The Glaucomfleckens: Navigating Trauma Through Comedy

In today's episode I speak with the Glaucomfleckens. Will and Kristin Flanary together join me for a humor filled episode where we explore trauma, healing from trauma, and healthcare design i.e. putting the patient, the clinician and the caretaker at the center of the design process.

Will Flanary, MD, is an ophthalmologist and part-time comedian. He moonlights in his free time as “Dr. Glaucomflecken,” a social media personality who creates medical-themed comedy shorts for an audience of over 4 million across social media. Dr. Flanary’s humor has been shaped by the tribulations of med school and residency but also by his experiences as a patient. He is a two-time testicular cancer survivor and cardiac arrest survivor, saved by his intrepid wife and her timely CPR. 

Kristin Flanary, MA, known as "Lady Glaucomflecken" on social media, offers a unique perspective on healthcare. She has experienced being a patient, caregiver, and co-survivor of her husband's two cancer occurrences and sudden cardiac arrest by age 35. She is honored to have received an EMS Cardiac Arrest Save Challenge Coin (2020), the Citizen CPR Foundation's 40 Under 40 award (2021), and the American Heart Association's Resuscitation Champion award (2022).