Just a brief update and farewell! After Helen was no longer able to join me in recording, I decided I wasn't happy or satisfied with going solo. But, BIG NEWS! I am working on getting re-credentialed and going back to work in the clinic. Maybe one day I will podcast again, but hopefully not as a defunct doctor. Best wishes to everyone and have a wonderful holiday season!!

Ripped from the headlines! In late August, Massachusetts was alerted to a health scare when four individuals were diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis or “Triple E.” What is this disease and how can humans prevent themselves from becoming infected? Lynne will tell you all about it this week on the pod. 

Also, introducing the Doctor Recommended segment - this week:

Wonder Drug by Jennifer Vanderbes

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

defunctdoctorspodcast.com

Sources:

1. Eastern Equine Encephalitis by Cecilia Banda; Debopam Samanta

2. Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus: A Scoping Review of the Global Evidence by  Tricia Corrin, Rachel Ackford, Mariola Mascarenhas, Judy Greig, and Lisa A. Waddel

3. Clinical and Neuroradiographic Manifestations of Eastern Equine Encephalitis by Robert L. Deresiewicz, M.D., Scott J. Thaler, M.D., Liangge Hsu, M.D., and Amir A. Zamani, M.D.

4. Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus in Mosquitoes and Their Role as Bridge Vectors by Philip M. Armstrong and Theodore G. Andreadis

5. Notes from the Field: Multistate Outbreak of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus — United States, 2019 by Nicole P. Lindsey, MS; Stacey W. Martin, MS; J. Erin Staples, MD, PhD; Marc Fischer, MD

6. Current Year Data (2024) via the CDC

7. As eastern equine encephalitis spreads, a neurologist explains how to stay safe during this latest outbreak of the ‘triple E’ virus by Daniel Pastula

8. Massachusetts will begin spraying for mosquitos after first human case of EEE diagnosed by Laura Haefeli

9. Massachusetts arbovirus update via Mass.gov

10. Mosquito control and spraying via Mass.gov

11. Human Exposure to Mosquito-Control Pesticides --- Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia, 2002 and 2003 via the CDC

12. DEET via Wikipedia

13. Find the Repellent that is Right for You via the EPA

Please contact me with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram and TikTok (also Facebook, Threads, & YouTube) 

Lynne’s specialty, developmental pediatrics, is all about how infants and children develop and is closely related to neurology in many cases. So, when she read about a case of an infant with a head circumference too big for the baby’s age, it took her right back to her clinical training. However, the cause of the enlargement was not what she expected. This week, Lynne will discuss the unusual phenomenon in which one fetus absorbs another.   

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. Intracranial Parasitic Fetus in a Living Infant: A Case Study with Surgical Intervention and Prognosis Analysis by Xuewei Qin, Xuanling Chen, Xin Zhao, Bo Wang, Lan Yao, Hongchuan Niu

2. Teaching NeuroImage: Intraventricular Fetus-in-Fetu With Extensive De Novo Gain in Genetic Copy Number by Zongze Li, MD, Li Ma, MD, PhD, Yuanli Zhao, MD, PhD, and Chunde Li, MD

3. Girl, 1, is found to have a FETUS growing in her skull that was once her twin sister by  Maiya Focht 

4. Fetus in fetu: Review of the literature over the past 15 years by Lindsey M. Prescher, William J. Butler, Tyler A. Vachon, Marion C. Henry, Thomas Latendresse, Romeo C. Ignacio Jr.

5. Fetus in fetu – a rare developmental anomaly by Della Harigovind, Harish Babu SP, Sunil V Nair, Nazim Sangram

6. Fetus in Fetu: Lessons Learned from a Large Multicenter Cohort Study by Heba M. A. Taher et. al. 

7. Fetus-in-fetu by Philippe Jeanty, MD, PhD Kay Caldwell, RDMS Patricia Dix, MD

8. Monochorionic Diamniotic Twin Gestations by Karin M. Fuchs, Mary E. D'Alton

9. Monochorionic Twins via Wikipedia

10. Embryology, Week 1 by Yusuf S. Khan; Kristin M. Ackerman.

11. Embryology, Week 2-3 by Baryiah Rehman; Maria Rosaria Muzio.

12. Teratoma via Cleveland Clinic

13. Data Table of Infant Head Circumference-for-age Charts via CDC Website

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

Listen as Lynne tells the story of Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro, a mother and a survivor who came back from the brink of death for reasons that her physicians could not explain. This week - sometimes things happen in medicine that are baffling and mysterious.

