The symptoms we learn to live with could be worth talking about

Pain, fatigue or simply not feeling like yourself can become something you learn to live with. But those experiences are among the health conversations South African presenter Kabous Meiring hopes people will stop dismissing.

Meiring hosts Ons gesels gesondheid (Let’s Talk Health), a medical series on Afrikaans television channel VIA that brings patients and specialists together to explore illness and treatment through personal experiences.

Episodes cover uterine fibroids, retinoblastoma in a young child, kidney cancer and proactive approaches to health.

“The series reaffirmed for me just how much incredible medical knowledge we have right here,” says Meiring. “They’re exceptionally sharp, but also accessible, warm and deeply invested in the people they treat.”

For Meiring, the personal experiences behind the diagnoses are equally important.

“Life teaches you that anything can happen to anyone. When someone shares their story, the viewer realises: I’m not alone in my struggles.”

When symptoms become your ‘normal’

One of the stories follows Lucinda Ndemera’s experience with pain and fatigue linked to uterine fibroids.

Meiring hopes her experience encourages people to pay attention to symptoms they might have gradually accepted as normal.

“If you’re not feeling like yourself, that deserves attention.”

The series also explores treatments such as embolisation and cryoablation, with specialists explaining complicated medical terminology in accessible language.

“The terms sound complicated, but the specialists are able to explain what they’re doing and why they’re considering it for a specific patient.”

A white reflection in a child’s eye

Another episode shares the experience of Violet de Wet, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma after her parents, Morgan and Gys, noticed a white reflection in her eye.

The episode explores intra-arterial chemotherapy.

For Meiring, telling deeply personal stories such as Violet’s requires sensitivity rather than exaggeration.

“The emotion is already right there; you don’t need to stoke it,” says Meiring.

She says interviewing patients and specialists requires preparation, empathy and respect.

Asking the questions patients want answered

The programme also looks at proactive health through the experience of Nicholas van den Berg.

He underwent cardiometabolic tests and scans before making changes to his nutrition, physical activity and daily habits. He ultimately completed an Ironman.

Throughout the series, Meiring asks practical questions that patients might feel intimidated to raise themselves.

These include what recovery involves, whether a particular treatment is suitable and whether medical aid covers it.

Her hope is that viewers become more comfortable having similar conversations with their own healthcare professionals.

“What are my treatment options, and why are you recommending this specific one for me?”

Understanding the answer, Meiring says, can help people make informed decisions about their health.

Ons gesels gesondheid also features cooking sessions with chef Yolani Abrahams using Pink Lady® apples.

Ultimately, the series brings the conversation back to the person behind the medical terminology, and the questions that deserve to be asked when something doesn’t feel right.

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