Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Read. Talk. Grow.
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Titre
Date
Durée
28. Embracing a personal, purpose-focused approach to wellness
08 Nov 2023
00:33:37
We talked with:
Gladys McGarey, M.D., is a pioneer in allopathic and holistic medical movements and continues to practice medicine even now that she is over 100 years old. She is a founding diplomat of the American Board of Holistic Medicine. She is the cofounder and past president of the American Holistic Medical Association. She lives and works in Scottsdale, Arizona. She has cared for thousands of patients and people all around the world and across all life stages from birth to death, where she inspires what she calls living medicine.
Larry Bergstrom, M.D., is an assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona in the Division of Consultative Medicine. He is the past chair of general internal medicine in Mayo Clinic in Rochester and moved to Mayo Clinic Arizona 2006 to start the integrative medicine program. Dr. Bergstrom sees patients for whom conventional medicine has had insufficient answers, including those with chronic fatigue, chronic pain, autoimmune disease. He tells his patients that he is not so much focused on treating their disease but rather trying to find ways of helping them become healthy.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
The limits of conventional medicine. Conventional medicine can be passive, Dr. Bergstrom says: You go to the doctor and get a prescription. Dr. Bergstrom and Dr. Gladys believe in empowering their patients, engaging with them and giving them tools to improve their wellness.
A personal approach. Stress has important negative effects on health, but you can’t simply direct someone to “Be less stressed.” In fact, Dr. Bergstrom says you can’t address stress until you fully understand someone’s story: Who they are, how they got there, what’s happened to them, and how that’s affected their ability to live.
Finding your “juice.” Dr. Gladys wants everyone to recognize their “juice” — her term for your reason for living, your source of joy and purpose, and what gets you out of bed in the morning. Physicians often shy away from addressing this aspect of spiritual wellness, Dr. Bergstrom says, because it’s messy. But it’s essential to understand for whole-person wellness.
Want to read more about health topics? Check out our blog.
Got feedback?
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
27. The challenges and costs of chronic illness in the U.S.
01 Nov 2023
00:48:09
We talked with:
Nicole Chung is the author of “A Living Remedy” and “All You Can Ever Know.” “A Living Remedy” was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and has already been named a Best Book of 2023 by Time, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, USA Today, and Booklist, among others. Chung’s 2018 debut, the national bestseller “All You Can Ever Know,” landed on over 20 Best of the Year lists and has been translated into several languages.
Brenda Ernst, M.D., is a hematologist and oncologist at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Phoenix, Arizona. She cares for patients with various types of malignant cancers, especially breast and ovarian cancer. After earning her medical degree at St. George's University School of Medicine in Bay Shore, New York, Dr. Ernst completed an internal medicine residency at the Orlando Regional Medical Center and a fellowship in hematology/oncology at the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she was Chief Fellow.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
The high cost of illness — and healthcare. When Nicole’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, Nicole was of course most worried about her mother’s life. Only later did she realize the financial fallout: insurmountable medical debt.
When care comes too late. Many people struggling with money and healthcare coverage put off receiving earlier treatment or preventive care. Nicole’s father didn’t receive crucial treatment until the last possible moment in his diabetes, and he needed to be on dialysis. What would her parent’s lives have looked like if he had access to treatment years before?
The tricky nature of caretaking for your caretakers. It’s a struggle to try to help parents, especially when parents want to protect their children from their hardships. Dr. Ernst says that it can be hard to ask for help if your identity is “the caretaker” or “the parent.” When we come up against a crisis, we want to reassure ourselves that we are who we have always been, but crisis changes us and our roles.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
18. The care and keeping of friends
30 Aug 2023
00:51:56
We talked with:
Laura Tremaine is an author, podcaster and influencer. She launched the "10 Things To Tell You" podcast, a show born from her realization that sharing herself online and in person pulled her out of a long season of loneliness. From the "10 Things To Tell You" podcast came her first book "Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First: 10 Questions to Take Your Friendships to the Next Level." Her second book released in 2023 and is titled "The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs."
Judith Engelman, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist who has practiced in Phoenix and Scottsdale for 40 years. Based on her vast experience in running therapy and support groups, Dr. Engelman was asked to collaborate in developing and facilitating the "Authentic Connections" groups in a research study with Mayo Scottsdale Department of Psychiatry and Arizona State University Department of Psychology. Blending her interests in individual, group and family therapy, psychopharmacology, yoga and spirituality, Dr. Engelman has always advocated for an integrative approach to healing.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Friendship is an action. Friendship means showing up and supporting the ones you love. So if communication doesn't come naturally to you, you may want to add friendship tasks (checking in, phone calls, texts) to your to-do list. To some, that may seem like you're making friendship a chore, but it's an actionable way to make your friends a priority.
Friendships have a spectrum of intimacy. Not every friendship has to be the soul-baring kind. Laura wants to highlight the value of relationships with co-workers, fellow soccer moms or online friends obsessed with the same TV show as you. One person can't fulfill every friendship need: Maybe you need one fun friend, a friend who brings you soup when you're sick and another friend with kids the same age.
How do we make new friends? Though we often think of making new friends as an exhausting burden, Laura encourages us to see it for the exciting prospect it is: Finding someone who likes the most current version of you. And she encourages us to chill out a bit — aim for one good conversation with each outing. That's enough!
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
17. The alcohol-breast cancer connection
23 Aug 2023
00:34:32
We talked with:
Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge, before spending nearly 20 years in the heady world of advertising. Clare worked hard, played hard and drank even harder. By the time she was 46 years old she knew she had to go sober. She started a blog called Mummy was a Secret Drinker by way of therapy. That blog went viral and became a memoir: "The Sober Diaries." Clare then started writing fiction. Her debut novel — "The Authenticity Project" — is a New York Times bestseller and is published in 30 languages. Her second novel — "Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting" — is out now.
Karen Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. She's a medical oncologist and researcher. She focuses on breast cancer, particularly immunotherapy, treatments to reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence and using genomics to guide treatment decisions. She received her M.D. and Ph.D. from Duke University School of Medicine and was trained at the Brigham and Women's Hospital as well as Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Am I an alcoholic? Clare spent a lot of time Googling this question until she realized the better question was "Is alcohol proving detrimental to my life?" The word "alcoholic" has so much stigma it prevents people from getting the help they need for fear of such a serious label. Clare kept trying to moderate her drinking, but when she found herself drinking out of a "World's Best Mum" mug before noon, she realized it was time to quit.
Breast cancer and alcohol. Alcohol is a carcinogen, and elevates risk of breast cancer as well as other types of cancer. But Clare — as well as many other educated people — have no idea about the link. And it's unclear if alcohol use among survivors increases risk of recurrence.
The opposite of addiction is connection. Through her blog, Clare found an online community of people like her who helped support her in her drinking recovery. When she was tempted to start drinking again, she thought, "I can't let these people down." If you're thinking of giving up drinking, you don't have to do it alone! There are many people going through a similar journey.
Can't get enough?
Purchase "The Sober Diaries: How one woman stopped drinking and started living."
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
16. Imagining a more inclusive world for people with autism
16 Aug 2023
00:40:28
We talked with:
Laurie Frankel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of four novels. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times and other publications. She is the recipient of the Washington State Book Award and the Endeavor Award. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty-five languages and been optioned for film and TV. A former college professor, she now writes full-time in Seattle, Washington where she lives with her family and makes good soup.
Andrea Huebner, Ph.D., is a Mayo Clinic pediatric neuropsychologist and autism expert. Dr. Huebner has performed diagnostic evaluations for thousands of children with autism and is still fascinated by the uniqueness of each child’s autism experience. She is involved in advocacy aimed at prompting communities to recognize the enormous potential contributions of individuals with autism.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
The many faces of autism. Using Dr. Huebner’s expertise and Laurie’s characters, we reflect on the range of features that can show up in someone with autism spectrum disorder. Autism can look very different in different people, but there are common themes that can help us better understand this kind of neurodivergence.
Seeing the strengths. Rather than pathologizing Monday's autistic characteristics, Laurie sees them as simple differences — and in some cases, as strengths. Getting to know someone with autism spectrum disorder (whether in fiction or real life) can help us better understand these differences.
Imagining a better world. Laurie’s book is set in an inclusive community that has been set up with a universal design to accommodate people of different abilities. We consider how we could make the real world more accommodating for people of all abilities.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
15. Breaking the mold: Gender diversity, pregnancy and parenting
09 Aug 2023
00:43:11
We talked with:
Krys Malcolm Belc is the author of "The Natural Mother of the Child: A Memoir of Nonbinary Parenting." His essays have been featured in Granta, Guernica, The Rumpus and elsewhere.
