Living Well with Alison Starling
Strong communities are built on good health. Welcome to Living Well with Alison Starling, brought to you by VHC Health — the region’s community health system — and the Washington Business Journal. Join former ABC 7News anchor and Emmy Award winner for exclusive conversations with health care advocates on today’s most pressing health topics. Discover what you need to know when making decisions about your well-being and empower yourself with the knowledge to live well. New episodes drop monthly.
Living Well with Alison Starling
Living life boldly with Usher syndrome — featuring Rebecca Alexander and VHC Health’s Dr. Linda Lang
Less than 1% of the world's population is believed to be living with Usher syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that combines hearing and vision loss. Among them is Rebecca Alexander — a disability rights advocate, psychotherapist, award-winning author, sought-after speaker, fitness coach and extreme athlete who has completed the Alcatraz swim and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at age 12, Alexander struggled to see the blackboard at school. By college, her hearing had also worsened, and it was determined she had Usher syndrome.
In this episode of Living Well with Alison Starling, a podcast brought to you by VHC Health and WBJ, Alexander and Dr. Linda Lang, VHC Health’s medical director for the behavioral health service line, discuss navigating life-altering health conditions.
“Living well means being able to develop comfort with discomfort. The more we try to avoid it, the more we feel it,” Alexander says. “That’s such a part of what it means to live with Usher syndrome. But that’s the human condition where opposing truths can coexist.”
Listen to this episode to learn about:
- Alexander’s journey through progressive blindness and deafness from her teens into her 40s (4:43)
- Processing a confluence of grief, profound loss and tremendous joy (10:47)
- How Alexander balances being present, mindfulness and living life boldly (15:44)
- Supporting loved ones who are dealing with major health disorders (23:37)
- The importance of prioritizing mental health and acknowledging difficult emotions (27:18)
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Disclaimer
This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it are provided for general informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and does not create a patient-provider relationship. Seek the advice of your personal healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding the information presented and before undertaking a new health care regimen.
Unless specifically stated in the podcast, the views expressed in this podcast are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views of VHC Health. Participation in this podcast should not be implied as an endorsement of VHC Health or any particular organization, product or service.