Monsters Inside Me (2009– )

If you have an interest in science and medicine, this show is for you. It is somewhat horrifying but also fascinating. I've learned so much about parasitic infections from watching this show.

Each episode typically has three stories and follows a pattern of first introducing the main subject and his or her family members, then interspersing dramatic re-enactments with interviews of the subjects about their illness and recovery (or not), followed by some general info and tips about the illness from the show's biologist. I feel so sorry for some of these people. Some of them have been victims of circumstance, but many are victims of shockingly incompetent doctors. Here's a tip: If you have a cough or chest pain that doesn't go away, you MUST insist on a chest x-ray! I was completely shocked to see the number of doctors who made off-the-cuff diagnoses without doing any real tests! I should add however that some of the people are victims of their own recklessness, stupidity or ignorance, such as the man who ate live crabs or the parent who gave her young child ibuprofen (the label on the bottle clearly says not for children under 12). Warning, some people die on this show. You don't know until the end of the story whether the person lived or died. I commend the people who participate for sharing their personal stories for our education.