The Long Haul with Summer

On The Long Haul with Summer we are amplifying patient voices, talking about groundbreaking approaches to healthcare and challenging the limits of traditional medicine.

The Long Haul with Summer is a business podcast hosted by The Microvascular Research Foundation, with 32 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

The Microvascular Research Foundation hosts The Long Haul with Summer, a business show with 32 episodes published.

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  The Long Haul with Summer

  Why You Crash After a Good Day With Long COVID | PEM Explained

  Sep 23, 202626 min

  You wake up feeling good, finally have some energy, and try to catch up on everything you haven’t been able to do. Then, hours or even days later, you crash. In this episode of The Long Haul with Summer , Summer explains post-exertional malaise (PEM), why it can be delayed, and why it can feel so different from ordinary fatigue. Drawing from her own experience with Long COVID, Summer talks through the many forms of exertion that can contribute to a crash, including physical activity, mental work, socializing, emotional stress, travel, errands, and even several smaller activities adding up throughout the day. She also explains the energy envelope, Spoon Theory, pacing, and the boom-and-bust cycle that can happen when you use more energy than your body can currently tolerate. Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

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  The Long Haul with Summer

  The Hidden Vein Problem Behind Long COVID, POTS, and Pelvic Pain

  Sep 16, 20261h 18m

  What if symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, heart racing, pelvic pain, and orthostatic intolerance have a vascular connection that is being overlooked? In this episode of The Long Haul with Summer, Summer sits down with interventional radiologist Dr. Brooke Spencer to explore pelvic venous disease, iliac vein compression, and the emerging research into their potential connection with Long COVID and POTS. Dr. Spencer explains why the venous system has historically received less attention than the arterial system, how impaired venous return and venous pooling may contribute to symptoms across multiple organ systems, and why vascular compression can sometimes be missed on conventional imaging. She also discusses ongoing research, the limitations of what is currently known, and why better data, education, and collaboration are essential as physicians work to understand these complex patients. Summer also shares her own experience after an earlier scan was read as normal, and why looking at imaging in the context of the patient’s symptoms can make such a significant difference. Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

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  The Long Haul with Summer

  Why Pushing Through Long COVID Can Make You Worse | Dr. Robert Groysman

  Sep 9, 202655 min

  Long COVID patients are often told to push through their symptoms, build their endurance, or keep going until their bodies adjust. But for patients experiencing post-exertional malaise, pushing past their limits can lead to an even harder crash. In this episode of The Long Haul with Summer , Dr. Robert Groysman joins Summer to explain the connection between post-exertional malaise, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and the energy problems many Long COVID patients experience. Dr. Groysman shares how his own experience with Long COVID led him to look beyond traditional medical specialties for answers. He explains why PEM is different from ordinary fatigue, why physical activity is not the only thing that can trigger a crash, and why pacing can be such an important part of protecting a patient’s baseline while working toward recovery. Summer and Dr. Groysman also discuss why standard rehab can sometimes backfire, the challenges of identifying mitochondrial dysfunction, and why treating Long COVID often requires looking at multiple systems rather than addressing symptoms one at a time. Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

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  The Long Haul with Summer

  I Treated Iliac Vein Compression for Years. Then I Became the Patient.

  Jul 22, 20261h 21m

  Summer had sent countless patients to Denver for iliac vein stents. She had watched the procedure, shadowed the team, and explained iliac vein compression in clinic more times than she could count. Then her own name appeared on the schedule. After an earlier scan was read as normal, Summer later learned she had severe iliac vein compression and Nutcracker syndrome. In this personal return episode of The Long Haul with Summer, she shares the symptoms that changed her daily life, what it was like to undergo the procedure herself, and the improvements she noticed within days. Recovery was not a straight line. Summer also opens up about the difficult MCAS flare that followed, the slow process of learning to trust her body again, and how becoming the patient changed the empathy and perspective she will carry into caring for others. Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

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  The Long Haul with Summer

  The Gut Symptoms Doctors Keep Missing in Long COVID

  Jul 8, 20261h 1m

  What if the gut symptoms many Long COVID patients experience are not just IBS, anxiety, or “functional” problems? In this episode, Dr. Vaughn interviews gastroenterologist Zach Spiritos about the overlooked connection between Long COVID, mast cell activation, gut barrier dysfunction, food reactions, dysautonomia, and chronic GI symptoms. They discuss why traditional scopes and imaging often fail to explain what patients are feeling, how COVID may disrupt the gut and immune system, and why symptoms that are often dismissed as stress or anxiety may have a deeper biological explanation. This conversation also explores IBS, MCAS, motility issues, microscopic colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, GLP-1 medications, probiotics, prebiotics, and why asking “why did this happen?” may be one of the most important questions in medicine. Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

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