45 | Overtime: A Conversation With Dr. David Fajgenbaum

About this episode

Dr. David Fajgenbaum shares his incredible journey of survival and determination in the face of a rare disease.

Today’s guest is Dr. David Fajgenbaum, survivor, scientist, physician, and disease hunter.  Dr. Fajgenbaum is a world-renowned physician-scientist, bestselling author, inspirational speaker, and survivor on a mission to save lives by using AI and relentless hope to unlock hidden cures. At 25 years old, Dr. David Fajgenbaum was told he had hours to live. A rare immune disorder called Idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease was shutting down his organs. He received last rites. He said goodbye to his family. And then — against all odds — he survived. Not once. Five times. With no effective treatments available, he turned my desperation into determination— As both patient and scientist, David made a radical decision: if no cure existed, he would chase one himself—even if it meant experimenting on his own body.  What followed wasn’t just recovery. It was transformation. In this episode of Alive Again , David recounts what it feels like to grieve everyone you love all at once — to prepare for death while still conscious. He describes the strange emotional flip from despair to overwhelming gratitude when the chemotherapy began to…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. David Fajgenbaum

Topics covered

• survival
• medicine
• AI
• personal transformation
• disease research

Keywords

• survivor
• physician-scientist
• cure
• chemotherapy
• transplant drug

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: iHeartPodcasts

Books & works: Alive Again

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