Caroline Davidge-Pitts, M.D., is an associate professor of medicine and associate practice chair of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition at Mayo Clinic Rochester. She is the medical director of the Transgender and Intersex Specialty Care Clinic.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Navigating nontraditional parenthood. From defying your parents' expectations to strange looks from strangers to having to adopt your own children, Krys talks about his experience with fertility treatment, pregnancy care and parenting as a transmasculine parent.
Navigating the health care system. How can health care providers make parenthood more accessible and comfortable for gender diverse people? Krys and Dr. Davidge-Pitts have some ideas.
Can't get enough?
Purchase Krys' book "The Natural Mother of the Child: A Memoir of Nonbinary Parenting."
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
14. Discovering the loss, pain and beauty at the end of life
02 Aug 2023
00:40:30
We talked with:
Catherine Newman is a writer who has written a gazillion columns, articles, and canned-bean recipes for magazines and newspapers. Her essays have been widely anthologized. She is the author of the memoirs "Waiting for Birdy" and "Catastrophic Happiness," the middle-grade novel "One Mixed-Up Night," and the bestselling kids' life-skills books "How to Be a Person" and "What Can I Say?" "We All Want Impossible Things" is her first adult novel. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts where she is the secretary of Creative Writing at Amherst College. Oh, and she has a Ph.D.
Maisha T. Robinson, M.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Florida, with a joint appointment in the Department of Internal Medicine. Upon joining the staff of Mayo Clinic, she established the clinic's first neuropalliative care program and she currently serves as the chair of the Division of Palliative Medicine and as the program director for the Palliative Medicine Fellowship. Dr. Robinson has spoken nationally and internationally on neuropalliative care, she edited a book titled Case Studies in Neuropalliative Care, and she is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Approval Committee on Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
The shift from fighting for life to getting ready for death. Entering hospice care requires a mental shift. But Catherine says this shift can be a relief as the dying person releases the pressure to "get better." Dr. Robinson says hospice can improve quality of life — for the person who is dying and for friends and family — and prepare everyone for the physical, emotional and spiritual challenges in the coming disease stages.
The shift from caregiving to grieving. If you're caring for someone in hospice, you may experience anticipatory grief. But the grief that comes after death may be quite different from your feelings from before they died, sometimes in surprising ways. You may also struggle to adjust to the abrupt end of your identity as a caregiver.
The shifts from crying to laughing. Being a friend to someone as they die often means reminiscing, and that's oftentimes funny. This levity can be a gift for everyone involved. Our guests also talk about practical ways to support loved ones and caretakers during the last stages of life.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
12. Flipping the script on menopause
19 Jul 2023
00:40:09
We talked with:
Kirsten Miller is a groundbreaking feminist author in YA literature, best known for her popular Kiki Strike series. In addition to writing novels, Kirsten spent 25 years as a strategist in the advertising industry. During that time she worked for some of the largest agencies in the world, as well as boutique agencies and an eight-person startup. She's proud to have quit at least two of those jobs over ads and incidents described in "The Change."
Paru David, M.D., is a consultant and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic. After her internal medicine residency at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, she joined Women's Health Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in 1999. She has published research and given lectures in the areas of menopause, contraception, menstrual migraine and sexual health. She's a contributor to the Mayo Clinic Press book "The Menopause Solution."
We talked about:
It's time to talk about menopause.Despite the fact that menopause happens to roughly half the population, it's shrouded in secrecy and even shame. That means most people who experience menopause walk into it blind and are surprised by the changes they experience. Dr. David and Kirsten Miller want to change that.
Menopause isn't the end. Life, careers, interests, relationships — and yes, sex — can extend far beyond middle age. For some women, middle age is a renaissance where they're most comfortable with themselves and thrive in ways they didn't in their 20s or 30s. Kirsten Miller talks about "rebranding" menopause in her book as a time of newfound power.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
11. What you stand to gain when you give up drinking
12 Jul 2023
00:45:06
We talked with:
Holly Whitaker is a writer, researcher, teacher, student and the author of the wildly popular, New York Times Bestseller, "Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol."
Kristen Schmidt, M.D., is a board-certified addiction psychiatrist at Park Nicollet.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests talk about:
Reframing sobriety. It's hard to face quitting drinking when you focus on everything you'll lose: The taste, the social acceptance, the ability to relax in social situations. We'll talk instead about the many benefits to your physical, social and emotional health.
Reframing alcohol. Sipping a cocktail or choosing a bottle of wine for the table are actions laden with meaning. Alcohol can frame you as fun, sexy, successful or social. Holly Whitaker helps take some of the power away from what she calls "just a liquid."
Reframing community. Finding a community to support your recovery and sobriety can be difficult — and in some cases, impossible. But community can take many different forms, and we've got some ideas on what those could be.
Can't get enough?
Purchase Holly's book "Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol."
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
10. Chronic kidney disease and the transformative power of transplant
05 Jul 2023
00:34:09
We talked with:
Abby Jimenez is a New York Times bestselling author and Food Network champion living in Minnesota. Abby founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen back in 2007. She is also the author of five bestselling novels. Abby loves a good romance, coffee, doglets and not leaving the house. "Yours Truly" is her latest book.
Mira Keddis, M.D., is a consultant and associate professor of medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr. Keddis is passionate about education and supporting and advocating for patients, learners and faculty.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
The silent nature of kidney disease. Unfortunately, kidney disease often does not have obvious symptoms. Instead, symptoms may be gradual and attributed to stress or exhaustion. Most standard lab tests can quickly identify if something is wrong with your kidneys. But if you're not receiving regular medical checkups, problems may fly under the radar.
The mental burden of chronic disease. Chronic diseases such as kidney disease can exacerbate mental health challenges and lead to depression and anxiety. Even in the early stages of disease, the "what ifs" can get to you, Abby says: What if I can't eat my favorite foods? What if I need to go on dialysis?
The transformative power of kidney transplant. Facing a lifetime of dialysis is a traumatic proposition, Dr. Keddis says. Abby's book portrays the transformative power and hope that a kidney transplant can bring. We break down the types of kidney transplants and what transplant entails.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
9. Unlocking the mysteries of perimenopause
28 Jun 2023
00:34:19
We talked with:
Heather Corinna is the author of "What Fresh Hell Is This? Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities and You." They are the founder and director of Scarleteen, the pioneering inclusive sexuality, relationships and health education resource for young people established in 1998, and the current sexuality chair at Our Bodies, Ourselves Today.
Dr. Jewel Kling is a professor of medicine, chair of the Division of Women's Health Internal Medicine, assistant director of the Women's Health Center and associate chair of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity for the Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her clinical and research interests are in menopause, sexual health and LGBT care.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Navigating the unknown. When it comes to perimenopause, there's a lot that a lot of us don't know. Women, nonbinary people — and yes, sex educators and physicians — can be surprised by their perimenopausal experience.
Navigating the treatment maze. We know you've heard it a million times, but health basics (like getting enough sleep, managing stress, etc.) are actually really important in this phase of life. And our guests offer reassurance that hormone therapy is not a big, scary thing. Like any other medication, it comes with risks and benefits, and it's not for everyone.
Navigating a new sex life. Sex may be different during perimenopause and beyond — but that could be a good thing. If certain types of sex don't work as well for you after the menopause transition, you may need to explore new, satisfying facets of your sexuality. There's no normal!
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
8. Based on a true story: The sad reality of forced sterilization in the U.S.
21 Jun 2023
00:37:34
We talked with:
Dolen Perkins-Valdez is the New York Times bestselling author of "Wench," "Balm," and most recently "Take My Hand." In 2011, she was a finalist for two NAACP Image Awards and the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award for fiction. Dolen is the current chair of the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. She is currently associate professor in the Literature Department at American University and lives in Washington, D.C., with her family.
Swapna Reddy, J.D., DrPH, M.P.H., is a clinical associate professor at Arizona State University's College of Health Solutions. At Arizona State University, Dr. Reddy teaches undergraduate and graduate coursework — including as faculty at Arizona State University's Barrett, the Honors College in Medical Studies. Additionally, she is an adjunct assistant professor in Health Care Administration at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr. Reddy also was named a Fulbright Specialist.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Historical fiction that's not that historical … or fictitious. "We're still living many of the issues that are being discussed in this book," Dr. Reddy says. Women and girls are still fighting for the right to control their own reproductive choices — whether that's to reproduce or not to reproduce.
The need to feel heard. There are too many anecdotes about women not being heard in the doctor's office. You may know Serena William's story of repeatedly asking doctors to take her risk of blood clots seriously after giving birth, but you probably know someone much closer to you who's experienced the same thing.
