The Importance of Autoimmune Friendships, with Erika Bustos & Rachel Albo

Erika Bustos and Rachel Albo share how their individual journeys with managing rheumatoid arthritis and holistic health coaching led them to connect on social media. They then transformed their virtual relationship to a “real life” friendship and business partnership in their podcast “Autoimmune & You."  

Episode at a glance:

• Rachel and Erika’s diagnosis stories for rheumatoid arthritis in their 20s
• Erika pivots from studying marriage and family therapy to becoming a holistic health coach after her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, and Rachel pivots from traditional occupational therapy to health and wellness coaching as well
• Erika and Rachel both delve into holistic lifestyle changes that help them manage rheumatoid arthritis but also caution others not to fall into some of the common traps in holistic communities, for example “one size fits all” approaches
• How Rachel and Erika found each other on social media and grew from acquaintances to true friends before ever even meeting in person
• How Rachel & Erika combined their personal and professional passions (as autoimmune coaches) into their joint podcast, “Autoimmune & You”
• Rachel & Erika briefly discuss their experiences contacting Covid-19 and how that’s affected their rheumatoid arthritis
• Rachel, Erika and Cheryl’s tips for navigating social media interactions and friendships - how to get what you need out of it without experiencing the downsides.

Medical disclaimer:

All content found on Arthritis Life public channels was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Episode Sponsor

Rheum to THRIVE, an online course and support program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected. See all the details and join the program or waitlist now! 

Full episode details and transcript

Go to the show page on the Arthritis Life website.