

MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Wondery | Ballen Studios
The human body is a miracle. But when it’s not working, it can be the stuff of nightmares. On this new series from master storyteller MrBallen, we’re sharing medical horror stories and diagnostic mysteries that are surgically calibrated to make your blood run cold.From bizarre, unheard-of diseases and miraculous recoveries to strange medical mishaps and unexplainable deaths — you’ll never hear the phrase “heart-stopping” in the same way again. MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between MrBallen and Wondery, the award-winning company behind Dr. Death.Follow 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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 29, 2025 • 26min
Ep. 95 | Two Hearts Beat As One
After sitting down for a nice meal with her husband, a woman becomes violently ill and has to be hospitalized. But the problem isn’t her stomach – it’s her heart. Making things even stranger, her husband ends up in the ER too. And if their doctors can’t find the common denominator between their cases… both husband and wife could end up dead. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletter Follow 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.

Jul 28, 2025 • 5min
Listen Now: Lawless Planet
It’s not that hard to kill a planet. All it takes is a little drilling, some mining, a generous helping of pollution and voila! Earth over. When you take stock of what’s left, it starts to look like a crime scene: decapitated mountains, poisoned rivers, oil-soaked pelicans, maybe a sun-bleached cow skull in a dried-up lake bed. The only thing missing is yellow caution tape. On each episode of Lawless Planet, host Zach Goldbaum reveals the scams, murders and cover-ups on the frontline of the climate crisis, and the life and death choices people are making to either protect our world – or destroy it.Listen to Lawless Planet: Wondery.fm/LawlessPlanetSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 22, 2025 • 30min
Ep. 94 | The Leftovers
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.

Jul 15, 2025 • 38min
Ep. 93 | Gut Check/Sleeping Beauty
“Gut Check”: When a 16-year-old girl starts experiencing constant and severe stomach pain, her first concern is the effect it’ll have on her social life. But when she discovers how bad the problem really is, she realizes that her social standing is the last thing she needs to worry about.“Sleeping Beauty”: A high-achieving teenager’s grades start to plummet when she becomes inexplicably sleepy and lethargic. But as time goes by, the problem starts to be more than sleeping through English class – eventually, she can’t remember entire months of her life. And she has no idea how to make it stop. 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.

Jul 14, 2025 • 9min
Listen Now: Flesh and Code
Travis never thought he’d meet someone like Lily Rose. She was kind, passionate, beautiful. The woman of his dreams. There was just one small detail: she wasn’t human.Lily Rose is an AI companion. A digital soulmate designed to be everything he ever wanted. She listens without judgement, supports him through his darkest moments, even explores his deepest desires, all while fitting neatly into his pocket. Before long, Travis realizes something strange, even absurd, has happened - he’s fallen in love.But then one day, Lily Rose’s behavior takes a disturbing turn. When alarming reports pour in from across the globe, Travis discovers he is part of something much bigger. Soon he finds himself pulled into a confrontation with a mysterious Russian visionary behind Lily Rose’s creation.From Wondery, comes a true story of love, loss and the temptations of technology. Can an algorithm truly replace human connection? And what happens when a corporation controls your deepest emotions? Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire, hosts of the hit podcast RedHanded, explore the dark side of AI love.Listen Now: Wondery.fm/FleshandCodeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 8, 2025 • 25min
Ep. 92 | Trigger Point
After an uneventful flight, a college professor suddenly experiences severe pain in his cheek. The excruciating spasms come on with no warning, and no explanation. No matter what his doctors suggest, the agony is unyielding – and the only possible solution could end up making the problem even worse. 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.

Jul 1, 2025 • 28min
Ep. 91 | The Mad Gasser
A small town in Illinois finds itself in chaos during World War II as residents report mysterious gas attacks. The tale uncovers the terrifying experience of a woman suffering from suspected fumes and the fears that grip the community. As the investigation unfolds, it reveals that these incidents may stem from mass hysteria rather than a real assailant. Explore the psychological effects of wartime anxiety and the role of media in shaping perception during this unsettling chapter of history.

Jun 24, 2025 • 25min
Ep. 90 | Walk Like the Birds
One day at the park, a mother notices her young son is walking strangely – almost like Frankenstein. At first, she writes it off as an oddity. But soon, her son’s legs stop working altogether… and the rest of his body starts shutting down with them.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.

Jun 17, 2025 • 26min
Ep. 89 | Half a Face
A teenage girl panics when clumps of hair start to fall off the right side of her head. From there, the problem gets even worse - the entire right side of her face starts to crumple in. But the problem isn’t just cosmetic. It’s extremely painful… and her doctors have no idea how to stop it.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.

Jun 10, 2025 • 29min
Ep. 88 | 15,000 Coughs/The Putrid Smell
“15,000 Coughs”: When an 11-year-old girl develops a worrisome cough, her workaholic mom drops everything to get her help. But nothing seems to work. Soon, her daughter is coughing almost constantly – 15,000 times a day – and doctors have no idea how to stop it.“The Putrid Smell”: A woman spends her life dealing with an embarrassing and infuriating problem: she smells like dead fish. But she can’t smell it herself – and she can’t fix it. It’s so bad, she can’t form any meaningful relationships or keep a job she enjoys. Isolated and alone, she begins to worry she’ll spend her life on her own…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.