Sickboy

"Society says it's better dead than disabled." This week, we sit down with Ryan Yellowlees , a counselor and activist who is living—and thriving—with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, decades past his initial prognosis. Ryan gets real about the progression of his condition , the systemic ableism he fights against , and why he's fiercely campaigning against the expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), calling it modern-day eugeni...

What if your hand suddenly tried to choke you, or a microscopic parasite in your brain was making you horny for cat piss? From our live show at PodSummit in Calgary, the boys take a wild tour through the glitches in the human brain. We explore Alien Hand Syndrome, the brain-hijacking parasite Toxoplasma Gondii, and the profound ethical dilemma of Body Integrity Identity Disorder. Then, we're joined by our incredible new teammate, P...

After her father's sudden death, she carried a "calcified" grief for 15 years that traditional therapy couldn't touch—until one psychedelic cannabis journey changed everything. This week, we're joined by psychotherapist Angela, founder of Altered Healing, for a fascinating deep dive into the world of psychedelic therapy. Angela challenges the "Cheetos and cartoons" stereotype, making the case for cannabis as a powerful medicine for...

Her vertebrae are shaped like footballs, and doctors told her parents she wouldn't live past the age of five. This week, we're joined by the incredible Natasha, who shares her story of living with Morquio Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. She takes us on the journey of her "two lives": the one before and the one after a spinal stroke during a routine surgery left her paralyzed at 16. Despite the immense challenges, Natasha's story...

What does it feel like to get your dad back for a few beautiful moments of clarity, only to have dementia snatch him away again? This week, we're joined by our dear friend Haley for a powerful and vulnerable conversation about losing her father, the beloved musician Cyril McPhee, to Lewy Body Dementia. Haley opens up about the "trickster" nature of the disease, the profound experience of "pre-grieving" a parent who is still alive, ...

When six months is the best a doctor can offer, hope feels like a cruel joke. In this Breakdown edition of Sickboy, we dig into Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)—a rare disease that once meant certain death but now has science flipping the script.

Through narration and three candid interviews, this audio doc traces PAH’s path from despair to possibility. Jane shares what it’s like to have her lungs hijacked in her twenties. ...

You don’t survive ten years of podcasting without a few scars—and a hell of a lot of stories. In part one of this milestone episode, the guys sit down with Brock, a new intern with a fiery past—literally. From being wrongly accused of arson at age four to navigating life with cerebral palsy, Brock’s journey is as hilarious as it is jaw-dropping. He unpacks what it means to live with PVL, how systemic failures nearly derailed his ed...

Think PMS makes you a little cranky? That's cute. This week, we're diving headfirst into its evil, unhinged cousin: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD. Our guest Julia describes it as preparing for "doomsday" every single month —a two-week cycle where her brain basically turns into a rage-filled, paranoid monster that, among other things, absolutely hates her husband. This isn't just about mood swings; it's a full-blown psych...

We're not like the other health podcasts — we're weirder. For 10 years and counting, Sickboy has been the forum for open, honest and hilarious conversations destigmatizing all types of illnesses and injuries.

Join best friends Jeremie, Brian and Taylor on their journey to laugh through life's most painful conversations. Come for the wildly inappropriate jokes, stay for the conversations that will change the way you view life, d...

When we last spoke with Cameo in 2023, she was a driven student who seemed to be thriving, managing her mental health in a way that truly worked for her. Then, she reached out with an update. Cameo returns to the show to share the unfiltered reality of what happens when a mental health journey takes a nosedive. In a conversation that is both heartbreaking and incredibly self-aware, she describes being trapped in a prison of her own...

You can’t hike your way out of an adrenal crisis.

After a sudden diagnosis of Addison’s disease at 23, Aly’s life changed in a single phone call—from invincibility to a strict medication schedule and emergency steroid injections. She shares the harrowing early signs of adrenal failure, the shock of navigating life-threatening illness, and the second crisis that forced her to take her condition seriously. But this isn’t just abou...

Some people hit walls. Others knock them down, build a lab, raise millions, and call up strangers to make a genetically engineered mouse. When Terry Pirovolakis learned his young son Michael had SPG50 — a rare degenerative disease with no treatment and a grim prognosis — he didn’t spiral. He mobilized. In this jaw-dropping story of parental devotion and scientific hustle, Terry recounts how he went from IT consultant to biotech tra...

Alex hasn’t peed in 17 years — and he’s been busy. Diagnosed at 11 with a rare kidney disease triggered by a brutal run of childhood illnesses, his life became a blur of seizures, dialysis, and a transplant that didn’t stick. Now, between 7-hour nocturnal dialysis sessions, Alex co-owns two thriving Toronto restaurants and is building a creative community from scratch. In this episode, he talks about living with three kidneys (none...

They say laughter is the best medicine - unless you're diagnosed with something that sounds like a meme.

Mike lives with FAP, short for Familial Adenomatous Polyposis - a rare genetic disorder that guarantees colon cancer without drastic surgical intervention. In this unfiltered and laugh-out-loud conversation, Mike opens up about the brutal realities of living without a large intestine, the mental toll of life-altering surgery at 1...

Turns out, the most dangerous thing on TV in the ‘90s wasn’t violence—it was Pikachu. In December, 1997, nearly 700 kids in Japan were rushed to the hospital after watching a single episode of Pokémon. No, this isn’t an urban legend—it actually happened, and it was electrifying (lol). This week, Jer walks the fellas headfirst into the wild, true story of the Pokémon seizure panic, how Pikachu literally short-circuited a nation, and...

Taylor Arbeau is a firecracker. A passionate photographer, musician, and former Special Olympics athlete, she also happens to live with Down syndrome — mosaic Down syndrome, to be exact (yeah, we had no clue what that was either). In this candid convo, Taylor drops truth bombs about growing up “different,” discovering self-love, and calling bullshit on assumptions people make about her. She opens up about dating, her dreams of beco...

Jeremie met Terry where all deep, life-altering connections begin: half-naked in a sauna, trying not to die of heat stroke. What started as a sweaty convo about testosterone turned into one of the most jaw-dropping pain stories we’ve ever heard. Terry's been battling chronic pain since the age of nine thanks to a rare hip disease that left his femur more hammerhead shark than ball-and-socket. He’s survived countless surgeries, deal...

Falling asleep is easy—until it becomes the hardest part of your day. Recorded live in Toronto, this episode dives into the unpredictable world of narcolepsy type 1 with Heather, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner living with both narcolepsy and cataplexy. From sleep-deprived misdiagnoses to lucid hallucinations and arms that give out mid-laugh, Heather walks us through the reality behind the disorder’s misunderstood pop c...

When a hospital nurse's error leads to a life-threatening hemorrhage, Tracy's fight for survival and answers begins. This week, Tracy shares her unbelievable journey through misdiagnosis, two kidney transplants, and a near-fatal medical error that led her to become a fierce patient safety advocate. From a childhood illness that unknowingly attacked her kidneys to a shocking turn of events post-transplant, Tracy's story is a testame...