After being diagnosed with a type of kidney disease called acute glomerulonephritis at the age of 10, Liz Schumacher learned how to find her voice and become her own best advocate for her treatment. Now through her work in health advocacy and health sustainability, Liz uses the lessons of resilience she learned through her diagnosis journey to inspire other patients to be their own advocates too.

Join Liz as she describes her health care journey, gives tips on strength and resilience, and shares how she advocates for other persevering patients like her.

Among the highlights in this episode:

01:47: Liz describes her initial diagnosis, and her emotions during her health journey through acute glomerulonephritis and four kidney transplants

03:43: Liz details the various ways in which her health care team made her feel included in her medical decisions, even when she was very young

05:42: Liz talks about how her experiences in the health care system have changed from when she was first diagnosed until now

08:05: Liz highlights the importance of talking openly with your providers about symptoms, side-effects, and general wellness so that your overall health is best managed

10:19: Liz describes how medical considerations from aging can be overlooked in treating people with chronic illness

11:55: Liz describes how her experience as a patient with a chronic illness plays a large role in her work as a health advocate

13:08: Liz talks about the necessity of building a support system, and how impactful her support system was during the COVID-19 pandemic

15:42: Liz details how the lessons of resilience she learned as a kid were important in her later as an advocate

18:35: Liz describes how her patient background can help her connect more closely with her clients and the people she works with daily

22:09: Liz highlights her work in health sustainability and details how her non-profit works to improve sustainable patient experiences

25:45: Liz closes by encouraging patients to persevere, be resilient, and fight for their healthcare to reach their health goals

26:26: What our hosts learned from this episode

Contact Our Hosts

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

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

A podcast episode produced by Ben Blanc, Associate Director, Digital Production and Engagement at GHLF.

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