The road to hell … How could so many people allow the forced sterilization of women to happen in the U.S.? In Dolen's book (as in life) good intentions aren't a barrier to doing real harm. We talk about the need to examine our own culpability in harmful systems.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
26. The power of plants — Above and below the belt
25 Oct 2023
00:38:07
We talked with:
Ann Crile Esselstyn has been called "the Julia Child of plant-based-cooking." Ann's singular focus is on creating recipes to prevent and reverse heart disease, and she collaborates with her husband, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., in counseling patients.
Jane Esselstyn, R.N., is a nurse, researcher, middle school sex ed teacher and mother of three. She created the recipes for the #1 New York Times bestseller "Plant-Strong." She coauthored "The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet" with her brother, Rip Esselstyn and "The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook" with Ann. Ann and Jane host a popular YouTube channel featuring heart-healthy recipes.
Dawn Mussallem, D.O., is a consultant in the Department of General Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic and an assistant professor of medicine. She has over 25 years of patient-centered clinical wellness experience and is nationally recognized in the field of breast medicine, lifestyle medicine, integrative oncology and cancer survivorship. Dr. Mussallem has a unique personal experience as a stage IV cancer patient diagnosed three months into medical school and as a heart transplant recipient.
We talked about:
You may feel and function better if you start eating a healthier, whole-food, plant-heavy diet. In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
"Above the belt" plant benefits. Dr. Mussallem outlines all the potential benefits for breast health, particularly as this may affect breast cancer survivors.
"Below the belt" plant benefits. The crew talks us through many other potential health benefits of eating plant-based foods, including benefits to cardiovascular, renal and vaginal health.
No perfectionists here. Taking on more plants in your diet is a process. You don't have to start a 100 miles per hour, 180 degree shift in your eating. Baby steps and slip-ups are expected.
Can't get enough?
Purchase "Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior: Live Fierce, Stay Bold, Eat Delicious."
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
7. Breaking the silence surrounding miscarriage
14 Jun 2023
00:36:27
We talked with:
Jackie Polzin lives in West St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and two children. Her first novel, "Brood," won the Sue Kaufman First Fiction Prize and the L.A. Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, and was shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Her writing has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Literary Hub and The Idaho Review.
Kate White, M.D., M.P.H., is an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Boston University School of Medicine and the vice chair of academics in the OB-GYN department at Boston Medical Center. A board-certified OB-GYN, Dr. Kate has been caring for women for more than 20 years, helping them navigate periods, childbirth, pregnancy loss and every other stage leading up to menopause. She's the author of the Mayo Clinic Press books "Your Sexual Health" and "Your Guide to Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss."
We talked about:
Silence. Though miscarriage is incredibly common, we don't talk about it much as a society. Sometimes people don't talk about miscarriage because they don't want to make others uncomfortable. Sometimes friends and family are afraid of saying the wrong thing. This makes grief lonely and means many people don't get the support they need.
Slowness. Trying to rush through grief and "get it over with" probably won't work. Dr. Kate and Jackie talk about sitting with the loss, as well as how to remember and honor their losses — plus, how you can support someone who has experienced a loss.
Guilt. Many people who experience a miscarriage need to know: It's not your fault. Dr. Kate wants you to know that there's no place for guilt — and it makes grief worse.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
6. Is it cheating? Challenging assumptions about infidelity
19 Apr 2023
00:29:46
We talked with:
Stacey Swann holds an MFA from Texas State University and was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. Her fiction has appeared in multiple journals, and she is a Contributing Editor of American Short Fiction. Her first novel "Olympus, Texas" has received critical acclaim.
Jennifer Vencill, Ph.D., L.P., is an assistant professor, board certified clinical health psychologist and AASECT certified sex therapist. Dr. Vencill spends the bulk of her time providing integrated sexual health care in the Menopause and Women's Sexual Health Clinic. She's currently working on her first popular press book, a guide for managing sexual desire discrepancies in relationships — to be published in summer 2023!
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Infidelity is a health issue. Infidelity is a common experience that can greatly affect interpersonal and intimate relationships — and by extension, your mental health — with collateral damage for kids, friends and communities.
The definition of infidelity is personal. "Cheating" means different things to different people. A lot depends on what you've agreed to in your relationship … or what you assume your partner has agreed to.
Judge not. This novel brings the complexities of affairs to life. People may not cheat (or be "the other woman" or stay with a cheating partner) for the reasons that you think. We discuss some of the characters who don't fit the mold.
This concludes Season One. To sign up for emails with more information about future releases and other women's health content, click here.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
5. Weathering the storm of chronic racism and oppression
12 Apr 2023
00:35:07
We talked with:
Dr. Arline T. Geronimus, author of "Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society," is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. She is a Professor at the University of Michigan with appointments in the School of Public Health and the Institute for Social Research and is affiliated with the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health. Dr. Geronimus originated the biopsychosocial theory of “weathering.”
Sumedha G. Penheiter, Ph.D., has a doctoral degree in biochemistry and genetics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her postdoctoral work at Mayo Clinic was focused on cancer biology, where she researched signaling pathways in carcinogenesis. Subsequently she worked as a program manager within research administration at Mayo Clinic, with a focus on health disparities research.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
The toll of weathering. The term, coined by Dr. Geronimus, posits that it’s chronically stressful to be part of an oppressed group, and this has consequences for your physical, emotional and mental health. The term is also meant to convey the strength of those that have been weathered and persevere.
The blame game. Many times, people are blamed for their health conditions, whether its high blood pressure, diabetes or weight. It's assumed they’re “not taking care of themselves.” Weathering argues against this individualistic perspective. Health issues often stem from greater societal issues — including how society treats certain people, not how those people treat themselves.
Hope on the horizon. Recognizing the physical toll of chronic oppression is an important first step, but it’s not enough. Policy-wide changes are needed, often requiring legislative changes. And health care systems can explore some direct ways to improve health care access — like providing childcare and reimbursing travel costs for treatment.
Can't get enough?
Purchase "Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society."
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
4. We need everyone's help to end the opioid crisis
30 Mar 2023
00:39:17
We talked with:
Beth Macy is a Virginia-based journalist with three decades of experience and an award-winning author of three New York Times bestselling books: "Factory Man," "Truevine" and "Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America." Her newest book is "Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America's Overdose Crisis."
Dr. Holly Geyer is an addiction medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Her work focuses on care of complex patients in the hospital with a focus on quality of life and the best use of nondrug interventions for treating symptoms, including pain. She is the author of "Ending the Crisis: Mayo Clinic's Guide to Opioid Addiction and Safe Opioid Use."
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Addiction as a medical condition. Opioid use disorder (OUD) isn't a moral weakness, and it's not just a social problem or a mental health disorder. It's a health condition, and everyone is at risk.
The need for nonjudgmental, evidence-based care. Many people with OUD think they can't get better. Beth Macy argues this is partially because they've never been able to access evidence-based care. Holly argues it's time to stop battling against opioids and start battling for the people impacted by them.
Hope for healing. Ending the opioid crisis may seem like an impossible task, but both of these books offer ideas and solutions for battling and preventing opioid addiction. Beth Macy's book looks at the heroes on the front lines — sometimes in unexpected locations like a McDonald's parking lot. They say that ultimately, we all have a role to play.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
3. Uprooting racism in health care
22 Mar 2023
00:44:54
We talked with:
Linda Villarosa is a journalist, an educator and a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine. She covers the intersection of health and medicine and social justice. Her book "Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation" was published in June 2022.
Amaal Starling, M.D. is an associate professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She is an expert in concussion and headache — particularly in women.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests talk about:
The problems start at birth. Linda talks about her reporting on disparities in pregnant women and their babies — but the problems of racism in medicine don't stop there. The guests explain how chronic stress from racism and bias accelerates aging and contributes to disparities.
The problems are often ignored. All too oftenBlack people seek care and are ignored, disrespected, misdiagnosed or blamed for their medical problems.
The problems have solutions. There's hope! Our guests talk about personal and political solutions. They've seen medical trainees and residents challenge practices and push change to correct systemic problems.
Can't get enough?
Purchase Linda Villarosa's book "Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation"
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
2. Trust yourself: It's not 'all in your head'
15 Mar 2023
00:35:16
We talked with:
Lauren Bosworth is the founder and CEO of total-body care brand, Love Wellness. Since launching the company in 2016, she has expanded Love Wellness to include vaginal health, gut health and ingestible beauty. Lo is seeking to change the narrative around self-care culture and empower others to feel supported, welcomed and safe during their own wellness journeys.
Jodie Horton, M.D., is a board-certified OB-GYN practicing in Washington, DC. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Medical College of Virginia. She combines holistic and western medicine to provide the best care for her patients and is a medical expert for Love Wellness.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discussed:
Empowered self-advocacy. Lo was written off or dismissed by too many doctors on her journey to wellness. She's here to teach you what to watch for and how to be your own advocate — inside and outside the doctor's office.
