I listened to the 44 minute interview earlier today and just scanned the text summary. As others have said, the podcast audio includes a lot of detail not included in the text version. Also, listening to the audio, you get nuances in voice inflection/feelings that could not be gotten from the text even if it were completely transcribed.
While the interviewer asked some good questions, and Hillenbrand gave thoughtful answers, the interview was only 44 minutes long, not 44 hours. We should all ask ourselves if we could completely and perfectly describe our own ME/CFS experience in just 44 minutes. I could never do that, even if speed-talking.
She has been suffering from ME/CFS and a similtaneous (but perhaps separate?) case of full-time vertigo. Hell indeed.
I had a lot of vertigo from Menieres disease for a few years, but that ended before I ever developed ME/CFS. She has had it pretty rough. It seems like her relative improvement of late is as much or more to do with conquering a lot of her vertigo, but probably also improving somewhat on the more traditional ME/CFS symptoms. I am glad for her that she has made real progress and the quality of her daily life is better, on average.
My only regret is that the interview was only 44 minutes long. Her often thoughtful answers left me, and others here, with some great follow-up questions that it would be nice to resolve (for our own curiosity and for the edification of people without ME/CFS).
A fascinating interview. I wish it were Part 1 of a series.
I may list a few of my wished-for follow-up questions in this thread.
In the meantime, THANK YOU Laura Hillenbrand, for helping the cause by sharing your life example!