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. What Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro Saw When Her Heart Stopped for 45 Minutes via ABC News

2. 'Miracle' Woman Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro Survives After 45 Minutes Without Pulse via ABC News

3. AFE Survivor, Ruby Graupera, shares her story on Dr. Oz via AFE Foundation News

4. She Was “Dead” for 45 Minutes by Amanda Friedman

5. Mother Dies and Comes Back to Life by Brittany Shammas

6. Amniotic fluid embolism by Kaur, Kiranpreet; Bhardwaj, Mamta; Kumar, Prashant; Singhal, Suresh; Singh, Tarandeep; Hooda, Sarla

7. Amniotic Fluid Embolism by Gist, Richard S. MD*; Stafford, Irene P. MD; Leibowitz, Andrew B. MD; Beilin, Yaakov MD

8. About the Hospital via Boca Raton Regional Hospital website

9. Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation via NIH

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

Listen this week as we conclude our series on anthrax and its use as a weapon during the 2001 US postal service attacks. Lynne will discuss the science behind tracking the deadly spores back to their parent flask  - which was under the control of the researcher who became their prime suspect. Learn who this man was and the FBI’s evidence for why he likely committed the crime, even though not everyone who used to work with him is convinced. 

Trigger Warning: Brief mention of suicide and discussion of stalking. 

Dial 988 within the US for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. Anthrax Investigative Summary via the FBI

2. Paul Keim: “We Were Surprised It Was the Ames Strain” by Sarah Moughty
3. New Evidence Adds Doubt to FBI’s Case Against Anthrax Suspect by Stephen Engelberg

4. The Anthrax Case from Spores to a Suspect 

5. NAS Study May Fail to Settle Anthrax Case by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee

6. Did Bruce Ivins Hide Attack Anthrax From the FBI by Stephen Engelberg

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

Part 3 of our series on anthrax will finish up describing the last days of the 2001 US postal service anthrax attacks up until the final victim and will review the investigation up until the key 2007 scientific discovery that was able to trace the microbe used in the crime to a single flask in the possession of a researcher at the United States Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). Next week - how did science advance the investigation to its conclusion and who was the man who allegedly committed the crime?  

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. The United States Department of Justice Amerithrax Investigative Summary

2. Anthrax In America: A Chronology and Analysis of the Fall 2001 Attacks via the Center for Counterproliferation Research (CCR)

3. Fifth person dies from anthrax by Deborah Josefson

4. Widow who died of anthrax laid to rest via CNN

5. Total decontamination cost of the anthrax letter attacks by Ketra Schmitt and Nicholas A Zacchia

6. The Ottilie W Lundgren Memorial Field Hospital via CT.gov

7. The Last Mysterious Days of Anthrax Victim Kathy Nguyen by Bridget Harrison

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram and TikTok. Also - Facebook and Threads

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

Turns out, a tragic national crisis is a big story. This week, in Anthrax, Part 2, Lynne will detail the reasons why anthrax is a major bioterrorism concern and then will get through the events of the first month of the attacks in fall 2001. Next week - the story continues.

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. Anthrax: a continuing concern in the era of bioterrorism by Stefan Riedel

2. How To Weaponize Anthrax? By Ufuk Dizer, Levent Kenar, Mesut Ortatatli, and Turan Karayilanoglu

3. Bioterrorism Agents/Diseases via the CDC

4. Biological Weapons Convention via the United Nations

5. Administering the Anthrax Vaccine via the CDC

6. Amerithrax or Anthrax Investigation via the FBI

7. Anthrax In America: A Chronology and Analysis of the Fall 2001 Attacks via the Center for Counterproliferation Research (CCR)

8. Anthrax: In a Time of Terror via the Smithsonian National Postal Museum

9. How it Really Happened Season 8 Episode 3 via Max

10. Anthrax Weaponization via Wikipedia

11. 2001 Anthrax Attacks via Wikipedia

12. Death of Robert Stevens via Wikipedia

13. Mary Morris talking about her late husband Thomas Morris Jr. via Story Corps

14. The Anthrax Mail Attack: Postal Workers on the Front Line by Nancy Pope

15. Postal worker suspected he had anthrax via CNN

16. A Nation Challenged: The Victim; Postal Worker Felled by Anthrax Is Remembered by Elizabeth Becker

17. Neighbors mourn postal worker via CNN

18. Short Audio Clip: Mr. Monk and the Leper: Season 5, Episode 10; Mr. Monk speaking (Tony Shalhoub)

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok...and YouTube.

