"Recognize optimism can mask life-threatening denial After spending nearly 18 hours between two emergency rooms without being treated, Lauren's body began shaking — a sign of sepsis shutting down her organs — yet she still planned to leave. A nurse asked her pain level and said 'I think that this is your 10,' only then did Lauren understand the severity. The speaker's co-host noted: 'This is why you're so optimistic about this whole thing.' People who rarely experience serious illness or injury can systematically underestimate danger; building in a rule — such as 'if two separate medical professionals say go immediately, I go immediately' — creates a safety check that optimism cannot override. Source: Lauren, Unspecified Podcast, Blister to Sepsis Story"