We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kaitlyn Rohde. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kaitlyn below.

Kaitlyn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

I’ve been misunderstood and mischaracterized more times than I can count especially when it comes to my health. Before I was diagnosed with EDS, Chronic Migraine, POTS, and many more, I spent years going to doctors trying to explain what was happening in my body and that there is something NOT right. The response was constantly followed by unsolicited advice such as: “you’re just anxious,” or “you’re probably just stressed.” It felt like no one was actually listening. For a while I’d walk out of my appointments questioning my own reality, wondering if I was somehow exaggerating what I was feeling, even though I knew deep down something was seriously wrong with my health.

My heart rate would skyrocket just from standing up, my body was in a frozen state of pain, my migraines were debilitating, and I couldn’t even walk around the block without my legs giving out. I wasn’t being dramatic, I was sick. But because I didn’t “look” sick in the way people expect and all my labs would come back normal, I got dismissed over and over again. That kind of repeated gaslighting chipped away at my confidence, my trust in my own body, and honestly my entire sense of self.

That experience is a big part of why I created Sick, I Swear Podcast. I needed to reclaim my voice, and I wanted to build a space where others could do the same. I am tired of having to convince people I’m sick, rather than just being believed. So many people, especially women, queer folks, and people of color are dismissed in medical spaces. We’re told our symptoms are simply stress, hormones, and/or anxiety. Honestly, It’s not just frustrating having your pain dismissed, it’s incredibly dangerous.

A big lesson I learned was just because someone has credentials, it doesn’t mean they have compassion or the drive to find additional answers. Just because someone wears a white coat doesn’t mean they know your body better than you do. Sometimes advocacy looks like calling out the system on a microphone and saying “This is all bullsh*t!!! Here are OUR stories.”

I’ve made it part of my mission to help other people feel less alone in those moments of doubt and dismissal. Sick, I Swear exists so people can hear voices that say: I believe you. I’ve been there. And you’re not crazy. Promise.

Kaitlyn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi! I’m Kaitlyn Rohde, the creator and host of Sick, I Swear, a podcast that came from a place where my life took a total turn. I was a hairstylist on my feet all day, working with clients I loved. Everything changed when I had a bicycle accident that seemed pretty minor at first, but it triggered this domino effect with my health. So many symptoms I didn’t have names for started stacking up, and my body just stopped wanting to cooperate with me.

What followed was years of misdiagnoses, and being dismissed by doctors who made me feel like a majority of the pain I was in was all in my head. I went from working full-time to spending more time in doctor’s offices and specialty clinics than I care to admit, and my weeks were consumed by advocating for myself in medical appointments. I found myself learning to cope and live in pain levels I never thought were imaginable.

I realized that there are so many of us navigating invisible chronic illnesses and disabilities, and no one’s handing us a guidebook. My podcast turned into this space for conversations: the kind where people can talk about the real and raw things like medical gaslighting, grieving the version of yourself you used to be, or just trying to laugh when everything feels impossible.

It’s meaningful to me because it gave me back my purpose again. I may not be standing behind the salon chair anymore, but now I’m sitting in my podcast studio chair with a microphone. I get to tell my story and hear stories from so many others for the purpose of healing, visibility, and building a community. It’s not just a podcast, it’s proof that connection can be life-giving, especially when you’re sick, tired, and swearing through it.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

During a time when my symptoms were quickly progressing and I was dealing with brain fog, memory issues, and struggling to focus or find words… I went through a series of long, exhausting cognitive tests. I mean HOURS of questions, patterns, memory games, and back-to-back mental tasks that completely wiped me out. I did all of it hoping for clarity and on-paper proof that I had cognitive changes.

Instead, the doctor came back to the room my mom and I were waiting in, then bluntly stated “you’re faking your disability.” That moment was a big blow. I had put every ounce of effort into trying to prove what I was experiencing because I wanted answers, but instead I was accused of making everything up.

Here’s where the resilience kicks in. I didn’t let that moment define me. I could’ve let it silence me and second guess myself. And for a while, it did bring me down and I absolutely had to wipe a few tears. Eventually, I picked myself back up. I kept seeking answers, kept pushing for care, kept showing up even when I didn’t feel believed. I started building a life around my reality instead of waiting to be validated by a system that clearly wasn’t built for people like me.

Now I have a space that gives voices to those exact kind of experiences. I create, I connect, I live even with a body that surprises me daily. Even with the grief of what is no longer my reality, I still find ways to laugh, build something meaningful, choose joy when I can, and not let my diagnosis define me. That, to me, is resilience. I refused and continue each day refusing to give up on living a full life, even if it doesn’t look like the one I planned.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part for me is when someone reaches out and says, “I feel seen.” or “I really resonated with that episode”. That moment where someone feels less alone? That’s everything, especially in the chronic illness and disability space, where people are so used to being dismissed or overlooked. Getting to create something and be part of a community that says, “Hey, I get it. I’ve been there too.” I wish I had a hand to hold when I was starting my journey many years ago, so it’s healing for me and I hope the same for whoever is on the other end of it.

I think being a creative isn’t about being too polished or perfect, It’s about being real. Letting the messy parts live out loud. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes putting the perfectionism on the shelf is difficult, but within authenticity is where the true magic exists. Turning something painful and isolating into connection is the stuff that keeps me going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sickiswearpod.com
• Instagram: @SickISwearPodcast
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SickISwear
• Other: TIKTOK: @SickISwearPodcast

Image Credits

https://jillianblanc.com/links/

Jillian Blanc Photography (Bad Ass!!)