Sickboy

Nicholas is a beautiful human being who is living his best life and pursuing his passion in the world of fashion. Nicholas was born with Down Syndrome and it doesn't stop him from doing whatever the hell he wants. He sits down with the boys to advocate, inspire and joke around while talking about his life as a gay man living with Down Syndrome and trying to find love and express himself through art.

This week we're joined buy our lovely community of sweet potatoes as we talk about WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL IS HAPPENING IN ALBERTA?! We also look at a recent JAMA study that will leave you wanting to hit the sack a bit earlier than usual! Then Jeremie gets some payback for the most recent YouTube video. Finally for this weeks WHAT THE HELLTH!? Jer takes the gang down a dark rabbit hole of self surgery and trepanning. Get ready to feel good.

Did you know the phrase "placebo effect" is an oxymoron? That's because placebos aren't supposed to have an effect, but sometimes they do. On today's episode of Sickboy Podcast, Dr. John Kelley joins the fellas to talk about the power of placebos, and how they can even help us tackle issues like the opioid crisis.

Justin was walking home from work when all of a sudden he was struck by a motorcycle going upwards of 100 km/h. The accident tore his leg off and he almost lost his life. Thanks to the swift work from the EMT's and Physicians/Nurses that came to the rescue, Justin's life was saved. However, the damage from the accident was so severe that he would lose his leg. While recovering in the hospital he had a thought "what will they do with my leg?" The answer he received didn't sit well with him and so he asked if he could keep his severed limb. This resulted in a months-long battle with the hospital, morgue and funeral homes in order to keep what is rightfully his... a literal piece of himself. This is a FANTASTIC conversation about advocacy and healing from trauma and it is not an episode you want to miss!

Puppy fever continues, but this time it's for Narwhal — the golden retriever who has a deformity that makes him cuter than imaginable. The gang discusses a shocking link between the devastating disease, ALS and those who work in the military. Speaking of devastating, this one goes out to all you coffee drinkers out there. Your morning brown might be leading you down a road to dementia. Finally, in this weeks "What The Hellth?!", we cover the unfortunate case of a woman who lost her freakin' eyeball from just one tiny speck of glitter. Yet another reason why glitter is the absolute worst.

Dr. Elena Semino is a professor in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University in England. She also is the principal investigator on the ‘Metaphor, Cancer and End of Life Project’ aka the Cancer Metaphor Menu. You see, how we talk about illness matters. Especially when it comes to using metaphors. Not only do they help contextualize the experience of illness, it also plays a key role in communication. This week, smart person Dr. Semino brings the fellas along on a beautiful journey of metaphors.

Stefan is a NYC based artist who saw his entire future crash before his very eyes. It all started with tendonitis in his forearm but little did he know that pain was just the beginning. Central Sensitization Syndrome is a condition of the nervous system that is associated with the development and maintenance of chronic pain. What began with pain in the arm led Stefan down a long and arduous road that eventually led him to the Mayo Clinic where he received a diagnosis, and eventually the methods needed to manage his pain. Now back on the stage, Stefan is building up his dreams once again. This conversation was a highlight episode and we hope you enjoy!

It's puppy mania over at Sickboy HQ. Speaking of puppies, have you ever watched a dog turn food into sh*t via X-Ray? Well today is your lucky day. Other than dogs running wild and causing a ruckus, the gang dive into a few injustices in the world of health and disability. Paralympic athlete Becca Meyers gets shafted by the Olympics by some illogical COVID-19 protection protocols. Plus a woman with Bell's palsy suffers from losing her license due to not being physically able to blow into a tube. Get it together B.C. Finally What The Hellth hits us with some mega ballooned up heads due to severe allergic reactions to hair dye!

Pain researchers have a joke that when someone is asked to rate their pain from 1 to 10, the most common response is 11. Dr. Jeffrey Mogil, a neuroscientist and pain researcher interested in how genetics, social factors and sex differences affect pain, believes this joke to be based in truth. Dr. Mogil heads the Pain Genetics Lab at McGill University & is the founder and Director of NAPS, the North American Pain School. This week he joins the fellas and schools them all about the science of pain and it's absolutely fascinating!

Reconnecting with your body after cancer is a long process. To get herself through it, April Stearns founded a magazine just for breast cancer patients and survivors like herself. Today, she joined the fellas to share different writing exercises to help feel at home in a new body after cancer.