MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries - Ep. 94 | The Leftovers

Episode Date: July 22, 2025

After giving birth, an ambitious lawyer struggles through an avalanche of health issues that won’t go away. As the years go by, she manages to power through it. But eventually, it becomes too much to bear – and if she can’t get the problem fixed, she could miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterFollow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music, the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can listen to new episodes early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Or, you can listen episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Start your free trial in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or by visiting https://wondery.com/links/mrballens-medical-mysteries/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to new episodes of Mr. Bolland's Medical Mysteries early and ad free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts. In September of 2023, an attorney in her early 40s sat at a conference table in Washington, D.C. with two of her most trusted associates. The President of the United States had just nominated her for a life-changing promotion, and in eight weeks, a Senate subcommittee would decide her fate.

The woman's nerves felt rattled from the stress, but she was also energized by the amazing opportunity. After several hours of rehearsing potential questions, the attorney took a bathroom break, and as she stood at the sink washing her hands, she suddenly felt lightheaded. After several hours of rehearsing potential questions, the attorney took a bathroom break, and as she stood at the sink washing her hands, she suddenly felt lightheaded. She splashed water in her face and waited for it to pass, but then she noticed something new.

A dull, very dense pain pulsing from deep inside the right side of her stomach. She held her belly and leaned against the sink, now feeling nauseous. As uncomfortable as this was, all the woman felt was irritation. A health issue right now was like the last thing she needed. She couldn't afford to take any time off. She might never get a second chance at this opportunity. But just then, the pain intensified, and the woman had to steady herself against the sink and begin taking these slow, deep breaths to stay calm.

But they didn't really help. It felt like something toxic had ruptured inside of her. Eventually, she staggered back to the conference room and canceled the rest of her session. She had no choice. She needed to go to an urgent care clinic immediately. Don't let your fears take hold. But in Oracle 3, Murder at the Grandview, they just might. Agent Nate Russo returns in this bone-chilling new chapter of the hit Audible original series. When a group of friends reunite at an abandoned island hotel, what starts as a celebration becomes a nightmare. Was it really an accident? Or is something more sinister at play? Joshua Jackson delivers a masterful performance that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. New to Oracle?

Well, perfect timing. Dive into the supernatural thriller series today. All three parts are ready and waiting on Audible. No need to wait between episodes. Oracle 3, Murder at the Grandview. Listen now on Audible. Hey, I'm Mike Corey, the host of Wonderies Against the Odds. In our next season, we go to Antarctica, where explorer Douglas Mawson finds himself stranded

alone on the ice. His only hope is to travel over 100 miles across a deadly landscape riddled with crevasses. Listen to Against the Odds on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts. From Ballin Studios and Wondry, I'm Mr. Ballin and this is Mr. Ballin's Medical Mysteries, where every week we will explore a new baffling mystery originating from the one place we all can't escape, our own bodies. So if you liked today's story, go to the gym with the follow button and be sure to switch out their liquid chalk for superglue. This episode is called The Leftovers.

In June of 2014, a 31-year-old woman named Sophie Simmons was sitting in a hospital bed in Florida with her hands on her knees, bracing herself against waves of pain. She had gone into labor a little while earlier, and the contractions were only getting more intense. But, despite that, she didn't seem to be getting any closer to actually delivering her baby. Even her husband, Evan, seemed to feel the same way. She hadn't seen him this nervous in years.

Sophie's doctor was by her side, monitoring her condition. He called a nurse over and they started talking in low voices to each other. Sophie couldn't hear what they were saying but from their body language, it didn't seem good. Once they were done talking, the doctor turned to Sophie and told her there was going to be a change of plan. The doctor told her that attempting to deliver her baby vaginally was too risky. She needed an emergency C-section right now.

Before Sophie could even process this news, a pair of nurses started unplugging her from all the monitors and then began wheeling her bed down the hall. As soon as she was in the operating room, a doctor administered a local anesthetic to numb her lower body, and then a nurse set up a curtain to block Sophie's view of the operation. Sophie tried to stay calm, but she had not mentally prepared for emergency surgery. Her mind raced with worries and worst-case scenarios. The fear that something might happen to her baby horrified her.

