In Episode 56 of the podcast, we dive into the true story behind My Lobotomy, the memoir of Howard Dully, who was lobotomized at age 12 in 1960. Through firsthand accounts and historical context, we trace Howard’s experience before, during, and after the procedure — a surgery once hailed as a breakthrough in treating mental illness that later became one of medicine’s most controversial chapters.

We explore:

• How lobotomies became mainstream in mid-20th-century psychiatry.
• Howard Dully’s remarkable journey toward reclaiming his identity and voice.
• The evolving ethics of psychosurgery and modern mental health care.
• Reflections on memory, autonomy, and the stories patients tell.

Tune in for a nuanced discussion that connects personal narrative with the broader history of psychiatric treatment and its lasting impact.

📘 Primary Text

• My Lobotomy by Howard Dully (book) — https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Dully-My-Lobotomy-Reprint/dp/B00N1BRRH4/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1X37A5AQHQRKD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wamzX4VSSRwU-HxJR-a7p0LtmUGeJDL5pP3K6w2kn58zjYLz0jRnmNag8tTxRWuSYmPKxh_Np2wIJcKaEyxOp6RCPDDYqASgwaASAPTTE95mcQWuwnAUHy1km5PSo8NCiJ1h_S2s7m476_DFxD6QDw.zjezd4i-wmlISeryWQmG0msYQLbnjZeLqZJXOdusyUw&dib_tag=se&keywords=my+lobotomy+by+howard+dully&qid=1762537653&sprefix=my+lo%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-2

🍸 Cocktail (for episode theme fun)

• Lobotomy mixed drink inspiration — https://quench.me/mixed/lobotomy/

📚 Background & Context

• NPR: My Lobotomy — Howard Dully’s Journey — https://www.npr.org/2005/11/16/5014080/my-lobotomy-howard-dullys-journey
• StoryCorps: My Lobotomy oral history — https://storycorps.org/stories/my-lobotomy/
• Wikipedia: Lobotomy overview — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobotomy
• Wikipedia: Psychosurgery context — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosurgery

New episodes every Monday → Hit that subscribe button! 🔔

⭐️ Rate and Review

🍸 Cocktail recipes drop on socials every weekend before the episode airs 🍹

If you love the podcast, please join our 💳 Patreon to support our continued success!

If you don't want to commit to a monthly contribution, you can always donate on ☕️Buy Me a Coffee

🎶 Music Credits: Music by Vlad Krotov, Sound Effect by Akiva Vita For updates visit our 💻 Website

In this episode, we explore the real Blue Fugates of Kentucky, the fictional but historically grounded world of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, and the science behind the rare condition methemoglobinemia. We also break down the Twisted & Uncorked episode that re-popularized this Appalachian medical mystery — all while sipping a blue moonshine cocktail: Cussy’s Elixir.

A moonshine-based blue cocktail inspired by Cussy Mary Carter from The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Blue Houdini Moonshine
• ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz honey syrup
• Top with sparkling water (or ginger ale)
• Garnish with lemon twist or edible wildflower

Shake, strain, pour over ice, enjoy.

• The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_Woman_of_Troublesome_Creek

• The Blue Fugates – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Fugates

• Methemoglobinemia – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methemoglobinemia
• Cleveland Clinic – Methemoglobinemia Overview https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24115-methemoglobinemia
• NCBI Bookshelf – Methemoglobinemia (Clinical Review) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537317/

• Twisted & Uncorked – Episode 210: I’m Blue Da Ba Dee Da Ba Da (Conspiracy) https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-210-i-m-blue-da-ba-dee-da-ba-da-conspiracy--67782725

New episodes every Monday → Hit that subscribe button! 🔔

⭐️ Rate and Review

🍸 Cocktail recipes drop on socials every weekend before the episode airs 🍹

If you love the podcast, please join our 💳 Patreon to support our continued success!

If you don't want to commit to a monthly contribution, you can always donate on ☕️Buy Me a Coffee

🎶 Music Credits: Music by Vlad Krotov, Sound Effect by Akiva Vita For updates visit our 💻 Website

In this episode of Medical Media Mixer, we explore Girls & Their Monsters by Audrey Clare Farley — the haunting true story of the Dionne quintuplets and how science, society, and media collided to shape our understanding of mental illness. We unpack the ethics of human experimentation, the historical roots of psychiatry, and the ongoing debate of nature versus nurture, while examining how voices, behavior, and diagnosis are understood across time and culture. Paired with The Quad cocktail, this episode blends history, medicine, and media to question who defines “madness,” and at what cost.

