Mystery Diagnosis

Mystery Diagnosis
Format	Educational
Narrated by	David Guion (2005-2009) David Scott (2009-present)
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	9
No. of episodes	80 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	1 hour (approximately)
Production company(s)	True Entertainment
Broadcast
Original channel	Discovery Health (2005-2010) OWN (2011-present)
Original run	March 7, 2005 – present
External links
Website

Mystery Diagnosis is a television program that airs on the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Each episode focuses on two or more individuals and their struggles to find out what ailments they suffer from.

The series debuted on Discovery Health Channel in 2005, and was continued when OWN replaced Discovery Health on January 1, 2011; the new season premiered January 5, 2011.^[1]

Description

Every story generally begins with a short description of the sufferer's life before they fell ill. The symptoms that the person experienced are then described and usually become progressively worse. The person will go from doctor to doctor and receive various misdiagnoses or may be told that there is nothing wrong with them at all. After some time of suffering, which ranges from a few days to several years, the person will find out about a doctor who is willing to get to the bottom of their case. The doctor reviews the patient's medical records and does some testing, and finally reaches the correct diagnosis and gives the sufferer the proper treatment. The story ends with a description of what the person's life is like today. Usually, the sufferer is still alive. Some have died after the episode was taped or aired, and only one has died before the diagnosis.

The series has no regular cast except for its narrator, David Guion, and since 2009 David Scott, who describes the patients' lives and the destruction their illnesses bring. The patients themselves, along with their friends and family help to narrate their story. Among the more common illnesses mentioned on the show are epilepsy, Myasthenia gravis, Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, Lyme disease, veral various cancers and various undiagnosed tumors. Other times it is just an infection of some sort.

Other activities

In 2009, Mystery Diagnosis was named the program partner in organizing Rare Disease Day, an observance intended to raise awareness of rare diseases among the general public and policy-makers. Mystery Diagnosis worked with the United States coordinator, National Organization for Rare Disorders, to organize events across the country for observing Rare Disease Day at the end of February.^[2]

All episodes formerly premiered on Discovery Health channel, The Learning Channel (TLC), and sometimes on the Discovery Channel. As of January 2011, new episodes air on OWN.

References

1. ^ What You Need to Know about OWN
2. ^ "National Organization for Rare Disorders To Partner With Discovery Health and 'MYSTERY DIAGNOSIS' for Rare Disease Day 2009". PR Newswire. 9 February 2009. http://sev.prnewswire.com/television/20090209/PH6815409022009-1.html. Retrieved 14 February 2009.