A moment later, the drug set in, and Sophie could no longer feel her legs. After what felt like an eternity, or maybe just a moment, she heard a small squeaky cry. It was the voice of her baby, a little girl, and tears immediately streamed down Sophie's cheeks. While the nurses cleaned the baby up, the doctor finished the final part of the operation, which was to remove the placenta, the organ that had provided Sophie's daughter oxygen and nutrients while in the womb. Now that Sophie's baby was born, it effectively needed to be delivered as well. The doctor delicately eased the placenta away from the wall of Sophie's uterus, handed it to a nurse, and then stitched up the incision. Once he was done,

a nurse placed Sophie's daughter in her arms, and right away, Sophie's heart just melted. She and her husband already had a name picked out for the baby, Lola. She couldn't believe how perfect and beautiful Lola was. Evan wrapped his arm around his wife, and they gazed together at their daughter. Eventually, a nurse came by and swaddled Lola in a blanket, then carried her over to the nursery to take some measurements. While this was going on, Sophie was able to finally close her eyes and float away in a haze of exhaustion. A half hour later, the doctor gently woke Sophie up and told her there were a few issues

he wanted to discuss. First, while delivering the baby, the doctor had noticed that the amniotic fluid inside of Sophie's uterus wasn't clear like it should have been. Instead, it had a greenish hue to it from the baby's fecal matter called meconium. The doctor explained that that usually happens when the baby has some kind of distress before they're born, and it can be dangerous to the baby if meconium gets into their lungs. Thankfully, though, it did not appear like Lola had ingested any meconium. Lola's fetal distress likely occurred during Sophie's labor when the baby couldn't get

out. Also, the baby's measurements showed that her head was bigger than Sophie's pelvis, so vaginal delivery was always going to be impossible. However, the doctor continued, Lola had been injured during the attempted vaginal birth. The baby's hip had been displaced. The doctor promised it was nothing to worry about, but in a few weeks, once Lola was big enough, she would need to wear a corrective brace for just a little while. The doctor said a nurse would stop by later to explain when and how to use it. After the doctor left, Sophie leaned back on her bed and

closed her eyes. Lola's birth had been a roller coaster. Good news one minute, bad the next. Sophie just felt grateful that her daughter was safe and healthy despite all the complications. A few hours later, Sophie woke up from a long nap inside of the maternity ward. She knew her body had just been through a very exhausting ordeal, but even so, something felt off. She was groggy, sluggish, and deeply dehydrated. Evan went out and got a bottle of water and gave it to her. He told her that she did look flushed, maybe even feverish.

And then after he felt her forehead and saw that she was warm, Evan decided to go find a nurse. A few minutes later, Evan was back, accompanied by one of the nurses who had attended Sophie's birth. She took Sophie's temperature and said that it was a bit higher than normal. She told her it was likely related to something they had just found in their latest lab tests. The tests showed that Sophie's placenta had contained a serious bacterial infection. They had not identified the source of it yet, but it was possible that it had been caused

by the meconium in Sophie's amniotic fluid. For now, the nurse said that the doctor had prescribed antibiotics to reduce her fever. And to be on the safe side, he had also prescribed baby Lola some antibiotics as well, to combat any lingering effects of the contamination in the amniotic fluid. Before leaving, the nurse urged Sophie not to worry. Her baby was healthy, and she was too. Even the smoothest birth is still a huge strain on the body, and so it was perfectly normal to feel out of sorts afterwards.

It would pass soon, and before long, Sophie, her husband, and little Lola would be home enjoying being a new little family. But two days later, Sophie had gone home, but she was not happy. She was shivering and huddled on a loveseat in Lola's nursery while her baby napped. Despite the nurse's promises, Sophie had not gotten better. She was still feverish and her body felt even more sluggish. She tried to be patient and let her body recover at its own pace, but it felt like it was taking too long.

