This episode of The Nocturness is sponsored by Claimable.

Every year, insurers deny over 850 million claims in the United States. Fewer than 1% are ever appealed.

Claimable exists to change that, with an online platform that helps patients overturn unjust

denials and restore access to the care they need. With claimables easy-to-use appeal

builder, patients create and submit personalized, expert-backed appeals, combining clinical, policy,

and legal evidence into powerful coverage arguments. If you or someone you know has ever lost

access to a medication because of an insurance denial, Claimable was built for that

moment. To learn more and explore how Claimable works with partners in healthcare to expand access,

visit getclaimable.com. At the nocturnous, we are careful to ensure that all stories comply

with health care privacy laws. Details may have been changed to ensure patient confidentiality.

All views expressed are those of the person speaking and not their employer.

This is the nocturness and I'm Emily Silverman.

When we get sick, we don't just experience symptoms.

We reach for stories.

We search for causes, meaning, someone to trust, and someone to blame.

Today's guest is Susan Wisebauer, a historian, writer, and educator,

whose work spans world history, science, literature, and culture.

Her latest book, The Great Shadow, traces the history of illness across human civilization,

asking not only how disease-shaped societies, but what it actually felt like to be sick

in different eras of history.

In our conversation, Susan and I talk about plague and pandemics, ancient theories of balance,

the rise of germ theory, wellness culture, and the long repeating dance between suffering and authority. We also talk about why today's crisis of trust in medicine may be less unprecedented than it seems. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did, but first take a listen to Susan, reading an excerpt from one of her books.

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