Conquering Your Fibromyalgia Podcast

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Dr. Stephanie Pearson on Workplace Injury, Invisible Disability Claims, and Disability Insurance Pitfalls

Dr. Stephanie Pearson, an OB-GYN, describes how a workplace shoulder injury during a delivery led to chronic pain, failed surgery outcomes, job termination after FMLA, and denial of her hospital disability coverage due to a fine-print work-injury exclusion, followed by a disputed workers’ comp claim and a settlement after litigation. She explains how invisible or subjective conditions (e.g., chronic pain, fibromyalgia, headaches) are often doubted by clinicians and challenged by insurers, why “gray” cases face scrutiny, and how documentation of worst-day functional limits and timely medical-record collection are critical, including possible IMEs. Pearson contrasts employer group vs private disability insurance, highlighting taxable group benefits, benefit caps, portability issues, and common two-year limitations for subjective illnesses, while private policies depend on underwriting, exclusions, and participation limits. She also discusses underwriting impacts of medical coding, runs a physician peer support group, and shares personal recovery supports and her company’s client advocacy approach.

00:00 Meet Dr Pearson
01:23 Injury In Delivery Room
02:25 Surgery And Termination
03:03 Denied And Sued
04:11 Mental Health Crisis
05:54 New Purpose And Company
06:40 Invisible Illness Bias
09:05 Building A Paper Trail
12:59 Independent Medical Exams
16:33 Group Versus Private Coverage
19:25 Subjective Illness Limits
23:12 Underwriting Exclusions
24:28 Fibromyalgia Stigma
25:15 Contracts And Legal Review
25:44 Coverage Limits Explained
28:44 Underwriting and Intake Process
29:54 Medical History Surprises
32:10 No Underwriting Options
33:32 Psych Diagnosis Pitfalls
36:26 Staying Properly Insured
38:44 Claims Su
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International Conference on ADHD in November 2025 where Dr. Lenz will be one of the speakers.
Support the show
When I started this podcast and YouTube Channel—and the book that came before it—I had my patients in mind. Office visits are short, but understanding complex, often misunderstood conditions like fibromyalgia takes time. That’s why I created this space: to offer education, validation, and hope.  If you’ve been told fibromyalgia “isn’t real” or that it’s “all in your head,” know this—I see you. I believe you. This podcast aims to affirm your experience and explain the science behind it. Whether you live with fibromyalgia, care for someone who does, or are a healthcare professional looking to better support patients, you’ll find trusted, evidence-based insights here, drawn from my 29+ years as an MD.

Please remember to talk with your doctor about your symptoms and care. This content doesn’t replace per...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions
Small Fiber Neuropathy and Fibromyalgia: Correlation, Not the Cause

The script examines why findings of small fiber neuropathy (SFN) in fibromyalgia created hope for an objective “proof” of pain, yet argues this link is often misinterpreted as causation. It explains SFN, diagnosed via skin punch biopsy showing reduced nerve fiber density, and notes studies finding positive biopsies in about 40–60% of fibromyalgia patients, including a 2018 meta-analysis reporting 49% prevalence. The script outlines why SFN is not a smoking-gun cause: it appears in only about half of patients, nerve loss severity doesn’t reliably match pain severity, and SFN occurs in other conditions. It contrasts fibromyalgia with classic SFN in onset age, symptom patterns, comorbidities, and nerve-loss distribution, and presents central sensitization (nociplastic pain) as the primary driver, with SFN possibly a trigger in some or a downstream effect in others, emphasizing treatments targeting the central nervous system.

00:00 SFN Fibro Controversy
01:54 What Is SFN
02:57 Biopsy Evidence Buzz
04:04 Correlation Not Cause
05:54 SFN vs Fibro Differences
07:30 Central Sensitization Explained
10:12 Where SFN Fits In
11:10 Back Pain MRI Analogy
11:56 Treatment Focus And Wrap
Click here for the YouTube Channel 
Support the show
When I started this podcast and YouTube Channel—and the book that came before it—I had my patients in mind. Office visits are short, but understanding complex, often misunderstood conditions like fibromyalgia takes time. That’s why I created this space: to offer education, validation, and hope.  If you’ve been told fibromyalgia “isn’t real” or that it’s “all in your head,” know this—I see you. I believe you. This podcast aims to affirm your experience and explain the science behind it. Whether you live with fibromyalgia, care for someone who does, or are a healthcare professional looking to better support patients, you’ll find trusted, evidence-based insights here, drawn from my 29+ years as an MD.

Please remember to talk with your doctor about your symptoms and care. This content doesn’t replace per...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions
High-Masking Autism, Anxiety, and the Multi-System Pattern of Chronic Invisible Illness

Dr. Michael Lenz reacts to Auticate's video on autistic health and connects it to fibromyalgia-like “multi-system” chronic invisible illness, describing 11 doctors in a year before an autism diagnosis and a pattern of persistent symptoms despite normal tests. The script reviews common co-occurring issues in autistic people: skin burning/itching and psoriasis, GI problems (GERD, bloating, diarrhea), chronic cough with inconclusive lung workups, urinary frequency/nocturia, insomnia and restless legs/periodic limb movement disorder, widespread muscle tension and pain consistent with fibromyalgia flares after meltdowns, migraines, immune/allergy conditions (including mast cell issues), possible POTS/dysautonomia, and frequent mental health misdiagnoses and medication side effects. It argues a major culprit is chronic anxiety/fight-or-flight from high masking, and explains why medical care is hard for autistic people (waiting, sensory overload, communication, dismissal). It offers self-advocacy tips (lists, disclosure, processing time, bring support) and calls for more integrated, autism-informed healthcare.