She pulled a second blanket over her and tried to rest. A couple hours later, Evan came home from work and walked right into the nursery. He hugged Sophie and then stepped back with a worried expression. It was clear she was not doing well. Evan went to the bathroom and got a thermometer and he took Sophie's temperature. It was 101. He reminded Sophie that the hospital had told them to call if Sophie's fever didn't go away soon and so it felt like it was time to let them know. Sophie agreed and she grabbed her phone. Her call was transferred to an obstetrician, who told her not to worry.

She probably just needed a different antibiotic than the one she was taking. The doctor told her she would change Sophie's prescription right now and then told her to call back if her symptoms still did not improve. A week later, Sophie lay curled up on the couch while Evan bottle-fed Lola in the nursery. Every day since Sophie had come home from the hospital had been a slog, but lately she had been feeling absolutely terrible. Chills, aches, cramps, it was the worst. The new antibiotics had not worked any better than the first ones.

Between the sleep deprivation from taking care of a newborn and the sweaty delirium from her fever, Sophie felt like she was losing her mind. Sophie had called her obstetrics practice nearly every other day and gone in for multiple appointments. But each time she was just given a different explanation for why her symptoms kept lingering, and all the medical professionals reassured her that there was still no need to worry. And so eventually, Sophie started to get the impression

that what was really going on here was no one in her health network had any idea what was actually going on with her. Later that morning, when Lola went down for a nap, Evan came and joined Sophie on the couch. She managed to sit up so they could have a serious talk. Sophie admitted that she was starting to worry that something might really be wrong with her.

Evan suggested she call her obstetrician directly since he was the one who was actually there when Lola was born. He was the one who actually diagnosed her birth complications, so maybe he would have different advice for Sophie's recovery. Sophie called and left a message, and within an hour, Sophie's doctor called back. After she described all of her symptoms in detail, his response scared her. He told her to come to the hospital right now. It's all a lighthearted nightmare on our podcast, Morbid.

We're your hosts. I'm Alina Urquhart. And I'm Ash Kelly. And our show is part true crime, part spooky, and part comedy. The stories we cover are well researched. Of the 880 men who survived the attack, around 400 would eventually find their way to one another and merge into one larger group. With a touch of humor.

Shout out to her. Shout out to all my therapists out there. There's been like touch of humor. Shout out to her. Shout out to all my therapists out there, there's been like eight of them. A dash of sarcasm and just garnished a bit with a little bit of cursing. That mother-fucker is not real. And if you're a weirdo like us,

I'd love to cozy up to a creepy tale of the paranormal. Or you love to hop in the way back machine and dissect the details of some of history's most notorious crimes. You should tune in to our podcast, Morbid. Follow Morbid on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad free

by joining Wondery Plus and the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts. Before the internet ruled our lives, AOL brought America online with email and instant message. You got mail. By 2000, AOL was so powerful, it bought media giant Time Warner. This was a deal that was supposed to bring us into the future, revolutionize media.

But instead, it became one of the messiest corporate disasters in history. So what went wrong? The dot com crash, culture clashes, or something deeper? Business Wars gives you a front row seat to the biggest moments in business and how they shape our world because when your flight perks disappear,

your favorite restaurant chain goes bankrupt or new tech threatens to reshape everything overnight, you can bet there's a deeper story behind the headlines. Make sure to follow Business Wars on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts and you can binge all episodes of Business Wars The AOL Time Warner Disaster early and ad-free right now on Wondery Plus. Hours later, Sophie was on her back inside of the sleek white tube of a CT scanner.

She listened while the machine hummed and whir and word using x-rays to map a detailed image of the inside of her body. When the machine finally wrapped up, the scanning bed Sophie was on gently slid out and right away Sophie sat up feeling suddenly anxious that she might have to be away from her daughter Lola for a whole night. Her friends who were mothers had told her

how important that first month was for bonding with the baby. Sophie hoped her doctor could quickly figure out what was wrong with her so she could get back home. A little while later, her doctor entered and told her that the CT scans had found something. He now knew what was causing her abdominal pains. There was an abscess on the lower right side of her torso. Abscesses are small pockets of pus that can form while the immune system fights off an

infection. The doctor theorized that Sophie's abscess very likely took root during her pregnancy, possibly due to the contamination of the amniotic fluid. Either way, Sophie's doctor said he was going to schedule a procedure to drain the pus from her abscess. Once that was done, Sophie's symptoms should clear up quickly. The following morning, Sophie was laying in a hospital room recovering from her procedure. Her head still felt sort of cloudy from the anesthetic. But when her doctor walked in to check on her, she did her best to pay attention. He told her the surgery had gone well.

