what your symptoms are and advocate for yourself. You have to because if you don't, nobody else will do it. And nobody knows your body, what you're feeling, and what you're going through better than you.”

This episode was made possible with support from Sanofi.

Among the highlights in this episode:

01:07: Linda describes the onset of her PMR symptoms, likening them to feeling overexerted due to intense exercise

02:16: Linda details her initial struggle with PMR, emphasizing the severity of her symptoms that affected her entire body

03:34: Zoe Rothblatt, Associate Director of Community Outreach at GHLF, inquires about Linda's experience upon visiting a rheumatologist for the first time

05:00: Zoe relates to Linda's experiences living with a chronic condition and notes the importance of having a reliable care team

06:47: Linda explains the nature of her PMR symptoms in detail, emphasizing her rapid improvement after starting steroid treatment

12:18: Zoe and Linda discuss the importance of sharing their health stories to help others

13:27: Linda advises listeners to be proactive in addressing symptoms, highlighting the importance of self-advocacy in health care

Contact Our Hosts

Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF: snewmark@ghlf.org

Zoe Rothblatt, Associate Director, Community Outreach at GHLF: zrothblatt@ghlf.org

A podcast episode produced by Ben Blanc, Manager of Programs & Special Projects at GHLF.

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