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The Kindness Matters Podcast
So. Much. Division. Let's talk about how to change that. Re-engage as neighbors, friends, co-workers and family. Let's set out to change the world. Strike that. Change A World. One person at a time, make someone's life a little better and then do it again tomorrow and the day after that, through kindness.
Kindness is a Super-Power that each of us has within us. It is so powerful it has the potential to change not only your life but those around you, too. Let's talk about kindness.
The Kindness Matters Podcast
Embracing Kindness and Conquering Challenges
Have you ever encountered a dog that defies all stereotypes and melts your heart? Meet Myrtle, a gentle pit bull mix, who along with Juliana Coughlin, our guest on the Kindness Matters Podcast, is on a mission to change perceptions about rescue animals. Juliana, a passionate runner, dedicated dog mom, and Harry Potter fan, shares her vibrant life filled with marathons, community spirit, and the joys of adopting rescue dogs. Her story is a testament to the power of resilience and community support, particularly as she navigates life with ankylosing spondylitis.
Join us as Juliana highlights the incredible impact of small acts of kindness and how they can transform personal and professional relationships. From simple gestures like complimenting a stranger to fostering positive social media interactions, these acts open doors and create meaningful connections. Juliana, who embodies both Hufflepuff's kindness and Slytherin's determination, also shares her journey of collaborating with local organizations in Cape Cod, illustrating the ripple effect of kindness within communities.
As we wrap up this uplifting conversation, we delve into the world of chronic illness, exploring Juliana's personal journey with ankylosing spondylitis. Her story combines humor and heart, offering a glimpse into how she manages her condition with the help of medication and a positive outlook. Alongside these personal anecdotes, we celebrate the compassionate initiatives within the Mayday Media Network, encouraging listeners to embrace and spread kindness in every facet of life. Tune in for an episode that promises inspiration and a renewed appreciation for the power of kindness.
This podcast is a proud member of the Mayday Media Network. If you have an idea for a podcast and need some production assistance or have a podcast and are looking for a supportive network to join, check out maydaymedianetwork.com.
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Well, hello there and welcome. You are listening to the Kindness Matters podcast and I am your host, mike Rathbun. What is this podcast all about? It's about kindness. It's a pushback against everything negative that we see in the news and on social media today, and it's a way to highlight people, organizations, that are simply striving to make their little corner of the world a little better place. If you want to join in on the conversation, feel free, Go ahead and follow us on all of your social media feeds. We're on Facebook, instagram, tiktok. We're even on LinkedIn under Mike Rathbun. Check us out. We're even on LinkedIn under Mike Rathbun. Check us out and, in the meantime, sit back, relax, enjoy and we'll get into the Kindness Matters podcast. Hey, welcome everybody to the show. I am so glad that you could join us and take some time out of your day today. Remember, if there's anything you hear in the show with my guest, feel free to share it with your friends and family and strangers on the street and whoever.
Speaker 2:Screaming out to the world.
Speaker 1:Exactly my guest today. You guys, she is so cool. My guest today is Juliana Coughlin. She's a podcaster, she's a runner, she's a Harry Potter nerd, in case you're wondering. She's a Hufflepuff. She's a dietician, she's a spondee We'll get into that in a minute and a dog mom, which I mean automatically ranks you like right up here in my book. Juliana lives on Cape Cod in Massachusetts with her pity Myrtle. Oh, I've got to see Myrtle before we get off.
Speaker 2:Anyway. Oh yes, myrtle's hanging out on the couch over there.
Speaker 1:Her two podcasts, which include Runa about running in her hometown of Falmouth, Massachusetts. Did I do it right? Yeah, Runa, yeah Well, I meant Falmouth.
Speaker 2:Falmouth. Oh yeah, Falmouth, it's one of my favorite things to hear people pronounce Falmouth. I love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I always want to go. Falmouth and her other podcast Into the Fold, which is a Grishaverse podcast we'll have to talk about that are independently produced by herself with her best friend, jeff. By day she works as a social media manager and also as a registered dietitian, and when she's not walking her dog, podcasting or talking Potter, she can be found running. She has run two Boston Marathons the New York City Marathon, the Chicago Marathon and the Tokyo Marathon and has her eyes set on the Berlin Marathon next. She also has a chronic illness. Here's a test called alkalizing spondylosis that.
