Brain Fever Podcast

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, click here to donate and join. You can then watch the recording of the interview.Thank you to Susannah and to Humanities ND for such a wonderful event!

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.

Happy 2022! Join Jackie and Sean as they recap on 2021’s peaks and valleys, share exciting upcoming news, and do some polka dancing.

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 they even sing a little diddy at the end ...

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!

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. 

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.*

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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, narrative medicine, and patient and public engagement.Follow Jackie M StebbinsTwitter: @jmstebbsFacebook: JM StebbinsInstagram: @jmstebbs84Website: www.jmstebbins.com

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.

Today, we took questions from listeners from our listeners for Jackie.

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".

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 StebbinsE-mail Jackie at jmstebbins@jmstebbins.com

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.

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 heart out through cancer in your airways? How can our creativity help us heal? In this episode, Jackie brings in a new friend, Jessie Veeder, a REAL cowgirl, author, and musician, to talk about her creative life, surviving cancer, walking among the wildflowers, and raising daughters. Jackie knew she was her kind of people when she met Jessie at a writer's panel last year, and Jessie doesn't disappoint in this conversation!Check out Jessie's work at https://jessieveedermusic.com/home

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 Jackie explore childhood anxiety, parenting children who may have anxiety, some of Jackie's biases towards mental health while she was writing her memoir, and Mariah's cats (Mariah is also the cofounder of Meowsers, a cat rescue). If you've ever wondered how to openly speak about your anxiety or how to talk to your children about theirs, this one's for you!

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 the Unwillable soundtrack, you can find the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ZjPmn7dZrtsasGxk6epWy?si=8dfe78bdeb3d4bd9 Got a question or thought about Unwillable, autoimmune encephalitis, or Jackie's superb taste in music, find her contact info at jmstebbins.com or grab her linktree profile on her Instagram account @jmstebbs84 and at linktr.ee/jmstebbins.