<![CDATA[A Flexible Life]]>A Flexible Life is the podcast for everyone who's been told their pain isn't real, their symptoms are anxiety, or their body just needs more yoga.

Hosted by actor and content creator Tori, who lives with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), this show is part honest conversation, part community, and zero percent toxic positivity.

Each week, Tori shares life with the dysautonomia trifecta: the good days, the bad flares, the medical gaslighting, the dark humor, alongside interviews with guests who actually get it: doctors, researchers, fellow zebras, and the chronically ill people living full, complicated, real lives.

Whether you're newly diagnosed, still searching for answers, or five years into managing hEDS, POTS, and MCAS and just need someone to say "same"  you found your people.

Topics covered include: hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, joint hypermobility, connective tissue disorders, dysautonomia, POTS, orthostatic intolerance, MCAS, mast cell disease, histamine intolerance, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, invisible illness, medical gaslighting, disability and identity, life as a disabled actor, and navigating the healthcare system with a complex chronic illness.

A Flexible Life drops the every other Friday. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:06:41 GMTMon, 18 May 2026 21:42:37 GMT60Tori Leigh<p>A Flexible Life is the podcast for everyone who's been told their pain isn't real, their symptoms are anxiety, or their body just needs more yoga.</p><p></p><p>Hosted by actor and content creator Tori, who lives with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), this show is part honest conversation, part community, and zero percent toxic positivity.</p><p></p><p>Each week, Tori shares life with the dysautonomia trifecta: the good days, the bad flares, the medical gaslighting, the dark humor, alongside interviews with guests who actually get it: doctors, researchers, fellow zebras, and the chronically ill people living full, complicated, real lives.</p><p></p><p>Whether you're newly diagnosed, still searching for answers, or five years into managing hEDS, POTS, and MCAS and just need someone to say "same"  you found your people.</p><p></p><p>Topics covered include: hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, joint hypermobility, connective tissue disorders, dysautonomia, POTS, orthostatic intolerance, MCAS, mast cell disease, histamine intolerance, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, invisible illness, medical gaslighting, disability and identity, life as a disabled actor, and navigating the healthcare system with a complex chronic illness.</p><p></p><p>A Flexible Life drops the every other Friday. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.</p>episodicTori Leightp7nfh42wb@privaterelay.appleid.comno<![CDATA[Chronic Illness vs. Friendships]]>The conversation explores the impact of chronic illness on friendships, highlighting the challenges, misunderstandings, and the importance of empathy and understanding. It also emphasizes the value of supportive friendship dynamics, flexibility, and the gift of sifting out relationships. The episode concludes with a discussion on the diagnosis journey and community building.

Takeaways

  • Chronic illness can significantly impact friendships, leading to misunderstandings and the need for empathy and understanding.
  • Supportive friendship dynamics, flexibility, and the gift of sifting out relationships are crucial in navigating friendships with chronic illness.

Chapters

  • 00:00 The Impact of Chronic Illness on Friendships
  • 05:50 Misunderstandings and Resentment
  • 12:01 Supportive Friendship Dynamics
  • 17:58 The Gift of Sifting Out Relationships
]]>d8d972ea-6db4-40b9-bd5c-a0049541041eTue, 23 Jun 2026 19:15:00 GMT<p>The conversation explores the impact of chronic illness on friendships, highlighting the challenges, misunderstandings, and the importance of empathy and understanding. It also emphasizes the value of supportive friendship dynamics, flexibility, and the gift of sifting out relationships. The episode concludes with a discussion on the diagnosis journey and community building.</p><p></p><p>Takeaways</p><ul><li>Chronic illness can significantly impact friendships, leading to misunderstandings and the need for empathy and understanding.</li><li>Supportive friendship dynamics, flexibility, and the gift of sifting out relationships are crucial in navigating friendships with chronic illness.</li></ul><p></p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 The Impact of Chronic Illness on Friendships</li><li>05:50 Misunderstandings and Resentment</li><li>12:01 Supportive Friendship Dynamics</li><li>17:58 The Gift of Sifting Out Relationships</li></ul>no00:21:18Chronic Illness vs. Friendshipsfull<![CDATA[Navigating Chronic Illness and Societal Oddities ]]>If you live with a chronic illness like hEDS or POTS, you know the calculation. Every new person, every social situation, every moment where your body does something your healthy friends don't have to think about, there's this split-second decision about how much to say, how much to hide, and how much energy you have left for either.

In the debut episode of A Flexible Life, Tori — actor, content creator, and person permanently doing that calculation — gets into the specific, exhausting, sometimes darkly funny social awkwardness of living with an invisible illness

]]>646d2400-d31f-46b2-8c68-8398888d30c9Tue, 26 May 2026 08:00:00 GMT<p>If you live with a chronic illness like hEDS or POTS, you know the calculation. Every new person, every social situation, every moment where your body does something your healthy friends don't have to think about, there's this split-second decision about how much to say, how much to hide, and how much energy you have left for either.<br /><br />In the debut episode of A Flexible Life, Tori — actor, content creator, and person permanently doing that calculation — gets into the specific, exhausting, sometimes darkly funny social awkwardness of living with an invisible illness <br /></p>no00:15:2011Navigating Chronic Illness and Societal Oddities full