Hiya folks, Lev here. 

We’ve all got some kind of physical pain we’re dealing with. In my case, it’s a wonky knee and what is probably a slipped disk in my back. Lying down or sitting, including for car rides or while writing this newsletter, can be uncomfortable on account of both issues.  

It’s part of the reason I work out and try to eat healthy, which — so far — have been successful ways to keep my body in working order at 29. But I’m always thinking about the inevitable future day where my pain gets bad enough that I need medical intervention.

Will I be listened to at the doctor’s office? Will I just get stuffed full of painkillers? Will I have adverse side effects, or continue deteriorating without a treatment that can truly help me? 

Obviously, these are deeply unfun and personal considerations. But this is also an experience we all have at some point. 

The good news is that, by then, you and I may have a tool that can better translate our pain to doctors and nurses. That’s what Dr. Marcia Shade, a UNMC nursing professor, is working on as the founder and CEO of Voice-It. 

Almost a decade in the making, Voice-It is building a secure AI transcription and summarizing platform for patients to explain the nuances of their pain — instead of dumbing their lives down to the usual 1-10 pain scale. Given the limited time doctors already have to spend with patients, this could mean better treatments and outcomes. 

Getting there, though, has meant making the rocky climb from academia to entrepreneurship, driven by Shade’s personal experience with how pain changes your life. Read more in my SPN profile on Shade’s journey.