Keeping it simple. Lo jokes that her role is to ask health professionals, "But why, exactly?" By breaking down the body and its processes into simple pieces, it helps women understand and accept their bodies. She keeps it simple with her advice for lifestyle changes — offering doable and gradual strategies to help turn the tide of your health.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
1. It's complicated: Making decisions about your reproductive health
07 Mar 2023
00:27:33
We talked with:
Susan Wiggs is the author of more than 50 novels, including the beloved Lakeshore Chronicles series and the instant New York Times bestseller "Family Tree." Her award-winning books have been translated into two dozen languages. She lives with her husband on an island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
Kate White, M.D., M.P.H., is an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Boston University School of Medicine and the vice chair of academics in the OB-GYN department at Boston Medical Center. A board-certified OB-GYN, Dr. Kate has been caring for women for more than 20 years, helping them navigate periods, childbirth, pregnancy loss, and every other stage leading up to menopause. She's the author of the Mayo Clinic Press books "Your Sexual Health" and "Your Guide to Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss."
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
There is hope after trauma. Many women and people experience life-altering trauma, which can lead to depression and feelings of hopelessness. But healing is possible — and this is a romance book, so you know there's a happy ending coming.
Reproductive rights are real life. Susan talks about how she pulled from her friends' lives and stories straight from the headlines to inform the writing of her book.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion is voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
25. Making mom friends when you don't fit in
18 Oct 2023
00:34:39
We talked with:
Helena Andrews-Dyer is an award-winning culture reporter for The Washington Post, covering the intersection of popular culture, race, politics and art. She's the author of "Bitch is the New Black," "Reclaiming Her Time," and this episode's focus: "The Mamas: What I Learned about Kids, Race, and Class from Moms Not Like Me." She lives in D.C. with a husband whose laugh can be heard for miles and two carefree little brown girls.
Angela Mattke, M.D., is a pediatrician in the Division of Community Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Mattke is the medical editor of the "Mayo Clinic Guide to Raising a Healthy Child" and co-medical editor of the Parenting channel on the Mayo Clinic Press website. In her daily work, Dr. Mattke enjoys seeing her patients smile and helping families who are struggling with health challenges.
We talked about: In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
The need for solidarity. Motherhood is a time when you reach for friends with kids so you can complain, compare and question what's "normal." These friendships can be a big help, but sometimes parenthood is all you have in common. Helena talks about how George Floyd's murder highlighted the differences between the mothers, as she learned who she could trust as a Black mom.
The need to talk about race. Our guests say that parents of every race need to talk to their kids about the role of race in society. But talking isn't enough: You have to put your values into action. Your kids notice what you do and who your friends are.
The need to build resilient kids. It's important to help your kids learn how to express and cope with their emotions. You can't protect your kids from every bad thing — including racism or more general bullying — but you can build their confidence and resiliency.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
24. The pain of being passed over professionally
11 Oct 2023
00:40:24
We talked with:
Lynn Cullen is a bestselling author of several historical novels including "The Sisters of Summit Avenue," "Twain's End," "Mrs. Poe," "Reign of Madness," and "I Am Rembrandt's Daughter." Lynn's novels have been translated into 17 languages. Her latest book is "The Woman with the Cure."
Dr. Shikha Jain is a board-certified hematology/oncology physician. She is a tenured associate professor of medicine at the University of Illinois Cancer Center in Chicago. She joins us today as the founder and chair of the Women in Medicine Summit, and founder and president of the nonprofit organization Women in Medicine.
We talked about: In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Where are the women? When we look through history at incredible accomplishments, they're often credited to men. But where are the women? Usually they were in the background, generating work, ideas and discoveries that provided critical links to success and progress — but their contributions were downplayed, stolen or erased from the history books.
We've come so far, we've got so far to go. While many more women are employed in the science and medical fields today, there are still plenty of instances of bias and discrimination when it comes to promotion, pay, credit and leadership roles. You've probably heard personal stories to this effect, and there's data and research on these topics as well. As Dr. Jain says, "It's a slow, slow, slow train moving toward progress."
We've got to work together. As cliche as it sounds, women have to support other women and minority gender identities — and need to find male allies. Highlight other women's accomplishments when they're not in the room and speak highly of their work. And help yourself — ask for awards, promotions and raises — hopefully backed up by your allies.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
23. Beating burnout with self-acceptance
04 Oct 2023
00:43:36
We talked with:
Amelia Nagoski, D.M.A. (it stands for Doctorate of Musical Arts) is the co-author, with her sister Emily, of the New York Times bestselling "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle" and the "Burnout Workbook."
Dr. Cynthia Stonnington is a professor of psychiatry and the associate medical director of the Office of Joy and Wellbeing at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She is the previous chair of Psychiatry & Psychology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, where she remains an active staff member. She's the author of "Burnout in Women Physicians: Prevention, Treatment, and Management."
We talked about: In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Stress is a cycle. Amelia breaks down the difference between what's causing your stress (stressors) and the physical effect on your body (the stress). To stop the stress cycle, you might need to start listening to your body.
Why women (and gender diverse people) are prone to burnout. Our guests discuss the historical and systemic reasons that women tend to burn out, including their role as caregivers and their propensity to pick up the "invisible" household work that needs to get done.
Accept yourself. By refusing to judge yourself by external standards, you can more easily say "no" when tempted to take on commitments and tasks that won't fit in your life. Our guests also discuss how body acceptance plays a role in battling burnout.
Can't get enough?
Purchase Amelia's book "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle."
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
22. The weighty decisions around dementia and accompanied death
27 Sep 2023
00:40:25
We talked with:
Amy Bloom is the author of four novels: "White Houses," "Lucky Us," "Away," and "Love Invents Us"; and three collections of short stories: "Where the God Of Love Hangs Out," "Come to Me" (a finalist for the National Book Award), and "A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You" (a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award). She is the director of the Shapiro Center at Wesleyan University. Her most recent book is the widely acclaimed New York Times bestselling memoir, "In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss."
Joan McGregor, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy at Arizona State University where she researches questions in moral and legal philosophy. She researches bioethics and sustainability — and has published more than 50 academic articles and book chapters, several of which focused on end-of-life care.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
The trickiness of dementia diagnosis. Dementia is often realized in retrospect. At first, it's easy to excuse symptomatic behavior as a personality quirk or fatigue. And the person themselves may not fully recognize that their abilities and capabilities are changing. Dementia also looks different person-to-person — affecting executive function, memory and personality to various degrees.
The fight for medical autonomy. The rights for medical autonomy have increased. You can refuse care and you can create directions for medical professionals to follow if you become unable to make those decisions for yourself. But those advanced directives aren't always taken seriously, and even states that allow physician-assisted death come with many conditions.
Facing the end. Our guests emphasize how important it is to have discussions with your loved ones about what you and they want for end-of-life care — regardless of your age or health status.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
21. Getting real about breast cancer
20 Sep 2023
00:42:38
We talked with:
Liza Marshall is a writer and community leader and volunteer. She graduated from Duke University and the University of Virginia School of Law. She helped to found a cancer support organization, Hope Connections for Cancer Support in Bethesda, Maryland. She continues to serve in leadership roles with Hope Connections, her church, and in her community. In 2006 when she was forty-three years old, she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, the most deadly form of breast cancer. In 2021 she and her husband published a book about their experiences with Liza's cancer and how it impacted their lives and their family.
John Marshall, M.D., received his training at Duke University, the University of Louisville, and Georgetown University. Dr. Marshall is an internationally recognized expert in new drug development for gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. In 2009, he established the Otto J. Ruesch Center for the Cure of GI Cancers, an organization solely focused on improving the lives of GI cancer patients through innovative research, personalized medicine and focused advocacy. In 2015, Dr. Marshall both established and directed the Precision Oncology Alliance, a national alliance established to study the impact of molecular profiling on cancer research, value and outcomes. He currently is serving as the Oncology CMO for Indivumed, creating a global precision medicine research network.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Screening is important, but not perfect. Liza did all the right things: Annual mammograms, regular health visits and even monthly breast self-exams. But one day, she realized one breast was larger than the other. Diligent screening is important, but it doesn’t protect you from bad outcomes — and it doesn’t always catch cancer. Along with screening, it’s important to trust your intuition when it feels like something is off.
The frantic search for a cure. After her diagnosis, Liza and John found themselves acting “irrationally” — asking if she could try a drug that hadn’t been proven for her type of cancer. Fear can make people — even very informed patients like John and Lisa — willing to try almost anything to cure their cancer or improve their chances of survival. It’s an understandable impulse, and something that patients can hopefully openly discuss with their healthcare team in order to sift through the evidence together.
