About this episode

Melissa, known as the Comorbidity Queen, shares her experiences with multiple chronic illnesses and the impact on her life and mental health.

Content warning: this episode includes a brief discussion of suicide attempts, please listen with care. Melissa, known on TikTok as the Comorbidity Queen, has endometriosis, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, pelvic congestive syndrome, May-Thurner syndrome, Nutcracker syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, POTS, MCAS, Lyme disease, chronic anemia, and a first rib that doctors want to remove. In this episode she tells us everything: the nine-hour emergency surgery at 17, the $65,000 in medical debt, the severe depression that pain and overmedication tipped her into, and the treatment that has done more for her in five minutes than any surgery. BEDUCATED QUIZ LINK: https://beduc.at/pd2623-cramped Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. CRISIS SUPPORT: Call 988 anywhere in the US for free, 24/7 mental health crisis support Text HOME to 741741 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

People in this episode

Host: Kate Downey

Guest: Melissa

Topics covered

• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
• Endometriosis
• Chronic Illness
• Mental Health
• Medical Debt
• Surgery
• Patient Advocacy

Keywords

• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
• Endometriosis
• POTS
• Chronic Illness
• Mental Health
• Medical Debt
• Surgery
• Crisis Support

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CRAMPED, BEDUCATED, Patreon, Crisis Support

More episodes of CRAMPED

• The HER Agenda: Three Bills About Period Pain, w/ Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari · July 21, 2026 · 36 min
• What If My Healthiest Self Isn't My Thinnest Self? · July 14, 2026 · 46 min
• Melasma, Drugs That Delay Menopause, and Girl Gone Wild with Courtney Kocak · July 7, 2026 · 45 min
• Forgetting Everything I've Learned: Acupuncture, Fertility, and the Sunk Cost Fallacy · June 30, 2026 · 11 min
• The Pain Scale Is Useless and Everybody Knows It · June 23, 2026 · 44 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the CRAMPED podcast page.