In Sickness + In Health: A Chronic Illness Podcast

By Cara Gael O'Regan

What's In Sickness + In Health: A Chronic Illness Podcast about?

In Sickness + In Health: A Chronic Illness Podcast is an audio podcast, hosted by Cara Gael O'Regan, about our weird bodies, and issues related to chronic illness, disability, healthcare, and mortality. Y'know, the fun stuff.

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In Sickness + In Health: A Chronic Illness Podcast episodes:

03.20.2018
50 Unrested w/ Jen Brea
CW: medical trauma I talk to Jen Brea, filmmaker, activist and ME/CFS patient, about making and watching her documentary, Unrest. See insicknesspod.com for more info. Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram: @insicknesspod
05.05.2017
48 Burning Down the House
Some thoughts after the amended AHCA/Trumpcare passed the House of Representatives. See insicknesspod.com for more info. Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram: @insicknesspod
04.20.2017
47 Australian Appearance Activist Carly Findlay
Australian Appearance Activist and writer, Carly Findlay, talks about her experience living with Icthyosis, telling our stories on our own terms, the value of our personal information, identity, and the Australian healthcare system. See insicknesspod.com for more info. Follow us on Twitter,...
03.31.2017
46 TDoV w/ S. Leigh Thompson
Today's episode is actually a "rerun" of one of my favorites from last year to mark Trans Day of Visibility, with an updated intro. More new episodes to come soon, but I'm still recovering from the AHCA whirlwind. S. Leigh Thompson...
03.24.2017
45 WTF AHCA w/ Emily Ladau
A discussion with disability rights activist, writer and podcaster, Emily Ladau, on the eve of the AHCA vote. See insicknesspod.com for more info. Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram: @insicknesspod
03.17.2017
44 March Madness w/ Christopher Snider
I check in with regular guest, Christopher Snider, for our bimonthly podcast freakout about all things Trump, health policy, and how we’re dealing. We talk more about the state of Obamacare/ACA’s repeal and replace plan, the AHCA (aka Ryancare, Trumpcare,...
03.10.2017
42 Merciless (AHCA)
The long awaited, so-called republican healthcare bill is here, and it’s weird! I tried to explain it for you. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ See insicknesspod.com for more info. Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram: @insicknesspod
01.19.2017
40 Standing on the Mouth of Hell
Regular guest, Christopher Snider, joins me again to talk more about our dystopian reality, developments since we last recorded in November, self-care and escapism (I Love Lucy! Doctor Who! Chewing Gum! Crocheting!), and weaponized information in the age of Trump....
01.17.2017
BONUS EPISODE: What Even IS 'Obamacare' Anyway?
I explain what Obamacare actually is, what the difference is between Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act or ACA (spoiler alert: they're actually the same thing!!), the healthcare law's current status, and what's at stake if it's repealed. See insicknesspod.com for...
01.13.2017
39 Binders Full of Podcasters
Recurring guest and patient podcaster, Christopher Snider, is back to explain his plan to become the Roman Mars of the patient community. You can subscribe to his shows Just Talking and Two Big Topics wherever you get your podcasts. In...
01.06.2017
38 Still Processing
You're never gonna get a hot take from me. It'll usually be room temperature, or perhaps even pretty moldy after sitting in the back of the refrigerator for a few weeks. This is the podcast version of my moldy, not-so-hot...
10.30.2016
The Stories We Tell: MedX Special Episode
In this episode of the podcast, you’ll hear me talk to a handful of ePatients about sharing their own stories and the delicate balance of telling the stories of others. These conversations touched on themes of identity, privacy, patient experience,...
10.28.2016
37 Happy Birthday, Baby!
CW: death and dying It’s our first birthday episode! I decided to do something a little different with it, and asked my oldest friend Casey to interview ME. We talked about why I started the podcast, what the experience of producing...
10.21.2016
36 ME/CFS & POTS w Ryan Prior
I talked to Ryan Prior, co-director and producer of Forgotten Plague, a documentary about ME/CFS. I made Ryan hold the microphone because my arm was tired, and he wound up kind of interviewing me a bit. We talked about ME/CFS,...
09.16.2016
Project UterX: MedX Special Episode
CW: discussion of suicide rates and transphobia. UterX (pronounced you-ter-EX) is a collaboration about issues in inclusive gynecological healthcare for trans and gender nonconforming individuals. It was produced by In Sickness + In Health: A Chronic Illness Podcast with Ask Me...
07.13.2016
35b Sex Geek, Chronic Migraineur And American Treasure
CW: needles, cannabis use Episode 35b: In this episode, we compare notes about living with Chronic Migraine and our attempts at managing the condition, migraine literacy among doctors we’ve seen, and regularly sticking needles in our heads because that’s somehow preferable...