Navigating cancer as a couple: The real deal. John and Liza’s book doesn’t hide the frustrations and tensions that can occur in a couple during the stress of cancer treatment. Importantly, it also touches on how cancer affects your sex life. By sharing these personal details, they hope to give readers a better idea of what it’s realistically like to navigate cancer — as both a patient and a caregiver.
Can't get enough?
Purchase “Off Our Chests: A Candid Tour Through the World of Cancer.”
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
20. The mystery, mayhem and joys of middle age and beyond
13 Sep 2023
00:47:06
We talked with:
Laurie Notaro has been fired from seven jobs, laid off from three and voluntarily liberated from one. Despite all that, she has managed to write a number of New York Times bestselling essay collections, including "The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club," "Autobiography of a Fat Bride," and "Housebroken." She lives with her husband in Oregon. Her most recent book, "Excuse Me While I Disappear," is based on what happened when her husband started to receive AARP memberships materials.
Erum Jadoon, M.D., is a geriatrician, internist and an assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Her interests include nutrition, bone health and geriatric medicine with an emphasis on functional status, unintentional weight loss and frailty. She is on faculty with the Academy of Communication in Healthcare and teaches communication to Mayo Clinic with faculty, physicians in training and medical students.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
The mystery of older age. Many people enter middle age and are blindsided by the changes to their bodies. Others have difficulty even describing themselves as "aging."
The assumptions of ageism. Ageism is real, and it comes with assumptions — "You don't have anything to contribute," "Your life is behind you," or even "You're a nonsexual being." These may just seem annoying or insensitive, but ageism can actually have negative effects on your health and wellbeing! And those assumptions are not true — many people find greater confidence, enjoyment and freedom as they age.
The call to respect your elders! It's often not until you reach older ages that you look back and wish you had listened to your parents or grandparents — and asked them more questions! Laurie advocates for having "the talk" with middle-aged women about what they can expect in the next phase of life.
Can't get enough?
Purchase "Excuse Me While I Disappear: Tales of Midlife Mayhem."
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
19. How to survive — or even thrive — as a medical professional
06 Sep 2023
00:49:39
We talked with:
Anthony Chin-Quee, M.D., is a board-certified otolaryngologist with degrees from Harvard University and Emory University School of Medicine. An award-winning storyteller with The Moth, he has been on the writing staff of Fox's "The Resident" and a medical adviser for ABC's "Grey's Anatomy." He is the author of the memoir "I Can't Save You."
Alyx B. Porter, M.D., is a neurologist who subspecializes in neuro-oncology. Her clinical focuses include tumors of the brain and spinal cord; neurological complications of cancer and cancer treatment including brain metastases. Dr. Porter is the most senior Black female adult neuro-oncologist in the country. She is passionate about physician workforce diversity. She is a noted philanthropist, having endowed a scholarship at her alma mater, Spellman College, and created ElevateMeD, a nonprofit to support the next generation of diverse physician leaders.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Numbing yourself is not the answer. Dr. Chin-Quee's book talks about how drugs, alcohol or sex are used to numb the stress and strain of medical training and work. Another coping strategy is to emotionally disassociate from your patients. But Dr. Porter argues she's a better doctor when she cares — and patients can tell when you don't. The challenge is to care without letting these feelings consume you.
Dealing with medical fatigue. Sometimes you don’t know you’re about to burn out until it happens. Dr. Porter starts look for any shift in pattern among learners — are they starting to come in later? Are they getting a little more irritable with patients or colleagues? It’s important to really ask, “How are you doing?” and if necessary, ask them multiple times.
Create spaces for underrepresented groups in medicine. Despite all the progress (and lip service) paid to diversity, equity and inclusion in medicine, it's still essentially a "club for white guys," Dr. Chin-Quee says. It's important to admit the medical world wasn't made for you, Dr. Chin-Quee says, so you can carve out your own place in it. Dr. Porter talks about systemic changes needed to better support women and people of color in medicine — including scholarships, mentorships and leadership development — which is why she founded ElevateMeD.
Want to read more about health topics? Check out our blog.
Got feedback?
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
BEST OF: Making a habit of happiness with Courtney Walsh
24 Dec 2025
00:41:41
What makes you happy? Many people would answer with the basics: family, friends, good food, and (of course!) a good book. But what brings deep joy and purpose to your life? What little habits and practices could make a big difference in your mood and outlook? In this episode, author Courtney Walsh, author of “The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley,” and Mayo Clinic Medical Director of Joy and neuropsychologist Anni Shandera-Ochsner, Ph.D., L.P., encourage us to think deeper about what makes us feel alive and gives us meaning.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Courtney Walsh is the Carol award-winning author of several low spice, small town romance novels. She’s committed to creating stories that bring joy and always promises a happy ending. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, was a New York Times and USA Today e-book best-seller and a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. In addition, she has written two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives with her husband and three children in Illinois, where she co-owns a performing arts studio and youth theatre with her business partner and best friend—her husband.
Anni Shandera-Ochsner, Ph.D., L.P., is an assistant professor of psychology at Mayo Clinic and a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Wisconsin. She is also the medical director of Joy for Mayo Clinic and directs the Midwest region's Mayo Clinic HABIT Healthy Action to Benefit Independence in Thinking®, which is a behavioral intervention program for people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
78. Running, resilience and breast cancer recovery with Josie Lloyd
17 Dec 2025
00:44:07
What if running could help you heal? In this episode, Dr. Denise Millstine sits down with author Josie Lloyd and cancer rehabilitation expert Dr. Nandita Keole to explore the powerful intersection of breast cancer recovery and exercise through Josie’s uplifting novel The Bright Side Running Club. Inspired by her own diagnosis, Josie shares how journaling and joining a running group transformed fear into resilience and community, while Dr. Keole explains why movement—even during treatment—boosts strength, mood, and hope. Together, they remind us that thriving after cancer isn’t just possible—it starts with one step forward.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Josie Lloyd had been writing novels for twenty-five years. Mother of three daughters and a beloved dog, Ziggy, she lives in Brighton in the UK with her husband, Emlyn Rees. Together they have written seven internationally bestselling novels and their latest joint venture, You & Me & You & Me & You & Me is out in the US in February 2026. Josie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 after a routine scan. She wanted to read something positive, hopeful and uplifting about what she was going through, and so wrote 'The Cancer Ladies' Running Club' published in the states as 'The Bright Side Running Club'. She's also written the screen adaptation of her novel, which is in development as a feature film. When she's not writing, Josie loves travelling, cooking and is a keen sea swimmer and swims all year round no matter what the weather. She is also the patron of the charity Lobular Breast Cancer UK and regularly runs journalling and wellbeing workshops to help women going through a cancer diagnosis.
Dr. Nandita Keole is a cancer rehabilitation physician at the Mayo Clinic Arizona. She teaches at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and is the current chair of the Arizona Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
70. Misunderstandings about Munchausen by proxy with Andrea Dunlop
08 Oct 2025
00:37:44
What if the person a child should trust the most is the one causing them harm? In this episode, host Dr. Denise Millstine speaks with author Andrea Dunlop and pediatrician Dr. Katie Johnson about The Mother Next Door, Andreas’ book on real cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy — also known as medical child abuse. We explore how caregivers, often mothers, manipulate the medical system to fabricate or induce illness in children. The conversation sheds light on the emotional, legal, and medical complexities of this abuse, while offering hope through advocacy, education, and the courage of professionals who speak up to protect vulnerable children.
The episode was made possibly through the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Andrea Dunlop is the author of four novels, including She Regrets Nothing and Women Are the Fiercest Creatures, and the host and creator of Nobody Should Believe Me, an award-winning investigative true crime podcast about Munchausen by proxy. Andrea is the founder of Munchausen Support, the nation’s only non-profit dedicated to supporting survivors and families affected by MBP, and a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP committee, where she serves alongside the country’s foremost experts. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.
Katie Johnson, M.D., is a child abuse pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic Center for Safe and Healthy Children and Adolescents. She completed her medical school and pediatric residency at Mayo Clinic and her fellowship in child abuse pediatrics at the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital. With a passion for medical education, she has developed a widely-used interactive curriculum in child abuse pediatrics and was the recipient of the inaugural Ray E. Helfer Society Early Career Award for her contributions to medical education in the field. Dr. Johnson has published articles in the peer-reviewed literature about medical child and presented on the topic at several grand rounds and medical conferences across the country.
Purchase The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy:
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
BEST OF: The alcohol-breast cancer connection with Clare Pooley
01 Oct 2025
00:34:32
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, listen to one of our favorite episodes!