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

In part one of this series on anthrax, Lynne will answer last week’s question about why scientists in the second half of the 1800s were so interested in studying the bacteria responsible for anthrax. But also, she will explain how the bacteria works, how it can infect humans, how it causes life-threatening and fatal illness, and how it is treated. As a bonus, Helen explains the terms “gram positive” and “gram negative” bacteria.  

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. Anthrax: A disease of biowarfare and public health importance by Ajay Kumar Goel

2. Review of anthrax: A disease of farm animals by Emtaj Alam MD et. al.

3. Current Status and Trends in Prophylaxis and Management of Anthrax Disease by Vladimir Savransky, Boris Ionin, and Joshua Reece

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

It’s a doozy this week - the origin and history of penicillin. It’s so much more than just Alexander Fleming. From the ancient use of molds in bandages, to the arrival of germ theory, to World War II, Lynne will go into detail to describe the long and, at times, arduous process that ended with one of the most influential pharmaceutical products of all time. 

1. Discovery of Penicillin International Historic Chemical Landmark 

2. The Discovery of Penicillin - New Insights After More Than 75 Years of Clinical Use by Robert Gaynes

3. History of Penicillin by Kholring Lalchhandama

4. The real story behind penicillin by Dr. Howard Markel

5. Alexander Fleming via Science History Institute 

6. Moulds in Ancient and More Recent Medicine by Milton Wainwright

7. Struggle Against Infection by W Fraser-Moodie

8. Syphilis and Salvarsan by Gervase Vernon
9. How a Deadly Fire Gave Birth to Modern Medicine by Linda Marsa

10. Cocoanut Grove Fire via Wikipedia

11. Fulton, penicillin and chance via Yale Medicine Magazine

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

On April 6-7 1862, some of the injured soldiers at the Battle of Shiloh were touched by angels that went to work healing their wounds with a glowing blessing. Except, the angels weren’t really involved. At least, not directly. Listen this week to learn the scientific theory that explains the ethereal glow of the maimed infantry and the fascinating dynamic duo of symbiotes who probably made it happen.  

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. Why Some Civil War Soldiers Glowed in the Dark by Matt Soniak

2. Angel’s Glow: Bioluminescence Uncovered on the Battlefield by Radhika Ganeshan

3. Phosphorescence and Potential Antibiosis Secondary to Photorhabdus Luminescens Wound Contaminations at the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee 1862 by E. Scott Sills, et al.

4. Toxins and Secretion Systems of Photorhabdus luminescens by Athina Rodou, Dennis O. Ankrah, & Christos Stathopoulos

5. Photorhabdus Luminescens: Virulent Properties and Agricultural Applications by Elizabeth Gerdes, et al. 

6. Comparative genomics of the emerging human pathogen Photorhabdus asymbiotica with the insect pathogen Photorhabdus luminescens by Paul Wilkinson, et al. 

7. Nematode via Encyclopedia Britannica (online)

8. Isolation, Identification, and Molecular Characterization of Strains of Photorhabdus luminescens from infected humans in Australia by M.M. Peel, et al.

9. Photorhabdus Species: Bioluminescent Bacteria as Human Pathogens? by John G. Gerrard, Samantha McNevin, David Alfredson, Ross Forgan-Smith, and Neil Fraser

10. Human infection with Photorhabdus asymbiotica: an emerging bacterial pathogen by John Gerrard, Nicholas Waterfield, Renu Vohra, and Richard ffrench-Constant

11. A Review of Clinical Cases of Infection with Photorhabdus Asymbiotica by John G Gerrard and Robert P Stevens

12. Shiloh Pittsburg Landing via American Battlefield Trust

13. Neonatal Bacteremia and Cutaneous Lesions Caused by Photorhabdus luminescens: A Rare Gram Negative Bioluminescent Bacterium by Ankhi Dutta, Anthony R Flores, Paula A Revell,  and Lisa Owens

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

You’ve probably been warned not to eat green potatoes and to remove all eyes before eating any potato, but do you know why? This week Lynne and Helen explain how one of the most beloved foods can make a person incredibly sick. 