Speaker 2:That was it, it's. It's either alkalizing or ankylosing spondylitis.
Speaker 1:I believe it's alkalizing, isn't it?
Speaker 2:I don't know which one for it. I'll tell you what this, this disease, has like. Three different pronunciations, at a minimum, of how you pronounce it. We can just call it AS.
Speaker 1:AS I like it Slash AS. And that refers to the spondy up above earlier and is currently on the journey to finding her best treatment plan to combat this condition. Welcome to the show, juliana Coughlin Woo yay, really long intro. We love it, coughlin and the crowd goes wild. Well, thank you. So much fun to have you on here. You are just a delight to talk to and I can't can't believe the my luck in having you be a guest on my show well, we'll decide if it's it's luck or not, but it could be.
Speaker 1:Oh, this is going to go well. Oh no, I'm excited to be here. Well, and I mean first of all okay, let's why running?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean. So I guess my brief running origin story is that I was never really athletic growing up as a kid and I just like I did sports kind of, but not really. I was more of a theater kid and I my best friend in high school, lydia, was like hey, juliana, wouldn't it be crazy if every day after school we went and ran a mile and I'd like Lydia?
Speaker 1:that's absolutely insane.
Speaker 2:Why would we do that?
Speaker 2:And and she's like you want to do it, I was like sure, so we, we did that um, and then my mom kind of got involved and we ended up doing the couch to 5k program, um, which at that point now it currently is like an app and a website and like all these things it was a printable pdf um. You print off of paper, you bring it with you to the track and you follow like the walking, running kind of thing. And then I just kind of started running recreationally to stay in shape. And what essentially led me to where I am now is the running community in Falmouth, mass, where I live, is just very vibrant and very involved and really awesome. And when I moved here, that kind of sparked my, my interest in more like group community running events, things like that, cause I saw like what that could actually be. And that's when I started running marathons was when I after I moved down here. So, plus, the Cape is gorgeous and if you go on a long run you get to see like lighthouses and the ocean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the Cape is amazing, right yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it definitely helps. I always tell people too if I had stayed in the town where I grew up in, which is in central Massachusetts, I would have never started running longer distance, because it is ugly there, you're like yeah, seen it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, nothing interesting here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's gross and I'm just. I definitely accredit my running a lot to just the environment here and how pretty it is and, again, how just involved the running community here is in families which I am now a really big part of, which is great. We love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and all those marathons. Yeah, I see Minneapolis Marathon is down there.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:The Grandmas.
Speaker 2:Grandmas is on my list, actually, of ones that I want to do. Yeah, yeah, I have some like bigger marathons that I'm working on. There's marathons called the world marathon majors, which the ones that you mentioned are a part of. So you got boston, chicago, new york, london, tokyo um, and berlin, and now sydney, um.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, so that's what I shoot for yeah, so I'm working on those.
Speaker 2:So right now we got berlin for this fall, london for next spring and then sydney's either going to be next the come 2026 fall or 2027 fall, so we'll see what's going on just just so cool, yeah it. For me it's nice because about once a year I have like a big destination to go to and it kind of predetermines where my big vacation for the year is going to be and I don't have to think about it, which is nice.
Speaker 1:Right, that's so cool, you know, and I tried not running jogging, I guess in high school um in high school and I enjoyed it because I would always do it early morning and everything was so quiet and I could just kind of get lost in my thoughts. Didn't last long.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think, I think you.
Speaker 2:I mean, this was 78, 79, yeah, so I don't even know if running was a thing yeah, it's much more community-based now that it really ever has been, which is fantastic, which I think is for me personally, it's a big reason why I'm much more involved than I really would have ever been if there hasn't hadn't been like a community engagement portion of it. And I definitely agree with to the point that you made of just being able to go out and process your thoughts, because that's how I kind of work through. A lot of my thoughts, too is I just go out for a run and just kind of get lost in my thoughts and come back and I'm ready to save the world, essentially because I've solved all the problems solved all the problems.
