Overlooked: Women's Health Can't Wait

A sudden, blinding headache brought Golda to the emergency room in December of 2025, and that visit became the inspiration for this episode. Golda uses that ER visit as a case study to understand how we as patients can better communicate with our healthcare providers, and vice versa. The guest on this episode is Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency medicine physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and editor-in-chief of MedPage Today. Dr Faust explains what ER staff are listening for, why the pain scale matters less than you think, and which details of your condition do matter instead. 

This episode is part of our series exploring the doctor-patient relationship: ‘How to talk so your doctor listens’. Maybe our next episode will come from you - write to us with your story, or reflections on your relationship with your doctor: email or send us a voice memo [email protected].

For a deeper dive into this topic, read and subscribe to the newsletter here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/posts

What to listen to next:

What a visit to the ER taught me about pain in women:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-a-visit-to-the-er-taught-me-about-pain-in-women/id1706322130?i=1000745282562

How to talk so your doctor listens, with endocrinologist Dr Gillian Goddard:

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-talk-so-your-doctor-listens-with/id1706322130?i=1000792186566

From period pain to the pain scale: why we struggle with the language of pain, with Kate Downey: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-period-pain-to-the-pain-scale-why-we-struggle/id1706322130?i=1000774026033

To sign up for an immersive health storytelling workshop, click here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/firstpersonhealth

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: www.overlookedpod.com

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Our music is licensed through Blue Dot Sessions.

Your doctor is supposed to listen to you regardless of what you say - but most women have a story about a doctor’s visit that left them feeling dismissed and invisible. This episode kicks off a new series of conversations exploring the doctor-patient relationship, and how we as patients can improve it, and get the care and attention we deserve. Endocrinologist Dr. Gillian Goddard, author of The Hormone Loop: An Empowering Guide to Restoring Hormonal Harmony, from Puberty to Menopause, breaks down why patients and doctors often speak past each other, even when both want the same thing. She shares how to set a realistic goal before your appointment, how to push back, and what to do with everything you learned from Dr. Google at 3am.

For a deeper dive and the backstory to this episode, read and subscribe to the newsletter here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/posts

To sign up for an immersive health storytelling workshop, click here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/firstpersonhealth

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: www.overlookedpod.com

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Our music is licensed through Blue Dot Sessions.

This episode features voices from First Person Health, a creative storytelling workshop which helps women express their experiences with health and illness, diagnosis and recovery. 

This is a special ovarian cancer edition, and features powerfully-told stories from ovarian cancer survivors Deborah Binder, Jen Johnson, Molly Goodman and Nikki Myers.

All four women document how this cancer transformed their lives, and talk about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, their diagnosis, treatment and side effects. They name what is still overlooked, and talk about how they advocate for themselves and others with ovarian cancer. 

For the backstory and more details on this episode, click here - https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/posts, and get on the mailing list to join a community of people engaged with women’s health.

Join a storytelling workshop to learn how to tell your own health story in sound. Sign up here - https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/a0aa7482e5

More about the Amy Krouse Rosenthal Foundation:

This episode is made possible with support from the Amy Krouse Rosenthal Foundation, an advocacy organization for ovarian cancer. 

The AKR Foundation funds early detection research and education efforts to increase awareness of ovarian cancer warning signs and improve outcomes through earlier diagnosis.

The foundation is named after Amy Krouse Rosenthal, an award-winning bestselling author, and seeks to honor her legacy. 

The AKR Foundation also supports literacy initiatives that help young readers discover joy, confidence, and possibility through reading.

The AKR Foundation Innovator Award supports creative, impactful initiatives that raise awareness of ovarian cancer and improve education on its symptoms, early detection, and prevention.

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: www.overlookedpod.com

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Our music is licensed through Blue Dot Sessions.

There are many positive developments in cancer treatments right now, and the overall survival rate for cancer across the board is ticking upwards. But there’s a shadow here. Survivorship is overlooked, and it comes with its own weight, creating a range of challenges: difficulties that are emotional or physical, sexual or financial. In this episode, Golda talks to Dr Mercedes Castiel about the shadow of cancer survivroship, what 'quality of life' means after cancer treatment, and the kinds of resources survivors and caregivers need.

This episode was recorded with a live audience at the Canadian Conference on Ovarian Cancer, organized by Ovarian Cancer Canada, and hosted by the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative at the University of British Columbia. It also features the experiences of three ovarian cancer survivors: Jackie Cherwenuk, Jenny Graham, and Leslie Fletcher.