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. Horrific Tales of Potatoes That Caused Mass Sickness and Even Death by K. Annabelle Smith

2. The 1979 Poisoning Of 78 Schoolchildren: Or Why You Should Never Eat Green Potatoes by James Felton

3. Attack of the Killer Green Potatoes! by Justin Brower

4. Are Sprouted Potatoes Safe to Eat? Via National Capital Poison Center

5. A challenging case of suspected solanine toxicity in an eleven-year-old Saudi boy by Fatimah S Al Massoud, Ali Alharbi, Maryam M Behir, Aesha F. Siddiqui, Lujaine M. Al-Murayeh, Abdullah Al Dail, & Rafat Siddiqui

6. Potato glycoalkaloids: Some unanswered questions by David B Smith, James G Roddick, & J. Leighton Jones

7. Health Effects of Alkaloids from African Medicinal Plants by Victor Kuete

8. Introduction to Forensic Plant Science by Jane H. Bock & David O. Norris

9. Solanine Poisoning via British Medical Journal (no byline)

10. Glycoalkaloids in potatoes: public health risks assessed via the European Food Safety Authority

11. Glycoalkaloids: Structure, Properties, and Interactions with Model Membrane Systems by Bishal Nepal & Keith J Stine

12. Rotting Potato Gas Dangers: Myth or Reality? by “Bill”

13. People Appear To Believe Old Potatoes Release Deadly “Solanine Gas” by James Felton

14. Girl, 8, Orphaned After Gas From Rotting Potatoes Killed Her Entire Family by Keith Kendrick

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

This week, Lynne will tell you about one determined man who radically changed the face of track and field in the Paralympic Games and the lives of active amputees everywhere. It’s an uplifting tale of ingenuity and perseverance, but of course we were somehow unable to avoid a tiny tangent of murder.  

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. Sporting Witness: Why I designed the prosthetic running leg

2. CUSP Conference 2011

3. Inventive Minds: Van Phillips

4. Van Phillips Flex-Foot Prosthetics via Lemelson-MIT

5. Van Phillips via CUSP

6. Innovative Lives: Artificial Parts: Van Phillips by Martha Davidson

7. Mechanics of Oscar Pistorius’s Running Blades via Wikipedia

8. Ossur 

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

Don’t worry, Helen is OK. She’s missing from this episode, but will be back next week. In her absence, Lynne brings you the lost episode, finally. She will tell you about an alleged Powerade poisoner and how this specific poison (antifreeze) affects your innards. In the end you’ll also hear about the founding of the modern FDA. 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

National toll-free Poison Help Hotline: 1-800-222-1222.

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. Mass. Woman Charged With Murder in Boyfriend’s Poisoning With Antifreeze by Kaitlin McKinley Becker and Lara Salahi

2. Salisbury woman held without bail in poisoning case - press release from Essex District Attorney’s Office

3. Woman suspected of fatally poisoning boyfriend with antifreeze in Powerade and recording him ‘thrashing about’ is ordered to stay behind bars by Matt Naham

4. The Tragic Case of Poisoning That Finally Got Us Safe Drugs by Mikkael A. Sekeres

5. The Accidental Poison That Founded the Modern FDA by Julian G. West

6. Sulfanilamide Disaster by Carol Ballentine

7. Ethylene Glycol Toxicity by Aruba Iqbal; Jason J. Glagola; and Thomas M. Nappe

8. Ethylene Glycol Toxicity: Chemistry, Pathogenesis, and Imaging by Michael M. Moore, M.D., Sangam G. Kanekar, M.D., and Rajiv Dhamija, M.D.

