logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2022
31m 41s

How To Solve Your Own Medical Mystery

Slate Podcasts
About this episode

When Mike was wracked with a series of unexplained headaches in 2017, he initially chalked it up to being a stressed out grad student. But the pain became debilitating and his symptoms only multiplied from there. His doctors are stumped and Mike doesn't know where to turn next. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Meghan O'Rourke, author of The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness. Meghan has been on her own medical journey for years and has some extremely helpful advice for finding the right doctors, regaining a sense of normalcy, and supporting those who are currently searching for answers. 

If you liked this episode, check out "How To Fight Outrageous Medical Bills." 

Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Mar 24
How To Protect The Elderly From Scammers
Getting older brings new vulnerabilities, especially when navigating the sophisticated, ever-evolving world of financial scams targeting seniors. Today on How To!, Mike Pesca is joined by journalist Nancy Rommelmann, who shares the harrowing personal reality of watching her mothe ... Show More
40m 42s
Mar 17
How To Take Psychedelics for Your Mental Health with Dr. Will Van Derveer
Stand-up comedian and philosopher Myq Kaplan has built a successful career exploring the human condition, but navigating his own underlying anxiety presents a very different challenge. He knows how to handle recreational and spiritual psychedelic trips in the jungles of Peru, but ... Show More
39m 59s
Mar 10
How To Make A How To Podcast
Mike Pesca has built a long career as a news analyst and podcaster, but taking over the How To! franchise presents a very different challenge: learning the ropes of the advice show genre. He knows how to dissect complex political events, but the leap to solving eccentric listener ... Show More
39m 33s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2019
The Mystery Behind Why Healthcare Sucks With Dan Weissmann
As Dan Weissmann, host of An Arm and a Leg podcast says, "You gotta be ready to do some pretty good adulting to figure out this whole health care thing."  Health care is crazy. People are declaring bankruptcy, no one really knows what kind of coverage they have, and the whole pro ... Show More
43m 39s
Apr 2024
BITESIZE | How To Heal Chronic Pain | Dr Howard Schubiner #447
CAUTION: This podcast episode contains swearing. Headaches, migraine, back, neck or joint pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia – they’re just some of the common causes of chronic pain, which is estimated to affect between a third to half of all UK adults, or just u ... Show More
21m 3s
Mar 2024
Wound Healing
<p>In this full length episode, Dr Matt &amp; Dr Mike explain the physiology behind wound healing. Discussing hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation of cells, and tissue remodelling. ENJOY!</p><p>To watch this episode on YouTube, visit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC ... Show More
1h 22m
May 2024
Does the Medical Profession Glorify Misery?
[This episode is sponsored by Beginly Health. The Beginly platform matches physicians and APPs with employers with complete anonymity until you’re ready for the next step. Dave and Beginly founder Kristi Olsen chat about what residents should be asking employers about when planni ... Show More
1h 15m
May 2020
More Signs that Med School Will Be Different This Fall
Photo by lauralizzy13 [This episode is brought to you by Pattern. We hope you’ll check out their disability insurance offerings for docs at http://patternlife.com/partner/shortcoat.] As many of us are, The Short Coats–including this week’s M1 co-hosts Nathen Spitz, Maddie Wahlen, ... Show More
43m 15s
Apr 2024
Traits to Treat: Personality in Medicine
Tailoring your medical career to fit your personality Are you better off as a surgeon or in palliative care? MD/PhD student Jacquelyn Nielson, M2 Hend Al-Kaylani, and M1 Fallon Jung play with personality to see if their path toward choosing the right medical specialty should be d ... Show More
59m 2s
Nov 2023
BITESIZE | How to Unlock the Power of Your Subconscious Mind | Dr Bruce Lipton #399
Have you ever felt held back by a habit or pattern of thinking that you feel powerless to break?  Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guest ... Show More
18m 13s
Feb 2020
A Better Way to Solve A Problem & How Human Biases Affect Your Decisions
We all make mistakes. However, wouldn’t it be nice if you could make fewer of them? This episode begins by revealing two simple strategies that have been proven to help people make fewer mistakes when they attempt to accomplish a task. (Source: Joseph Hallinan author of Why We Ma ... Show More
47m 12s