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Get ready for cold and flu season with this entertaining and informative episode! Dive into everything you need to know about staying healthy this fall. From the latest on COVID-19 and flu vaccinations to understanding the rise of RSV, we've got you covered. Learn the importance of testing, find out the best time to get your vaccines, and discover fun facts about how viruses spread. Whether you're curious about the impact of climate change on diseases like dengue or want to ensure your kids are protected against measles, this guide will keep you informed and entertained. Stay ahead of the season and keep your family safe with tips and tricks from the experts. Don't let the bugs catch you off guard!
00:00 Introduction to the Big Three Fall Viruses
00:05 Current State of COVID-19
01:41 COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Insights
03:41 COVID-19 Vaccination: Public Perception and Recommendations
15:22 Flu Season: What to Expect and How to Prepare
24:37 RSV: The Rising Concern
32:10 Other Emerging Viruses: What You Need to Know
36:34 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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Have you noticed how heavy kid's backpacks are? It seems like a no-brainer that this could cause back pain. But does it?
Your Doctor Friends give you the expert insights into whether back pain is actually worsened by backpacks and give parents actionable tips to make it better. We review key research findings, discuss practical solutions for reducing backpack weight, consider whether schools should play a role in managing backpack weights through better locker placement and digital textbook options. We conclude with tips for both parents and children to regularly clean out and minimize the load of their backpacks.
00:00 Introduction: Can Backpacks Cause Back Pain?
00:43 Personal Experiences with Backpacks
03:30 Scientific Studies on Backpack Weight and Back Pain
06:45 Recommendations for Choosing the Right Backpack
11:02 Proper Backpack Usage Tips
16:32 School Policies and Practical Solutions
20:19 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Thanks for tuning in, friends! Please sign up for our “PULSE CHECK” monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website, and we PROMISE not to spam you. We just want to send you monthly cool articles, videos, and thoughts :)
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Can you feel it?!? The energy, the excitement, the smell of fresh-cut grass—football season is back! From Friday night lights to Sunday tailgates, there’s nothing quite like it. The thrill of the game, the hard hits, the big plays, the rivalries—we wait all year for this. It’s the heartbeat of fall.
But behind the touchdowns and tackles, there’s a conversation we can’t afford to ignore. As much as we love this sport, we can’t turn a blind eye to the growing concerns around traumatic brain injuries—injuries that have changed the lives of countless players, from the pros to the youth leagues.
In the first week of the new season, two young people, Caden Tellier, 16, of Selma, Alabama and Cohen Craddock, 13, of West Virginia, died of traumatic brain injuries. While we don’t have all the details of their tragic injuries, it is a stark reminder of the risks players take when they step onto the field.
In this episode, Your Doctor Friends dive into the other side of the excitement—the risks that come with those bone-crushing hits. We tackle topics such as whether the type of helmet matters, what those weird sponge-like helmet covers actually do and how tackle football compares to flag football (spoiler alert, this 2021 study by the CDC and published in Sports Health, found that youth tackle football players experienced FIFTEEN TIMES more head impacts than their youth flag football players).
We also give you tips on how to be mindful of signs of concussion or more serious brain injuries. The CDC's "Heads Up" program has great information on their website!
Football is fun. Football can be dangerous. Informed consent matters!
Your Doctor Friends are here to give you the breakdown and help you decide what's best for you and your family. Stay healthy, dear friends!
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We're back!!! And we're here to talk about GETTING OLD!
We often hear people say something along the lines of, “I feel like once I turned 60, everything went downhill.” Or “It feels like all of a sudden in my mid-40s, I am falling apart.” Does this sound familiar?
Historically, as physicians, Your Doctor Friends generally reassure those folks that it's all a coincidence and they weren’t rapidly deteriorating.
But what if there are times when we actually "fall apart"? Like on a biological level??
Perhaps you've come across a few of the headlines from major news outlets, with titles like:
Research shows our bodies go through rapid changes in our 40s and our 60s - from NBC News.
Feeling old? Your molecules change rapidly around ages 44 and 60 - from The Washington Post.
Scientists find humans age dramatically in two bursts – at 44, then 60 - from The Guardian.
What if you wanted the unfiltered data about aging, straight from the source??