9. Survival and complete recovery after severe acute ethylene glycol poisoning - a case report by Andreja Sinkovic and Rok Stopar

10. Ethylene glycol poisoning reviewed and updated by Jesse Borke, MD, and David C Dugdale MD

11. What Are the Toxicological Effects of Ethylene Glycol Poisoning? By ATSDR

12. Testing for Ethyl Alcohol (Alcohol) and Other Volatiles by Amitava Dasgupta and Amer Wahed

13. Clinical Features of Reported Ethylene Glycol Exposures in the United States by Meghan A Jobson, Susan L Hogan, Colin S Maxwell, Yichun Hu, Gerald A Hladik, Ronald J Falk, Michael C Beuhler, and William F Pendergraft 3rd

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok. 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

In the early 1800’s a man from France immigrated to Kentucky and married an American woman. More than half their children ended up with very blue skin. Listen this week as Lynne explains the medical phenomenon behind the Fugate family’s indigo hue. Many thanks to Amie for the suggestion! 

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. A Short History of Kentucky/Central Appalachia, no byline

2. Methemoglobin by Chris Higgins

3. Methemoglobinemia by John T Ludlow, Richard G Wilkerson, and Thomas M Nappe

4. Methemoglobinemia by Habib Ur Rehman

5. Blue Fugates: The True Story of Kentucky’s Blue People by Madison Whipple

6. The Fugate Family of Kentucky Has Had Blue Skin for Centuries - Here’s Why by Gabe Paolettti

7. The True Story of the Blue People of Kentucky by Dave Roos

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

Mushrooms can be good, bad, or trippy. Listen this week as Helen focuses on their darker side to discuss the various ways mushrooms can be hazardous to your health and why its tricky to distinguish the good from the bad.   

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Sources: 

1. Mushroom Poisoning by Robert Wennig, Prof. Dr., Florian Eyer, Prof. Dr. med., Andreas Schaper, Prof. Dr. med., Thomas Zilker, Prof. (em.) Dr. med., and Hilke Andresen-Streichert, PD Dr. rer. Nat.

2. Mushroom Toxicity by B Zane Horowitz, MD, & Robert G Hendrickson, MD

3. 2023 Leongatha mushroom poisoning

4. Deadly Mushrooms: The Most Famous Cases of Mushroom Poisoning

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer.

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

Imagine that it's afternoon, and you are pulled over by a police officer because a tail light is out, which you didn’t realize. He is pleasant when he comes to the door and you think you’re going to be given a warning. Then he stops and frowns. He asks you to get out of the car and has you perform a field sobriety test. You submit to a breathalyzer and find yourself in the back of the police car being arrested for a DWI because of an elevated blood alcohol concentration. The problem is, you haven’t had any alcohol to drink today. Or yesterday for that matter. Listen this week as Lynne describes a rare medical condition that wreaks legal havoc on the affected person’s life. 

Advocacy at: www.autobrewery.org

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. Auto-Brewery Syndrome: A schematic for Diagnosis and Appropriate Treatment by Fahad Malik, Prasanna Wickremesinghe, and Atif Saleem

2. Auto-brewery syndrome: Everything you need to know by Jamie Eske

3. A Case Study of Gut Fermentation Syndrome (Auto Brewery) with Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the Causative Organism by Barbara Cordell & Justin McCarthy

4. Drunk Without Drinking: A Case of Auto-brewery Syndrome by Bobak J. Akhavan, Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, and Eric J. Thomas

5. Understanding Auto-Brewery Syndrome in 2023: A Clinical and Comprehensive Review of a Rare Medical Condition by Jananthan Paramsothy, Sai Dheeraj Gutlapalli, Vijay Durga Pradeep Ganipineni, Ikpechukwu J Okoris, Derek Ugwendum, GianPaolo Piccione, James Ducey, Gnama Kouyate, Arnold Onana, Louis Emmer, Vaithilingam Arulthasan, Philip Otterbeck, & Jay Nfonoyim

6. Fatty Liver Disease Caused by High-Alcohol-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae by Jing Yuan, et al. 