Book & Background

• Girls and Their Monsters (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Their-Monsters-Quadruplets-Madness/dp/1538724472/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0
• Wikipedia overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girls_and_Their_Monsters

Mental Health & Psychiatry

• Hearing Voices Network: https://www.hearing-voices.org/#content
• Nature vs. Nurture in mental illness (review article): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8702084/
• Family history and schizophrenia risk: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1181880/
• Creation of the NIMH (75-year history PDF): https://www.nimh.nih.gov/sites/default/files/documents/NIMH-Celebrating-75-Years-508_0.pdf

Cocktail

• The Quad cocktail recipe (Difford’s Guide): https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2884/the-quad

New episodes every Monday → Hit that subscribe button! 🔔

⭐️ Rate and Review

🍸 Cocktail recipes drop on socials every weekend before the episode airs 🍹

If you love the podcast, please join our 💳 Patreon to support our continued success!

If you don't want to commit to a monthly contribution, you can always donate on ☕️Buy Me a Coffee

🎶 Music Credits: Music by Vlad Krotov, Sound Effect by Akiva Vita For updates visit our 💻 Website

Summary: This episode explores the tragic story of Patricia Stallings, wrongfully convicted for poisoning her son due to a misdiagnosis of methylmalonic acidemia (MMA). We discuss the medical background of MMA, the legal implications, and media portrayals—including podcasts, documentaries, and Lifetime movies—that brought this case to public attention. Learn how medical science corrected a grave miscarriage of justice and the ongoing lessons for rare disease awareness.

Resources & Links:

• Patricia Stallings – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Stallings
• Without a Kiss Goodbye (1993) – IMDb https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108581/
• Forensic Files – “Deadly Formula” Episode https://youtu.be/8AAM2Pi44v8?si=Pi-afyTb2knWVVB-
• Methylmalonic Acidemia – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylmalonic_acidemia
• NCBI – Misdiagnosis of MMA https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• JAMA Neurology Review https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology
• International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health – False-Positive MMA https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
• Unsolved Mysteries Wiki https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Patricia_Stallings#:~:text=Details%3A%20On%20July%209%2C%201989,suffered%20from%20chronic%20gastric%20distress.

Inspiration: Patricia Stallings’s story is one of misunderstanding, suspicion, and eventual truth. This cocktail is dark, mysterious, and layered, representing the tension and uncertainty of her case, with a subtle bright note at the finish to symbolize vindication and hope.

• 1.5 oz Dark Rum (deep, rich, symbolizes the shadow of suspicion)
• 0.5 oz Cherry Heering or Cherry Liqueur (hint of danger, red “warning” tone)
• 0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice (sharp clarity, representing truth cutting through deception)
• 0.25 oz Maple Syrup or Honey (soft sweetness, resilience and hope)
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters (complexity, the moral and legal undertones)
• Garnish: Lemon twist or cherry (symbolizing resolution and recognition)

1. Fill a shaker with ice and combine dark rum, cherry liqueur, lemon juice, maple syrup, and bitters.
2. Shake well until chilled.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Garnish with a cherry or lemon twist.

Tasting Notes:

• Flavor: Dark, layered, slightly tart with a sweet finish
• Symbolism: Shadows of false accusation, tension of uncertainty, and a final note of truth

💡 Optional Twist:

• Serve smoky with a small mist of smoked rosemary or cinnamon to symbolize the murkiness of being wrongly accused.

• For a lighter variation, use spiced rum instead of dark rum.

New episodes every Monday → Hit that subscribe button! 🔔

⭐️ Rate and Review

🍸 Cocktail recipes drop on socials every weekend before the episode airs 🍹

If you love the podcast, please join our 💳 Patreon to support our continued success!

If you don't want to commit to a monthly contribution, you can always donate on ☕️Buy Me a Coffee

🎶 Music Credits: Music by Vlad Krotov, Sound Effect by Akiva Vita For updates visit our 💻 Website

In this first-ever Refill episode of Medical Media Mixer, we revisit our original episode, “The Americano,” with fresh context from the current 2025–2026 flu season. We break down what’s driving this year’s influenza trends — including the rise of the Influenza A(H3N2) subclade K variant — what it means for vaccine effectiveness, who is most at risk, and why global flu patterns matter for U.S. health systems. It’s the same episode, the same drink — but with updated information to help you make sense of what’s happening now.

• Why Influenza A(H3N2) — specifically the subclade K variant — is dominating this season
• What mutation changes mean for vaccine match and protection
• How effective this year’s vaccine appears to be so far
• Why pediatric, elderly, and high-risk populations deserve special attention
• What global flu trends (Japan, the UK, Australia, Europe) can tell us about what’s coming next

Flu season is one of the clearest examples of how medicine, media, public perception, and health systems intersect in real time. Revisiting our first episode through the lens of the current season shows how infectious disease isn’t static — and why updated context is just as important as the original story.

