Stories from the World of Medicine
Season
8
Episode
6
|
Dec 18, 2025
A Soft Place to Land with Frances Southwick, DO
Physician and writer Francis Southwick tells a deeply personal story about love and illness. Growing up queer in rural Colorado, Francis experiences mysterious episodes of sudden paralysis triggered by intense emotion, beginning in adolescence and persisting for decades without a diagnosis. After years of shame, misattribution, and near-abandonment of dreams, Francis falls in love with Judith, builds a life with her, and finally receives a diagnosis of type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy—explaining why moments of beauty, joy, and love literally caused collapse.
0:00/1:34
Stories from the World of Medicine
Season
8
Episode
6
|
Dec 18, 2025
A Soft Place to Land with Frances Southwick, DO
Physician and writer Francis Southwick tells a deeply personal story about love and illness. Growing up queer in rural Colorado, Francis experiences mysterious episodes of sudden paralysis triggered by intense emotion, beginning in adolescence and persisting for decades without a diagnosis. After years of shame, misattribution, and near-abandonment of dreams, Francis falls in love with Judith, builds a life with her, and finally receives a diagnosis of type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy—explaining why moments of beauty, joy, and love literally caused collapse.
0:00/1:34
Stories from the World of Medicine
Season
8
Episode
6
|
12/18/25
A Soft Place to Land with Frances Southwick, DO
Physician and writer Francis Southwick tells a deeply personal story about love and illness. Growing up queer in rural Colorado, Francis experiences mysterious episodes of sudden paralysis triggered by intense emotion, beginning in adolescence and persisting for decades without a diagnosis. After years of shame, misattribution, and near-abandonment of dreams, Francis falls in love with Judith, builds a life with her, and finally receives a diagnosis of type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy—explaining why moments of beauty, joy, and love literally caused collapse.
0:00/1:34
About Our Guest
Frances Southwick is a board-certified osteopathic family physician, literary nonfiction writer and storyteller practicing at a federally qualified health center in California's central valley. Their education includes a BA in philosophy from Colorado State University, a DO from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, and completion of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Shadyside Family Medicine Residency Program, and countless hours of one-on-one clinical education by patients. They have served as Yolo County's DHCS (Department of Health Care Services) Medications for Addiction Treatment Expert Facilitator. They also innovate front-lines clinical tools such as the "Self Interview," a strengths-based tool with roots in motivational interviewing, and healing-oriented trauma-informed practices.
About The Show
The Nocturnists is an award-winning medical storytelling podcast, hosted by physician Emily Silverman. We feature personal stories from frontline clinicians, conversations with healthcare-related authors, and art-makers. Our mission is to humanize healthcare and foster joy, wonder, and curiosity among clinicians and patients alike.
resources
Credits
About Our Guest
Frances Southwick is a board-certified osteopathic family physician, literary nonfiction writer and storyteller practicing at a federally qualified health center in California's central valley. Their education includes a BA in philosophy from Colorado State University, a DO from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, and completion of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Shadyside Family Medicine Residency Program, and countless hours of one-on-one clinical education by patients. They have served as Yolo County's DHCS (Department of Health Care Services) Medications for Addiction Treatment Expert Facilitator. They also innovate front-lines clinical tools such as the "Self Interview," a strengths-based tool with roots in motivational interviewing, and healing-oriented trauma-informed practices.
About The Show
The Nocturnists is an award-winning medical storytelling podcast, hosted by physician Emily Silverman. We feature personal stories from frontline clinicians, conversations with healthcare-related authors, and art-makers. Our mission is to humanize healthcare and foster joy, wonder, and curiosity among clinicians and patients alike.
resources
Credits
About Our Guest
Frances Southwick is a board-certified osteopathic family physician, literary nonfiction writer and storyteller practicing at a federally qualified health center in California's central valley. Their education includes a BA in philosophy from Colorado State University, a DO from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, and completion of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Shadyside Family Medicine Residency Program, and countless hours of one-on-one clinical education by patients. They have served as Yolo County's DHCS (Department of Health Care Services) Medications for Addiction Treatment Expert Facilitator. They also innovate front-lines clinical tools such as the "Self Interview," a strengths-based tool with roots in motivational interviewing, and healing-oriented trauma-informed practices.
About The Show
The Nocturnists is an award-winning medical storytelling podcast, hosted by physician Emily Silverman. We feature personal stories from frontline clinicians, conversations with healthcare-related authors, and art-makers. Our mission is to humanize healthcare and foster joy, wonder, and curiosity among clinicians and patients alike.
resources
Credits
The Nocturnists is made possible by the California Medical Association, and donations from people like you!
This episode is sponsored by The Physicians Foundation as well as Unleashed: Redesigning Health Care, a podcast that features clinician-innovators who have changed care on the front lines. Their stories, their voices, their ingenuity.
Transcript
Note: The Nocturnists is an audio-first experience with emotion and sound design that can be difficult to fully capture in text. Transcripts are provided to support accessibility and reference, but may contain minor inaccuracies. If quoting in print, please consult the audio when possible.
Transcript Coming Soon
Note: The Nocturnists is an audio-first experience with emotion and sound design that can be difficult to fully capture in text. Transcripts are provided to support accessibility and reference, but may contain minor inaccuracies. If quoting in print, please consult the audio when possible.
Transcript Coming Soon
Transcript
Note: The Nocturnists is an audio-first experience with emotion and sound design that can be difficult to fully capture in text. Transcripts are provided to support accessibility and reference, but may contain minor inaccuracies. If quoting in print, please consult the audio when possible.
Transcript Coming Soon
0:00/1:34
Humanizing healthcare through storytelling.
podcast
Humanizing healthcare through storytelling.
podcast