Cue Dr. Michael Snyder, chair of Genetics at Stanford University, talking about HIS recent study, published by HIS lab, showing two distinct times in our lives in which we may age “faster.”
So... when we say that all of a sudden we feel like we are falling apart, we may actually be right. Woof.
Stay with us today as we talk to Dr. Snyder about when this aging happens, why it happens and perhaps most importantly, are there ways we can avoid these rapid aging moments?
Thanks for tuning in, friends! Please sign up for our “PULSE CHECK” monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website, and we PROMISE not to spam you. We just want to send you monthly cool articles, videos, and thoughts :)
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Connect with us:
Website: https://yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com/
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re-re-re-re-REEEEMIXXXXX TIME! Your Doctor Friends decided to follow the trend set by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark of the My Favorite Murder podcast, and upcycle a classic episode with a fun new twist! We've pared down our July 2023 episode about heat illness and added updates and commentary for your education and enjoyment, friends!
YDF will be taking a SUMMER OLYMPICS break until Labor Day, and we are working on some HOT new content ideas for YOU, dear listeners!
Check out our Instagram Reels for fun short-form educational content (with an Olympics lean over the next several weeks!), and we will see you again in September with slick new episodes for YOU!
IT'S HOT! Dangerous levels of heat have led to increased rates of heat illness and even death. Chalk is up as another story of the climate affecting our health.
What is heat illness? Why does it happen? Who is at risk? And ultimately what you should do if you find yourself in a place with a dangerous heat warning?
LET'S ASK AN EXPERT!
Welcome Josh Blomgren, DO!
Dr. Blomgren is our friend and colleague, a Sports Medicine Physician at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush for 15 years.
He is the Chief Medical Officer for the Chicago Red Stars as well as team physician for Willowbrook High School.
Pertinent to today’s topic, Josh has volunteered annually since 2007 at the Chicago Marathon overseeing the medical tents that are responsible for over 40,000 runners each year, a percentage of which will experience heat illness, our topic today!
Key highlights in this episode include:
What's the basic physiology behind heat illness?
What are the most common symptoms people develop with heat illness?
How can you tell if someone may be suffering from heat illness?
How hot is too hot? At what temperature should we be cancelling events?
What goes into calculating the "heat index"?
What is a wet bulb globe temperature?
Who is the most at risk for heat illness?
How can you cool someone down most effectively?
Dr. Blomgren recommends the following resources to learn about heat illness:
Resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics, including: "Climatic Heat Stress and Exercising Children and Adolescents"
"Top Safety Tips for Preventing Heat, Sun-Related Illnesses in Children this Summer"
"Extreme Heat: Keeping Kids Safe When Temperatures Soar".
The Korey Stringer Institute- information on "heat illnesses".
Cooling Centers by State- by the National Center for Healthy Housing.
Chicago Cooling Centers.
Thanks for tuning in, friends! Please sign up for our “PULSE CHECK” monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website, and we PROMISE not to spam you. We just want to send you monthly cool articles, videos, and thoughts :)
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Website: https://yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com/
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Feeling tethered to your screens? Doomscrolling much? Have you gotten that little message from your phone, ratting you out, informing you that "you spent an average of XX hours and xx minutes daily of screen time"?? Do you wish you could set some better boundaries with tech/social media/screens in general?
Let's face it, our devices are here to stay. How can we make them work FOR US, instead of distracting us from the personal connections we need? How are we supposed to "multitask"?? Is the human brain even capable of such a feat??
Cue our expert in human-computer interaction (HCI), Gloria Mark, PhD! WE ARE SO FORTUNATE to be able to pick her brain about how to make OUR BRAINS better at prioritizing our precious mental currency: OUR ATTENTION.
Dr. Mark is the author of Attention Span and Multitasking in the Digital Age, the Chancellor's Professor of Informatics at UC Irvine, and has published over 200 papers in top academic journals, and appeared in scores of platforms, including the New York Times, BBC, NPR, the Atlantic, and recently on Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard (check it out, the episode is GREAT!)
We are aware that we likely outkicked our coverage, and are SO HAPPY to share Dr. Mark's expertise with y'all. Strap in, pay attention, this is a can't-miss episode, friends! :)
Topics in this episode include:
The MYTH of multitasking.
What is "distraction cost'?
How attempting to "multitask" affects our brains and bodies (hint: stress!)