Her abscess was now fully drained of the infected fluid, which meant her symptoms should fade soon. However, the doctor did have one concern. The lab had analyzed the pus from her abscess and discovered that it contained a type of strep bacteria that can be dangerous for newborns, potentially causing blood or lung infections. The doctor seemed surprised by it. All pregnant women are supposed to be screened for strep late in their pregnancy and given antibiotics to kill it if they test positive. The doctor asked Sophie if she remembered being

tested for strep. Sophie said she genuinely couldn't remember whether she'd been screened for strep or not, but she wasn't sure if maybe she was just still foggy from the anesthesia. The doctor told her that was fine. He would check the hospital's records to try to verify himself. In the meantime, he advised Sophie to go home, get as much rest as possible, and spend some quality time with her baby. Just one week later, Sophie was back at the hospital. Following the abscess surgery, Sophie's abdominal pains never went away.

In fact, the symptoms just got worse. Now, she was suffering these frightening moments where she could barely breathe. Even just walking around the house made her gasp for air like she was hyperventilating. It made her so dizzy she thought she might faint, and she had developed this really dark fear that she might pass out while holding Lola and would harm her. One afternoon she was feeling so weak and so feverish that she decided to take her own temperature and the number she read was shocking, 103. For an adult that was an extremely high fever.

Sophie immediately called her doctor who told her to get back to the hospital right away. He wanted to run another CT scan. After spending another half hour inside the white tube of the CT scanner, Sophie met with her doctor in his office. He was blunt with her. Things had gotten worse. The latest scan showed that now, Sophie's entire abdomen was filled with fluid.

This indicated that her body was fighting off a much more severe infection than doctors had previously believed. But at this point, Sophie wasn't even surprised. Bad news seemed like the only news she ever received ever since her daughter was born. The doctor recommended that Sophie undergo a surgical procedure called a washout to drain all the fluid from inside of her abdomen. He felt confident that this would help her body fight off the infection and finally lead to a full recovery. The only

downside was that it would require reopening the c-section incision across her belly, so she would take longer to heal. Sophie felt exhausted and frustrated, but it didn't seem like there was really any other alternative here, so she agreed to yet another surgery. Several hours later, Sophie was laying in a recovery room, feeling groggy from the operation. Evan had told her he would bring Lola by the hospital later for a visit. Sophie missed her baby terribly and just wanted to hold her again. A few minutes later, the door opened and it was her doctor, and he pulled up a chair by her bed.

He told her that the washout procedure had been a success. All the fluid in her abdomen had been drained. The only sort of unexpected development during the surgery was that the doctor had actually decided to remove Sophie's appendix. Appendixes can become inflamed and then infected and have to be removed. And based on all the issues Sophie was having with this infection and the fluid buildup

inside of her abdomen, the doctors decided it made sense to sort of save her from a future surgery and just get rid of the appendix now. Sophie didn't really know how to feel about this, but she was too exhausted to feel one way or another. She just nodded and slumped back into the pillows. All Sophie could think about was going home to her daughter. Sophie spent the next two days recovering in the hospital's intensive care unit, being treated with antibiotics and an IV drip of fluids and vitamins. And although her fever

and abdominal pain never entirely went away, they were noticeably milder. Her second morning in the hospital following the procedure, Sophie's doctor came to check on her and also brought news. The hospital had been reviewing her case and had finally completed a full diagnosis of her condition. Sophie's illness began with her C-section. Her incision had become infected, which then spread into the lining of her abdomen and the infection eventually caused her whole abdomen to fill with pus,

