The Sick Gaze

Send a text In honor of Thank You Public Health Day, here are five public health updates you should know! This episode was recorded over a month ago. Although a temporary funding bill was passed and signed into law on November 12, 2025, ending the government shutdown, many of the issues we discuss are still very real. In this episode, we talk about what was happening at the time and why these prob...

Send a text Welcome to The Sick Gaze Podcast ! In this episode, we time-travel through centuries of wild medical myths, questionable “treatments,” and deeply rooted biases that have shaped women’s healthcare as we know it. From the ancient idea of the “wandering womb” to Victorian “hysteria cures,” to the rise of douching ads and eugenics-fueled clitoridectomies, this episode dives into the bizarr...

Send a text Hi everyone, and welcome to this quick episode. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and share some of my journey with chronic illness. I live with rheumatoid arthritis and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, two conditions that have touched almost every part of my life. For me, illness hasn’t just been about navigating symptoms, treatments, or doctors’ offices. It’s been abou...

Send a text In this episode, I sit down with medical writer Hailey Hudson, who first began experiencing symptoms of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in her teens. By her twenties, her condition had progressed to the point where she could not eat without extreme pain, nausea, and fullness. She reflects on navigating a healthcare system that too often dismisses young women with GI issues as anxiou...

Send a text For years, Ada Port moved through the healthcare system without a diagnosis, despite living with persistent and life-altering symptoms.  Without a clear explanation, it was difficult to speak about her experience, especially when her pain was often minimized or overlooked by providers. Amid her deteriorating health and the absence of a diagnosis, Ada felt lost and confused, like the fo...

Send a text In today's episode, I sit down with Erica Falco, a woman living in Long Island, NY, with multiple chronic illnesses that greatly affect her daily life, including endometriosis, hEDS, POTS, MCAS, and gastroparesis. In this inspiring and heartfelt discussion, Erica elucidates the importance of building a strong support system, citing patience and resilience as key components of her...

Send a text In this episode of The Sick Gaze , Tayler Goectau and I, Molly Dickerson, break down the alarming lawsuit filed by 17 states against Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act—a crucial civil rights protection for disabled people. We discuss why 504 matters, how it impacts everyone (not just disabled folks), and the motivations behind this legal attack. More importantly, we explore the dang...

Send a text In the kickoff episode of Season 3 of the Sick Gaze, I sit down with Tayler Goectau. Tayler (she/her) is a young, thin, white woman with medium-length brown hair who is in her 20s and navigating life as a Deaf, Disabled, and Autistic woman. After experiencing neglect, medical gaslighting, and lack of access to quality healthcare and accessibility growing up, she is now a Disability and...

Send a text In this episode of The Sick Gaze , Amy Weintraub shares how hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) has shaped much of her young adult life. She opens up about the difficulty of surgery after surgery as a young person, the emotional weight of adjusting expectations for both herself and those around her, and the challenges of navigating a healthcare system that often fails to listen t...

Send a text Why is women’s pain so often dismissed, downplayed, or outright ignored? In this special episode of The Sick Gaze , I’m sharing an episode I co-hosted with Emily Currey for WHAT IFF: Intersectional Feminist Futures , where we dive into the long and troubling history of how women’s pain has been misunderstood and mistreated in medicine. The special guest of today's episode is Dr. S...

Send a text In this episode of The Sick Gaze , we sit down with Bek Meyers, a resilient nonbinary advocate navigating life with cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS), scoliosis, and frequent joint dislocations that Bek believes may be Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Bek shares their deeply personal journey, from the trauma of being dismissed during their first ER visit to the lasting impact of medical distrust a...

Send a text In this episode of The Sick Gaze , we talk with Alexis Bennett, a biracial woman living with lupus in the South. Alexis shares her journey of navigating the complexities of chronic illness while advocating for herself in a healthcare system that often overlooks women of color and young people. From recognizing red flags in medical settings to finding her voice during appointments, Alex...

Send a text In this episode of The Sick Gaze , Caitlin Edahl shares her journey of living with Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease and how it’s reshaped her understanding of health and self-care. Caitlin reflects on how when she was growing up, she internalized societal stigmas around needing help and viewed illness as something that happened to “other” people. Growing up with a home-remedy, Christian...