Is it really the "notifications" on our phones that are distracting us, or is it something else?
Are we really "victims of the algorithm" when it comes to social media?
How can being "information rich" make us "attention poor"?
How can we be aware of our "urges" to check our phones/email/computer and become more intentional in our use of devices?
Learn more about Dr. Mark's work at her website.
Her latest book, Attention Span, is available nationwide wherever books are sold! Learn more about her book here.
Your Doctor Friends have some BIG THINGS in the works for "refreshing" the pod, and how we deliver meaningful, usable, valid health education to YOU, our dear friends!
You'll be hearing some "upcycled" episodes this summer while we work on implementing these changes, and we will be back in full force in the next month or so with a brand new haircut ;)
Thanks for tuning in, friends! Please sign up for our “PULSE CHECK” monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website, and we PROMISE not to spam you. We just want to send you monthly cool articles, videos, and thoughts :)
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Connect with us:
Website: https://yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com/
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Achilles. Rotator cuff. Patella. Hamstring. They're all structures involving tendons, and you probably either know someone who's injured them, or have experienced the dreaded tendon injury yourself.
Aaron Rodgers experienced an acute Achilles tendon rupture on Monday Night Football in September 2023, just 4 plays into his first season as QB for the New York Jets. Fans watched as he dramatically pulled up lame after a tackle, having snapped his Achilles, and subsequently sitting out the 2023 season. Just this week he stated in an interview "my summer ends Sunday", confirming that he is back to play this upcoming 2024 football season for the Jets.
So what the heck is actually going on? Why do tendons hurt sometimes? Why do they snap? Is it all just degenerative, "getting old"-type stuff? How can we prevent an injury like Rodgers' from happening to US??
In this episode, we reveal it all, friends! We have a world’s expert in tendon pathology, treatment and injury prevention to tell us why our tendons get injured, what we can do to treat them and most importantly, the things we can do prevent them from breaking down.
Jill Cook, PhD is a professor in musculoskeletal health in the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre at La Trobe University in Melbourne Australia. Jill's research areas include sports medicine and tendon injury. She is the "tendon guru" and has dedicated her career to learning about and improving our care of tendons.
Jeremy recently had the privilege of attending Jill's educational lecture at the NBA Team Physician's national meeting, and she so graciously agreed to be our guest for this episode! Your Doctor Friends bring the professional-level expert education straight to you, friends!
Topics covered in today's episode include:
What actually ARE tendons? What do they do?
Types of tendon injuries- including acute tears, "overuse" injuries, and degenerative "wear and tear".
Risk factors associated with tendon injuries.
What is "tendinopathy"? Is it there forever?
What is the role of imaging/MRI in the diagnosis and treatment of tendon injury?
What about shots? Do cortisone or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections help in tendon injuries?
How do you actually treat tendinopathy? Can it be "cured"?
Thanks for tuning in, friends! Please sign up for our “PULSE CHECK” monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website, and we PROMISE not to spam you. We just want to send you monthly cool articles, videos, and thoughts :)
For more episodes, limited edition merch, to send us direct messages, and more, follow this link!
Connect with us:
Website: https://yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com/
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Do you remember "Presidential Physical Fitness” testing from youth? Can you name all 6 of the “classic” tests it included?
Fun fact: (according to a Feb. 2024 NYT article) Born of Cold War-era fears that America was becoming “soft,” the test was first introduced by President Lyndon Johnson in 1966.
The goal was to improve the fitness of the nation’s youth for military service. The original test also included a softball throw, which mimicked throwing a grenade
So if you don’t have antiquated mid-century calisthenics metrics to tell you if you’re fit/athletic, what can you use? How can you know if you’re WINNING AT FITNESS??
What’s an average human to do?
Your Doctor Friends came across NYT article titled “This Test Might Be the Best Way to Track Fitness and Longevity” which focused on V02 max. The article presents the pros and cons of using V02 max as a valid, objective measure of cardiopulmonary fitness.
Your Doctor Friends decided to reach out to our Exercise Physiology MASTER EXPERT, to break it down for y’all!
Welcome, Philip Skiba, DO!
Dr. Skiba is the outgoing Director of Sports Medicine/Fellowship Director for Advocate Health - Chicago, where he served for 12 years
Dr. Skiba founded the Advocate Human Performance and Biomechanics Laboratories, helping amateur, elite and professional athletes explore their limits using state-of-the-art technology.
