What’s Her Problem? Insider #1
There are two Easter eggs in this photo of me recording a recent audio voiceover for “What’s Her Problem?” One hints at an upcoming Interview Series episode, and another is close to my heart. Any guesses? As a Free Subscriber, Follower, or Visitor to What’s Her Problem?, you are getting a brief preview of what…
Rediscovering Myself After Open-Heart Surgery
Subscribe now How I Lost Myself I sold the condo I owned for ten years the same week I had open-heart surgery. It wasn’t great timing. In the weeks leading up to these two huge, simultaneous events in the fall of 2016, friends and family volunteered their time to pack a decade of my life…
Q&A with Erika Warren of Inciteful Med
Subscribe now Erika Warren, Co-Founder of Inciteful Med This Q&A is part 2 of my interview swap with . If you missed part 1, I talked about gaps in patient care, and it was published in “Informed Consent” last week. You can catch up on it here: Informed Consent “No One Teaches Us How To…
Summer 2026 Article Round-Up
Beach clouds. (Photo Credit: Debra Rafson) Summer is known as a quieter time for reading and posting here on Substack. So, in lieu of a new article for you to read over this holiday weekend, I decided to get you caught up on anything you may have missed in “What’s Her Problem?” while you were…
Wheelchair Tennis Celebrates 50 Years
Aniek van Koot (NED) at the Miami Open, March 2026. (Photo Credit: Debra Rafson) Subscribe now “I wonder if you can play tennis in a wheelchair?” In 1976, a college student at the University of Utah got into an accident at a freestyle skiing competition in the Rocky Mountains. Born in Southern California in 1957,…
What Patient Advocacy Means to Us
Subscribe now You could ask five people how they define Patient Advocacy, and I bet each one would say something different. This broad term can mean many things: asking more questions at your doctor’s appointment; disputing a bill with a hospital; getting an insurance company to reverse a decision; becoming a caregiver to a family…
Chronic Illness is Holding the Remote Control
My remote control (Credit: Debra Rafson) Subscribe now Your story matters too! If you are a fellow patient, I invite you to use my personal referral link to join Pinpoint Patient Recruiting. Pinpoint connects patients and caregivers to meaningful research opportunities where your real experiences help shape the future of healthcare — and you’re compensated…
Upon Review, I am Still Disabled
The Social Security Administration Logo. Subscribe now “We recently reviewed the evidence in your Social Security Disability claim and find that your disability is continuing.” I let out a huge sigh of relief when the letter containing those words arrived in the mail, and then the tears started flowing. I knew I was nervous to…
Answering Reader Questions
Subscribe now Thank you! Today, as I celebrate one year of writing “What’s Her Problem?,” those words feel insufficient to express my gratitude to each of you. Every person who has read or listened to an article, clicked a link, made a comment, given a like, interacted on Notes, and, especially, subscribed, has made this…
Is Accessible Parking Really Accessible?
Handicap Parking Sign (Credit: Debra Rafson) Subscribe now This is my third and final July article focused on life with a disability. I hope you’ll check out the first two, if you haven’t already: How to Buy an Accessible Vehicle and The Trouble with Doors. “Disability Pride Month is observed every July to celebrate disability…
The Trouble with Doors
Subscribe now This is the second of three July articles focused on life with a disability. The first was How to Buy an Accessible Vehicle. “Disability Pride Month is observed every July to celebrate disability identity and community, mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and push for full inclusion in everyday…
How to Buy an Accessible Vehicle
Subscribe now This is the first of three July articles focused on life with a disability. “Disability Pride Month is observed every July to celebrate disability identity and community, mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and push for full inclusion in everyday life.”1 I recently wrote about How I Learned to…
Revisiting My Plight as the ‘Problem Patient’
Subscribe now Hello! I’ve been focused on family, friends, and holidays these last couple of weeks, but I will be back next week with a new post, the first of three centered around Disability Pride Month (July). And at the end of the month, I’ll be celebrating the 1st birthday of “What’s Her Problem?”! Time…
Revisiting Step Therapy
Subscribe now Hello! This Friday and next, I have given myself a little vacation for some family time and the July 4th holiday week. In lieu of new posts, I am sending along some of my past favorites that deserve a second look (or a first look, if you are a new subscriber!). Today, I…
A New Diagnosis is Like Learning a New Language
I’m on a 2100-day (plus!) learning streak on Duolingo. Subscribe now Just a quick note to let you know that, after this week, I am taking a 2-week summer break from posting new articles. You will receive “From the Archives” editions on Friday, June 26th and Friday, July 3rd. I’ll be back on Friday, July…
How I Learned to Drive Again
That’s me, already trying to take the wheel of my parents’ car, at the ripe old age of 2. Subscribe now “I’m an excellent driver.” -Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbitt in the 1988 Oscar-winning Best Picture “Rain Man” I love driving. I always have. Even when I was a kid, I was always trying to…
A Letter to My Late Physical Therapist
Caryn (left) and I in 2023. Subscribe now Two years ago this week, my physical therapist, a crucial part of my medical care team, was killed, at age 44, in a tragic accident. I wrote this letter to her the week after her passing, as a way to process my emotions. I’ve edited it lightly,…
Guest Post: Karen Walter, LMHC
Karen Walter, LMHC Subscribe now May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Mental health and chronic illness go hand-in-hand, and as May comes to a close, I wanted to acknowledge that it’s Mental Health Awareness Month. I invited a guest writer to share her thoughts on this topic with you, and I’m pleased to introduce Licensed…
Revisiting the Power of Support Groups
Subscribe now Hello! The Friday of Memorial Day weekend is a great time to take a day off from new posts and re-share an old favorite of mine. If you’ve subscribed more recently, perhaps this piece is even brand-new to you. In “Let’s Discuss,” I wrote about my experience as an Online Discussion Group Leader…