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Join Liz as she candidly shares the highs and lows of July, from navigating healthcare challenges and dealing with heat intolerance to celebrating tiny wins like family trips and personal discoveries. This episode is a raw and honest reflection on life's complexities, offering listeners a space to connect and reflect on their own journeys. Tune in for real talk, relatable struggles, and the beauty of small victories.

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Hey besties, welcome back to Besties Unfiltered. I'm Liz and this episode kicks off a new tradition. I've, I don't know, maybe it'll be a tradition. Something that just feels necessary at this point, a little monthly personal recap. Nothing fancy, just real talk about what's been hard, what's been beautiful and everything in between. I'm calling it.

big feelings and tiny wins because that's exactly what the last month has felt like. It's a lot all at once. So let's talk about July.

Welcome to Besties Unfiltered, the podcast where real women share real stories. I'm Liz, and each week we dive into the authentic conversations that help women connect, build community, and feel empowered. Whether it's overcoming challenges, celebrating wins, or simply sharing the ups and downs of life, we're here to support one another, no filter needed. Grab a seat, grab your bestie, and let's get to it.

Whew, this month was a doozy. Okay, so first up, my primary care appointment was canceled with 24 hours notice. Now they can't see me again for a couple months and I've been scrambling to try and find another provider before all of my current prescriptions that I take for POTS run out, which is just not fun and it's stressful and I am hating this part of moving.

did get into an allergist to continue my mast cell activation evaluation, but that appointment was honestly really hard and I'm still not sure where I stand with it. Bedside manner was pretty rough. Literally asked if I diagnosed myself with Google or chat GPT and that like,

of killed me inside because it was just so dismissive and making fun of people who do find a lot of help on those websites, particularly with a disease that is often blamed on anxiety or literally being crazy. And it's something that primarily affects women. And we all know there's so many studies out there that women are often times less likely to be

So that was really disappointing. He interrupted me a lot, talked over me. ⁓ After this appointment, I legitimately sat in my car and cried for a few minutes too, because it was just so much. At the same time, he was willing to move forward with more labs and treatment options. So I don't know. I don't know where I stand with him.

I just got my labs back and I'm supposed to be going back at the end of the month, but they called and were like, hey, can you come in in a couple of days instead? So we'll see. ⁓ Also some silver lining is that I have been struggling with some rapid weight gain that we think is from all the antihistamines I'm on. And that is something that obviously physically is not fun to deal with, but it...

really is messing with me mentally and emotionally, the way my body is changing. And I feel like there's also this layer to it of it's coming as a result of medicines that are meant to help my body. So it's like, ⁓ I'm getting some relief because of what I'm doing, but now I'm experiencing this thing that can create more issues. So that's just really...

frustrating. It's a hard place to be. I'm really hopeful that we can figure out some new treatment options that will get me back into a place that has me feeling a little more like myself again and also treating, the actual issues that I'm dealing with day to day with chronic illness. He also mentioned something that stuck with me and I have been seeing

people posting on social media, which obviously we take that with a grain of salt, but I started looking into it and found papers published by the leading mass cell doctors about microdosing with GLP-1 medications for inflammation and that GLP-1 medications are a mass cell antagonizer.

which basically means it's going to help stabilize your mast cells so that they aren't running amuck through your body. And this doctor specifically mentioned that as well. So I'm super curious to see the studies that are gonna come out with that. I actually looked up medical research studies happening and there are several investigating this. And I think that is incredible, not just for people with mast cell, but anyone with chronic illness that's dealing with inflammation.

So just things to have on your radar, healthcare wise. I think the biggest hurdle with something like that will be insurance. So little rough, right? All of this. And then on top of all of that, the heat this month has really knocked me down. I started having significant issues about a year ago, and I don't really remember noticing a heat intolerance.

but also, summer wasn't quite as harsh as it's been this summer. I think it just wasn't affecting me the same way. But this last month, I have learned that I am very heat intolerant and that even just getting into a hot car is gonna push my heart rate up over 100 and I'm just gonna be sitting.

with my heart rate over 100 from sitting in a car as it's cooling off with the AC blasting and everything. So just trying to go on a walk or spend time outside has really been a trigger for flares. And that's really frustrating in the summer when you're at home with kids and wanting to be a good mom, wanting to be active, even just going on a little walk and it just feels harder right now. And that's really frustrating. So looking forward to fall.

but that's okay, because you know what? We also have some wins So these are the tiny wins and they matter just as much. We got to spend a few days in DC with my dad and the kids and that was really fun. It meant a lot to me. We even snuck in a beach day. It was overcast and cool, which was kind of a miracle for me in the middle of this heat wave and...

Then we also just came back from a weekend trip in Connecticut to see one of my best friends and being close enough to just drive there and have that kind of connection. I do not take that for granted. And huge sigh of relief. We officially have tenants in our Minnesota house, so it's one less thing we have to worry about and I'm hoping it continues to go smoothly. Jimmy just wrapped up his first month of school and is somehow surviving all the chaos.

and it's definitely picking up in intensity, but he's hanging in there and I am so proud of him. This is such a tiny win, but it was just exciting. The kids won a Harry Potter baking cookbook from our library. And I'll be honest, most of the recipes are not super realistic for regular people, especially in a tiny rental kitchen, but their excitement is adorable and I'm hoping we can pull off at least one magical treat this summer.

Okay, so let's talk about what's ahead

because as much as I love to reflect, I also love to look forward. August is our last full month of summer before school starts after Labor Day, and I'm honestly just craving some grounded time at home. I know I need some rest, my body needs to catch up with life and hopefully get medical care back on track, find someone who really listens, feel like I can function again. And I'm also really hoping to finish organizing the house before

the school year hits full swing. Again, I'm not into perfection this year, but just functionality. Is that a word, functionality? Just making it functional. So things are easier to maintain as schedules get crazier. So we'll see, but we're also planning a few fun day trips here and there. The kids really wanna go to Atlantic City and the boardwalk. And I think we're gonna try and go to a minor league baseball game or two.

I bought my first ever blind date with a book this month. And it's basically a book that is wrapped up. There's a barcode on the back and on the front, someone writes a few little things about it so that you kind of know what you're getting. Make sure it vibes with you a little bit. And then you unwrap it and you have this new book to read. So I just bought my first one ever at Barnes and Noble. I'm reading the book right now.

And I'm seriously debating wrapping it back up and passing it along to someone. If that's something you think I should do, let me know. It actually is so fun to unwrap and just kind of have a surprise with your book though. Okay.

That is July. Big feelings, tiny wins, and everything in between. If you made it this far, thank you for being here, for listening, for caring, for making space for both the hard and the hopeful. I'd love to know what were your tiny wins this month? What are you carrying into August? And what are you trying to let go of? You can send me a voice message, a DM, or even better.

share your story through the link in the show notes. There's a place where you can submit your name if you would like to be interviewed on the podcast. I am looking for several women who would like to be interviewed. If you have a story, I want to hear it. It can be about your career. It can be about your hobbies. It can be about motherhood. It can be about womanhood in general. It can be about your childhood. If you have something that you think, you know, I'd actually just really love to talk this out or I'd love to share about it.

I want to hear about it. So until next time, take care of your body, take care of your mind, and remember, surviving is worth celebrating too.