07.13.2016
35a Sex Geek, Chronic Migrainuer And American Treasure
I talked to this week’s guest, Kate Kenfield MPH, for so long we have TWO full episodes for your listening pleasure... Episode 35a: In this episode, Kate Kenfield MPH talks about her experience in the Australian healthcare system while she was...
06.29.2016
34 The Hill I Wanna Die On
In today’s episode, I talk to Keah Brown about her writing, growing up disabled with an able bodied twin sister, visibility and intersectionality, get real about learning to be nice to ourselves, not seeing herself as a black disabled...
06.16.2016
33 Allie Cashel On Suffering The Silence
I talked to Allie Cashel, author and co-founder of Suffering the Silence about her book, the current state of the complicated issues related to Lyme Disease, writing, certainty, and the stress of living with Lyme Disease and all its baggage. If...
05.31.2016
32 What Is This Life? w/ Erica Lupinacci
CW: weight and diet I talked to Erica Lupinacci of Suffering the Silence about her health advocacy with HIV/AIDS and through STS, her own experience living with Lupus, media representation of chronic illness and disabilities, challenges she’ll face as an actor...
05.18.2016
31 Tough In Any Weather
In today’s main episode I talk to Sofie about her experience in the Norwegian healthcare system as a patient with complex chronic illness. We talk about her experience trying to find a diagnosis that fit her symptoms, how EDS is...
05.03.2016
30 Fill In The Blank Awareness Month
This week’s episode is one to honor Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month, as well as many of the other poorly understood, under-diagnosed conditions that disproportionately affect women, which share May as an awareness month. This episode is actually a re-run of...
04.28.2016
29 Digital Red Tent
In today’s episode friend of the podcast Abby Norman (from episode 16) and I got together to debrief about the Endometriosis Foundation of America conference we attended. We actually didn't wind up talking about it much (sorry! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯), but we...
04.20.2016
28 Broken Hearts
In today’s episode, Alex talks about his experience with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, having open heart surgery at 16, almost dying a couple times, his work in assisted living, and—my favorite topic—death in our death phobic culture. See...
04.06.2016
27 A Place I've Gone For Necessity
S. Leigh Thompson talks about the hurdles to diagnosis as a trans person with complex health issues, healthcare insecurity, getting around the city with mobility limitations, and navigating society with invisible disabilities. See insicknesspod.com for more info. Follow...
03.30.2016
26 Disability Cuts In The UK
In this week’s episode, Beth talks about the current disability benefits situation in the UK. We talked about the cuts to disability programs, the recent surprise resignation of the mastermind behind many of these cuts, and the NHS approach to...
03.26.2016
25 Transplants + Inside Baseball
In this week’s episode I talked to Nikki about qualifying and listing for a double lung transplant due to her rare disease LAM. We talk transplant stuff and get Nikki’s insider perspective on the American healthcare system. She actually used...
03.16.2016
24 Building A Mystery
In today’s episode, Chelsea talks about her long term mystery symptoms doctors labelled an unknown rare disease, her complicated relationship with shunts placed to relieve intracranial pressure, her recent Lyme Disease diagnosis that may or may not explain everything, and...
03.08.2016
23 When Sustainability + Accessibility Collide
In this week’s episode Cara talks to PhD candidate in Disability Studies, Kim Sauder, about #OrangeGate, the collision of sustainability and accessibility, and her blog post about the kerfuffle sparked by a single snarky tweet. See insicknesspod.com for more...
03.01.2016
22 Pain Is Personal
In today’s main episode Jen talks about needing regular opioid pain medication at a time when those medications, and the people who use them, are public enemy number one. We talk about why she needs ongoing access to these medications,...
02.27.2016
Rare Disease Day Bonus Episode
Monday February 29th is Rare Disease Day 2016, and we're getting the party started early with a special bonus episode of the podcast, honoring the occasion. This episode is our first clip show! You may or may not have noticed that...
02.23.2016
21 One Thing After Another
In this week’s episode, Cara talks to Heather about developing post traumatic stress symptoms after the medical experiences related to their chronic illnesses. See insicknesspod.com for more info. Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram: @insicknesspod
02.16.2016
20 Lowkey Traumatic
In today’s episode we talk about some of what Soul has been through during faer childhood, including three skin expander surgeries following the removal of a birthmark on Soul’s head. Fae talk about those surgeries, being undermedicated most of that...
