Brain Fever Podcast

Mar 17 2024 189

Brain Fever Podcast artwork

Brain Fever is hosted by autoimmune encephalitis survivor, Jackie M. Stebbins and is produced by her husband and former radio personality, Sean Arithson. Jackie was a nationally recognized trial lawyer until almost overnight, she couldn't read or tell the time, and had full body tremors and seizures. After a horror story illness and near-death experience, Jackie miraculously survived her "brain on fire" and began sharing her journey with others. Brain Fever is a testament to Jackie's resilience and the human spirit. She highlights not only her story, but the stories of others including cancer survivors, philosophers, lawyers, writers, and others affected by autoimmune encephalitis. She also focuses on mental health, hoping to bring to light the diagnoses so many face and to destigmatize it. (And she talks A LOT about Elton John!)

Jackie is the author of "Unwillable: A Journey to Reclaim My Brain" and the JM Stebbins blog, a motivational speaker, and the host of the Brain Fever podcast.

jmstebbins.com
unwillable.com

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Nothing's Forever

Mar 17 2024 58 mins

Jackie has often heard of autoimmune encephalitis survivors unlocking hidden creativity after their diagnosis. And while she turned to writing in her days of survival and recovery, she still believes her creativity knows a lot of bounds. But what does it really mean to be a creative? What happens when you bring your creativity back "home?" What does it mean to sing your h

Mr. Sandman

Dec 03 2023 55 mins

In this episode, Jackie is joined by guest Mariah Botha of Dickinson, North Dakota. Mariah is the director of a rural healthcare foundation and is as smart as she is lovely. Upon reading Unwillable, Mariah had a lot of questions and Jackie (doubtfully) had the answers. So the pair decided to turn the tables and have Mariah host Jackie. In this unscripted conversation, Mariah and Ja

Unwillable Soundtrack

Oct 04 2023 77 mins

Join Jackie and Sean as Jackie drops her ultimate wish (outside of a made for TV movie): the Unwillable soundtrack! In this episode, you'll hear more about the songs that influenced Jackie while writing the book, the eerie songs that played during her onset, and the songs she relied upon to get to the final destination of "I'm Still Standing!"To listen along to

Balancing Your Health

Apr 23 2023 59 mins

Medical care can be complicated, especially for women. Women are always juggling hormones, stress, work, sleep, childbearing years, menopause, and quite a bit in between. In this episode, Jackie interviews an old friend, Adria, who is a Physician's Assistant at a women's primary care clinic. Join them as they demystify primary care and talk about it all, including mental

Lawfare

Apr 03 2023 53 mins

Lawyers. If you know them, you know they're always "stressed out." If you've met them, you know they're "overworked." And chances are, you've probably heard them call their profession "toxic." Why is the legal profession so stressful and why are lawyers statistically at risk for a myriad of serious mental health problems? Why was Ja

Roar

Mar 04 2023 57 mins

In this very special episode, Jackie is joined by Miami native Juliana Ortiz who was diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis at just fourteen years old. Juliana’s story of disruption at a young age to her brave recovery and how her diagnosis helped shape her college career path is one you don’t want to miss. She’s also the first AE survivor to guest the Brain Fever podcast!Joi

Go (Pink) or Go Home!

Feb 08 2023 44 mins

In this episode, four-time breast cancer survivor, speaker, and author of "Dig in Your Heels," Karla Baptiste, joins Jackie to talk about life with and after breast cancer. Karla's motto of "One Life to Live, Many Lives to Touch," and her story of survival will leave you inspired!

Green Onions

Jan 23 2023 23 mins

Join Jackie and Sean as they sing and dance their way into 2023 (kidding, there's no singing or dancing on this one). In this episode, Jackie discusses Brain Fever's spring lineup, her book Unwillable, and what she's been up to. She also drops a little secret info about an upcoming promotional giveaway and some exciting February news for World Encephalitis Day! Catch

Calling All Angels

Oct 30 2022 59 mins

In this special episode, Stephanie Macdonald, the nurse practitioner Jackie credits with saving her life from AE, interviews Jackie for Humanities North Dakota’s One Book One ND event. In this conversation, the pair explore life after AE, writing Unwillable, and how Jackie stays busy.*Recording shared with permission and consent.

Legal Eagle

Aug 19 2022 42 mins

When AE stares you in the face (or another chronic health condition) two questions come to mind: What if I can't work and how will I have health insurance? To tackle these complicated and scary questions, Jackie welcomes her longtime friend and colleague, Attorney Mac Schneider, as a guest. Mac walks listeners through the complicated puzzle of disability and health care, and J