I have a million reasons as to why I’m terrified of publicity. 99% of my reasons are irrational fears rooted somewhere in my past. The other 1% are not as irrational, but are highly unlikely to happen (such as, ending up with a stalker), given the stuff I’d be talking about as a science communicator, and the drastic measures I’m willing to take (and am already taking) to protect myself. 

Also, for reasons I cannot explain, I keep getting very weird opportunities to spread my wings as a fledgling science communicator. 

In just under ten days, the Goldwater Institute- a right-leaning, libertarian organization that lobbied for Colorado’s “Right to Try” bill that was signed into law last May- has reached out to me yet again, asking me to go national with my story. 

To get the ball rolling, a film crew will show up to my house and interview me about how and why I did phage virus therapy to defeat my Pseudomonas infection. This would inevitably put me on the “right” end of the political spectrum in the eyes of many, many people (despite the fact that I’m anything but). However, the more I research where science communication has failed, the more I realize that the folks right-of-center need someone who can talk about science to them, too. 

Once again, I am terrified. But, at the same time, it would be incredibly stupid and short-sighted of me to turn down the opportunity to go so public with my phage virus story purely out of fear. 

So, how do I deal with this?

First, I think I’ll script out my story so that A) it’s easy for laypeople to understand, B) it’s damn near impossible for the Goldwater Institute to misrepresent in any way, shape, or form, and C), so I don’t sound like a shaky, incomprehensible mess when the cameras come on. 

From there, I’ll probably rehearse my script over and over again, so that when the cameras do come on, talking about my phage virus experience will feel natural to me. That said, I won’t adhere to the script like an actress adheres to a script for a play. I’ll write how I talk, and talk how I write. Then, I can extemporaneously respond to my audience (the camera crew) as needed. 

Finally, the Goldwater Institute has reassured me (in writing, over email) that they will not post the final video until I review and okay it. 

After all, I know that the Goldwater Institute only has so much time on their hands to make a statement using my words. But, I also know that there are a lot of issues that crop up when people proclaim that terminally-ill patients have “the right to try” non-FDA approved treatments, after all other conventional treatments have failed. And, I want to make it EXTREMELY CLEAR that I do not, under any circumstances, endorse whackjob “treatments” such as bleach enemas or taking Ivermectin that is meant for horses. 

There’s a vast chasm between that crazy shit and phage therapy. 

So… that leads to another question: how do I explain phage therapy in the length of an elevator speech that is engaging and digestible, yet still scientifically and medically accurate? Hell, how do I explain all kinds of science in the length of an elevator speech that is engaging and digestible, yet still scientifically and medically accurate? 

Moreover, how do I reach the audiences of organizations like the Goldwater Institute (which has partnered with organizations like Fox News, Prager U, and Gun Owners of America), without totally compromising my own values and beliefs? 

That’s one hell of a challenge, to say the least.