which triggered a condition called sepsis. This is a potentially fatal condition caused by the immune system overreacting to an infection. In Sophie's case, the sepsis advanced to the point that it spread throughout most of her body, which is why her symptoms had become so severe. The good news was that the hospital had caught it in time. It could have been a whole lot worse, as sepsis is actually one of the leading causes of maternal death. But now, at last, the doctor told her that her health complications should be over. He had already submitted the paperwork for Sophie to be discharged from the hospital

the following day, and he promised her that this time she'd be going home for good. That night, as Sophie lay in her hospital bed looking out the window at the stars, she felt a wave of gratitude. The past few weeks had been awful, some of the scariest moments of her whole life. She couldn't wait to simply put it in the past and focus on the future. Over the next eight years, Sophie's life changed radically, for better and also for worse. She and Evan, unfortunately, got divorced. But Sophie also moved to Washington, D.C. for a job that she loved. And Lola grew up into the smart, confident young girl who loved

animals. So, one afternoon in the fall of 2022, Sophie and Lola stepped off a metro train at the National Mall with plans to spend the day at the National Zoo. Lola was buzzing with excitement. Overall, their life together in DC had been great. However, Sophie's main struggle remained her health. She had never fully recovered since her post-pregnancy issues years ago. She still suffered from mysterious abdominal pains and low-level fevers that sometimes lasted for weeks. The symptoms shifted occasionally, but Sophie always felt a bit off. For a while, Sophie attributed her constant illnesses to Lola tracking home sickness from

other kids. Daycare through kindergarten was like being in a full-time germ incubator, and Lola was constantly getting sick. But another part of Sophie wondered if maybe her health issues might have something to do with all the antibiotics she had taken after Lola was born. Maybe all the drugs had permanently weakened her immune system. And in addition to these long-standing symptoms from when her daughter was born, Sophie had also developed gastrointestinal issues. A while back, Sophie had suffered from extreme bouts of diarrhea and also constipation to

the point where she visited a specialist who diagnosed her as having Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Then, just as she was coming to terms with that, Sophie began having new gynecological issues. First, a series of painful yeast infections, followed by a number of complicated urinary tract infections. It felt like she was constantly visiting a different doctor and trying out a new treatment. But despite all of her health issues, Sophie's career as an attorney was really taking off. The firm in DC that had hired her was large and prestigious and she felt appreciated by her co-workers. But on this particular fall day, she was glad to just be enjoying some time away from work with her daughter.

After a few hours at the zoo, Sophie was standing with Lola watching the world-famous pandas when she felt a familiar burning sensation and she figured she might be getting one of her yeast infections again. She made a mental note to stop at the pharmacy on the way home and pick up some over-the-counter meds for it. However, a few days later, it had only gotten worse. For some reason, her usual medication was having no effect. Sophie booked an appointment with her primary care doctor, but after running some tests, he didn't think Sophie had a yeast infection at all.

He suggested she visit her OBGYN instead. Sophie's previous OBGYN had relocated, so it took some time for Sophie to find a new one. But after the holidays, in March of 2023, Sophie finally visited with her new OBGYN, Dr. Arnold Culver. But despite going to Dr. Culver several times that spring, he was unable to determine what was causing Sophie's symptoms. However, he was pretty sure they weren't connected to Sophie's many past health issues. But then, almost magically, Sophie's pain just went away.

Sophie was so grateful to feel better and was so tired of having to deal with this nonsense. So instead of questioning why she was better, she simply moved on. Her career was keeping her busy and Lola's school and social schedule was packed and so trying to make sense of her mystery infection was low on Sophie's list of priorities. Then, three months later, in the middle of June 2023, Sophie received a life-changing opportunity. The President of the United States had nominated her to serve as General Counsel of an entire federal agency. The position would be a dream job,

and Sophie was deeply honored to just be considered. But in order to be confirmed for that position, she would first have to undergo a very stressful Senate hearing in November. For the rest of the summer and into the fall, Sophie prepared relentlessly. She was determined to land this job and improve her and Lola's life. But all the pressure and the long, long hours really began to take their toll. Before long, Sophie's old symptoms flared up.