7. Alcoholic Liver Disease by Roshan Patel & Matthew Mueller.

8. Fecal Transplant, no byline

9. Rupture of the Stomach of an African Child by RG Ladkin & JNP Davies

10. Man details symptoms of auto-brewery syndrome, where his body makes alcohol by Maghan HJolohan

11. Drunk without drinking: local doctor and patients detail life with Auto-Brewery Syndrome by Kristin Thorne

12. Auto-Brewery Syndrome: Apparently, You Can Make Beer In Your Gut by Michaeleen Doucleff

13. The man who gets drunk on chips by Helen Thomson

14. Woman claims her body brews alcohol, has DUI charge dismissed by Sandee LaMotte

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

In the small village of Las Salinas in the Dominican Republic there is an unusual genetic condition that challenges the traditional view of gender. Listen as Lynne describes a rare intersex condition that occurs with increased frequency in a few small populations across the globe.

More information about intersex can be found through:

1. interACT - Advocates for Intersex Youth

2. Intersex Justice Project

3. Nobody Needs to Know: A Memoir by Pidgeon Pagonis

More information about gender identity can be found through:

1. Gender Justice League

2. The International Foundation for Gender Education

3. The Audre Lorde Project

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. Integrative and Analytical Review of the 5-Alpha-Reductase Type 2 Deficiency Worldwide by Rafael Loch Batista & Berenice Bilharinho Mendonca. 

2. 5-Alpha-Reductase Deficiency by Gopi Kumar; Joshuan & J. Barboza-Meca.

3. Embryology, Sexual Development by Aatsha P A, Tafline C. Arbor, & Kewal Krishan

4. Finasteride by Patrick M. Zito; Karlyle G. Bistas; & Kirin Syed.

5. The World of Intersex Children and One Person's Journey Between Two Sexes by ABC News, no byline

6. "No Regrets?" Nightline on intersex (Pidgeon Pagonis Redux) - March 10, 2015 by interACT

7. Intersex activist Pidgeon Pagonis shares journey of trauma, triumph, and continued advocacy by NBC Chicago Matthew Rodrigues

8. BBC Documentary Series “Countdown to Life: The Making of You Series”

9. The extraordinary case of the Guevedoces by BBC News, no byline

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. Follow us @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram and TikTok is most active, but we can also be found on Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, and YouTube. 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

Undoubtedly, you have heard of the Spanish flu that raged during 1918 and 1919 and affected up to 100 million people worldwide. However, did you know that at the same time there was another epidemic that was dwarfed by the flu but was just as (if not more) deadly? More alarmingly, scientists don’t know if it will recur and are not sure of the cause. Listen this week as Lynne talks about the “sleeping sickness” of the 1920s and 30s. Many thanks to Pam for the recommendation and story. 

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. Encephalitis Lethargica In Pregnancy. Margaret Schulze, MD. Journal of the American Medical Association; Mar 13, 1920; pp 732-733. 

2. Encephalitis Lethargica occurring in Pregnancy, with an account of Two Cases Complicated by Albuminuria by S. B. Herd M.B., Ch.B. (Liverpool)

3. Encephalitis lethargica: 100 years after the epidemic by Leslie A Hoffman, Joel A Vilensky

4. Encephalitis lethargica by Ravindra Kumar Garg DM FRCP

5. Encephalitis lethargica by Fid Backhouse, et al.

6. Encephalitis lethargica via ScienceDirect

7. Mystery of the forgotten plague; no byline

8. The Mysterious Encephalitis Lethargica Epidemic by Karl Smallwood

9. Von Economo Encephalitis by Ankit Vyas, Orlando De Jesus

10. Postencephalitic parkinsonism - a review by J Casals, T S Elizan, M D Yahr

11. What caused the 1918-1930 epidemic of encephalitis lethargica? by R R Dourmashkin MD

12. Encephalitis lethargica syndrome: 20 new cases and evidence of basal ganglia autoimmunity by Russell C. Dale, Andrew J. Church, Robert A. H. Surtees, Andrew J. Lees, Jane E. Adcock, Brian Harding, Brian G. R. Neville, Gavin Giovannoni

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

Spring has arrived and it’s just in time for Helen to tell you the health benefits of being outside. Learn how trees might be able to help us fight cancer and how they can calm your soul. She might even be able to convince you not to stay out of the forest.

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer.