Speaker 1:I'm done that's it.
Speaker 2:We're good world is saved, but yeah, I.
Speaker 1:I just, with all the experience you've got with podcasting, I feel like I'm on the wrong side of the mic here yeah, I, I, I, we like to keep it approachable.
Speaker 2:You know, and I I'm someone who I don't have any formal background in media production or anything like that. Anything that I've done, I've taught myself and just kind of learned over the years. So I don't, I don't can people? People have been like, wow, julian, you've doing this for a while, like, yeah, but I still like to have no idea I'm doing half the time.
Speaker 1:Right, I'm winging it. It sounds good, people listen, I'm good. Yeah, yeah, listen, I'm good yeah yeah, as you know, mike, half the battle is just putting yourself out there just doing the thing. Yeah, that's true, that's true.
Speaker 2:I, I, I guess next for me probably would have to be doing video yeah, but I'm not ready for that I will tell you, it took me probably, I think, like three years before I was even comfortable like being on a video podcast where I wasn't just like a blank face, um, and then just recently I've started actually doing like YouTube content. So it's been a it's been a very slow burn, so don't push yourself too hard if you don't want to yeah, I was.
Speaker 1:I was on a video podcast just before christmas. I was a guest um a couple. They have a podcast called spoil my movie oh, that's fun it is, and they just go through and they break down movies and and because it was christmas time, because there was a theme of kindness there, we did um, it's a Wonderful Life, and that was fun. And Chris Crick is the guy the male of that duo and he's the tech guy. Everything was black and white. That was cool.
Speaker 2:That's fun yeah.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I don't think I could do it on a regular basis, so, but I mean, look at it, we're doing it right. I'm just not hosting the video yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, you could do it, it kind of. I think the other thing, what I've learned through my very short tenure in video editing thus far is it doesn't have to be perfect and I will say just being like a social medium and on the social media manager side of things, definitely content that's like authentic and imperfect is kind of where things are trending, just because, like, ai is trending up. So people see like those weird AI things and then yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm looking for human connection and that. That, more or less, is where things are headed.
Speaker 1:So I love imperfect is is in, then I am right there I'm set to take off, yeah same. Okay, I have to ask about Myrtle. Is she a rescue?
Speaker 2:She is, yeah, so I've had two dogs, both of which have been rescues, and I just grew up with rescue dogs as well too Some of which have been rescued from organizations, one of which was actually just taken directly off the street Maybe not the best choice by my parents, you know the dog turned out fine, but we off the freeway.
Speaker 2:I don't, I'm not exactly sure where this dog was found. This is a white German shepherd that we named Snowy, and my dad's friend found her when no one claimed her, and so my dad was like we shall take her. I was like, okay, um, so yeah, we had that dog for a while. I mean she was great. Luckily we got lucky. That that's.
Speaker 2:That's a little bit more risky than I care to be with my personal choices for animals right now yeah, um, I mean, I do have some friends who live in town who have farms, who, if that does happen I know that they will they'll take anything that breathes, essentially which is great because you need someone who will do that, sure. But but, yeah, myrtle is a rescue. Um, I got her from a rescue that is local to martha's vineyard, which is just right across the vineyard sound, here on the cape. Yeah, called bark and I'm sorry, not bark. Um, sandy paws bark is the organization I got my first dog from. But yeah, myrtle is some kind of pit bull mix rescue. Uh, not really sure exactly what. Now she's sitting up and looking at me over there and she's like I hear my name she's like I hear my name and you did not give me food.
Speaker 2:I did not give you food um, you're getting a look now yeah, she's looking at me like big time and now I'm getting side-eyed Soon, I'm going to get the butt. She likes to turn around and just give me her butt and I'm like, great, this is not. You're not getting anywhere.