Send a text In this episode, we sit down with MM Kibby, a non-binary college student navigating life with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) in Charleston, SC. MM shares the unique challenges they face on campus as someone who uses mobility aids, exploring the concept of dynamic disability . Dynamic...

Send a text In this episode of The Sick Gaze Podcast, I sit down with Shyla Hernandez, a 21-year-old Hispanic woman navigating life with an undiagnosed neuromuscular condition that brings stroke-like symptoms: mobility challenges, gastrointestinal issues, cognitive difficulties, and more. Shyla shares her journey through the healthcare system in Florence, where she faces repeated dismissal, often...

Send a text In this episode of The Sick Gaze , I sit down with Lindsay Wasserman, a resilient 19-year-old navigating life with erythromelalgia and hypermobility. Lindsay shares her experiences as a college student managing chronic pain and physical limitations, all while striving for the “normal” college experience. She highlights the power of meaningful friendships, discussing how friends, even i...

Send a text YOUR CHRONIC ILLNESS FAIRY GODMOTHER HAS ARRIVED!!!!! In one of the most REAL episodes yet, I sit down with Dr. Sandra Slater, a professor of history and sexuality studies at the College of Charleston living with a variety of genetic chronic illnesses that have affected her throughout her whole life. Sandra shares her deeply personal story with many painful conditions, outlining her di...

Send a text WELCOME TO THE FIRST EPISODE OF SEASON 2 OF THE SICK GAZE!!! So glad you're still here! In our kickoff episode of the new season, we are joined by Ezri Burton, a 19 year old woman living with vasovagal syncope and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, AKA POTS. Ezri shares her story of going from "gym girl" to living with condition that prevents her from being able...

Send a text In this powerful TENTH EPISODE (woot woot) of the Sick Gaze Podcast , I sit down with the incredible Juliet Hawkins for an illuminating discussion on living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, POTS, and mast cell activation syndrome. As both a CV nurse and a patient with chronic illnesses, Juliet offers a unique and valuable perspective on the critical importance of self-advocacy in healthcar...

Send a text On today's episode of The Sick Gaze Podcast, we delve into the complex and often misunderstood world of endometriosis. Joining me today is the knowledgeable and resilient Endometriosis warrior, Amy Lainhoff, a 41 year old woman living in Charleston. Together, we uncover the pervasive medical misinformation surrounding this wildly under-researched and underfunded chronic condition....

Send a text In this thought-provoking episode, we delve into the intricate realities of living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) as a college student. Our guest today, Elise Mclain, grapples with the daily intricacies of this unseen illness,  sharing her journey through fluctuating heart rates, tachycardia, palpitations, and the persistent anxiety of discerning POTS symptoms fr...

Send a text Get ready for a no-holds-barred episode of The Sick Gaze! This time, I'm sitting down with the incredible Chardonnay Brown, a 37-year-old woman living with endometriosis, hypermobile ehlers-danlos syndrome, interstitial cystitis, pelvic floor dysfunction, and a whole cocktail of chronic conditions. And joining her for the ride is her awesome husband, Dan Brown. Chardonnay doesn’t...

Send a text In this episode of the Sick Gaze Podcast, I sit down with Stephanie Pittman, a 40 year old woman living with ankylosing spondylitis. A revolutionary and telling episode, Stephanie and I closely examine power dynamics influencing the patient-doctor relationship that limit space for openness, transparency, and healing. Stephanie's intelligence and vulnerability shines light on the d...

Send a text In this episode of the Sick Gaze, Olivia and I discuss all types of relationships, from partners to employers to physicians, and the benefits and trials of navigating each when factoring in chronic illness. We discuss medical dismissal and invalidation, and how to still hold on to hope. Olivias lighthearted sense of humor and heartwarming candor makes this episode a great one! Please e...

Send a text On this episode of the Sick Gaze, with special guest Diane Carroll, we dive deep into the complexities of chronic illness. We dissect what it means to live a "normal" life, allowing us to take a closer look at how often we define ourselves by what we do, not who we are. Referencing her experiences with lupus, Diane graciously and hilariously guides us through self-acceptance...