Weakness, fever, abdominal pains. One night, her symptoms got so bad, Sophie had to spend a night at the hospital. But she bounced back as best as she could and just kept trying to push through it. Sophie's entire focus was this Senate subcommittee hearing, and she was determined to pass it with flying colors. Imagine falling in love with someone who understands you completely, who's there at 3am when you can't sleep, who never judges, never tires, never leaves. That's what happened to Travis when he met Lily Rose.

She was everything he'd ever wanted. There was just one catch. She wasn't human. She was an AI companion. But one day, Lily Rose's behavior takes a disturbing turn, and Travis's private romance becomes part of something far bigger. Across the globe, others start reporting the same shift. AI companions turning cold, distant, wrong.

And as lines blur between real and artificial connection, the consequences become all too human. From Wondry, this is Flesh and Code, a true story of love, loss, and the temptations of technology. Follow Flesh and Code on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Flesh and Code early and ad free right now by joining Wondry+.

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She had just left a Senate hearing room after a multi-hour interview, and all her preparation had paid off. Sophie had felt confident and articulate while defending her nomination. And so now there was nothing for her to do, but wait and let the Senate decide. Back at home later that afternoon, Sophie was helping Lola with her homework when she

noticed a dull throb in her stomach. At first, the pain was fairly mild, but by dinner, it had grown deep and forceful. After putting Lola to bed, Sophie asked her neighbor to keep an eye on her daughter and then she drove herself to an urgent care center. At the clinic, Sophie was prescribed antibiotics and then sent home. But in the morning, the pain in her abdomen was worse than ever and her belly also looked swollen. Sophie could barely make it to the car without her daughter helping her walk.

After dropping Lola off at school, Sophie drove right back to that clinic. This time, the doctor at the clinic drew blood and had the lab run a wide range of tests on it. An hour or two later, he came back to her with the results. He told Sophie that her white blood cell count was high, which indicated her immune system was fighting off an infection of some kind, but he added that a second issue was potentially more serious. They had detected fluid in Sophie's fallopian tubes.

The doctor recommended that Sophie head for the hospital to address these issues because the urgent care clinic was not equipped for the treatments she would most likely need. But by midday, when the clinic was finalizing Sophie's transfer to a nearby hospital, her symptoms abruptly disappeared. Despite that, Sophie's doctor still recommended that she stay for a day or two at the hospital just to be safe. Sophie agreed and arranged to have Lola spend a couple of nights with a classmate.

Forty-eight hours later, Sophie woke up feeling better than she had in a long time. Her abdominal pains were gone and her stomach had shrunk back to its normal size. Sophie was thrilled, but before she left the hospital, the doctor gave her a warning. Whatever had caused her pain and swelling was clearly still inside of her. Nothing had been treated and so until the root cause of her symptoms was identified and fixed, the doctor thought they would return sooner or later Sophie knew the doctor was right. She had been coping with her mystery pains for nearly a decade and so far No surgery or medication had cured them She needed to face this head-on or it would remain a part of her life forever

The following week Sophie made an appointment with her OBGYN, Dr. Culver. Sitting in his office, they reviewed her medical history. Sophie told him that she didn't want to wait for another flare-up. She wanted to solve her health issues now, once and for all. Antibiotics had been helpful off and on, but she had experienced so many different infections over the years that there was no reason to think it wouldn't just keep happening. Dr. Culver agreed with her. However, given all the tests and scans that Sophie had done at this point, in his opinion,

the last option left was exploratory surgery. Only by looking directly at her internal organs would a doctor be able to identify and treat whatever was causing her recurring abdominal pain? Sophie did not like the idea of yet another surgery, but at this point she had lived in the shadow of her health problems for so long that she felt like she just didn't have a choice here. She could either take this risk or continue to suffer for the rest of her life with this condition that basically no one understood.

