The Medical Detectives

Trigger Warning: Discussion of infant medical crisis and loss. When baby Ivy couldn't breath doctors said it was normal, but Kalla’s instincts told her something was terribly wrong. Dismissed repeatedly, she fought through fear and isolation to uncover a rare genetic disorder that explained Ivy’s muscle spasms and respiratory failure. Discover how parental persistence and selflessness saved her da...

This week Anna and Erin welcome Tracy, whose years long struggle with bone-deep exhaustion, persistent sore throats and sudden blood blisters led her on a winding odyssey from GPs to specialists, with inconclusive tests and tough treatments at every turn. In our “Diseases That Need a Rebrand” series, we’re asking you to help us rename this mysterious, tongue-twisting condition—email your rebrand i...

This week on The Medical Detectives, Erin and Anna tackle their first-ever male patient story, delivered by the one person who never stopped believing him: his wife, Angela. From childhood Guillain-Barré and a hidden battle with addiction to a whirlwind romance and marriage, Trevor’s life derails when relentless vomiting and mysterious “unexplained” ER visits lead to gallbladder surgery, and still...

For nearly 35 years Chelle lived with daily headaches, nausea, numbness, and overwhelming pressure in her head—symptoms repeatedly dismissed as anxiety or depression. But when her child’s medical crisis taught her to trust her instincts, she finally pushed for answers. In this episode, Chelle shares her decades-long journey of misdiagnosis, self-doubt, and dismissal before discovering the true cau...

In this deeply emotional and eye-opening episode of Medical Detectives , we sit down with Rita, whose medical mystery spanned nearly a decade of pain, misdiagnosis, and dismissal. From being a young mother and nurse with a sudden onset of terrifying symptoms to being told she just needed candy or mental health care, Rita’s story highlights the devastating impact of medical gaslighting, sexism in h...

Leah grew up never seeing a real doctor, but learning from her homeopath mom how to listen to her body. As an adult, she was told she was allergic to the sun, iron, and bread. But when she landed in the ER on her 40th birthday, vomiting, in unbearable pain, and with purple urine , doctors were perplexed. Every test was coming back negative, and all of a sudden she felt like she was in an episode o...

In this extraordinary episode of The Medical Detectives , we meet Bethany, a former professional dancer whose body, once built for movement, began betraying her in small, painful ways that no one could explain. What started as stiffness and toe pain evolved into years of misdiagnoses, dismissed symptoms, and being told it was all in her head. Over two decades, Bethany endured chronic pain, gave up...

In this gripping and emotional episode, we dive into Jill’s extraordinary journey — a story of relentless persistence, unanswered questions, and one life-changing discovery. For over a decade, Jill battled mysterious and increasingly alarming symptoms: unexplained weight gain, drastic changes in her appearance, and a series of concerning medical issues that doctors struggled to explain. Despite he...

In this gripping episode of The Medical Detectives , we meet Jennifer — a working mom whose life was turned upside down by mysterious and debilitating symptoms. From a racing heartbeat to progressive numbness, poor sight, and immobility, Jennifer's journey highlights the frustrating maze of misdiagnoses she faced. With multiple doctors dismissing her concerns as stress, Jennifer was left questioni...

In one of our most intense and eye-opening episodes yet, we sit down with Brianna, whose journey through the medical system took years of misdiagnoses, dismissal, and frustration before she finally got the answers she needed. What started as a mysterious sleep disorder—marked by violent night terrors, hallucinations, and sleepwalking—was repeatedly brushed off as anxiety and depression. But after...

In this gripping episode of The Medical Detectives, we sit down with Simone, whose harrowing medical journey took her from being an active, adventurous athlete to navigating years of misdiagnoses, medical gaslighting, and life-altering surgeries. What started as severe menstrual pain turned into a baffling cascade of symptoms—black tar-like bleeding, debilitating cyst ruptures, and chronic pelvic...

In this special international episode, we sit down with Kim from Brisbane, Australia, to uncover a medical mystery that will leave you stunned—especially if you're a mom. Kim’s story is one of resilience, misdiagnosis, and the shocking truth about a rare postpartum condition that nearly left her unable to care for her newborn. After being dismissed by multiple doctors, Kim had to fight to get the...

In this episode of The Medical Detectives , we dive into one of the most astonishing medical mysteries we've ever encountered. Rachel takes us on a 132-year journey through her family’s unexplained health conditions—joint pain, heart problems, hair loss, and unique facial features—symptoms that spanned five generations without a clear answer. From early childhood struggles and relentless medical a...

This week on The Medical Detectives , we sit down with the incredible Chan, known to many as @chanplante on TikTok, to hear her harrowing medical journey from an invisible illness to a visible one. Chan takes us through the baffling medical experiences that followed her COVID-19 diagnosis—unexplained strokes, eye pain, and a frustrating maze of misdiagnoses that ultimately led to her losing vision...

In this deeply moving and inspiring episode of The Medical Detectives , Dr. Nance and Anna sit down with Caroline, a vibrant and determined young woman navigating life with a mysterious syndrome that makes her allergic to most foods. From her early childhood experiences with life-threatening allergies to her diagnosis during college, Caroline shares the twists, turns, and triumphs of living with a...

In this shocking episode of The Medical Detectives , Dr. Erin Nance and Anna O’Brien sit down with Kathy to unravel a years-long medical mystery that took her from a diagnosis of ADHD in childhood to a harrowing journey through depression, bipolar disorder, and physical debilitation. Kathy shares her story of navigating a healthcare maze, encountering medical bias, and her relentless pursuit of an...

Welcome to the very first episode of The Medical Detectives! In this powerful first episode, co-hosts Dr. Nance and Anna flip the script and Dr. Nance interviews Anna about her extraordinary health journey. Anna spent years struggling in her body, before finally deciding to get help, which sent her on a whole other journey trying to crack the mystery of her diagnosis. Anna opens up about her exper...

This week’s episode is an extraordinary journey of resilience, groundbreaking medical innovation, and the power of hope. We welcome Karen, a devoted mother who fought tirelessly for her daughter Mary’s survival, and Dr. Brian Druker, the pioneering physician-scientist who helped develop Gleevec, the revolutionary cancer treatment that saved her. Mary was diagnosed with an incurable form of leukemi...