Speaker 1:That's how you know you're in trouble.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh, yeah, but she's some kind of pit bull mix. She has, like, the big square pit of her head but the bottom of her jawline isn't like that really, really square jawline, um, but she's the sweetest dog I've ever met. She's so like people have a lot of predispositions about pitbulls. She's violent with like any like anyone, anything like she is. She is such a weenie like I do not. I would not depend on her to like defend me at all.
Speaker 1:She is just you're on your own, juliana, see ya, yeah, we're finally home now yeah, she probably would just be like oh, and just like walk away.
Speaker 1:I'd be like okay, great, that was really helpful yeah, I, I was gonna say you might hear mine is behind me. She's laying right behind me. If I move even an inch I'm going to run over her paw or something. Typically I don't have her in the studio when I'm recording because she has a really bad habit of barking for no apparent reason. So typically if I'm recording, I didn't realize she was back here until we were talking and I heard a little woof, so apparently she was sleeping and dreaming. So, talking and I heard a little woof, so apparently she was sleeping and dreaming, and so if you hear something, that's what that is and I love that you and that was kind of handed down the rescue part, right even guaranteed that either, unless you like, adopt the dog as an adult and you know exactly what the dog looks like now and it's probably not going to change too much.
Speaker 2:But if you adopt a puppy it's kind of a 50 50 shot if you're going to get what you wanted like looks and personality wise, I would say, and for me, I I'm. I'm just not in the camp of paying so much money for a dog that I really don't.
Speaker 2:I don't have a purpose for the dog except for to be a companion right and for me, as long as me and the dog get along and we have a nice time together, that's really it. So I'm not like out here on the I like I have a friend who saved up like three or four thousand dollars for like a king charles hawker cavalier spaniel, yeah, big old long name and I was like I don't think, like because the way the dog looks is kind of irrelevant, to be honest yeah, although they do have sweet faces they're really cute, I mean.
Speaker 2:But most dogs are cute, that's the thing, right? I'd say like at least like 80 of dogs are just like outwardly very, very, very cute and they do not have to try. So it's to me it's not worth the money or to do it. And also like why wouldn't you just help out another dog if you can Like? Why not provide a good home to a dog that's not really had a good home until now?
Speaker 1:Because and you're going to love this because it's the kind thing to do- yeah, there you go, tying it back.
Speaker 2:Same message. We keep the message going.
Speaker 1:Keep it back in there. Same message. We keep the message going. Keep it back in there. And I mean, you're a generally kind person, but you've kind of decided to put a little more focus on that going forward, haven't you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So my general attitude towards the world is just trying to like one. My goal for life is to be myself, so that's just kind of discovering who I am, and through that I've kind of come to the realization that it, your life, is just a little bit better if you are just kinder to people, and also that, in my opinion, like attracts like. So energies that are similar attract similar energies. So if you're being negative all the time, you're probably going to attract negative energies. If you're being positive all the time, you probably going to attract negative energies. You're being positive all the time, you're probably going to attract positive energies and thus, like actions, and like positive and negative actions should follow.
Speaker 2:uh, given those energies and whatever is going on, yeah um, in the most and least way that you want to make that in your head. So definitely I. I'm in the camp of just trying to be nicer to people and also actively choosing to point out when people are doing something that either I like or I think is good, or that they're good at or is just a positive thing. Day. One of the things I used to love to do was just to go up to the little old ladies and compliment them, because that smile that you get from a little woman when you tell dolores that she looks stunning in her dress today and her face just lights up like your whole day is just made right there yeah, oh, absolutely so adorable, I love it so much.
Speaker 2:I would just like go around like they. They take that the whole rest of the day. If they can mentally retain it, they'll come back and they'll tell everyone. They're like, oh, I look gorgeous today and they're so like self-confident in themselves for the rest of the day and I'm just like that's so wonderful to see and it's so totally like it didn't cost me any anything mentally, physically, monetarily to just tell someone they look nice today and just, yeah, there was no negative side effects in any direction from that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, it is. It's amazing what something small like that can do. Yeah, my wife and I were shopping last spring, I want to say, and we were at the Walmart and all of a sudden I saw this, something out of the corner of my eye and it made me turn. And there was a woman in this brilliant not annoying pretty brilliant yellow dress. I'm like, oh my God, and that it just, you know, I saw it and I like smiled, I'm like, yeah, that makes me happy. And I'm like, well, you have a choice here, mike. You can keep it to yourself or you can.
