ZeroSpin

The best conversations start by accident. Someone reads a word on a shirt. They ask about it. And suddenly you’re talking about the thing nobody talks about—Chronic illness—And the questions medicine skips, the patients who fall through the cracks because their story doesn’t fit into Big Pharma’s profit funnel. So we made the shirts—And other stuff. And there’s more to come in the next few months. ZeroSpin merch is live.

Same voice as the newsletter — now on a tee, a mug, or a cap. Apparel and merch for people who never stopped asking the right questions. Shop the ZeroSpin Store Free shipping in the US. Side effects may include more interesting conversations.

I’ve tried a dizzying array of medications, supplements, and lifestyle changes in my relentless search to get back to my full self after a devastating illness. And happily, I’d been climbing out of that hole. Admittedly, the two steps forward, one step back pattern had been getting a bit old—But I didn’t know how good I had it until I was thrown off the heavy metals cliff in Spring 2024. When I ultimately figured out why I’d spiraled back into the abyss, I was dumbfounded.

I never dreamt I’d be back in the unenviable position of trying to navigate a broken medical system with a neglected illness that doctors disparage—Again. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. May what I’ve learned the hard way help someone out there. ZeroSpin is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Welcome to my first podcast! Today I bring you an interview with Dr. Amy Proal, a microbiologist who is studying the mechanisms by which chronic infections can underlie the many chronic conditions that have challenged doctors and markedly impacted the lives of countless patients around the world. Here’s her bio: Dr. Proal is a microbiologist who studies the molecular mechanisms by which bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens dysregulate human gene expression, immunity and metabolism.

This is the third and final piece to this series—These are my views of how and why society has devolved to such a worrisome state. I’m really glad to be done writing this—It’s been cathartic and grueling—And I don’t plan to take these roads again any time soon. Like the warnings I’ve given before Parts 1 & 2, the same holds true here: It’s not my intention to add stress to the life of anyone—Ever. If you read on, please go into it knowing that this bell cannot be unrung.

I’ve often wondered how we, as a species, get by as well as we do, as most us report at least one traumatic experience in our lives: “…61% of men and 51% of women  at least one traumatic event in their lifetimes. This would put mental trauma at the top of the list of most-common psychological health conditions.” According to the American Psychological Association: “Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster.

Let me start by saying that I still think that Paxlovid is a very useful medication against Covid and I prescribe it often, but I don’t think it’s a miracle drug. Here’s why— You may have heard about Paxlovid rebound—When Covid sometimes comes roaring back when the drug is stopped at 5 days.

Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -46:04 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. Discussion about this podcast My unapologetic insights into the good, the bad, & the ugly sides of medicine, politics, & industry, from as neutral a perspective as I can muster being a flawed human--The truth sets us free.