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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
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
36 Episodes
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Send a text To kick off another season of the Brain Fever podcast, Jackie welcomes special guest Jeremy Norton. Jeremy is the author of Trauma Sponges: Dispatches from the Scarred Heart of Emergency Response. Jeremy has an MA in creative writing, was a teacher, and has served over twenty years with the Minneapolis Fire Department where he is currently a captain. Jeremy was also the firefighter/EMT who first responded to aid George Floyd in May 2020. Join Jackie and Jeremy for a discussion ab...
Send a text On March 1, 2022, Jackie interviewed "Brain on Fire's" Susannah Cahalan for a Humanities North Dakota event, "One Book, One ND." Jackie and Susannah had a riveting conversation about autoimmune encephalitis, life, motherhood, mental health, writing, and more. Humanities North Dakota graciously permitted Jackie to share this interview (complete with an introduction from Jackie's neurologist at the Mayo Clinic) on Brain Fever! If you want to become a Humanities North Dakota member,...
Send a text In this episode, Jackie is joined by Dr. Stephen Rush, a psychiatrist at the University of Cincinnati as they try to answer Jackie's unending question of, "Autoimmune encephalitis, what the heck is going on here?” ***Disclaimer-this episode is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you’re in need of medical advice, consult with a professional.
Send a text Happy 2022! Join Jackie and Sean as they recap on 2021’s peaks and valleys, share exciting upcoming news, and do some polka dancing.
Send a text In this episode, North Dakota native Mandy B. Anderson joins Jackie to discuss life with Cystic Fibrosis. Their conversation follows Mandy's story of "Dangerous Hope," where she swore off the medication and treatments necessary for her to live, but learned how to live more fully after her long and almost deadly journey. Mandy is the author of "Dangerous Hope," recently appeared on the TEDx stage in Bismarck, is a certified life coach, and is a blessing to life. Join the two as the...
Send a text In this episode, Jackie interviews special guest Maria Burns Ortiz. Maria is a decorated writer, teacher, digital entrepreneur, and leader. She is also the co-author of My Fight/Your Fight, the New York Times bestselling memoir about the storied career of Ronda Rousey. She shares with Jackie her energy and enthusiasm about rising to life's great expectations. She is smart, successful, fast-talking, and ... Ronda Rousey's sister!
Send a text In this episode, guest host Dr. Ava Easton, CEO of the Encephalitis Society, interviews Jackie about three years of seizure free remission, her writing, her identity, and her newfound anxiety.
Send a text In this episode, Jackie is joined by special guest and longtime friend, Kaitlyn, who witnessed a suicide while in college. Kaitlyn shares her insight about trauma and the journey to wellness. *Warning, contains adult content.*
Send a text In this episode, Jackie and her dear friend and Philosopher, Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein, of the University of North Dakota, discuss how philosophy is relevant to encephalitis and mental health.
Send a text In this episode, special guest Dr. Ava Easton, CEO of The Encephalitis Society, joins Jackie to discuss her book, and the impact of encephalitis narratives.
Send a text Mother, psychiatrist, and one of the four co-founders of the Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance, Dr. Helen Egger, talks about having a child with AE and gives hope to other AE parents.
Send a text In this episode, Jackie welcomes Caterri Woodrum, CEO of the AE Alliance. They discuss AE statistics, and how the AE Alliance can help patients and carers.
Send a text This episode of Brain Fever commemorates Jackie's second year of remission since her diagnosis with AE. Special guest Dr. Ava Easton, CEO of The Encephalitis Society, joins Jackie to discuss recovery and rehabilitation post-encephalitis. Dr. Ava is the author of the book, "Life After Encephalitis," and she speaks at conferences and lectures around the world on various aspects of encephalitis and its consequences for patients. Her expertise also extends to neuro-narratives, narrati...
Send a text In our final episode, Jackie interviews Sean about Jackie's Autoimmune Encephalitis....from beginning to end. I wasn't really looking forward to this...not my favorite subject, but, I know there are some caregivers out there that are going through or have went through a similar process.
Send a text Today, we took questions from listeners from our listeners for Jackie.
Send a text In this episode, Jackie talks about her road to recovery....some ups and some downs...what was/is hard and what kept her going to get better. When she was in the very early stages of recovery, she talks about how isolated she felt and how she got through the "Long and Winding Road".
Send a text Jackie describes her stay at the Sanford Psychiatric Ward, St. Alexius Hospital after her Grand Mal Seizure and her 4 visits to the Mayo Clinic. Also, a few funny stories on the road to recovery. Follow Jackie on Twitter @jmstebbins Follow Jackie on Facebook JM Stebbins E-mail Jackie at jmstebbins@jmstebbins.com
Send a text In our first episode, Jackie talks briefly about the beginning stages of her Autoimmune Encephalitis. AE is different for everyone, so, Jackie is sharing her experience.
Send a text Calling all stressed out lawyers (dare I repeat myself) AND stressed out humans looking to find that inner feeling of balance. In this episode, Jackie is joined by Dr. Amy Wood, a clinical psychologist, executive coach, person who deals with stressed out lawyers extraordinaire, and author of "Lawyer Like an Athlete." While this show focuses a lot of energy on how quickly lawyers seem to expend the energy of their professional lives, any and everyone can benefit from Dr. Wood's gen...
Send a text In this episode, Jackie is joined by special guest and longtime friend, Jamie Selzler. Jamie is a brilliant businessman and political strategist. Through their work in politics, Jamie and Jackie met while Jackie was still in college at the University of North Dakota. Jamie is the kind of friend who finds out you have autoimmune encephalitis and walks a personal letter to Elton John's record label in London (true story). He's also tearing up the internet with his profoundly persona...
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