Speaker 1:And even going over and saying something might have gone a couple of different ways, but she was with her husband. He's a big dude, but no, so I just I went over and I said I'm sorry to interrupt your day and I apologize, but I just need to tell you that seeing you, your dress just made my, made me happy, made my day, just brightened my whole mood, and she kind of did the you did the clutch, the pearls, kind of thing. Yeah, and then the smile that came up on her face and she just said thank you so much. Yeah, I made her day and I didn't. It took me what 10 seconds, yeah, and no money.
Speaker 2:No effort, no effort, yeah and I made somebody's day and I made her feel better yeah, I'm sure she was like riding on cloud nine the whole rest of the day to be honest.
Speaker 2:Yeah see, I told you I had to buy this dress yeah, and that was probably part of the conversation too which funny, um, but yeah, no, it's things like that, that, it's those small little actions, those small little things, and they, they just, they just make you feel so much better and they, they just make you feel so much better and they make everyone around you feel so much better. They just make people want to actually be around you too. And, like I, I find so if, if anyone here listening is into harry potter too, um, like I, I, like you said, I'm a hufflepuff. So hufflepuffs are known for being like, kind of just like, kind of like somewhat ditzy, but also like just friendly with everyone, like they're friends with everyone. And then my other half is being Slytherin, and Slytherin essentially means that you kind of you're very self driven, you, you want to do things for yourself. I identify as like 75 percent Huffpuff and like 25 percent Slytherin, because I get what I want, but I do it nicely.
Speaker 1:So you're not evil about it, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean I mean honestly the the amount of things like just from doing like social media and stuff, or just like personal things or whatever the amount of things that I've been able to like make happen because I've been like hey, I really like what you're doing, keep up the good work. And just letting people know that I appreciate what they're doing, or like telling them what they're doing is good. Honestly, I've opened so many doors for myself Just being kind to people and letting them know like what happened. I'm even just thinking like my own personal social media when I've like tried to reach out to like small creators or like do like a collaboration with people. If I enter the chat with like like I love what you're doing, keep it up, you're doing awesome, like great job, I would say I probably have like at least a 75 success rate with whatever asking for whatever it is that I want, and then like also people because one I entered the chat or whatever it is with some kindness.
Speaker 2:I go through the interaction with whatever it is with like respecting kindness. They come back to me again and they're like it was nice to work with you. Would you like to do this thing x, y and z thing with us again because you were nice and you made it easier on us. And I'm like, yeah, I got to go to like like recently I went to the opening of the harry potter exhibition in boston, um, to the vip thing, and the people were like, hey, you did this one event with us before and everything went really well and we like working with you. Would you like to come to this thing too? I was like, yes, that'd be great.
Speaker 1:And they're like great, um yeah, I was going to ask how, how kindness played into the social media manager thing, cause that's really interesting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean also like when it comes to being more of like a social media manager not for myself, to it.
Speaker 2:It's nice to come from that kind of side of kindness and just like being a little bit nicer when you are trying to promote a brand or an organization or whatever it is and also talking to them, because I like to use social media for people that I work with as more of like a little billboard and more of like a hey, look, look what we do kind of thing and just showing off yeah, look at us, this is where you can find us like showing off the cool things that you're doing and keeping it positive and like centered on like the cool things that you are doing, but also like celebrating the other things or the organizations and businesses that you're connected to as well too, and collaborating with them.
Speaker 2:Like one of the organizations I work with, farming Falmouth, this nonprofit and they were able to give grant money to the main farm that we do gleaning from, so that's collecting like undesirable looking produce after the fact, and then it gets donated to the Falmouth service center, which is fantastic. But we were able to like capture that moment and like work with them at and like promoting that, like moment of handing over a check to them. That was part of the grant whatever, and that's one of the still one of the most popular reels that they have out there of all time because, it was just capturing a heartfelt moment of kindness, of like.
