Case #31: Kristen

Case #31: Kristen

From Symptomatic: A Medical Mystery Podcast by iHeartPodcasts

December 9, 2025 · 44 min · Season 4 · Episode 6

About this episode

Kristen Willard shares her long struggle with debilitating chronic spontaneous urticaria and her quest for answers.

What began as intermittent rashes that popped up years apart turned into excruciating, long term flare ups with no reprieve for Kristen Willard. Unable to sleep, shower, or even put on pants - Kristen’s quality of life plummeted. With no common trigger to explain the debilitating flares, she was forced to endure for months on end without relief. After decades and at the end of her rope, Kristen seeks answers one last time.  We want to hear from you! Share your own medical mystery or tell us about the episode you connected with the most at  Symptomatic@iheartmedia.com or drop us a voice note at https://www.speakpipe.com/Symptomatic .  DISCLAIMER: By submitting your voice note using the link provided, you acknowledge that we have permission to potentially include that audio in future content. *  *  *  *  *  * ****** SPOILER ALERT BELOW ****** You can learn more about Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria at  chronic-urticaria.org and you can find the Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform at gaapp.org . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Guest: Kristen Willard

Topics covered

  • chronic illness
  • medical mystery
  • urticaria
  • patient experience
  • health struggles

Keywords

  • chronic spontaneous urticaria
  • medical mystery
  • health
  • patient story
  • flare ups

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: iHeartPodcasts, chronic-urticaria.org, gaapp.org

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