HistoryHealth & FitnessMedicine

In Sickness

Two friends discuss episodes in the history of diseases past and present. We lay out the spread of diseases through history to the modern day, and how their history has affected our modern treatment of each illness.

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20 episodes
Avg 52 min
English

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#39
August 21 · 1 hr 6 min
Yellow Fever
After a brief reprieve, we are back to hating on the colonizers (did we ever really stop?), but this time they're getting yellow fever! We talk about the names for this disease (Yellow Jack, anyone?), based on some of its more horrifying symptoms. For some visual aids, feel free to check us out on instagram @insickness2020! Angel covers the mysterious origins of the disease, and explains the ongoing debate. She takes us over to the West Indies in the early 1700s, and how yellow fever bridged the gap between climate, race, residence, and susceptibility. She runs us through some of the worst (bloodletting), best (opium and alcohol), and weirdest (pigeons) cures for the disease, and how ineffective they were. Maya takes us forward into Western Africa, also known as "the white man's grave", and how the huge amount of deaths led to vaccine work. While that might seem positive, if you've listened to this podcast before, you surely know that that is not the case. Maya brings us to medical experimentation and racism galore, before capping it off with the tale of The Yellow Fever Fiend.
#38
May 29 · 52 min
MMR Part 2: Mumps & Rubella
Don't get your goiters in a twist.....the next episode is here! Last time, we talked about measles, the first M of MMR. But mumps and rubella are so often overlooked! Join us this episode as we discuss these two diseases through the lens of media. We will talk about Brooklyn 99, Miss Marple, and so much in between! Join us as we learn a bit more about the impact that these diseases have had on not just our health, but our viewing habits.
#37
March 27 · 1 hr 1 min
MMR Part 1: Measles
This episode we begin to explore the MMR vaccine and the diseases it protects against (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella). We focus mostly on measles, as there is a lot of ground to cover. Angel talks about its reign of terror, and the way it affected entire nations, as it spread across the world...or wait, was that just colonizers? As we discuss, they often came together! Maya discusses religious groups, and how extreme beliefs often come hand-in-hand with new measles outbreaks. Join us as we break down a classic viral disease, and come back for the next episode, where we talk about the other M and R, mumps and rubella in popular media!
#36
January 30 · 54 min
Long COVID
Thank you dear friends for your patience as we took a brief recess for...health reasons. Get it? Join us on a reunion episode (recorded March 2025) as Angeliki explains her relationship with long COVID, our hiatus, and the new information we have learned over the last few years about COVID-19. We share resources, stories, and even a bit of song. Next time we will be back with our regularly scheduled format, talking about the newly returned epidemic...Measles. Catch that episode on February 27th.
#35
Mar 31, 2023 · 51 min
Dengue
Welcome back to the podcast that we now have to just admit is quarterly. Maybe not forever though! Join us this week as we have a blast wading through the different names of dengue, the severity of it all, and getting riled up about human experimentation- as we do. Follow us on instagram for some not-so-gory visuals to back up the stories we tell, @insickness2020.
#34
Dec 26, 2022 · 42 min
Lyme Disease
Happy holidays to all! In the holiday spirit, we offer up our newest episode on Lyme disease, a tick-borne zoonotic disease. Just the thing to take a quick relaxing break from all the activities that we often have this time of year! Learn more about the recent (recent) history of this disease, and how it will begin to affect more and more of us due to circumstances 100% within human control.
#33
Dec 7, 2022 · 25 min
Spicy Cocktail of Disease - Minisode
We revisit our first episode, where we discussed the Flu and COVID-19, and reflect on the current "tridemic" status many countries are facing right now. A brief overview of where we are right now with COVID, the flu, and RSV, just to keep us in practice. We'll be back soon with another full length episode- happy listening!
#32
Oct 31, 2022 · 1 hr 7 min
Abortion
Content Warning: Abortion, Miscarriage, Donald Trump We're back, with another spooky halloween episode! After all, what could be scarier than the loss of a vital reproductive health service. Join us as we remember how to podcast, discuss attitudes and perceptions of abortion through history, and explain what the global gag rule is and how it might affect us all. If you're interested in donating to support access to abortion, please consider https://abortionfunds.org/ xoxo, see you soon!
#31
Feb 27, 2022 · 42 min
Lupus
A disease of many faces, lupus has absolutely nothing to do with wolves, and everything to do with your immune system. Follow us on this wild ride that starts with Queen Anne and millipedes, and ends with Ivermectin and orchids. You'll see what we mean.
#30
Dec 23, 2021 · 39 min
Hemophilia
We're back with another holiday themed blood disease everyone! Tune in to hear with this is (loosely) festive, as well as get the hot takes on the Romanovs, the royal disease, and the modern world of hemophilia treatment. Keep safe, warm, and healthy, and we'll see you in 2022!