Speaker 2:We had this leftover grant money. We can give it to whoever we want, but we're choosing it to give to this farm that we've worked very closely with, who has also benefited the community by donating all this food to the community center. So it's just like that, that one's kind of like kindness on kindness. That was a little bit of a kindness sandwich.
Speaker 1:That's that whole ripple effect of kindness right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it starts with one small little thing. But even from, like the social media management standpoint, the things that are like actually resonating with people generally speaking, have some kind of I feel like kindness element to them that people can identify with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah for sure, and it's so important, especially these days, right yeah, to just be kind. Yeah, yeah, just be nice to people. I always say too, it takes the same amount of energy to be mean as it does to be nice.
Speaker 2:So To just be kind, yeah, yeah, just be nice to people I always say too it takes the same amount of energy to be mean as it does to be nice, so why not just be nice?
Speaker 1:Yep, yep, and I think what's the? What's the one about how many muscles it takes to frown versus how many muscles it takes to smile.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, whatever that quote is. Yeah, we know it it is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we know it, you know it. You don't need me to say it. Yeah, okay. So let's, talk about your, about AS? What the heck?
Speaker 2:is that? Yeah, so essentially I like to call it fancy arthritis, but the kind of mechanism of the disease is it's a autoimmune disease, so you know, your body's kind of attacking itself in a weird way. That's, generally speaking, how autoimmune diseases work, and it's just a chronic illness that I was born with. I don't really have a choice in the matter. It just kind of is there. I can't get rid of it, I can't. I did nothing to claim it, so it's there, whether I like it or not, and okay, go ahead.
Speaker 2:So the main mechanism is that, essentially, my spine at the bottom, like where your tailbone is, is going to fuse together, and so I will become the hunchback of no jajam, I am looking for a cathedral to haunt, so please let me know if you have one for sale. And, oh my god, my, my number one goal when I get elderly is I'm going to find somewhere, probably in falmouth, because at that point I'll have enough community connections, as, like an elderly person, I'd like to like just let have someone.
Speaker 2:Let me go up into the one of the church towers here with, like, a microphone say jewelry and just like make ghost noises like a couple of times a day and like ring the bell, and then people will be like I think that church down the street is haunted and I'll be be like I don't know, maybe it is, maybe it isn't.
Speaker 1:I was thinking I went with, instead of haunted, I went with Hunchback of Notre Dame with the bell ringing and the sanctuary, yeah, I have to find a bell, though I don't think we have like an actual bell. Yeah, I think they're all recorded now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, as far as I know.
Speaker 1:I was reading about it as we're going with as right yep, yep, yep and so there's is there two different kinds? There's one kind that you can automatically get when you get older, but then another one that comes from an injury yeah, so it.
Speaker 2:So there's radiographic and non-radiographic for the most part and those are generally speaking just ones where your spine is and is not fused together to certain. To a certain extent the radiographic one it's more or less just talking about. Can you see it on an x ray? Is it visible to be seen the fusion of your spine on an x ray? Most people kind of, as you get older will transition to the radiographic. Like your spine will just slowly fuse together. Like even over the last like five or six years, my rheumatologist has seen like a little bit more fusing, like nothing significant but like it the spine is just getting closer and closer together.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and a lot of the times I think the injury side of it that they were mentioning a lot of the times, like some other autoimmune diseases, your autoimmune disease kind of lays dormant for a little while. Like it'll pop up here and there and you might get some flares of the disease and you don't really notice it. But a lot of people will have like one big incident in their life. It could be an injury. It could be a big stressful thing for like females Like you could be having a child, like something like that where it's a big dramatic thing on your body and your brain. Um, for me, I slammed I actually took a fall on black ice and slammed my entire knee and like blew up. My entire knee was like bloody and like really swollen, but no matter what, they did like it wouldn't go down um, and there was just like no rhyme or reason for it until they like tested me um for the hlb 27, which is the predominant gene that they find with people who have as, and they tested me for that.