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555

Sources: 

1. The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting with Nature by Marc G. Berman, John Jonides, and Stephen Kaplan

2. Forest Bathing in Japan

3. Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function by Qing Li

4. Phytoncides (wood essential oils) induce human natural killer cell activity by Li Q, Nakadai A, Matsushima H, Miyazaki Y, Krensky AM, Kawada T, et al

5. Forest bathing enhances human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins by Li Q, Morimoto K, Nakadai A, Inagaki H, Katsumata M, Shimizu T, et al.

6. Visiting a forest, but not a city, increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins by Li Q, Morimoto K, Kobayashi M, Inagaki H, Katsumata M, Hirata Y, et al

7. A forest bathing trip increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins in female subjects by Li Q, Morimoto K, Kobayashi M, Inagaki H, Katsumata M, Hirata Y, et al

8. Psychological effects of forest environments on healthy adults: Shinrin-yoku (forest-air bathing, walking) as a possible method of stress reduction by Morita E, Fukuda S, Nagano J, Hamajima N, Yamamoto H, Iwai Y, et al

9. Effects of trail and greenspace exposure on hospitalisations in a highly populated urban area: retrospective cohort study of the Houston Bayou Greenways program by Bridget R. Simon-Friedt, Alan P. Pan,Tariq Nisar, Sadeer Al-Kindi, Amanda Nunley, Lisa Graiff, Bita A. Kash, Jay E. Maddock & Khurram Nasir

10. The Relationship between Nature Deprivation and Individual Wellbeing across Urban Gradients under COVID-19 by Linda Powers Tomasso, Jie Yin, Jose Guillermo Cedeño Laurent, Jarvis T. Chen, Paul J. Catalano, and John D. Spengler

11. Effects of Citrus Fragrance on Immune Function and Depressive States by Teruhisa Komori; Ryoichi Fujiwara; Masahiro Tanida; Junichi Nomura; Mitchel M. Yokoyama

12. What You Should Know About Phytoncides and Terpines by Hugh Asher 

13. What is Nature Deficit Disorder And How To Know If You Have It by Sarah Williams

14. What is Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv

15. 9 Books About Abandoning Everything to Go Live in the Woods by Kayleigh Donaldson

16. The secret to mindful travel? A walk in the woods by Sunny Fitzgerald

17. Forest Stories - 7 Tales from far-away lands

18. Lessons from Old Trees

19. Bringing forest therapy indoors can improve your health by University of British Columbia
20. Wikipedia: Plant-blindness; Shinrin-yoku; Phytoncide

Some people avoid red meat for heart health. Others avoid it for ethical reasons. This week Lynne will tell you why there are also people who avoid red meat so they don’t go into anaphylactic shock. Keep your epi-pen and your bug spray close on hand while you learn about a strange immune response to a ubiquitous arachnid. 

Special note: Dr. Helen Shui is truly a doctor, but is working under a pseudonym for privacy reasons. Dr. Lynne Kramer is using her real name. 

Music by Helen Shui and Caplixo. Cover art by Lynne Kramer. 

Sources:

1. 'It put him into full-blown cardiac arrest:' Tick bite changes Columbia County man's life by Heather Crawford

2. Alpha-Gal: Radiolab October 27, 2016

3. Return of Alpha-Gal: Radiolab December 10, 2021

4. Meet the Doc Who Discovered the Infamous Red Meat Allergy Spread by Ticks by Wesley P. Hester

5. MMWR, Health Care Provider Knowledge Regarding Alpha-gal Syndrome — United States, March–May 2022

6. Doctors often miss symptoms of meat allergy linked to lone star ticks, CDC finds by Erika Edwards

7. Alpha-gal Syndrome | Ticks | CDC 

8. Products That May Contain Alpha-gal | Ticks | CDC 

9. B Cell Responses in the Development of Mammalian Meat Allergy by Jessica L. Chandrasekhar, Kelly M. Cox, and Loren D. Erickson

10. Diagnosis and management of patients with the α-Gal syndrome by TAE Platts-Mills, MD,PhD, RC Li, DO,PhD, B Keshavarz, PhD, AR Smith, MD, and JM Wilson, MD,PhD

Please contact us with questions/concerns/comments at defunctdoctorspodcast@gmail.com. @defunctdoctorspodcast on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, YouTube, and TikTok 

Follow Lynne on Instagram @lynnedoodles555