Entrepreneur Interview: Cyndii Sinex with Chronic Illness Hotline

This podcast episode introduces Cyndii Sinex, founder of the (new) Chronic Illness Hotline.

The hotline provides a listening ear for those with chronic illness during the current pandemic and beyond.

Chronic Illness Hotline gives a safe place to vent negatives, celebrate positives, practice advocating, build a journey story, set goals, help identify resources, and much more.

Connect with the Chronic Illness Hotline:

• Text “care” to 202–596–6520
• Visit https://chronicillnesshotline.org/
• Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chronicillnesshotline
• Follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/IllnessHotline
• Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/chronicillnesshotline

Show notes:

• 00:20 Introducing Chronic Illness Hotline
• 01:09 Cyndii’s background, and how one small slip and fall took her down a healthcare rabbit hole
• 02:10 Diagnosis #1 — fibromyalgia
• 02:45 Prescribed anti-depressant SSRIs, which put serotonin at a toxic level
• 03:10 Nerve damage, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure caused by medication were attributed to anxiety
• 03:50 Medical community was aware of serotonin syndrome but it wasn’t widespread understanding
• 04:30 Eight years to diagnose serotonin toxicity, several more for additional diagnoses
• 04:47 The toll it took on her life
• 05:27 With other hotlines, callers want to take their life, but Cyndii calls because she’s afraid her life is being taken, so she felt like she didn’t fit
• 07:00 Illness must be in your head
• 07:45 Just use this prescription
• 08:30 Why another hotline? How CIH is different and why a specific hotline is important
• 09:45 Why even our most supportive and loving friends and family can’t always provide the support we need
• 10:15 Why would a hotline caller want to celebrate?
• 11:05 Five of the common reasons people reach out to the hotline 12:00 Why it’s hard when someone asks “how are you?”
• 15:15 Getting the nonprofit started
• 16:39 What sparked the idea
• 18:11 Nonprofit work is like 10 full-time jobs (don’t I know this!)
• 18:42 The impact of Covid-19 on their startup plans — starting early and pivoting marketing
• 26:55 What it takes to recruit
• 27:46 Your challenge … even small donations add up — paypal link is above!
• 30:55 There’s two types of people on social media
• 33:03 Social media fairy, please visit! How you can help with the hotline’s social media marketing
• 34:00 The best thing you can do for a friend who has a chronic illness or pain
• 35:00 One of the best things you can do if you’ve been diagnosed or are going through trying to be diagnosed
• 37:00 General mental health tip
• 39:00 Stages of grief when your body is failing you
• 39:30 How to connect with the CIH
• 40:30 Why not to share our social posts by tagging a friend — send a private message instead
• 41:21 All aspects of your life affect your chronic illness
• 43:04 Information on how you can support the cause
• 43:53 Cyndii’s question for me about the beast that is SEO

Originally published at https://vickywu.us on July 15, 2020.