• Schweitzer K. A New H3N2 Influenza Strain Is Raising Concerns About This Flu Season. JAMA. 2025. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.25205
• Zambon M, Hayden FG. Influenza A(H3N2) Subclade K Virus. JAMA. 2025. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.25903
• Committee on Infectious Diseases. Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2025–2026: Technical Report. Pediatrics. 2025. doi:10.1542/peds.2025-073622
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). FluView and U.S. Influenza Surveillance Data, 2025–2026 season (preliminary estimates)

New episodes every Monday → Hit that subscribe button! 🔔

⭐️ Rate and Review

🍸 Cocktail recipes drop on socials every weekend before the episode airs 🍹

If you love the podcast, please join our 💳 Patreon to support our continued success!

If you don't want to commit to a monthly contribution, you can always donate on ☕️Buy Me a Coffee

🎶 Music Credits: Music by Vlad Krotov, Sound Effect by Akiva Vita For updates visit our 💻 Website

Full video available on Patreon

This week on the Medical Media Mixer Podcast, we’re recording on location at Reckless Town Farm Distillery 🍸 for a relaxed, unfiltered chat about stories that prove truth really is stranger than fiction.

Tara and Nicole dive into four standout documentaries and true stories — the devastating Take Care of Maya, the explosive Charlie Sheen: The Last Party, the controversial Rebel Royals, and the unsettling Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. Along the way, they sip spirits and spiral into royal side talk — from The Crown and Spare to Netflix’s Harry & Meghan — exploring how media turns real lives into entertainment.

(Note: Apologies for the audio — Tara’s mic went a little rogue during this on-location recording!)

✅ Take Care of Maya – medical trauma, child advocacy, and systemic failure ✅ Charlie Sheen Documentary – celebrity culture and public downfall ✅ Rebel Royals – rebellion, monarchy, and the cost of fame ✅ Unknown Number: The High School Catfish – digital deception and psychological manipulation 💭 Plus: brief detours into The Crown, Spare, and Netflix’s Harry & Meghan

Reckless Town Farm Distillery — where small-batch spirits meet big conversations.

• Reckless Town Spirits

• Take Care of Maya – Wikipedia

• Unknown Number: The High School Catfish – Wikipedia

• Charlie Sheen Documentary – IMDb

• Rebel Royals – IMDb

• Harry & Meghan – Netflix

• The Crown – Wikipedia

• Spare by Prince Harry

New episodes every Monday → Hit that subscribe button! 🔔

⭐️ Rate and Review

🍸 Cocktail recipes drop on socials every weekend before the episode airs 🍹

If you love the podcast, please join our 💳 Patreon to support our continued success!

If you don't want to commit to a monthly contribution, you can always donate on ☕️Buy Me a Coffee

🎶 Music Credits: Music by Vlad Krotov, Sound Effect by Akiva Vita For updates visit our 💻 Website

In this episode of Medical Media Mixer, we explore the unsettling true story behind The Shrink Next Door — both the hit podcast and the Apple TV+ miniseries starring Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd.

We examine how a trusted therapist exploited his patient for decades, manipulating boundaries, finances, and emotional control — blurring the line between care and coercion. Drawing from real psychological research, we unpack the signs of manipulation, narcissistic behavior, and therapist ethics violations that fueled this disturbing case.

To lighten the mood, we sip on our featured drink — The Shrinking Violet Cocktail — a floral, gin-based recipe that’s as delicate and deceptive as the relationship at the center of this true story.

Join us for a conversation at the crossroads of psychology, ethics, and pop culture.

🎬 The Story

• The Shrink Next Door – Wikipedia
• The Shrink Next Door Podcast – Amazon Music
• Time Magazine – “The True Story Behind The Shrink Next Door”
• New York Post – “Shrink Next Door Doctor Loses Appeal for Medical License”

🧩 Psychology & Manipulation

• Psychology Today – 14 Signs of Psychological and Emotional Manipulation
• The Masks of Manipulation – National Center for School Mental Health (PDF)
• Psychiatry Online – Ethical Boundaries and Power in the Therapist–Patient Relationship
• PubMed – “The Role of Transference and Countertransference in the Therapeutic Relationship”

🍸 Cocktail Pairing

• The Shrinking Violet Cocktail – Point Reyes Nature

New episodes every Monday → Hit that subscribe button! 🔔

⭐️ Rate and Review

🍸 Cocktail recipes drop on socials every weekend before the episode airs 🍹

If you love the podcast, please join our 💳 Patreon to support our continued success!

If you don't want to commit to a monthly contribution, you can always donate on ☕️Buy Me a Coffee

🎶 Music Credits: Music by Vlad Krotov, Sound Effect by Akiva Vita For updates visit our 💻 Website