Dr. Skiba was recently recruited to a professorship at Thomas Jefferson University Medical School in Philadelphia, where he will serve as Medical Director of Sports Medicine/Fellowship Director.
Dr. Skiba serves on the medical boards of both USA Triathlon and USA Cycling and accompanied Team USA to the World Championships in Australia.
Unusual for a physician, he has also personally coached dozens of world-class athletes. Most notably, he was hired by Nike for the Breaking 2 project and helped train the fastest runners alive in pursuit of the first 2-hour marathon.
Dr. Skiba later appeared in and narrated portions of NatGeo’s Cannes Award-Winning Documentary “Breaking2”. He remains a familiar presence in print and broadcast journalism.
Check out this link to a clip from the Breaking2 documentary to see Dr. Skiba in action and for an adorable iconic Skiba-laugh :)
Eat your heart out, Peter Attia, Your Doctor Friends have the REAL MVP (of sports performance)!
Let’s get sweaty. We're all winning - listen to Your Doctor Friends :)
Thanks for tuning in, friends! Please sign up for our “PULSE CHECK” monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website, and we PROMISE not to spam you. We just want to send you monthly cool articles, videos, and thoughts :)
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The United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, declared this week that gun violence in the US is a public health crisis. Dr. Murthy publicly stated, in a 39-page advisory, that the U.S needs to treat gun violence in the same way we have tackled smoking or car crashes.
Deaths caused by guns rose to the highest in three decades in 2021. In 2020, firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of death of children and adolescents aged 1-19. Gun-related deaths for youths were higher than car accidents, cancer, and heart disease.
To quote Dr. Murthy,
“I want people to understand the full impact of firearm violence in our country, and I want them to see it as a public health issue. I know it’s been polarizing and I know it’s been politicized, but if we can see it as a public health issue, we can come together and implement a public health solution.”
Also, this week marks two years since since the mass shooting at the July 4th parade in Jeremy's hometown of Highland Park, Illinois that killed seven people, and injured many more.
Your Doctor Friends decided it was timely to re-release last year's Independence Day episode.
Our expert for this episode is THE INCOMPARABLE Garen Wintemute MD, MPH:
Dr. Wintemute is Distinguished Professor of Emergency Medicine and Baker–Teret Chair in Violence Prevention at the University of California, Davis.
He is the founding director of the Violence Prevention Research Program there and of the California Firearm Violence Research Center, the nation’s first publicly-funded center for research in this field. Trained initially as a biologist at Yale University, Dr. Wintemute attended medical school and residency at UC Davis and studied epidemiology and injury prevention at The Johns Hopkins University.
He practices and teaches emergency medicine at UC Davis Medical Center, a Level I trauma center, and is a public health leader in the world of violence prevention
Key highlights in this episode include:
Background in the history of gun violence in the US. Where are we now?
What makes the US unique in its struggle with gun violence?
What's the history of legislation re: gun violence (including assault-type weapons) prevention?
Are there actually more mass shootings now than in previous years?
Does Chicago have more gun violence than other major cities? Why is Chicago so often highlighted?
What is the mental health toll that gun violence takes? How is this being addressed?
What can people do to make a difference in gun violence prevention?
Dr. Wintemute recommends the following resources to learn about gun violence prevention:
The "What Can You Do" Initiative via UC Davis Health.
The Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis (Dr. Wintemute is the founding director :)
Clinical tools for preventing firearm injuries at The BulletPoints Project.
Thanks for tuning in, friends! Please sign up for our “PULSE CHECK” monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website, and we PROMISE not to spam you. We just want to send you monthly cool articles, videos, and thoughts :)
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Connect with us:
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We know we are supposed to wear sunscreen. We know sun exposure can increase our risk for skin cancer. So how do we reconcile our desire for that "desirable summer glow" with the risk of medical harm?
Your Doctor Friends get these texts all the time, especially post-summer solstice:
"If I wear sunscreen, what SPF should I use? Is chemical or mineral better? Is it actually waterproof? And I’ve heard it can get into my bloodstream, what's that all about??"
Friends, are you ready to soak up the sun…safely?
As is standard with Your Doctor Friends, we were able to find one of OUR doctor friends to come on and clear this all up.