Speaker 2:I had it, and then they started me on like the biologic medications um, I currently take humera, so those are like those injectable medications yeah um, I take humera once a week and that those like discovering what it was and then addressing it correctly, took the swelling down and like then I was able to go back to like largely functioning for the most part a lot like I was before. So but I've just always been someone who's been like kind of creaky and my hips have always given me weird issues and no one's been able to explain them. So, like, looking back, the math like adds up, but there was just no real diagnosis behind it wow.
Speaker 1:Now, when you fell on your knee, was that a result of running in in falmouth in january and february?
Speaker 2:I was out running but I actually I had like stopped and I was actually like just I had been standing and I put my foot down like the wrong way. I was like checking my watch or something. Yeah, actually the the irony of it was I actually what I was out running, but it was a time during the run where I had stopped to check something and I hadn't wasn't physically running and there was like ice patch that I just didn't see because I was looking at my watch and I just slipped and the whole ground fell out from underneath me.
Speaker 1:Oh God.
Speaker 2:It was definitely interesting.
Speaker 1:But now.
Speaker 2:So now is this just a lifelong thing of finding the right treatment. Yeah, yeah, so it's going to be a lifelong thing that I'm going to have to deal with pretty much forever. Like most chronic illnesses, you'll have like the flare-ups like I mentioned. So you'll have days and weeks and months that are better than others and from what I've gathered again, I'm not an expert on this, but from what I've gathered a lot of the times with like the biologic medications, like the Humira that I'm taking, people will and I've experienced this as well too it'll work for you for a certain amount of time and then your body just kind of gets used to it time and then your body just kind of gets used to it and then you have to go and try another one, which isn't desirable because it takes like two to three months for these medications to either show if they're working or not. Oh, wow, so a trial period for a new medication like you could pretty much go through a whole year and try out four medications and still come up short.
Speaker 1:So that's frustrating yeah, kind of. That's incredibly frustrating. And yet here you are, smiling and laughing and being kind, for no apparent reason other than it's the right thing to do and it makes you feel good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean again, I was actually having this conversation with my uncle yesterday, him also kind of being like you have so many issues going on, like how are you able to just like have fun? I'm like because I have so many things in my life that I that are guaranteed to me that are not going to be fun, and so the things that I can have fun doing, I might as well at least try and counterbalance it and enjoy the things that I can enjoy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, control the things that you can control, and, and, and. Have fun. That's awesome. You're such an inspiration, juliana.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know about that. But you know, I'm just trying my best.
Speaker 1:You're an amazing person and you're so busy and I so appreciate your time. Today it was I. We probably only talked about kindness like that much, but it was just a fun conversation. Yeah, thank you so much for coming on today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I appreciate you having me. This is great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my dog's licking. I hope that doesn't come out on the video or on the audio If it does too bad. Thank you so much. I appreciate it and we are going to keep in touch and have a good rest of your week.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thanks, mike, appreciate it.
Speaker 1:I want to thank you for taking this time to listen to this episode with my guest, juliana Coughlin. I hope that you're able to take something positive from the time that you spent here today. Maybe you'll be inspired, maybe you'll be motivated, maybe you'll be moved. If you experienced any of those positive feelings, please consider sharing this podcast with your friends and family. I'm always striving to offer you a better experience, so give me some feedback. Let me know how you think I'm doing. Email me, leave a message on my socials. It would mean the world Also feel free to follow us on our socials like Facebook, instagram, linkedin and maybe or maybe not, tiktok, depends on the week.
Speaker 1:This podcast is part of the Mayday Media Network. If you have an idea for a podcast and need some production assistance, or already have a podcast and need some production assistance, or already have a podcast and are looking for a supportive network to join, check out maydaymedianetworkcom and check out the many different shows like Afrocentric Spoil, my Movie Generation Mixtape In a Pickle radio show, wake Up and Dream with D'Anthony Palin, staxo Pax and the Time Pals Podcast. We will be back again next week with a new episode and we would be honored if you would join us. You've been listening to the Kindness Matters Podcast. I am your host, mike Rathbun. Have a fantastic week you.