In her memoir, "The Sober Diaries," Clare Pooley details the first year of her life after deciding to stop her heavy drinking. In that same year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Like many people, she had no idea about the connection between the two. In this episode, Clare talks about the many, many benefits of sobriety that she's discovered — even beyond a lower breast cancer risk — and Dr. Karen Anderson provides her oncology expertise.
This episode was made possible with the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge, before spending nearly 20 years in the heady world of advertising. Clare worked hard, played hard and drank even harder. By the time she was 46 years old she knew she had to go sober. She started a blog called Mummy was a Secret Drinker by way of therapy. That blog went viral and became a memoir: "The Sober Diaries." Clare then started writing fiction. Her debut novel — "The Authenticity Project" — is a New York Times bestseller and is published in 30 languages. Her second novel — "Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting" — is out now.
Karen Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. She's a medical oncologist and researcher. She focuses on breast cancer, particularly immunotherapy, treatments to reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence and using genomics to guide treatment decisions. She received her M.D. and Ph.D. from Duke University School of Medicine and was trained at the Brigham and Women's Hospital as well as Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
Am I an alcoholic? Clare spent a lot of time Googling this question until she realized the better question was "Is alcohol proving detrimental to my life?" The word "alcoholic" has so much stigma it prevents people from getting the help they need for fear of such a serious label. Clare kept trying to moderate her drinking, but when she found herself drinking out of a "World's Best Mum" mug before noon, she realized it was time to quit.
Breast cancer and alcohol. Alcohol is a carcinogen, and elevates risk of breast cancer as well as other types of cancer. But Clare — as well as many other educated people — have no idea about the link. And it's unclear if alcohol use among survivors increases risk of recurrence.
The opposite of addiction is connection. Through her blog, Clare found an online community of people like her who helped support her in her drinking recovery. When she was tempted to start drinking again, she thought, "I can't let these people down." If you're thinking of giving up drinking, you don't have to do it alone! There are many people going through a similar journey.
Can't get enough?
Purchase "The Sober Diaries: How one woman stopped drinking and started living."
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
69. Anxiety, panic attacks and putting everyone else first with Julie Chavez
24 Sep 2025
00:44:38
Have you ever felt like you're doing everything for everyone — but losing yourself in the process? Author Julie Chavez joins us to discuss her memoir Everyone But Myself, a candid exploration of anxiety, burnout, and the emotional toll of spreading yourself thin. Along with Dr. Bisi Alli, we unpack the realities many women face when constantly caring for others, the importance of seeking help, and how therapy, medication and self-compassion can lead to healing. This heartfelt conversation is a reminder that prioritizing your own well-being isn’t selfish — it’s essential.
This episode was made possible by generous support from Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Julie Chavez is the author of the USA Today Bestselling memoir Everyone But Myself, and her writing has been featured in Real Simple Magazine and The New York Post. Julie is a former elementary school librarian living in Northern California with her husband and sons (when they don't have other plans). She organizes her books by color.
Bisi Alli, DO, MS, dipABLM, FACP, FAMWA; LEAN Six Sigma Black Belt; Principal, WellNEST Medicine & Chief Wellness Officer, Seeds to Inspire Foundation: Dr. Bisi Alli is a dual board-certified physician in Internal and Lifestyle Medicine with over a decade of experience transforming patient care and healthcare systems. A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and recognized leader in quality improvement, she serves as Quality Improvement Faculty and Coach for the American College of Physicians (ACP). Dr. Alli holds faculty appointments at Creighton University School of Medicine and the University of Arizona College of Medicine and leads a nationally funded initiative to improve obesity care in Arizona through Food as Medicine, impacting communities statewide. She is the author of Tayo and the Super Produce Pals at the Grocery Store!, a Top 100 children’s book that uses stories, recipes, and fun weekly missions to inspire kids and adults to build healthier, plant-powered habits together. Tayo and the Super Produce Pals at the Grocery Store! is available where books are sold and through www.wellnestmedicine.com/books. Through her passion for clinical care, quality improvement, and community health, Dr. Alli is dedicated to making whole-person wellness practical, accessible, and empowering across communities.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
68. Breast cancer in the middle of everything else with Katie Yee
17 Sep 2025
00:38:37
A breast cancer diagnosis turns your world upside down, and yet, the rest of your life doesn’t stop. How do you manage diagnosis and treatment in the midst of caring for kids — or in the case of this episode’s novel, after your husband tells you he’s cheated on you? We’re joined by Katie Yee, author of “Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar,” and Mayo Clinic breast cancer expert Dr. Lida Mina, to explore how Katie’s book illuminates the emotional and medical realities of a breast cancer diagnosis.
This episode was made possible by generous support from Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Katie Yee is a writer from Brooklyn. She has received fellowships from the Center for Fiction, the Asian American Writers' Workshop, and Kundiman. By day, she works at the Brooklyn Museum. By night, she writes, usually under the watch of her judgmental rescue dog, Ollie. Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar is her first novel.
Lida Mina, M.D., is an associate professor of internal medicine in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and chair of the Mayo Arizona Breast cancer and GYN disease working groups. Dr. Mina has more than 45 publications and has a special interest in developing new treatment strategies for metastatic breast cancer.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
67. Finding community on the complicated path to motherhood
10 Sep 2025
00:40:47
Today's conversation explores the emotional and medical complexities of motherhood, particularly for professional women. Dr. Denise Millstine hosts Dr. Rebecca Thompson, author of Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Motherhood, Medicine, and Imperfect Love, and Mayo Clinic expert Dr. Molly Kraus. We discuss the diversity of paths to motherhood — including adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy and fertility challenges. Dr. Kraus reflects on her own experiences and advocacy for reproductive planning among women physicians. Together, they emphasize the importance of storytelling, listening and community in navigating grief, resilience, and the unpredictable nature of family-building.
This episode was made possible through the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Rebecca N. Thompson, M.D., is a family medicine and public health physician who specializes in women’s and children’s health. Throughout her career, she has sought opportunities to use written and spoken words to make complex medical topics accessible to a wide range of audiences. Dr. Thompson trained at Harvard, Stanford, and Oregon Health & Science University and now lives in Portland, Oregon, where she spends her free time wandering through green spaces, reading in cozy nooks, playing unreasonably complicated board games, repurposing found objects, and accompanying her husband and children on all-weather adventures near and far.
Molly Kraus, M.D., is a consultant in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Dr. Kraus is an assistant professor of anesthesiology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and is an advocate for women in medicine across their reproductive lives.
Purchase a copy of Held Together with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit Postpartum Support International and their work in maternal and family mental health:
Visit Dr. Thompson's website, where you can explore in-person gathering opportunities and recorded media, find reviews and endorsements, read the full introduction and other excerpts from Held Together, and get in touch if you'd like to talk about ideas for collaboration: www.rebeccanthompson.com
Got feedback?
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
Onyi Nwabineli on unanswerable questions after suicide
03 Sep 2025
00:38:18
When someone dies by suicide, their loved ones are often left asking questions like “How could this have happened?” The protagonist in Onyi Nwabineli’s debut novel “Someday, Maybe,” wrestles with these questions after the untimely death of husband. Onyi and Mayo Clinic psychologist Dr. Craig Sawchuk discuss processing grief, loss and guilt – and the importance of showing up and supporting those who are grieving.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
For immediate help
If you're feeling overwhelmed by thoughts of not wanting to live or you're having urges to attempt suicide, get help now.
Call a suicide hotline.
In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Or use the Lifeline Chat at 988lifeline.org/chat/. Services are free and confidential.
The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the U.S. has a Spanish language phone line at 1-888-628-9454.
Call 911 in the U.S. or your local emergency number immediately.
We talked with:
Onyi Nwabineli is a Nigerian British head-wrap aficionado. Born in Benin, Nigeria, she grew up in Glasgow, the Isle of Man and Newcastle, and now lives in London. Onyi is the cofounder of Surviving Out Loud, a fund that provides fiscal support for survivors of sexual assault, and the founder of Black Pens (black-pens.com), a writing retreat for Black womxn. Someday, Maybe is her debut novel.
Craig Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P., is a psychologist and the chair of the Division of Integrated Behavioral Health within the Department of Psychiatry & Psychology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is also the co-chair for Clinical Practice in the department and a professor of psychology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. His research aims to improve the treatment of anxiety and depression in primary care.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
66. Jonathan Evison on caregiving through oral cancer
27 Aug 2025
00:38:00
In this episode, Dr. Denise Millstine is joined by bestselling author Jonathan Evison and radiation oncologist Dr. Samir Patel to explore the emotional and medical journey of oral cancer through Evison’s novel The Heart of Winter. Inspired by his mother’s diagnosis and his own caregiving experience, Evison crafts a poignant love story between Ruth and Abe Winter, a couple navigating the unexpected upheaval of oral cancer in their later years. The conversation delves into the realities of diagnosis, treatment and recovery from head and neck cancer with clinical insights from Dr. Patel, and highlights the often-overlooked role of caregivers.
