Why does this happen? And how can patients and health care providers work toward rebuilding trust?

So it's a multifactorial issue, but it's one that I've given a lot of thought since falling ill.

Unfortunately, at some point along your medical journey, if you've developed a serious health condition, you may face medical gaslighting, which, you know, We define as being dismissed or psychologized or denied by someone you sought help from.

You were hoping who would help you, who is often in a position of power over you.

There is a power dynamic in every hospital room.

And I think from now that I can see both sides, from the physician point of view, I think we underestimate how challenging it is for us to say, I don't know, to not have all of the answers.

It is in part because of the way our training is structured.

Mm-hmm.

Why does this happen? And how can patients and health care providers work toward rebuilding trust?

So it's a multifactorial issue, but it's one that I've given a lot of thought since falling ill.

Unfortunately, at some point along your medical journey, if you've developed a serious health condition, you may face medical gaslighting, which, you know, We define as being dismissed or psychologized or denied by someone you sought help from.

You were hoping who would help you, who is often in a position of power over you.

There is a power dynamic in every hospital room.

And I think from now that I can see both sides, from the physician point of view, I think we underestimate how challenging it is for us to say, I don't know.

Yeah.

How do people find accurate scientific information?

Can you share a little bit about your personal journey with long COVID and how it transformed your perspective on medicine?

Yeah, I'd be happy to.

So 2020, I, uh, live and work in the Northern California Central Valley.

We were hit very hard by COVID-19.

If you remember those maps that were produced that were color-coded that would tell you, um, the prevalence of outbreaks across the country, we were red from the time that it started being produced to the time it ended and stopped being produced.

So we had a lot of exposure risk.

I am, as you said, an anesthesiologist, so I work all over the hospital and particularly in people's airways, their nose and mouth, to help stabilize them, either in an emergency in the emergency room or ICU or in the operating room, even for a regular, um, non-emergent surgery.

Tell our listeners what we currently understand about the condition and why it's been so difficult to diagnose and treat.

Can you share a little bit about your personal journey with long COVID and how it transformed your perspective on medicine?

Yeah, I'd be happy to.

So 2020, I, uh, live and work in the Northern California Central Valley.

We were hit very hard by COVID-19.

If you remember those maps that were produced that were color-coded that would tell you, um, the prevalence of outbreaks across the country, we were red from the time that it started being produced to the time it ended and stopped being produced.

So we had a lot of exposure risk.

I am, as you said, an anesthesiologist, so I work all over the hospital and particularly in people's airways, their nose and mouth, to help stabilize them either in an emergency in the emergency room or ICU or in the operating room, even for a regular, um, non-emergent surgery.

Tell our listeners what we currently understand about the condition and why it's been so difficult to diagnose and treat.

What are some of the steps that you take in evaluating new research and studies? What are, you know, what's sort of your process in reading a paper and determining if it is good quality evidence?

Yeah, that's a great question.

I'd be happy to explain my little process because I do have a little process.

So again, the point of my goal in reading a clinical trial is primarily for myself first, and then to tr- to translate it.

But say I'm just taking, looking at a clinical trial to see if this is something that I should start.

My goal is to understand if this treatment could help me, if this treatment is relevant to what I'm going through, and the w- that's my big overarching goal.

So what I do is I'll read the headline or the title just to get an idea of which drug, it's usually a drug, um, has been studied.

So how, how would you recommend doing that?

What are some of the steps that you take in evaluating your research and studies? What are, you know, what's sort of your process in reading a paper and determining if it is good quality evidence?

Yeah, that's a great question.

I'd be happy to explain my little process because I do have a little process.

So again, the point of my goal in reading a clinical trial is primarily for myself first and then to translate it.

But say I'm just looking at a clinical trial to see if this is something that I should start.

My goal is to understand if this treatment could help me.

if this treatment is relevant to what I'm going through.

So how would you recommend doing that?

So can you share that with us, please?

Yeah, it was really interesting.

I kept using that word.

This is so interesting.

This is fascinating.

I remember one time collapsing in the bathroom, staring at my floorboards, and my husband came in and was very, very worried and was asking me, what is wrong? And I was just saying, this is fascinating.

Because I was experiencing symptoms that I had maybe read about.

But before we do that, I'm fascinated as to what led you to start your podcast and you have a newsletter, Long COVID MD.