Medical Gaslighting Nearly Took Her Life. Danielle Fought Back.

Chronic illness has come up in so many episodes this season, but the level of dismissal she endured? That hit different.

There’s a moment she shares about being wheeled into a Boston hospital, barely able to walk, and a doctor tells her: “I think you’re just stressed. Go home and get some sleep.”I felt my jaw clench. My stomach dropped.And I could see it in her eyes—even as she told the story years later—the way that moment still lives inside her.

As someone who’s navigated the medical system with a loved one, I know how dangerous it can be when people in power refuse to listen. Danielle could have died. She was paralyzed within weeks. Her body was screaming. And no one was listening—until one doctor finally did.

This is her story.But it’s also a story about how many of us have been told to “calm down” when we should’ve been taken seriously.

From Party Girl to Patient: Danielle’s Life Changed Overnight

Danielle was 23 when her feet started to feel off. At first it was dismissed as plantar fasciitis. Then she started stumbling. Her hands and tongue went numb. One day, her brother had to wheel her into the doctor’s office—she couldn’t even stand.

It took multiple ER visits, a spinal tap, and sheer persistence before she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome. But it didn’t stop there.

After collapsing again just two weeks later, Danielle became fully paralyzed. She had to be carried out of her house by firemen during a snowstorm. In rehab, they kept pushing her body, thinking she was getting better. She wasn’t. She was getting worse.

Eventually, she was diagnosed with CIDP—Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy—a rare neurological disorder often misdiagnosed. And if it’s not treated quickly with IVIG, it can cause permanent damage.

By the time she got help, her nerves were already damaged. But she found a doctor who believed her. Who didn’t just give her medication—but gave her hope.

“He looked at me and said, ‘I’m going to get you to walk again.’ And within a year, I was walking.”

Now, Danielle receives IVIG infusions every 3 weeks. They take 6 hours. They leave her with migraines, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms. And still—she gets up every day to care for her daughter.

Because this is her life now. And she’s still living it.

3 Things I Learned About Medical Gaslighting

• Doubt can kill. When someone’s body is shutting down, suggesting it’s “all in their head” is more than careless—it’s dangerous. Danielle was nearly sent home to die.

• You are not your illness. Danielle said, “A lot of people take on their illness as their identity. But it’s only part of my story.” That perspective shook me.

• Invisible doesn’t mean imaginary. Just because someone looks okay doesn’t mean they’re not fighting like hell to function. Danielle still has to “mask” her pain every single day.

  
  

The Truth About Being Seen

When we talk about resilience on For The Hayters, we don’t mean “powering through.” We mean surviving in the face of systems that fail you. We mean holding on when no one believes you. We mean advocating for yourself when your voice shakes—and you’re scared no one’s listening.

Danielle’s story reminded me that feeling seen is a basic human need. And when doctors or friends or even family members dismiss your pain, it cuts deep. It doesn’t just hurt—it isolates.

But Danielle also showed me the power of rebuilding. Of walking again. Of becoming a mom when you thought you never would. Of laughing about locking yourself in a room for 6 hours to get an infusion while your toddler bangs on the door.

She found joy again.Not because life got easier, but because she made space for joy inside the hard.

You Are Not Alone

If you’ve ever been told “it’s just stress,” or felt your body screaming while everyone around you minimized it—Danielle sees you. I see you.

And if you’ve ever felt like you’re just a memory to your friends because your illness kept you home—this episode will hold you like a warm hug.

Danielle is more than CIDP. You are more than your diagnosis.And your story matters.

🎧 Listen to For The Hayters on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

📺 Watch the full video episode on YouTube

💬 Share this post with a friend who needs to feel less alone