This episode was made possible by generous support from Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Jonathan Evison is the New York Times best-selling author of many novels, including All About Lulu, West of Here, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, This is Your Life Harriet Chance, Legends of the North Cascades, Small World, Again and Again, and Lawn Boy – a sharp-eyed, side-splittingly funny examination of class divides and white privilege on Bainbridge Island. His third novel was adapted into a feature film, The Fundamentals Of Caring, starring Selena Gomez, Paul Rudd and Craig Roberts. His latest novel is The Heart of Winter.
Samir Patel, M.D., is Clinical Practice Chair and Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He specializes in the use of radiation therapy for complex cancers of the head and neck and skin. He understands how to apply the latest in radiation therapy technology including proton beam therapy to treat these cancers. An important theme of his clinical and research work is the importance of improving clinical outcomes for head and neck cancers particularly focusing on minimizing side effects.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
65. Georgia Cloepfil on soccer, stress and losing your period
20 Aug 2025
00:40:57
We’re exploring the intersection of elite athletics and women's health with author and former professional soccer player Georgia Cloepfil and Mayo Clinic women's health expert Dr. Chrisandra Shufelt. Using Georgia’s book The Striker and the Clock: On Being in the Game as our lens, we delve into the emotional and physical toll of high-level sports, particularly the underrecognized condition of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA), a type of absence of menstruation. We discuss the cultural silence around menstruation in sports, the physiological consequences of FHA, and the need for more research, awareness and support for women navigating intense physical demands in both sports and professional life.
This episode was made possible with the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Georgia Cloepfil’s writing can be found in The Yale Review, The New York Times Magazine, and The Washington Post, among other places. Select essays have been featured on Longreads, The Rumpus, and WBUR Boston’s Only a Game. She holds an MFA from the University of Idaho and works at Whitman College. The Striker and the Clock is her nonfiction debut.
Chrisandra Shufelt, M.D., M.S., is Professor and Chair of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Associate Director of the Women's Health Research Center for Mayo Clinic Enterprise. Dr. Shufelt is a women's health internist with fellowship training in vascular biology and women's health and a certified menopause practitioner.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
64. Stem cell transplant, leukemia and a love story with Allison Ashley
13 Aug 2025
00:39:49
Dr. Denise Millstine is joined by author Allison Ashley and hematologist Dr. Jeanne Palmer to explore the emotional and medical journey of leukemia treatment and stem cell transplantation through the lens of Allison’s romance novel IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES The conversation touches on the steps of bone marrow and stem cell blood donation, the anxiety and worry following transplant, and the power of human connection.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Allison Ashley is a science geek who enjoys coffee, craft beer, baking and love stories. When she's not working at her day job as a clinical oncology pharmacist, she pens contemporary romances, usually with a medical twist. She lives in Oklahoma with her family and beloved rescue dog. Her books are filled with lots of happiness, love and laughter.
Dr. Jeanne Palmer serves as the Vice Chair, and Section Chief for Hematology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She also is the Program Director for the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. She teaches at the Mayo Clinic Medical School and University of Arizona in Phoenix. Her clinical interests include bone marrow transplantation, where she strives to offer innovative therapies to patients.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
63. Chronic lung disease and caregiving with Julia Phillips
06 Aug 2025
00:42:08
Dr. Denise Millstine hosts author Julia Phillips and pulmonologist Dr. Ana Zamora explores the emotional and clinical realities of interstitial lung disease through the lens of Phillips’ novel BEAR. As we discuss the story of two sisters caring for their ailing mother, listeners can gain insight into the complexities of chronic illness, caregiving and the socioeconomic pressures that shape health outcomes.
This episode was made possible with the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Julia Phillips is the author of the bestselling novels Bear and Disappearing Earth, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year. A 2024 Guggenheim fellow, she lives with her family in Brooklyn
Ana Zamora Martinez, M.D., is the Medical Director of the Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Clinic at the Mayo Clinic Arizona, where she treats patients with, among other conditions, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, familiar pulmonary fibrosis, short telomere biology, collagen vascular disease associated ILD, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and diffuse cystic lung diseases. She is the co-director of the autoimmune ILD Clinic, where she collaborates with rheumatologists to diagnose and manage patients with this condition in real time.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
77. Weightlifting for women with Casey Johnston
10 Dec 2025
00:49:53
Ready to rethink your workout? In the episode, we dive into the empowering world of weightlifting for women, inspired by Casey Johnston’s book A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting. Host Dr. Denise Millstine and guest expert Dr. Sonal Haerter join Casey to explore how shifting from calorie obsession to strength training transforms not only bodies but mindsets.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Casey Johnston is a bestselling author, writer, and cultural critic. Her work covers the intersections of a diverse range of topics, including politics, identity, health, technology, power, womanhood, and embodiment, and has earned critical acclaim from numerous outlets.
Sonal Haerter, M.D., is an internal medicine physician in the department of Internal Medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. She is also an assistant professor for Creighton School of Medicine and Associate Program Director for the Department of Internal medicine at Creighton School of Medicine in Phoenix. She is double board-certified in internal medicine and obesity medicine. Dr. Haerter provides adult primary care services at the Internal Medicine Health Center. Her clinical interests include preventative medicine and women’s health.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
62. Contraception and choice with Laura Anthony
30 Jul 2025
00:44:55
Contraception is commonplace in many countries — but that wasn’t always the case. In today’s episode, author Laura Anthony and Mayo Clinic expert Dr. Paru David join us to explore Laura’s gripping historical novel The Women on Platform Two. Set against the backdrop of 1970s Ireland, the book explores the barriers women faced in accessing contraception and asserting bodily autonomy. We talk about the evolution of contraceptive access and the deeply personal and political dimensions of women’s health. It’s a tribute to the resilience of women past and present and a call to continue the conversation.
We talked with:
Laura Anthony is a pseudonym for a published author of emotional women’s fiction. She lives in Kildare, Ireland, with her husband and children.
Paru David, M.D., is a Consultant and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic where she is the current Vice-Chair of Women’s Health Internal Medicine. She has been a Fellow of the American College of Physicians since 2006 and a Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner since 2003. She has published research and given lectures in the areas of menopause, contraception, menstrual migraine and sexual health
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
61. Aneurysm and life after near death with Sebastian Junger
23 Jul 2025
00:46:26
Acclaimed journalist Sebastian Junger and interventional radiologist Dr. Indravadan Patel join us to explore Junger’s harrowing brush with death, chronicled in his memoir In My Time of Dying. What begins as a mysterious abdominal pain spirals into a life-threatening medical emergency, revealing the miraculous precision of interventional radiology and the fragile line between life and death. We delve into the mysteries of consciousness, the power of modern medicine, and the profound questions that arise when one stares into the abyss.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Sebastian Junger is the New York Times bestselling author of Tribe, War, Freedom, A Death in Belmont, Fire, and The Perfect Storm, and codirector of the documentary film Restrepo, which was nominated for an Academy Award. He is also the winner of a Peabody Award and the National Magazine Award for Reporting.
Indravadan Patel, M.D., is a board certified interventional and diagnostic radiologist, currently serving as Chair of Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. His clinical focus includes expertise in management and treatment of vascular malformations; use of locoregional therapies to patients with liver and renal cancer; cutting edge use of MRI for diagnosis and treatment of patients with prostate cancer; and treatment of complex venous disease. In addition to his clinical activities, Dr. Patel is active in both research and education, providing mentorship to medical students, residents and fellows.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
60. The family dynamics of Huntington's disease with Lisa Genova
16 Jul 2025
00:39:26
Bestselling author Lisa Genova and Mayo Clinic neurologist Dr. John Caviness join us to explore the emotional and medical complexities of Huntington’s disease through Genova’s novel Inside the O’Briens. The conversation delves into the science behind the disease, the complicated question of genetic testing, and the profound psychological toll on families. With powerful insights into caregiving, resilience, and the healing potential of storytelling, this episode is both a heartfelt tribute to those affected by Huntington’s and a compelling call to action for awareness and empathy.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Lisa Genova, Ph.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Inside the O’Briens, and Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting. Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar–winning film. Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. She is featured in the documentary films To Not Fade Away and Have You Heard About Greg. Her TED talks on Alzheimer’s disease and memory have been viewed over eleven million times.