02.08.2016
19 Keep Telling It And Keep Telling It
In this week’s episode storyteller and senior producer of The Story Collider podcast, Erin Barker, talks about her experience with Interstitial Cystitis and Vulvodynia, some of the the uncomfortable social situations her condition has put her in, being the weird...
01.30.2016
18 Well It's Complicated
In today’s episode I talk to K about what is considered normal vs disordered behavior, being non-gender, the intersection of fat hatred, sexism + ableism, embodying the fears of the able bodied, imagined expertise, and the dual reality of self...
01.25.2016
17 It's 'Just' Stress
In this week’s episode, we talk about the link between stress and biology, epigenetics, the limitations of scientific knowledge and science communication, and the indelicate habit so many doctors have of telling patients their mysterious symptoms are “all in their...
01.18.2016
16 Fun With Endometriosis w/ Abby Norman
On today’s episode, writer Abby Norman talks about her experience with Endometriosis, how difficult it can be to get it diagnosed, having others value her fertility and the satisfaction of her male sexual partners above her own health and quality...
01.12.2016
15 Am I Dying Or Just Getting My Period?
This week’s episode is a solo show; Cara talks about her period problems, but don’t let that discourage you from listening to this one, she doesn’t even get too graphic about it! She talks about the stigma surrounding menstrual health,...
01.04.2016
14 Let's Get Physical
This week’s episode is part two of Cara's conversation with Kirsten Schultz, the guest from episode ten. They talk about how and why Kirsten started the Twitter hashtag #ChronicSex as a safe space to talk more openly about self-care, self-love,...
12.29.2015
13 Why Stop At One?
In this week’s episode, Cara talks to former med student and current PhD candidate Cyrena about her experience pursuing higher education in the biomedical sciences, other ways to pursue related interests, what it’s been like to deal with both Bipolar...
12.22.2015
12 A Festive Holiday Episode About Depression w/ Dior Vargas
Content Warning: Suicide On this week’s episode, Cara talks to Dior Vargas, Latina feminist mental health activist, about her experiences with depression, suicide rates, and her People of Color with Mental Illness photo project. In honor of Festivus, Cara airs some...
12.15.2015
11 What a Pain w/ Jill Fancher PhD
On this week’s episode, Cara talks to Jill Fancher PhD, a pain psychologist who lives with chronic pain herself. They talk about how she came to study pain, the devastation of being stuck in diagnostic limbo, stigma, existing in the...
12.01.2015
10 Not Standing Still's Disease W: Kirsten Schultz
In this week’s episode, Cara talks to Kirsten Schultz of the blog Not Standing Still’s Disease about her rare condition, Still’s Disease, and where it fits into the picture of autoimmune arthritis. They both make statements in response to last...
11.22.2015
09 Complex Paitents Across The Border
On this week’s episode of the podcast, In Sickness + In Health: A Chronic Illness Podcast goes international! I talk to Ariane, an artist and crafter from Vancouver, Canada. She has a number of longterm, complex symptoms, but has...
11.17.2015
08 Glaucoma + Inflamation -itis Things
On this week’s episode of the podcast, Beata talks about being an adoptee with no family health history to rely on, accessible transportation, her work with the NGO Glaucoma Eyes, and getting published in an anthology of adult adoptee stories....
11.09.2015
07 My Disease Secret W: Christopher Snider
This week Cara finally talks to someone with a disease people have actually heard of: Type 1 diabetes. Christopher Snider is creator of the My Disease Secret communities, ePatient advisor for Stanford’s MedicineX conference, blogger at tobesugarfree.com, and host of...
11.02.2015
06 Accessibility Means More Than Ramps - Part Two
Cara and Rebecca invite you to challenge some of what you think you know about disability, and the cultural messages we get about what a Disabled Person is. They discuss self advocacy, Rebecca's work toward better accessible transit options for...
10.30.2015
05 Autoimmunity + Friends
Cathy talks about grief (especially denial), The Spoon Theory, parenting with chronic illness, how her condition has affected her music career, and what it’s like to be “one of the lucky ones,” by having definitive disease markers in her blood....
10.27.2015
04 My Brain Was Falling Out Of My Skull!
Becca talks about having Giardia as an infant, traveling with an unpredictable chronic illness, having brain surgery—twice, the wonders of high sodium diets, and her video game web series, Millennial Fair. She lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Arnold Chiari Malformation, and...
10.27.2015
03 Accessibility Means More Than Ramps - Part 1
Rebecca and I have an awful lot in common; we both grew up weirdos in the same tiny mountain town in Northern New Jersey, attended the same high school at different times, have many of the same diagnoses, and even...

