EPISODE 23 • CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO | CONTAGION, CHAOS, & CONFLAGRATIONS

🍒 Chapter 22 — Contagion, Chaos, & Conflagrations

Cece transitions from newlywed life into the onset of serious medical challenges. She first reflects on her early work history and shares a heartwarming story about receiving a workplace award for her “contagious positive attitude.” Despite this, her health worsened, leading her to step back from employment and become a homemaker while seeking answers.

This episode introduces the beginning of her autoimmune journey — including lupus, celiac disease, tachycardia, and leukemia — explained in plain, accessible language. Cece describes what an autoimmune disorder actually is, how it affects the body, and what daily life looks like with chronic illness, including hair loss and fatigue.

She balances humor with honesty, using lighthearted coping jokes (“But I have cancer”) to process heavy realities while emphasizing that Google is not a doctor and self-diagnosis is not medical care.

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⚠️ Potential triggers featured in this episode may include, but are not limited to:

• Autoimmune disease discussion • Cancer / leukemia diagnosis • Chronic illness and fatigue • Hair loss • Medical testing

No graphic sexual content is included.