John Caviness, M.D., is a professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and a consultant in the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. His clinical practice focuses on movement disorders, electrophysiology of movement disorders and interpretation of electroencephalography. His main research interest is cortical dysfunction in movement disorders.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
59. Making a habit of happiness with Courtney Walsh
09 Jul 2025
00:41:41
What makes you happy? Many people would answer with the basics: family, friends, good food, and (of course!) a good book. But what brings deep joy and purpose to your life? What little habits and practices could make a big difference in your mood and outlook? In this episode, author Courtney Walsh, author of “The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley,” and Mayo Clinic Medical Director of Joy and neuropsychologist Anni Shandera-Ochsner, Ph.D., L.P., encourage us to think deeper about what makes us feel alive and gives us meaning.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Courtney Walsh is the Carol award-winning author of several low spice, small town romance novels. She’s committed to creating stories that bring joy and always promises a happy ending. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, was a New York Times and USA Today e-book best-seller and a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. In addition, she has written two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives with her husband and three children in Illinois, where she co-owns a performing arts studio and youth theatre with her business partner and best friend—her husband.
Anni Shandera-Ochsner, Ph.D., L.P., is an assistant professor of psychology at Mayo Clinic and a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Wisconsin. She is also the medical director of Joy for Mayo Clinic and directs the Midwest region's Mayo Clinic HABIT Healthy Action to Benefit Independence in Thinking®, which is a behavioral intervention program for people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
58. Traditional healing and chicken soup with Lynda Cohen Loigman
02 Jul 2025
00:47:07
This episode explores the rich tapestry of traditional healing and integrative medicine through Linda Cohen Loigman’s novel “The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern.” Joined by Linda and integrative medicine expert Dr. Jodi Patel, the conversation delves into herbal remedies, generational wisdom, the healing power of listening and the enduring magic of chicken soup.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
Jyoti Patel, M.D., is a trailblazing triple board-certified physician in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Integrative Medicine, whose groundbreaking work merges functional medicine, mindfulness, and community wellness. Her personal journey through illness transformed her approach to healing, prioritizing root causes, prevention, and the power of lifestyle medicine. Dr. Patel’s accolades, from Top Doc honors to her leadership in Fountain Hills’ community garden, reflect her unwavering commitment to redefining health beyond the prescription pad.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
57. Beyond the gender binary with Laurie Frankel
25 Jun 2025
00:46:59
Bestselling author Laurie Frankel and Mayo Clinic expert Dr. Robert Horsley join us to explore Laurie’s deeply moving novel “This Is How It Always Is.” Through the lens of Frankel’s story about a young transgender girl and her loving family, the conversation delves into gender identity, the nuances of gender expression, and the real-world challenges faced by transgender individuals and their loved ones. It’s a thoughtful discussion that underscores how fiction can illuminate the most pressing health and social issues.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Laurie Frankel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of five novels. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times and other publications. She is the recipient of the Washington State Book Award and the Endeavor Award. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty-five languages and been optioned for film and TV. A former college professor, she now writes full-time in Seattle, Washington where she lives with her family and makes good soup.
Robert Horsley, M.D., is an internist in the department of Community Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He specializes in HIV/AIDS and LGBTQIA+ care. After his Internal Medicine residency, he worked in Maricopa County at the McDowell Clinic, where he gained specialty training in HIV/AIDS and transgender care while providing primary care services. His clinical and research interests are HIV/AIDS, LGBTQIA+ care, and health care disparities.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
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Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
56. Addressing physician burnout with Maggie North and Dr. Jessi Gold
18 Jun 2025
00:44:36
In this powerful episode of Read. Talk. Grow., host Dr. Denise Milstine is joined by author and anesthesiologist Dr. Maggie North and fellow author and psychiatrist Dr. Jesse Gold to explore the emotional and systemic roots of physician burnout through the lens of North’s romance novel “The Ripple Effect.” The conversation dives into the hidden grief of leaving medicine, the gendered realities of burnout, and the importance of reclaiming humanity in healthcare — and offers a deeply resonant look at what it means to care for others while learning to care for yourself.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Dr. Maggie North is a doctor by day, author by night. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with the man she met in ninth grade, their kid, and a rotating cast of hypoallergenic aquarium friends. She enjoys being autistic a lot more since she received her diagnosis as an adult. Her books include Rules for Second Chances (2024) and The Ripple Effect (2025).
Dr. Jessi Gold is the inaugural Chief Wellness Officer for the University of Tennessee (UT) System and an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). Dr. Gold works clinically as an outpatient psychiatrist and focuses her work on students, faculty, and healthcare workers. She is also the author of the national best seller HOW DO YOU FEEL?: One Doctor’s Search for Humanity in Medicine.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
Best of: Susan Lieu on searching for answers after a fatal surgery
11 Jun 2025
01:06:26
In this episode, author Susan Lieu discusses her memoir, “The Manicurist’s Daughter,” which explores her mother’s death during an elective surgical procedure. Mayo Clinic physician Dr. Alyssa Janousek provides her anesthesiology expertise to help listeners navigate and make sense of surgical procedures.
We talked with:
Susan Lieu, a Vietnamese-American author, playwright, and performer, tells stories that refuse to be forgotten. A daughter of nail salon workers, she took her autobiographical solo theater show 140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother on a 10-city national tour with sold out premieres and accolades from L.A. Times, NPR, and American Theatre. Her debut memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter has been featured on The New York Times, NPR Books, and The Washington Post. Also, Lieu is the co-host of The Model Minority Moms podcast and board member for international NGO Asylum Access. Susan and her sister co-founded Socola Chocolatier, an artisanal chocolate company based in San Francisco. Susan lives with her husband and son in Seattle where they enjoy mushroom hunting, croissants, and big family gatherings.
Alyssa Janousek, M.D., is an anesthesiologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She received her Medical Degree from University of Arizona-Phoenix, followed by residency in Anesthesiology at University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston with distinction as Chief Resident. She practiced at UTMB in Galveston until 2020 when she moved home to Phoenix and began a private practice career. She has been at Mayo Clinic since May 2023 and has a special interest in graduate medical education, clinical education research, and quality and safety. She is married to her husband, Derrick, and they have two daughters, Eleanor (5) and Clara (2).
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
Best of: Alexandra Tanner on hives, shame and self-blame
04 Jun 2025
00:38:57
Chronic illness can come with seemingly endless doctor’s visits, treatment trials and insurance battles. On top of that, people with chronic conditions often experience some degree of shame or blame for their condition – from their social circles, healthcare providers or themselves. Unfortunately, the resulting emotional distress may aggravate physical symptoms. One of the sisters in Alexandra Tanner’s novel “Worry” experiences this distress due to chronic hives that are hard to hide, hard to treat, and come with flare-ups that are impossible to predict. Alexandra and Mayo Clinic expert Dr. Rohit Divekar help us understand what it’s like to live with this kind of condition, remove the blame and offer hope for relief.
This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.
We talked with:
Alexandra Tanner is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn, NY. Her work appears in Granta, The New York Times Book Review, The Baffler, and Jewish Currents, among other outlets. She is a graduate of the MFA program at The New School and a recipient of grants and fellowships from MacDowell, The Center for Fiction, and Spruceton Inn’s Artist Residency. Her first novel is Worry.
Rohit Divekar, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., is an allergist-immunologist, internist and chair of Practice in the Division of Allergic Diseases at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He received his medical degree from the University of Mumbai and his doctorate in microbiology and immunology from the University of Missouri – Columbia. His areas of focus include hay fever, inflammation, rhinitis, asthma attack, chronic hives and chronic sinusitis.
If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.
Best of: Abby Jimenez on kidney disease and the transformative power of transplant
28 May 2025
00:34:44
We talked with:
Abby Jimenez is a New York Times bestselling author and Food Network champion living in Minnesota. Abby founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen back in 2007. She is also the author of five bestselling novels. Abby loves a good romance, coffee, doglets and not leaving the house. "Yours Truly" is her latest book.
Mira Keddis, M.D., is a consultant and associate professor of medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr. Keddis is passionate about education and supporting and advocating for patients, learners and faculty.
We talked about:
In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:
The silent nature of kidney disease. Unfortunately, kidney disease often does not have obvious symptoms. Instead, symptoms may be gradual and attributed to stress or exhaustion. Most standard lab tests can quickly identify if something is wrong with your kidneys. But if you're not receiving regular medical checkups, problems may fly under the radar.
The mental burden of chronic disease. Chronic diseases such as kidney disease can exacerbate mental health challenges and lead to depression and anxiety. Even in the early stages of disease, the "what ifs" can get to you, Abby says: What if I can't eat my favorite foods? What if I need to go on dialysis?
The transformative power of kidney transplant. Facing a lifetime of dialysis is a traumatic proposition, Dr. Keddis says. Abby's book portrays the transformative power and hope that a kidney transplant can bring. We break down the types of kidney transplants and what transplant entails.
We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.