My Medical Mystery: Finally Getting Diagnosed & Why You Need to Advocate for Yourself

My Medical Mystery: Finally Getting Diagnosed & Why You Need to Advocate for Yourself

From My Verbal Journal: Let’s Chat by Maci Jones

January 14, 2026 · 39 min · Season 5 · Episode 3

About this episode

Maci Jones shares her journey of receiving an autoimmune diagnosis after years of being dismissed by doctors, emphasizing the importance of self-advocacy in healthcare.

After four years of symptoms and being told nothing was wrong, I finally received an autoimmune diagnosis… and this episode tells the entire story. I walk through the timeline of infections, gut issues, hormone imbalances, chronic pain, and poor recovery that shaped my college years, and how inflammation connected everything. I also share what it was like being dismissed, misdiagnosed, and told it was “just IBS,” despite knowing something deeper was wrong. Most importantly, this episode is about self-advocacy. If you’ve ever felt unheard by doctors, confused by your body, or afraid to keep pushing for answers, I hope my story reminds you that you’re not crazy and that finding the root cause is worth it. Personal IG: @macileejones ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/macileejones?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podcast IG: @myverbaljournal.letschat ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/myverbaljournal.letschat?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

People in this episode

Host: Maci Jones

Topics covered

  • autoimmune diagnosis
  • self-advocacy
  • chronic pain
  • health issues
  • doctor dismissal

Keywords

  • autoimmune
  • self-advocacy
  • chronic pain
  • healthcare
  • diagnosis

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