Overlooked is an award-winning women's health podcast that features the topics nobody talks about, and the stories that make you feel understood. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, who writes this newsletter - subscribe for behind-the-scenes access to every episode, plus the resources and information that go deeper on the health issues the episodes tackle.
What matters more than the pain scale, with ER doctor Jeremy Faust
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The inspiration for this episode comes from an incident that took place last December: a sudden, 10-out-of-10 headache brought me to the ER. Despite its severity, I found myself downplaying my pain when they asked, "How bad is the pain?" Anyway, I was given a CT scan, IV and fluids, and about six hours later, they told me it did not seem to be a dangerous condition and discharged me. That visit really triggered a bunch of questions I had about how we can advocate for ourselves better as patients, and what emergency room staff are really listening out for. Like the previous episode with Dr Gillian Goddard, I wanted to know about miscommunication and crosstalk between health providers and us, their patients, especially when it comes to talking about pain. So this week’s episode continues the series How to Talk so Your Doctor Listens and this time with an ER insider, Dr Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. He’s also the editor-in-chief of MedPage Today, and an award-winning science communicator. I had a candid conversation with Dr Faust, and we talked about the pain scale, what ER staff listen for when you describe your pain, and where a diagnosis fits into an ER visit.
This episode is part of an ongoing series exploring the doctor-patient relationship - maybe the next episode will come from you? Write to us with your story, or reflections on your relationship with your doctor: email hello@overlookedpod.com. What to listen to next: What a visit to the ER taught me about pain in women: the original story of what happened in the ER that night. This provocative series title is based on a topic area I've been exploring for a couple of years now. It first came up in my conversation with author Gabrielle Jackson, in the context of endometriosis, when we talked about this from a patient's point of view. Listen to that episode here. And then, Dr Brandi Sinkfield, an anesthesiologist, had great, practical advice here about making the best use of your time in your doctor's office. I'll continue to explore this topic from different perspectives in the course of the show - open to your ideas for where to take it next. Wishing you the best of health, Golda
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Overlooked: a women's health podcast
Overlooked is an award-winning women's health podcast that features the topics nobody talks about, and the stories that make you feel understood. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, who writes this newsletter - subscribe for behind-the-scenes access to every episode, plus the resources and information that go deeper on the health issues the episodes tackle.
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