00:00 Reacting 
00:29 The Multisystem Pattern
02:24 Skin Symptoms Explained
03:41 Gut Issues and Reflux
04:57 Chronic Cough Mystery
06:25 Urinary Frequency and Pain
07:42 Sleep Problems and RLS
09:56 Muscle Pain and Flares
11:11 Migraines and Sensory Overload
12:53 Immune Issues and POTS
14:18 Misdiagnoses and Masking
15:32 The Culprit Anxiety Loop
17:54 Why Doctor Visits Are Hard
22:30 Self Advocacy Doctor Tips
27:34 Wrap Up and Call to Share
Click here for the YouTube Channel 
Click here for the YouTube channel
Support the show
When I started this podcast and YouTube Channel—and the book that came before it—I had my patients in mind. Office visits are short, but understanding complex, often misunderstood conditions like fibromyalgia takes time. That’s why I created this space: to offer education, validation, and hope.  If you’ve been told fibromyalgia “isn’t real” or that it’s “all in your head,” know this—I see you. I believe you. This podcast aims to affirm your experience and explain the science behind it. Whether you live with fibromyalgia, care for someone who does, or are a healthcare professional looking to better support patients, you’ll find trusted, evidence-based insights here, drawn from my 29+ years as an MD.

Please remember to talk with your doctor about your symptoms and care. This content doesn’t replace per...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions
Three Blood Tests That Reveal Your True Heart Attack Risk: hsCRP, Lipoprotein(a), and ApoB

Dr. Michael Lenz argues the standard lipid panel can miss key drivers of atherosclerosis, explaining why some people with “normal” LDL still have heart attacks, and recommends three additional blood tests to better assess risk. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) measures inflammation, with higher levels indicating increased risk and supported by the JUPITER trial showing benefit of statins in people with normal LDL but elevated hsCRP. Lipoprotein(a) is a largely genetic, “extra dangerous” LDL-related particle linked causally to heart attacks, strokes, and aortic valve disease; a one-time adult test is recommended, especially with early family history, and high levels warrant aggressive control of other risk factors while targeted therapies are in trials. ApoB counts atherogenic particles and may predict risk better than LDL, particularly with insulin resistance or diabetes.

00:00 Hidden Heart Attack Risk
01:53 Inflammation Fire Alarm
03:06 hsCRP Risk Levels
04:21 Lipoprotein A Genetics
06:08 What to Do If High
06:59 ApoB Particle Count
08:27 ApoB Targets and Discordance
09:23 Putting the Three Together
10:17 Final Takeaways and Next Steps
Click here for the YouTube Channel 
Support the show
When I started this podcast and YouTube Channel—and the book that came before it—I had my patients in mind. Office visits are short, but understanding complex, often misunderstood conditions like fibromyalgia takes time. That’s why I created this space: to offer education, validation, and hope.  If you’ve been told fibromyalgia “isn’t real” or that it’s “all in your head,” know this—I see you. I believe you. This podcast aims to affirm your experience and explain the science behind it. Whether you live with fibromyalgia, care for someone who does, or are a healthcare professional looking to better support patients, you’ll find trusted, evidence-based insights here, drawn from my 29+ years as an MD.

Please remember to talk with your doctor about your symptoms and care. This content doesn’t replace per...

Text Dr. Lenz any feedback or questions
Chronic Illness, Hidden Heart Risk, and the Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score

Dr. Michael Lenz, a clinical lipidologist, explains that chronic illnesses involving pain, inflammation, or central sensitization (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia) can silently increase long-term risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death—sometimes doubling or tripling risk—through systemic inflammation, stress-hormone-driven autonomic strain, and associated factors like obesity, tobacco/substance use, and inflammatory diets. He argues standard LDL-based risk calculators can miss this “invisible” danger and discusses advanced assessment, focusing on the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score: a brief, non-contrast CT scan that measures calcified plaque as proof of coronary disease. Citing the MESA study, he describes the predictive value of CAC, including “power of zero,” outlines score ranges and implications, notes limitations such as soft plaque, and urges viewers to discuss CAC, statins, lifestyle, and additional blood tests with their doctor.

00:00 Chronic Illness Hidden Heart Risk
02:10 Invisible Threat Explained
03:50 UK Biobank Wake Up Call
04:11 How Damage Builds Up
06:20 Why Standard Tests Miss It
08:21 CAC Scan That Changes Everything
10:13 MESA Study Power of Zero
12:32 Understanding Your CAC Score
17:04 Treatment and Lifestyle Battle Plan
18:51 Take Back Control Closing
Click here for the YouTube Channel 
Support the show
When I started this podcast and YouTube Channel—and the book that came before it—I had my patients in mind. Office visits are short, but understanding complex, often misunderstood conditions like fibromyalgia takes time. That’s why I created this space: to offer education, validation, and hope.  If you’ve been told fibromyalgia “isn’t real” or that it’s “all in your head,” know this—I see you. I believe you. This podcast aims to affirm your experience and explain the science behind it. Whether you live with fibromyalgia, care for someone who does, or are a healthcare professional looking to better support patients, you’ll find trusted, evidence-based insights here, drawn from my 29+ years as an MD.

Please remember to talk with your doctor about your symptoms and care. This content doesn’t replace per...