Welcome Vidya Shivakumar, MD!
Dr. Shivakumar is a Dermatologist at Rush University Medical Center, board-certified by the American Academy of Dermatology since 2015. She provides comprehensive skin (and all things Dermatology) care at her bustling academic practice in Chicago at RUSH. She is active in research, teaching, and has presented many times in both the community setting, scientific arena, and in news media. AND NOW she graciously agreed to come chat with us to give us the scoop on the goop we put on our skin to protect ourselves from the sun!
Topics covered in today's episode include:
What is a sunburn?
What are short and long term consequences of a sunburn?
Why do some people burn and some people tan?
Does this change people’s risk of harm?
Do burns affect kids skin differently than adult skin?
Are there long term consequences to burns earlier in life?
Is there a right or wrong way to put on sunscreen?
What is the best SPF to choose?
What's the difference between chemical and mineral sunscreen?
Is it actually waterproof? When should we reapply?
If I wear sunscreen, does that mean I won't tan?
What's better, aerosol or regular tube form?
Can I become vitamin D deficient from wearing sunscreen?
What about "oral sunscreen", or "sunburn reduction pills"? Do they work? Does that take the place of regular sunscreen application?
Here are some great FAQs from the American Academy of Dermatology about sunscreen.
Thanks for tuning in, friends! Please sign up for our “PULSE CHECK” monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website, and we PROMISE not to spam you. We just want to send you monthly cool articles, videos, and thoughts :)
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Connect with us:
Website: https://yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com/
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HAPPY PRIDE, FRIENDS! This week we are re-releasing an episode that makes us proud; when we interviewed the amazing Dr. Loren Schechter to learn about and discuss gender-affirming surgery. The conversation was as helpful and poignant last year as it is now, so we thought it would be smart to give it another go :)
In general, surgical interventions aim to "right a wrong". Maybe your appendix is acutely inflamed and infected and needs to come out. That's a "wrong." Maybe that "wrong" is that you were born with a cleft palate and your folks wanted it corrected for you so you could eat and breathe easy.
Maybe your assigned gender at birth doesn't match your gender identity. Maybe that is the "wrong" that surgery can attempt to make "right".
Sometimes fear is our response to being confronted with concepts we don't fully understand. That fear can beget big emotional reactions. Your Doctor Friends get it. That's why we brought on our friend, Dr. Loren Schechter, a wonderfully accomplished, experienced, and kind plastic surgeon who has been performing gender affirming surgery for the past 20+ years.
Dr. Schechter is currently the director of the Gender Affirming Surgery program at Rush University Medical Center, and the President-elect of the American Society of Gender Surgeons.
In this episode, Dr. Schechter educates us, and we leave with a better understanding of gender affirming care.
Key highlights in this episode include:
What is gender affirming surgery? What procedures are typically performed, and what are the indications?
How long has gender affirming surgery been around?
Other than the surgeon, who is on the healthcare team for someone undergoing gender affirming surgery?
Does insurance cover these procedures?
Do people ever regret their decision to have surgery?
What cool innovations are on the horizon in the field of gender affirming surgery?
Come on this awesome journey with us, friends! Let's all understand each other better. Happy Pride.
Thanks for tuning in, friends! Please sign up for our “PULSE CHECK” monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website, and we PROMISE not to spam you. We just want to send you monthly cool articles, videos, and thoughts :)
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Do your legs swell sometimes? Have you ever considered wearing compression socks? Are you seeing targeted ads on social media or in your inbox from sock companies enticing you to buy their compression stockings?
Well, YDF SUPER LISTENER, Amanda M. did!
We got a message on Instagram from @akmargie asking about compression socks, she specifically asked- “It seems they used to be marketed to people with medical issues and my grandma. Now they’re marketed for every leg related thing in cute patterns and colors. I’m always curious where the line is between clever marketing and actual science.”
In this episode, Your Doctor Friends explain WHY people experience swelling in their legs, HOW compression socks help to treat leg swelling, WHEN to use compression socks, and for WHOM will they work best, and to help with WHICH symptoms!
And, BONUS! We have a little curbside consult with an expert in Exercise Physiology (and future guest on Your Doctor Friends) to give their two cents on whether compression socks aid in performance for runners and other athletes!
