POTS is a real diagnosis, but it isn’t always the whole story. In this episode of Bendy Bodies, Dr. Linda Bluestein takes a deep dive into POTS imitators: conditions that can mimic, worsen, or coexist with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and quietly derail treatment progress. Inspired by …
Why are people with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, POTS, and mast cell disorders so frequently misdiagnosed, or dismissed entirely? In this episode of Bendy Bodies, Dr. Linda Bluestein is joined by Dr. Dacre Knight, Medical Director of the UVA Health EDS and Hypermobility Disorders Center, for a wide-ran…
What would it look like if people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome finally had a true medical home?In this episode of Bendy Bodies, Dr. Linda Bluestein is joined by Dr. Ina Stephens and Dr. Dacre Knight to share the story behind the newly launched University of Virginia Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Center…
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome is one of the most misunderstood, and underrecognized, conditions in modern medicine. In this episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein is joined by Dr. Lawrence Afrin, one of the world’s leading experts on mast cell disease, to unpack why MCAS is so often missed, why tryptase alon…
In this episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein is joined by Dr. Eric Singman, a neuro-ophthalmologist who lives at the intersection of the eyes, the brain, and the complex symptoms so many people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome experience. They dig into why EDS patients often struggle with vision even when every…
What if your chronic pain, bloating, or fatigue wasn’t in your head, but in your blood vessels? In this episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein sits down with vascular surgeon Dr. Robert Hacker, who’s on the front lines of diagnosing and treating complex conditions like MALS (Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome)…
In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Linda Bluestein sits down with psychiatrist Dr. Janet Settle to unpack the medical mystery that is mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) and why it may be hiding in plain sight as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, or even psychosis. Together, they explore how …
In this emotionally charged episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein talks with Tilly Rose, the founder of That Oxford Girl and the author of Be Patient, about what it’s like to face palliative care as a young adult and come out the other side fighting for change. They explore how Tilly transformed her private…
In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein speaks with Dr. Alexis Cutchins, a cardiologist passionate about uncovering missed and misunderstood diagnoses. One of those? Pelvic Venous Disease, a condition affecting countless patients but rarely identified. They explore how PVD can mimic or exa…
In this raw and reflective Office Hours episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein responds to listener feedback and dives deep into the cultural and clinical gaslighting faced by people, especially women, navigating complex health conditions. From the dismissal of perimenopause to the rise of so-called “TikTok …
Abdominal pain in EDS can be a puzzle with countless hidden pieces. In this episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein welcomes back Dr. Pradeep Chopra for part two of their exploration into gastrointestinal problems. Together, they uncover overlooked causes of abdominal pain, from drooping intestines and tether…
In honor of Pain Awareness Month, I wanted to share an episode of one of my favorite healthcare podcasts, “Knock Knock Hi with the Glaucomfleckens.” In this interview from last July, Will and Kristin Flanary (AKA Dr. and Lady Glaucomflecken) kindly invited me on to talk about my journey from ballet…
In this episode of the Bendy Bodies Podcast, Dr. Linda Bluestein sits down once again with fellow pain specialist Dr. Pradeep Chopra to take listeners on a guided “walk” through the GI tract. From teeth to the stomach and beyond, they uncover how connective tissue disorders like EDS (Ehlers-Danlos …
In this solo episode of the Bendy Bodies Podcast, Dr. Linda Bluestein tackles a series of complex listener questions originally submitted by clinicians after her guest appearance on The Curbsiders internal medicine podcast. From the flaws in the EDS diagnostic criteria to the misunderstood role of …
In this compelling episode of the Bendy Bodies Podcast, Dr. Linda Bluestein is joined by her longtime mentor and internationally respected EDS expert, Dr. Pradeep Chopra. Together, they tackle some of the most frustrating—and frequently misunderstood—questions surrounding hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos …
Speech-language pathologist and vocal specialist Stacy Menton joins Dr. Linda Bluestein to expose the surprising links between connective tissue disorders like EDS and common (but misunderstood) issues with voice, breathing, and swallowing. From overlooked diagnostics to cutting-edge therapies and …
What if your brain fog, fatigue, and hypersensitivity weren’t “just anxiety”—but signs of a much deeper immune malfunction?In this episode, Dr. Pradeep Chopra co-hosts a rare and revealing conversation with Dr. Theoharis Theoharides, the scientist who first discovered that mast cells communicat…
You asked. I answered. In this solo Q&A, I tackle some of the biggest and most misunderstood questions from our Bendy Bodies community. From toddlers flagged for autism to adults fighting for an EDS diagnosis, from altitude flares to functional neurologic disorder, this episode pulls no punches.…
What if your breast implants were silently fueling your fatigue, anxiety, rashes, or brain fog—and no one believed you? In this powerful episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein speaks with renowned breast surgeon Dr. Eva Nagy who’s become a global voice for patients suffering from Breast Implant Illness (BII)…
What if your rushed, robotic medical visit isn’t just frustrating, but a symptom of something much darker? In this powerful episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein sits down with Dr. Victor Montori, author of Why We Revolt , to explore what’s truly broken in healthcare and why patients and clinicians are suff…
What if the diagnosis was just the beginning—and the root cause was hiding in plain sight? In this riveting episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein welcomes pediatrician and integrative medicine expert Dr. Pejman Katiraei, whose work with children struggling with autism, mold exposure, and mast cell activatio…
What if your body’s collapse wasn’t burnout… but a system crash no test can catch? In this episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein welcomes Isabelle Ramirez Burnett, systems engineer, health coach, and founder of Renegade Research, to reveal the silent breakdowns behind ME/CFS, long COVID, and hypermobility-r…
What if your dental history held the key to a complex diagnosis no one’s caught? In this gripping episode of the Bendy Bodies Podcast, Dr. Linda Bluestein welcomes Dr. Audrey Kershaw, a trailblazing oral surgeon who’s uncovered hundreds of hidden Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) cases—starting in the d…
What if the fatigue you feel isn’t just “tiredness”—but the result of an entirely different physiological state? In this riveting episode, Dr. Linda Bluestein sits down with Dr. Brayden P. Yellman of the Bateman Horne Center to explore ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome)—a m…