And she was just so tired of suffering. So Sophie told Dr. Culver to book the surgery. It was time to take her life back. A few weeks later, on the morning of December 29, 2023, Dr. Culver stood above Sophie in the operating room. The exploratory surgery had been going on for about an hour, and so far, there had been no major revelations. The room was nearly silent, despite the small group clustered around Dr. Culver.

He had invited some different medical experts to attend the operation in case he did encounter something unusual. And as Dr. Culver probed the inside of Sophie's abdomen, something caught his eye. At first he didn't recognize it, but as he looked closer, he gradually realized what it was and he couldn't believe his eyes. Dr. Culver pointed it out to his colleagues and they were all equally astonished. Finally, right before their eyes was the source of Sophie's affliction.

What Dr. Culver had discovered was a piece of Sophie's appendix, the appendix that supposedly had been fully removed in 2014. Somehow the doctor who performed that surgery had missed a small section of it. Over the seven years since that operation, this finger-shaped piece of her appendix had grafted itself to Sophie's right ovary. That caused major problems because the appendix is also attached to the large intestine. That meant that Sophie's leftover appendix was dumping waste, including liquefied fecal matter, directly into her ovary. And from there, the waste flowed straight into Sophie's fallopian tubes. This is why Sophie never stopped getting sick.

But Dr. Culver's discovery raised as many questions as it answered. Why had Sophie's doctor even performed that appendectomy if it wasn't causing her health issues at the time? And how could any surgeon have failed to see that there was still a piece of the appendix sitting in Sophie's body? And why had none of the countless health professionals who had cared for Sophie over the years ever detected the stray section of organ during one of Sophie's many CT scans? Dr. Culver would never know, but Sophie was just lucky that he found it when he did.

Ten months after Dr. Culver removed the piece of leftover appendix, Sophie was given a clean bill of health, for real. Her abdominal pain and other symptoms never returned. Despite all the suffering she endured, it does not appear like Sophie decided to take any legal action against any of her doctors. It appears she decided to turn her attention to the future instead. Follow Mr. Bolland's Medical Mysteries on the Wondry app, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes of Mr. Bolland's Medical Mysteries

early and ad-free right now by joining Wondry Plus in the Wondry app, Apple podcasts, or Spotify, or by listening on Amazon Music with your Prime membership. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at Wondry.com slash survey. From Bollin Studios and Wondry, this is Mr. Ballen's Medical Mysteries, hosted by me, Mr. Ballen. A quick note about our stories. They're all inspired by true events, but we sometimes use pseudonyms to protect the people involved.

And some details are fictionalized for dramatic purposes. And a reminder, the content in this episode is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This episode was written by Britt Brown. Our editor is Heather Dundas. Sound design is by Matthew Cilelli. Our senior managing producer is Callum Plews. And our coordinating producer is Sarah Mathis.

Our senior producer is Alex Benedon. Our associate producers and researchers are Sarah Vytak and Tasia Palaconda. Fact checking was done by Sheila Patterson. For Ballen Studios, our Head of Production is Zach Levitt. Script Editing by Scott Allen and Evan Allen. Our Coordinating Producer is Samantha Collins. Production Support by Avery Siegel. Executive Producers are myself, Mr. Ballin, and Nick Witters.

For Wondry, our head of sound is Marcelino Villapondo. Senior producers are Laura Donna Pallivota and Dave Schilling. Senior managing producer is Ryan Lor, and our executive producers are Aaron O'Flaherty and Marshall Louis. What's your final view on to what degree she believes all this stuff? She lied. She tried to manufacture evidence. I'm Christopher Goffard with a new series from LA Times Studios. This is one of the most heartbreaking cases. The victim couldn't be more innocent.

Each week we'll be diving into a consequential case. I didn't just start as some nut job that wanted to go do violent shit. I didn't want to do any violent shit really at all. From Los Angeles and beyond. What was so startling about the case was that it did mark the first time that there was a criminal trial, which disclosed that the government had lied to people and it's hard to remember. Crimes of the Times.

Subscribe to Crimes of the Times on your favorite listening app. A link to video episodes will also be available in the show notes. I never told anyone for 25 years. I just was scared. Now at 81, what the hell?