Ricki Lake has been in the public eye since starring in 1988’s Hairspray. She might be best known as host of The Ricki Lake Show. But she’s not here to talk about movies and TV. She’s here to share the compelling story of her late partner, Christian Evans, and how she continued to feel  connected to him after his death – with help from psychic mediums.

Dr. Josh Bullock studies mediumship from a different angle. Through his research, he investigates why “Pub Psychic Nights” are so popular in the UK — what comfort people are seeking, what answers they’re hoping for, and what it means to feel close to someone we’ve lost. His findings suggest that even skeptics can benefit from these communal spaces.

Join us on Instagram @beforewegopodcast for more stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and reflections on living and dying.

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Today’s episode features two people who are shaking up the U.S. healthcare system in very different but deeply humane ways. Dr. Fumiko Chino knows firsthand how devastating medical debt can be. After losing her husband to cancer and being left with overwhelming bills, she went to medical school to become a radiation oncologist and made it her mission to make care more affordable.

Mark Cuban, best known as one of the “sharks” on Shark Tank, is tackling the same problem from another angle. Through his Cost Plus Drug Company, he’s disrupting the industry with a transparent, direct-to-consumer model that’s already changing — and saving — lives.

Together, Fumiko and Mark offer a hopeful glimpse of what’s possible when empathy meets innovation.

Join us on Instagram @beforewegopodcast for more stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and reflections on living and dying.

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How often do you think about your future self? For Kirsty Parsons, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth and told she likely wouldn’t live past her twenties, imagining a long future wasn’t even an option. But a groundbreaking new medication has changed everything. And suddenly, Kirsty is facing a future she never planned for.

Psychologist Hal Hershfield is a researcher who studies how we make long-term decisions — and why we often fail to connect today’s choices with tomorrow’s consequences. Together, Kirsty and Hal offer two sides of the same question: What happens when you finally meet your future self?

Join us on Instagram @beforewegopodcast for more stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and reflections on living and dying.

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Barry Blechman shares at least one thing in common with host Shoshana Ungerleider: cancer runs in their families. Barry was first diagnosed in 1980 and stayed cancer-free for nearly 30 years before it returned. This time, the physical battle was accompanied by deep anxiety and depression, and traditional treatments weren’t enough. That’s when he turned to psilocybin therapy. Psilocybin is the active ingredient in “magic” mushrooms, and Dr. Tony Back — one of the early researchers in medical aid in dying — has been studying the use of psilocybin in treating patients with cancer. To truly understand its potential, he did what most doctors wouldn’t: he tried it himself.

Join us on Instagram @beforewegopodcast for more stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and reflections on living and dying.

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In 2014, Yvette Nicole Brown made a life-changing decision: she left her job starring in the TV show Community to care for her father who had Alzheimer’s disease. For the next 11 years, Yvette cared for her father in her home, joining the tens of millions of Americans who are quietly caring for aging or ill family members within a healthcare system that often leaves families to figure it out alone. Ai-jen Poo — a caregiving advocate and organizer — hears stories like Yvette’s all the time. That’s why she’s working to improve support for caregivers in the U.S.

Join us on Instagram @beforewegopodcast for more stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and reflections on living and dying.

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Patton Oswalt—a comedian, storyteller, and devoted dad—shares the story of losing his wife, Michelle, and becoming a single parent overnight. Grief, he learned, was anything but a straight line, and he feared what it would mean for his 7-year-old daughter, Alice. We also hear from Julie Kaplow, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in childhood grief and trauma, who reminds us that most children who experience loss go on to live full and healthy lives.

Join us on Instagram @beforewegopodcast for more stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and reflections on living and dying.

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Season 2 begins with Alua Arthur—world-renowned death doula and New York Times bestselling author of Briefly, Perfectly Human. In this conversation, Alua shares the story of a chance encounter that changed everything: a 14-hour bus ride in Cuba with a woman her age who was dying of cancer. That experience set her on a path to rethink everything she thought she knew about purpose, mortality, and what it means to live fully.

Follow along on Instagram @beforewegopodcast for more stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and reflections on living and dying.

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Before We Go is back! This season, Oscar and Emmy nominee Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider is in conversation with people from all walks of life, exploring how we live alongside mortality. Actor Yvette Nicole Brown shares her story of caregiving, comedian Patton Oswalt reflects on child grief, TV host Ricki Lake talks about love after loss, actor Alexandra Breckenridge shares how she navigates grief, and entrepreneur Mark Cuban tells us about his plan to reform healthcare. Plus, we'll hear from leading experts who help us ask the deeper questions about what it all means.

The first episode drops September 18—make sure you're following so you don't miss it.

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Steven enters hospice and begins to prepare for the end of life. While he visits with friends and even a rabbi, Shoshana and his other caregivers struggle with how to keep him as comfortable as possible during his final days. After Steven’s death, Shoshana and her family reflect on lessons learned.

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Like many patients with advanced cancer, Steven struggles with nutrition, the effects of chemotherapy and depression. But luckily, from the early days, he's helped by some wonderful palliative care providers, especially Dr. Mindy.

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