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, Associate Director, Digital Production and Engagement at GHLF.

We want to hear what you think. Send your comments in the form of an email, video, or audio clip of yourself to podcasts@ghlf.org

Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.

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: &ldquo;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.&rdquo;
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:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:snewmark@ghlf.org">snewmark@ghlf.org</a>
Zoe Rothblatt, Associate Director, Community Outreach at GHLF:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:zrothblatt@ghlf.org">zrothblatt@ghlf.org</a>
A podcast episode produced by Ben Blanc, Associate Director, Digital Production and Engagement at GHLF.
We want to hear what you think. Send your comments in the form of an email, video, or audio clip of yourself to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcasts@ghlf.org">podcasts@ghlf.org</a>
Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.

A podcast that breaks down major health news of the week to help you make sense of it all. Our goal is to help you understand what’s happening in the healthcare world to help you make informed decisions to live your best life.

A podcast that breaks down major health news of the week to help you make sense of it all. Our goal is to help you understand what&rsquo;s happening in the healthcare world to help you make informed decisions to live your best life.

The Health Advocates

A podcast that breaks down major health news of the week to help you make sense of it all. Our goal is to help you understand what’s happening in the healthcare world to help you make informed decisions to live your best life. The podcast is part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network and hosted by Steven Newmark, Chief of Policy at GHLF, and Zoe Rothblatt, Director of Community Outreach at GHLF.

A podcast that breaks down major health news of the week to help you make sense of it all. Our goal is to help you understand what’s happening in the healthcare world to help you make informed decisions to live your best life. The podcast is part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network and hosted by Steven Newmark, Chief of Policy at GHLF, and Zoe Rothblatt, Director of Community Outreach at GHLF.