So, with festival season coming up, you asked, we answer, “should I be wearing compression socks”?
Today’s resources include:
A Cleveland Clinic article titled “Everything You Need To Know About Compression Socks” from August 2023.
A 2020 review article in the journal Phlebology titled “Diagnostic approach to lower limb edema”.
A 2021 Cochrane review titled “Compression stockings for preventing deep venous thrombosis in airline passengers”.
A 2018 Cochrane review titled “Graded compression stockings for prevention of deep vein thrombosis”.
A 2019 small study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport titled “Wearing compression socks during exercise aids subsequent performance”.
A 2017 Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center article titled “Study reveals compression tights don’t help runners reach finish line”.
A February 2024 Wirecutter article titled “The 5 Best Compression Socks for 2024”.
And… the Wikipedia page for “compression stockings”.
Thanks for tuning in, friends! Please sign up for our “PULSE CHECK” monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website, and we PROMISE not to spam you. We just want to send you monthly cool articles, videos, and thoughts :)
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Have you heard of the term, "bigorexia"?
It is a form of body dysmorphic disorder, similar in ways to anorexia.
Bigorexia is used to describe muscle dysmorphia, a condition exhibited mostly by boys/men and characterized by excessive weight lifting, a preoccupation with not feeling muscular enough and a strict adherence to eating foods that lower weight and build muscle.
And it is seriously on the rise, and surprisingly under-recognized.
The rise has led to articles titled, “What is Bigorexia?” in the NY Times and “Body Dysmorphia in boys and men can fuel muscle obsession, doctors say” in the Washington Post.
Body image challenges are not a new thing, however the world we live in today presents new accelerants making these conditions even harder to manage. If we are not screening for them in all people, no matter gender status, we are likely missing people who need help.
Lucky for us, there are amazing clinician researchers doing outstanding work to try to help us understand more about these conditions and ways we can help. And today we have a world’s expert whose lab has published extensively on muscle dysmorphia.
Welcome, Jason Nagata, MD!
Dr. Nagata is a pediatrician and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco specializing in adolescent and young adult eating disorders.
He researches eating disorders, muscle-enhancing behaviors, and social media in boys and men.
He edited the book Eating Disorders in Boys and Men and is Senior Editor of the Journal of Eating Disorders.
He has published over 300 articles in academic journals and his research has been covered by The New York Times, CNN, NPR, and NBC News.
He is the recipient of the American Academy of Pediatrics Emerging Leader in Adolescent Health Award and the International Association for Adolescent Health Young Professionals Prize.
Dr. Nagata recommends the following resources:
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) website.
Your Doctor Friends recommend checking out Dr. Nagata's "Nagata Lab" page on the UCSF website!
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EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BRAIN TUMORS! We try to keep it simple here on YDF, but today it IS brain surgery!
We are rounding out Brain Tumor Awareness Month! Building on our conversation last week with Alyx Porter, MD, re: how to know if you could have a tumor, this episode focuses on the other side of the conversation. Let's explore treatment! More specifically, answering the question, "I have a brain tumor, can you remove it?"
Cue our UNBELIEVABLE guest, Neurosurgical Oncologist, Edjah Nduom, MD, FAANS!
Dr. Nduom is the Daniel Louis Barrow Endowed Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine.
He serves as Leader of the Brain Tumors Disease Group for Winship Cancer Institute.
He has held numerous national and international roles in the neurosurgical and brain tumor community, including Founder and Diasporan Board Member for the Society for Neuro-Oncology Sub-Saharan Africa, Scientific Program Chair for the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting and Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Brain Tumor Society.
He is also accomplished in basic, translational, and clinical research, developing new immune therapy treatments for malignant brain tumors.
Dr. Nduom's clinical specialty is the surgical management of brain and spinal cord tumors.
Topics covered in today's episode:
What are common types of brain tumors and their treatment options?
What kind of specialist should you see if you are diagnosed with a brain tumor? Should you get a second opinion?
Which tumors should be surgically removed?
Should people get routine brain or body scans to look for brain tumors?
What are common surgical techniques for removing brain tumors?
Are brain tumor surgeries done while the patient is awake?
Does brain tumor DNA typing help to guide treatment?
And much, much more!
