He Was the Doctor—Then He Found a Brain Tumor

What happens when the doctor becomes the patient? In this powerful episode of HuMed, Dr. David Spiro sits down with pediatric cardiologist Dr. Josh Daily to talk about the moment his life changed: unexplained fatigue, low testosterone, headaches, and eventually the discovery of a brain tumor deep in the center of his brain. Dr. Daily shares the full story of being diagnosed, challenging the initial read, seeking second opinions, undergoing high-risk brain surgery, facing a devastating recurrence, and nearly losing his vision. He also opens up about what it felt like to navigate the healthcare system from the other side of the bedrail—even as a physician. This conversation goes far beyond medicine. It’s about fear, vulnerability, faith, grief, resilience, and what serious illness teaches us about being human. In this episode: What it feels like when a doctor becomes the patient How his brain tumor was initially misread Why his vision began rapidly deteriorating The targeted therapy that changed everything The emotional reality of serious illness How faith reshaped his experience as both patient and physician Why empathy and presence matter so much in medicine This is one of the most honest and moving conversations yet on HuMed. Subscribe for more conversations on the human side of medicine. #BrainTumor #DoctorBecomesPatient #HuMed #MedicineAndFaith #PatientStory #Neurosurgery #TargetedTherapy #PhysicianStory #MedicalPodcast #DavidSpiroMD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices