Steve Collins: Living with vEDS, Health Anxiety, and Letting Go of Control
Sh!t That Goes On In Our HeadsOctober 27, 2026
9
00:46:5943.03 MB

Steve Collins: Living with vEDS, Health Anxiety, and Letting Go of Control

Steve Collins shares his life-changing journey with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS), exploring health anxiety, medical trauma, job loss, and the emotional challenges of living with a rare chronic illness. Join G-Rex and Dirty Skittles as Steve reveals how faith, resilience, medical self-advocacy, and letting go of control helped him face uncertainty, redefine his identity, and find purpose beyond his diagnosis.

What happens when a life-threatening medical diagnosis forces you to rethink everything you thought you could control? In this deeply personal episode of Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with Steve Collins to explore his journey through vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS), medical trauma, job loss, and the powerful role of faith, humor, and resilience in finding purpose after life changes overnight.

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Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health), 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), 2026 Podcast Tonight Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), and 2026 NYC Podcast Award Audience Choice Winner (Best Hosts), with over 4.5 million downloads and listened to in over 160 countries.

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Mental Health Quote

“Your identity isn't defined by what you can do. Sometimes your greatest purpose comes from learning to let go, accept help, and show up for others in a different way.” — Inspired by Steve Collins

Content Notice & Crisis Resources

This episode includes discussions of life-threatening medical emergencies, chronic illness, medical trauma, fear of death, and the emotional impact of losing independence and employment. Please listen with care.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis in the United States, call or text 988 or visit:
https://988lifeline.org/

For crisis resources outside the United States:
https://findahelpline.com/

Episode Description

Steve Collins thought he had a stubborn stomach issue. Instead, persistent abdominal pain led to an artery dissection, a 32-day hospital stay, and a diagnosis he'd never heard of: vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS), a rare connective tissue disorder that changed what everyday life could look like. His decision to ask doctors to re-examine his scan became a powerful lesson in speaking up for your health.

But surviving the medical crisis was only the beginning.

Steve tells G-Rex and Dirty Skittles what happened when he returned home and realized he couldn't simply muscle through life the way he always had. The guy who fixed everything, jumped in to help others, and took pride in showing up at work now had to ask for help, accept physical limits, and reckon with a terrifying question: Who am I if I can't do what I used to do?

At the same time, layoffs and the uncertainty of contract work challenged his sense of security. Steve opens up about the emotional fallout of job loss, the urge to control outcomes, and the anxiety that can follow a diagnosis when ordinary aches suddenly feel loaded with meaning. He also talks honestly about how medical emergencies affect spouses and families, not just patients.

Through it all, his faith in God, his family's support, a sense of humor, and connections with others living with rare conditions helped him rethink what purpose looks like. You'll hear why he wears a medical alert bracelet, keeps health information handy, and believes that a respectful second question can matter.

This isn't a story about pretending fear disappears. It's about learning to live with uncertainty without letting it run the whole damn show.

Keywords: Steve Collins, vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, vEDS awareness, health anxiety, chronic illness mental health, rare disease diagnosis, medical trauma recovery, patient self-advocacy, faith over fear, letting go of control, job loss trauma, emotional resilience, chronic illness identity, caregiver mental health, finding purpose after illness

Meet Our Guest — Steve Collins

Steve Collins is a husband, stepfather, business leader, and man of faith living with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS), a rare genetic connective tissue disorder. As Strategic Partner and Principal Consultant at PADE HCM Services, he brings his professional experience into a new chapter of entrepreneurship while navigating the physical and emotional realities of his diagnosis. Through his story, Steve encourages others to advocate for their health, recognize the impact of medical trauma, and find meaning through faith, connection, and accepting what they cannot control.

Connect with Steve:

Company: PADE HCM Services
Website: https://www.padeservices.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevevEDS
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-collins-shrm-cp-ms-b47a2538a/

Key Takeaways

  • Self-advocacy can change everything. Steve's decision to ask for another review of his medical scan helped uncover a dangerous arterial dissection. Asking questions and speaking up about persistent concerns can be essential to getting appropriate care.
  • Medical trauma doesn't end when you leave the hospital. Living with vEDS means navigating uncertainty, physical restrictions, medication effects, and the emotional weight of knowing that serious complications can occur unexpectedly.
  • Your diagnosis doesn't define who you are. Steve struggled when activities that once gave him purpose became unsafe. He learned that helping others doesn't always require physical strength; sometimes encouragement and simply being present are just as meaningful.
  • Job loss can leave emotional scars even before it happens to you. Watching colleagues lose their jobs affected Steve's sense of security and led him to seek greater control over his financial future. His story reminds us that employment uncertainty can affect confidence, relationships, and emotional well-being.
  • Caregivers carry their own invisible burdens. While Steve was hospitalized, his wife managed their family, work, and the fear of potentially losing someone she loved. Supporting the people standing beside someone in crisis matters just as much.
  • Faith and community can help create purpose within uncertainty. Steve's relationship with God, his family, and others facing rare diagnoses helped him shift from focusing only on what he'd lost to recognizing how his experiences could encourage others.

Actionable Items

  • Advocate for yourself during medical appointments. Track your symptoms, ask questions when something doesn't make sense, and request clarification or a second opinion when concerns remain unresolved. Follow your medical team's guidance for urgent symptoms; don't delay emergency care.
  • Identify where you're holding on too tightly. Think about a situation involving work, health, finances, or relationships where you're trying to control every outcome. Ask yourself what you can genuinely influence, what you cannot, and where accepting support might make life easier.
  • Check on the caregivers, too. When someone you know is facing a health crisis, reach out to their spouse, partner, or family. Offer something specific, such as helping with a household task, bringing a meal, or simply listening without expecting them to have everything figured out.

Important Chapters

  • 00:01:33 — Job Loss, Financial Uncertainty, and Finding Gratitude
  • 00:02:37 — The Abdominal Pain That Changed Steve's Life
  • 00:03:58 — Discovering an Arterial Dissection and a Rare Diagnosis
  • 00:06:23 — Medical Trauma and the Hidden Struggles of Caregivers
  • 00:08:47 — Finding Purpose in the Middle of Suffering
  • 00:12:28 — Layoff Trauma, Fear, and the Need for Control
  • 00:17:11 — Genetic Testing and Understanding Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
  • 00:23:41 — The Importance of Medical Self-Advocacy
  • 00:26:53 — Living with Health Anxiety and a New Normal
  • 00:30:11 — Chronic Illness, Identity Loss, and Learning to Accept Help
  • 00:33:59 — Parenting, Stress, and the Fear of Physical Complications
  • 00:36:12 — Work-Life Balance and Learning to Prioritize Health
  • 00:38:25 — What Steve Would Tell His Younger Self About Control
  • 00:40:35 — Faith Over Fear and Trusting God Through Uncertainty
  • 00:44:27 — Finding Community and Supporting Others with vEDS

Closing CTA

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#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch #VascularEDS #VEDSAwareness #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #RareDiseaseAwareness #MedicalSelfAdvocacy #ChronicIllnessJourney #HealthAnxiety #MedicalTrauma #FaithOverFear #JobLossRecovery #LettingGoOfControl #CaregiverSupport #LivingWithVEDS

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