#29
Oct 31, 2021 · 36 min
Vampires
As if the topic of this podcast wasn't scary enough already...enjoy this spooooooky halloween minisode! This week we indulge ourselves with myths, mystery, literature, and a little pop culture. Learn with us about vampires as a disease, disease as a vampire, and how the two may be inextricable. Until next time, happy haunting.
#28
Mar 5, 2021 · 1 hr 8 min
Sleeping Sickness
A special birthday episode, for our special birthday host, Angeliki! It says a lot about both of us as people that this might be one of our favourite ways to celebrate- if we can't be together of course. Deep dive with us on this episode, as we look at the origins of human history, colonialism, and their direct repercussions in the modern day, through the lens of sleeping sickness. This is the disease that launched 16 episodes (our origin story), and one that we had a lot of fun/trauma with. Hope you enjoy!
#27
Feb 3, 2021 · 56 min
HPV Take Two
Why the long wait, why the take two? Good old fashioned technological illiteracy! Enjoy our finely honed (read: done twice because Maya deleted her audio) analysis of the history and current context of Human Papilloma Virus- and find out what that name means. For which we sincerely apologize. Join the confusion as we dive into this gendered STD, and the conversation over on our Instagram. See you soon!
#26
Jan 2, 2021 · 45 min
The Plague
On this episode of In Sickness we discuss the plague, then and now. Fans of the Black Death (we use the word fan very lightly here) will be pleased to know that there are many more types and strains of plague to learn about, and even to contract in the modern day! Hurray! Curious as to how the plague relates to at least three Disney movies, our opinions on national borders, and much more? Tune in, and start the new year right- with a nice dose of disease. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2021, may you never get any of our diseases! - Maya and Angeliki
#25
Dec 5, 2020 · 47 min
Ergot
With the addition of new recording equipment we are back and better than ever, happy to present you with a really late Spooky Halloween/ really early Christmas episode (depending on your perspective)! Today we discuss Ergot, a fungus that grows primarily on rye, and has a myriad of terrifying side effects. I don't want to give away much else but it's creepy, crawly, and as usual, people die! Tune in, and we promise we won't make you wait long for the next!!
#24
Oct 28, 2020 · 55 min
Lead Poisoning
Hi friends of the pod! We're back, and we're seasonally themed (whether we are better than ever or not, is up to you). This week we discuss lead poisoning. Thematically, yes it's a bit weak- but there are lead poisoning epidemics, and hey, it's nearly halloween. Few things are spookier than poison, right? We discuss toxic makeup, plumbing, and traditional medicine through the ages. Tune in next time for more toxic trends and poisonous parley!
#23
Sep 10, 2020 · 52 min
Polio
In honour of wild polio being eliminated in Africa this week, we explore the roots of the disease, and the study of it over the years (and where it failed- because of course we have thoughts about that). We learn more interesting facts about Tuskegee, conspiracy, a man named Heine, and much much more. Join us here, and on Instagram where we'll be posting some interesting images of the history of polio @InSickness2020. See you next time!
#22
Aug 27, 2020 · 58 min
Smallpox
Happy 10 episodes, and welcome back to your regularly scheduled programming! Bringing you back to our roots with a little bit of smallpox, cow pox, and poxes of all sizes. Have questions about vaccines? Well so do we! We may even be able to provide some answers to your questions, but this podcast is guarantee free. Join us as we explore the worlds first eliminated infectious disease, and what exactly we did right. And check us out on Instagram (@insickness2020) for some pictures of the heroes of the fight against smallpox, and also the all around gross historical imagery you've grown to love.
#21
Aug 13, 2020 · 1 hr 1 min
Hysteria: Part 2
In the second episode of this two-part series, we continue our discussion of hysteria, and how it has influenced modern day health care. This time, we focus on mental health, and the various treatments and diagnoses seen throughout history, as well as the reflections in the modern day. Mental illness is always a tricky topic, and we try our very best to talk about the root causes, the ramifications, and the barriers to quality care faced by a wide variety of minority groups. In two weeks we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming, but for now, enjoy getting all riled up about hysteria with us, one more time!
#20
Jul 30, 2020 · 58 min
Hysteria: Part 1
In this two-part episode, we begin our discussion of hysteria in history and the modern day by talking about physical health, and how it was (or wasn't) diagnosed. We now know that hysteria is more of a "category" than an actual disease, but one that was primarily used as a gendered tool for oppression based on sexual and reproductive organs. Reproductive health services and women's health in the modern day are still negatively affected by this outlook on sex and gender, and you better bet we get all riled up about it. We look forward to talking more about sex, gender, and hysteria in our next episode, where we will talk about mental health!

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