For the backstory to this episode, links and other resources on survivorship, subscribe to the Overlooked newsletter:

https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/posts

What to listen to next:

A narrative episode from season 1 about treatment for ovarian cancer: https://overlooked.simplecast.com/episodes/treatment

On 'previvorship', and preventing cancer when you're considered high risk: https://overlooked.simplecast.com/episodes/knowing-and-facing-your-cancer-risk-with-michelle-zimmerman

Also mentioned in the episode: First Person Health, a storytelling workshop. If you love Overlooked's style of audio storytelling and want to tell your own story in sound, learn more about the workshop, and sign up here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/firstpersonhealth

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: www.overlookedpod.com

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Our music is licensed through Blue Dot Sessions.

Gynecologic oncologist Dr. Kemi Doll explains how clinical guidelines built without Black women in mind, and decades of dismissed symptoms means that Black women are twice as likely to die of endometrial cancer. Dr. Doll's newly released book, A Terrible Strength, The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing, digs even deeper into the crisis she's spent her career trying to solve. 

Read the backstory to this episode, and learn more about women's health by signing up for our newsletter here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/posts

This episode was first published in May 2025.

Interested in telling your own health story in sound? Sign up for First Person Health, our narrative storytelling class here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/firstpersonhealth

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: www.overlookedpod.com

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Our music is licensed through Blue Dot Sessions.

'First Person Health' is a storytelling workshop, and this episode features two moving pieces from women who took the class:

First Person Health teaches women how to tell their story powerfully in sound. This is small-batch storytelling, so that each participant gets attention and support as they process their health experience. The last workshop for the year will take place this fall and space is limited to 6 participants. Learn more, and sign up for the next workshop here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/firstpersonhealth

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: www.overlookedpod.com

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Our music is licensed through Blue Dot Sessions.

Teresa Arthur, whose story with ovarian cancer was the reason Overlooked was created in the first place, passed away on July 2nd, 2026. 

In this episode, Golda reflects on her mom’s passing, and re-introduces the very first episode of the podcast, going back to where this journey began. 

The first season of Overlooked was all about ovarian cancer, and to listen to the next episode in that series, ‘Diagnosis’ click here: https://overlooked.simplecast.com/episodes/diagnosis

To read and subscribe to the newsletter, click here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/f8ebd706ad

To read Teresa Arthur’s obituary, click here: https://tjtracey.com/tribute/details/4181/Teresa-Arthur/obituary.html#tribute-start

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: www.overlookedpod.com

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Our music is licensed through Blue Dot Sessions.

This episode is a special collaboration with Cramped, a podcast hosted by the dynamic Kate Helen Downey. Golda and Kate talk about the language of pain, why women talk about their pain differently than men, and how our pain is so often dismissed. Also - what’s the point of the pain scale, anyway? 

You can listen to Cramped here: https://patreon.com/cramped

For more resources on the topics mentioned in this episode, read and subscribe to the newsletter here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/f8ebd706ad

What to listen to next: Sharing a difficult story about cervical screening, with writer Brittany Chaffee - https://overlooked.simplecast.com/episodes/sharing-a-difficult-story-about-cervical-screening-with-writer-brittany-chaffee

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: www.overlookedpod.com

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Our music is licensed through Blue Dot Sessions.

Sanju Pal was a high-performing management consultant when she was told she had a cyst on her ovary the size of a Coke can. But sitting in her gynecologist's office, facing urgent surgery, all she could think about was her job.

That moment was the beginning of a seven year struggle through endometriosis, dismissal by her employer, and two employment tribunals - that ended in a landmark ruling establishing that endometriosis can be considered a disability under the Equality Act 2010 in the UK.

Sanju Pal talks to Golda about the overlooked aspects of her health story, how her relationship with her body has evolved, and what she’s learned from years of self-advocacy.

Go deeper on this episode and endometriosis as a condition by subscribing to our newsletter: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/f8ebd706ad

What to listen to next: Gabrielle Jackson, author of Pain and Prejudice, on her experience with endometriosis and how women's pain has systemically been sidelined.

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: www.overlookedpod.com

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Our music is licensed through Blue Dot Sessions.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD is an overlooked and under-researched condition - a severe form of PMS. Shalene Gupta is the author of ‘The Cycle: Confronting the Pain of Periods and PMDD’, a raw account of her experience with this condition. Shalene talks about the havoc it created in her life and her relationships, and the difficult path to finding effective treatment. She also traces PMDD’s controversial route to formal recognition by the medical establishment. 

A version of this episode first ran in April 2025. More links and resources on PMDD are here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/posts/momentum-in-women-s-health-a-pmdd-episode-moving-the-needle-on-ovarian-cancer 

What to listen to next: A Uterus in a Dish - How Menstrual Blood can Revolutionize Women's Health Research with Morgan Stanton https://overlooked.simplecast.com/episodes/what-is-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-with-author-shalene-gupta

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: www.overlookedpod.com

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Our music is licensed through Blue Dot Sessions.