This Doctor Cured His Own Rare Illness Against All Odds

In this episode of Getting Open, Andrea Miller sits down with Dr. David Fajgenbaum, physician-scientist and Castleman disease survivor, to share his extraordinary journey from critically ill patient to life-saving researcher. David opens up about nearly dying multiple times in his 20s, navigating a rare disease with no clear treatment, and the emotional toll of living with uncertainty. This conversation explores resilience, medical innovation, and how turning personal suffering into purpose can change and save lives. Chapters: 00:00 David Fajgenbaum’s life-threatening medical crisis 02:18 From medical student to critically ill patient 05:34 What Castleman disease is — and why it’s so dangerous 09:12 Nearly dying multiple times in his 20s 13:45 The emotional toll of chronic, life-threatening illness 18:06 When doctors don’t have answers 26:10 Researching his own rare disease 30:44 Repurposing existing drugs to save lives 35:18 The breakthrough that changed everything 43:36 Finding meaning after medical trauma 48:05 Advice for people facing rare or misunderstood illnesses 51:12 Hope, resilience, and redefining survival FOLLOW YOURTANGO INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/yourtango TIKTOK | https://www.tiktok.com/@yourtango THREADS | https://www.threads.net/@yourtango TWITTER | https://www.twitter.com/YourTango FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/YourTango/ “Getting Open w/ Andrea Miller” is a podcast aimed at helping people truly open up to one another and themselves by digging into hard truths and varying perspectives. This show offers expert-approved relationship advice through vulnerable stories, dynamic discussions, and inspiring insights. Subscribe to catch new episodes of Getting Open with Andrea Miller every Tuesday at 3 PM ET. 📚 Read more at: https://www.YourTango.com 📩 Have a relationship issue or topic you'd like to discuss on the show? Email us: gettingopen@yourtango.com #raredisease #chronicillness #medicalresearch David Fajgenbaum, Castleman disease, rare disease podcast, doctor becomes patient, medical survivor story, chronic illness journey, rare disease research, turning pain into purpose, life threatening illness recovery, health resilience podcast, medical breakthrough story, science and survival, Getting Open podcast, Dr. David Fajgenbaum, AI healthcare, AI medicine, medical AI

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