The Sick Gaze

Five Public Health Updates You Should Know

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2308796/open_sms] 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 problems continue to matter. We cover federal spending concerns, rising healthcare premiums, ongoing disability discrimination, food security challenges, and other public health issues that affect everyday Americans. Take care of your spoons! If you're interested in being interviewed for this podcast or want to let me know your thoughts on this episode, email me at thesickgaze@gmail.com and follow @thesickgazepod on Instagram and Tiktok!

Hysterical Histories: Unhinged Medical Myths about Womens Bodies

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2308796/open_sms] 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 bizarre and often horrifying ways women’s bodies have been misunderstood, medicalized, and controlled. We talk about how tuberculosis once became fashionable (“consumptive chic”), why doctors thought cycling caused bicycle face, how midwives were demonized as witches, and how childbirth shifted from community-centered care to sterile hospital rooms. The three of us - Molly, Tayler @distaaybled, and Amy @amyrosaliee - are all chronically ill women who’ve experienced medical dismissal firsthand. So we decided to dig into the history that built the biases we still face today. Our conversation moves through time and theme, connecting the dots between superstition, sexism, and the modern medical system. Take care of your spoons! If you're interested in being interviewed for this podcast or want to let me know your thoughts on this episode, email me at thesickgaze@gmail.com and follow @thesickgazepod on Instagram and Tiktok!

My Experience with Chronic Illness

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2308796/open_sms] 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 about confronting the larger systems of ableism and sexism that shape how people are seen, treated, and valued. Living in a body that doesn’t always cooperate has forced me to redefine what makes me worthy: not productivity, not being “easy” or “convenient,” but the inherent value I hold as a person. That hasn’t been an easy lesson. It’s been a process of learning through frustration, sadness, resilience, and the slow unlearning of the belief that my worth is tied to how well I can perform for others. By sharing my story, I aim to contribute to the ongoing development of this platform, fostering open and honest conversations about illness, identity, and care. This podcast is about making space for the messy truths of living with chronic conditions, and also about the power we find in telling our stories and building community. Take care of your spoons! If you're interested in being interviewed for this podcast or want to let me know your thoughts on this episode, email me at thesickgaze@gmail.com and follow @thesickgazepod on Instagram and Tiktok!

Forging Your Own Path While Being Chronically Ill with Hailey Hudson

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2308796/open_sms] 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 anxious teenagers rather than recognizing them as patients in need of genuine and urgent medical care. Hailey’s story underscores her resilience and her determination to forge a life shaped by both entrepreneurship and advocacy—pursued not only in spite of, but also because of, the limitations imposed by chronic illness. You can learn more about Hailey and her work at https://thehardworkingcreative.com/ [https://thehardworkingcreative.com/] or check her out on linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/atlantahealthcarewriter/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/atlantahealthcarewriter/] Take care of your spoons! If you're interested in being interviewed for this podcast or want to let me know your thoughts on this episode, email me at thesickgaze@gmail.com and follow @thesickgazepod on Instagram and Tiktok!

Not Rare, Just Ignored: When Conditions Aren't on the Curriculum with Ada Port

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2308796/open_sms] 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 foundation of her sense of self was shattered. Ada made a promise to herself: once she had answers, she wouldn’t stay silent. In this episode of The Sick Gaze, Ada shares her diagnostic journey through Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, endometriosis, and visceroptosis, even sharing the shocking reaction following her provider's order for her to do a Beighton Scale Exam at a young age. She reflects on what it means to live for years in the absence of medical clarity, and how gaining a diagnosis gave her the language and authority to begin advocating, not only for herself, but for others.  Now a medical student, Ada is helping shape a more inclusive future for people with disabilities and those living with chronic illnesses in medicine, from both sides of the exam room.  Take care of your spoons! If you're interested in being interviewed for this podcast or want to let me know your thoughts on this episode, email me at thesickgaze@gmail.com and follow @thesickgazepod on Instagram and Tiktok!