Episode #58: Beth Schrock
Beth Schrock is an art director and photographer residing in Minneapolis, MN with the love of her life (and their fluffy 60 lb. poodle) and just trying to be kind and create things with meaning.
“Unremarkable.” That’s the word doctors have often used to describe Beth Schrock’s test results, and it signals that her tests are coming back normal. For Beth, who has been living with severe nerve pain and mobility issues since 2017, this means she still doesn’t have a diagnosis to attach to her symptoms. On today’s episode, Beth and I talk about the visit to urgent care that resulted in discovering a brain tumor (unrelated to her nerve pain), and how she has learned to deal with pain so that it doesn’t control her life. We also chat about her work as a photographer and art director, including her Invisible Illness Photo Project and how she ultimately dreams of showcasing that work. Finally, we discuss the challenge of knowing how to act and what to say when a friend is sick, and why it’s important to her that people acknowledge her new normal without feeling sorry for her. All in all, medical jargon aside, Beth’s story is a remarkable one!
“I still deal with chronic pain every day, but it doesn’t control my life like it used to.”
Here are some of the things Beth and I chatted about:
The painful symptoms she experienced starting at age 21, and how they came on suddenly
Her tumor, which was benign but growing quickly, and the complications it could have caused
The challenge of explaining her nerve pain (which was unrelated) vs. explaining a brain tumor
What it was like to look at her calendar and try to pick a “good time” to have brain surgery
Learning to accept that life is unfair (and the Netflix series that drove that message home)
The meds that targeted her symptoms, but also flattened her emotions and excitement
The process of educating friends and helping them understand how to not treat her differently
How she knows when a nonepileptic seizure is coming, and what she does in that situation
As someone managing an invisible illness, what’s helpful to hear--and what’s less helpful
Daydreaming about her appointments at the Mayo Clinic, hoping to one day get a diagnosis
The emotional toll when you’re experiencing chronic symptoms, but tests all come back normal
Telling doctors that she would volunteer to do the tests that other people weren’t willing to do
Learning about central sensitization, which is a phenomenon, but not an official diagnosis
Her experience in a month-long outpatient program at Mayo Clinic’s Pain Rehabilitation Center
The Invisible Illness Photo Project, and how she creates photos that make the invisible visible
Attracting the attention of Maybelline, and subsequently being featured in a video on Upworthy
How routine is the best medicine for managing her symptoms, and the importance of rest
“I don’t want you to treat me differently. I just have a new way of navigating life, and I want you to be a part of that new life, so let’s learn how to do it together.”
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