This week’s episode of Overlooked features stories from our very first cohort of First Person Health, a new workshop which helps participants tell their story in sound.

The idea for First Person Health came from the first season of Overlooked, where I used my mom's audio diaries to craft a larger story about ovarian cancer. I’ve been working professionally in audio for 25 years now, but I feel strongly that the skills I leaned on to create that first season can be learned and used by anyone, to really own the story of your health journey.

In our inaugural cohort, I was joined by long-time Overlooked listeners from Europe and the US: Jen Johnson, Melissa Kirk, Spencer Moore, Kasia Wozniak and Evelyn Molina - wonderful women with powerful stories to tell. And this week's episode starts us off with Spencer and Jen's stories, with the second installment of FPH coming next month.

The backstory

For this workshop, we walked through some of the narrative and audio skills participants could use to record their stories, and I then worked with the audio to create the pieces you’ll hear in this episode. I saw the transformative power of storytelling in this workshop, as participants used those skills to hone and shape their stories in sound.

On a personal note, assembling and teaching that first workshop was an important and memorable experience for me. The stories that were brought into the workshop were oftentimes difficult and emotionally heavy, but the storytellers behind them were incredibly courageous and committed. Our final class was a listening party, and very emotional for me.

I wouldn’t be doing this work if I didn’t believe in the power of the human voice to create understanding, intimacy and connection, to make people feel something visceral when it comes to stories of the body.

As you know, with Overlooked everything is done on a human scale - intimate conversations, deep connections, an ongoing search for meaning in our stories. First Person Health is no different. I’m planning the next workshop now, so if you'd like to apply to be part of it, click the button below to learn more. I'll be offering this workshop only a few times this year, with no more than seven participants per cohort, and the course costs $300USD. These are stories that can be shared with family and friends, or even with your medical team and others who need to understand the legacy and impact of your health journey. If you have questions, hit reply and ask away.
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What else is going on:

What I’m reading: The Anatomy of Hope, by oncologist Jerome Groopman. It’s a difficult read about being hopeful during sickness and a tough diagnosis. Like all of Groopman’s work, it’s brilliantly written.

What I’m listening to:

• ​The Wobbly Middle, hosted by my fellow indie podcaster Patsy Day - it’s a fantastic podcast about women rethinking their careers and well worth your attention.
• Listener Maria Ordovas-Montanes emailed me in response to the pain episode I did last month, and in our email exchange, she also sent me this episode she made - a really neat listen.

A l'il story about the randomness of the American healthcare system:

Those of you who have been subscribed to this newsletter for a while know that I take a daily estrogen pill, which has a backstory of its own, and which I do believe makes a big difference to everything from my insomnia to my joint health.

Initially, my health insurance wanted to charge me about $700 dollars for a three month supply. I decided to pay out-of-pocket, which ended being about $90 per month. It’s still a lot, but I’m lucky to be able to include it in my budget.

I went to the pharmacy the other day to pick up my monthly supply, and here’s what they charged me.

From $90 to $30? I asked the follow-up: how come? The answer: 'because you’re paying out-of-pocket.' Which makes no sense at. I hesitated for a minute, debating whether I had the energy for a longer conversation with a stressed out pharmacist who was already eying the long line of customers behind me, and who was basically working in an inexplicably broken healthcare system. Not today, I decided, and like Bonnie and Clyde, my estrogen and I beat a hasty path it to the exit.

Wishing you the best of health,

Golda
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