What's In Sickness + In Health: A Chronic Illness Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

In Sickness + In Health: A Chronic Illness Podcast episodes:

50 Unrested w/ Jen Brea

48 Burning Down the House

47 Australian Appearance Activist Carly Findlay

46 TDoV w/ S. Leigh Thompson

45 WTF AHCA w/ Emily Ladau

44 March Madness w/ Christopher Snider

42 Merciless (AHCA)

40 Standing on the Mouth of Hell

BONUS EPISODE: What Even IS 'Obamacare' Anyway?

39 Binders Full of Podcasters

38 Still Processing

The Stories We Tell: MedX Special Episode

37 Happy Birthday, Baby!

36 ME/CFS & POTS w Ryan Prior

Project UterX: MedX Special Episode

35b Sex Geek, Chronic Migraineur And American Treasure

35a Sex Geek, Chronic Migrainuer And American Treasure

34 The Hill I Wanna Die On

33 Allie Cashel On Suffering The Silence

32 What Is This Life? w/ Erica Lupinacci

31 Tough In Any Weather

30 Fill In The Blank Awareness Month

29 Digital Red Tent

28 Broken Hearts

27 A Place I've Gone For Necessity

26 Disability Cuts In The UK

25 Transplants + Inside Baseball

24 Building A Mystery

23 When Sustainability + Accessibility Collide

22 Pain Is Personal

Rare Disease Day Bonus Episode

21 One Thing After Another

20 Lowkey Traumatic

19 Keep Telling It And Keep Telling It

18 Well It's Complicated

17 It's 'Just' Stress

16 Fun With Endometriosis w/ Abby Norman

15 Am I Dying Or Just Getting My Period?

14 Let's Get Physical

13 Why Stop At One?

12 A Festive Holiday Episode About Depression w/ Dior Vargas

11 What a Pain w/ Jill Fancher PhD

10 Not Standing Still's Disease W: Kirsten Schultz

09 Complex Paitents Across The Border

08 Glaucoma + Inflamation -itis Things

07 My Disease Secret W: Christopher Snider

06 Accessibility Means More Than Ramps - Part Two

05 Autoimmunity + Friends

04 My Brain Was Falling Out Of My Skull!

03 Accessibility Means More Than Ramps - Part 1