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The path of surgical staples made a loop across the side of Gina's head and curved around to the front of her ear, creating the shape of a question mark.
This episode of Watching America harks back to 2019 when host Dr. Alan Campbell asked to interview the show’s senior producer, Gina Gambony. The topic was a “dark night of the soul” Gina experienced during a strange medical phenomenon that lasted the better part of a year. It included mistaken diagnosis, aphasia, brain surgery, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and a rare disorder called “paraneoplastic syndrome.” It also included a reorientation to life spurred by the temporary dominance of the right hemisphere of Gina’s brain and the acceptance of seemingly certain death.
Alan immediately felt the conversation was something the audience would be interested in hearing. Gina was less confident with that assessment and didn’t want to air it.
The beginning of chemotherapy.
Alan finally won that disagreement more than two years later. After the broadcast on February 4, 2022, we received more communication from listeners than we’ve ever had for a single episode. There is nothing more satisfying in radio than knowing a conversation resonates with listeners who have had similar experiences. Thank you to those who shared their own stories with us, and those who may still.
Also, many thanks to producer Paul Bibeau, who oversaw the initial interview, and producer Jordan Christie, who helped edit the final episode.
