Celebrating the stories of those living with chronic illnesses.
Dr. Zac Spiritos
Gastroenterologist + Hepatologist
My mission is to understand the patient experience. I first realized I was missing the mark when, after completing a treatment plan, I would excitedly report to my patients, “We did it! The blood work looks great and/or your imaging is normal!” Only to look back at a patient who was less than enthusiastic.
It turns out that healing is not as simple as normalizing objective measures of disease. To be fair, sometimes it is that simple when it comes to acute illnesses, such the common cold or a broken ankle. Our medical system is really good at treating acute conditions. However, when it comes to chronic illnesses the patient’s condition is a lot more complicated. Examples include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lupus, type 1 diabetes, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and long COVID. As opposed to a sinus infection which a patient can “get over,” there is no “getting over” chronic illness – it is a label that sticks with a patient forever.
Being diagnosed with a chronic illness can lead to worry about finances (will I be able to keep my job so that I can maintain my health insurance for medical bills?), interpersonal relationships (I’m always so tired, will my partner continue to be there for me?), and the future (will I ever feel like myself again?).
Loss of control can be very stressful. So how do we take control back? Through the act of storytelling. No, storytelling does not cure Parkinson’s disease. But it gives people the space to process their experiences, make sense of their own narrative, and gain new insights. It also allows for deep connection with others, hopefully making them less lonely.
We hope that personal testimonials will create an improved social support system for people with like conditions, educate families and friends on how to support their steadfast loved ones, and enlighten healthcare providers like me so that we can do our jobs better.
The Host
Zac Spiritos MD, MPH
I grew up in Philadelphia, PA and made my way to North Carolina to attend Davidson College where I graduated honor cum laude. I then completed my medical training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I also obtained a degree in public health. I completed my internal residency at Emory University and then a gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship at Duke University.
I now work in the greater Raleigh, North Carolina area treating all disorders of general gastroenterology and hepatology, however, my specific interests are motility and brain-gut axis disorders.
I am married with two children and enjoy playing basketball (well, until a recent ACL tear), hiking, and eating double bacon cheeseburgers.