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It's Brain Tumor Awareness Month! Have you ever felt perhaps "too aware" - letting your imagination run amok and ponder if its reaaally just a headache, or maybe something a bit more serious?
Most folks can relate. Sometimes we jump to "worst case scenario" when appraising our symptoms, as a defense mechanism. We want to feel prepared, feel like we are one step ahead, that we can control the situation. We also love that sweet release when we realize that it WAS just a headache after all.
It can be an exhausting cycle. How do you know if you're one of the "worried well" or if there's really something there, especially when it comes to brain tumors??
Cue today's unbelievable guest, Alyx Porter, MD, FAAN!
Dr. Porter is the Director of the NeuroOncology Section at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and is an Associate Professor of Neurology.
Having been with Mayo for over two decades, she has worked diligently to provide care for patients with tumors and cancers involving the nervous system in addition to patients who have neurologic complications resulting from their systemic cancers.
Her research interests are aimed at ensuring that patients with brain cancers have the best quality of life as possible.
She is also co-author of the book, Navigating Life with a Brain Tumor, a resource for patients and families.
She and her husband, Dr. Gregory Umphrey founded a national non-profit in 2019, ElevateMeD.
To date, ElevateMeD has awarded over $1,000,000 in scholarships and support to medical students from underrepresented backgrounds.
ElevateMeD is committed to elevating the field of medicine by providing financial support, mentorship and leadership training to future physicians from racial and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in medicine.
Sometimes it's a tumor. Sometimes it's not. Either way, be informed, be prepared, keep asking questions and listen to Your Doctor Friends :)
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Have you ever stood up quickly and felt a little lightheaded or felt your heart racing? What if, out of the blue, that started happening EVERY TIME YOU STOOD UP?
This can be reality for folks with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), or other forms of "orthostatic dysfunction". It can be quite debilitating, especially since it seems to target young athletic folks. Also, like many other health conditions which can manifest as nebulous, subjective symptoms (fatigue, dizziness, heart racing, brain fog, etc)- patients with POTS often feel misunderstood, ignored, and gaslit by their healthcare providers (who may not be well trained in these conditions.)
Let's fix all that, shall we??
Your Doctor Friends came across a great article in the Washington Post titled "They're young and athletic. They're also ill with a condition called POTS" that featured our guest today, Camden Hebson, MD (as well as his colleague at University of Alabama Birmingham, Sara Gould, MD). Among other expert opinions in the article, Dr. Hebson outlined the increasing diagnosis of POTS, especially in young athletes. What is it? Who gets it? Why do we think this happens? How can we manage it?
Resources for today's episode include:
UAB website for Dr. Hebson's and Dr. Gould's Sports Medicine Cardiology Clinic for Young Athletes.
The website for Dysautonomia International, a great advocacy organization for folks with POTS, and other similar autonomic nervous system dysregulation conditions.
Vanderbilt University Autonomic Dysfunction Center website outlining all their recent research projects and publications.
Cleveland Clinic's website on POTS.
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Do you remember "scoliosis check" during middle school? That embarrassing moment where, as a 12/13 year old, you had to do a shirtless forward fold in front of the school nurse?? MORTIFYING.
Perhaps you never had to live through this torture. Or perhaps, even WORSE, you were told by said nurse that your screen was POSITIVE, and now your parents had to know! And they would have to *gasp* take you to the doctor to DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN!
Nightmare!
Well, thankfully we've come a long way since then! And today we have insights from TWO guests in the world of scoliosis to educate us!
We invited our friend and colleague, Chris DeWald, MD, who between him and his father, have over 60 years of experience treating scoliosis patients. Dr. DeWald is an orthopedic spine surgeon at Rush University Medical Center, who specializes in spine deformity, and is legit one of the kindest people on the planet :)
And to add a different dimension, we asked Lauren Higginson, the founder of Higgy Bears, and a scoliosis patient herself, to give her insights into living with this condition, the observations she has from her community and her thoughts on screening.
You may be met with a twists and turns in life (or in your spine), either way we are here for you :)
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@HealthPodNet (IG) -
PART 2 of our coverage of young-onset colorectal cancer! This week our guest is an Oncology expert, here to give us in-depth information about colorectal cancer, with actionable items on how we can protect ourselves.
Colorectal cancer in younger folks (under 50 years old) is unfortunately on the rise. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, in the US, about 10% of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed in people under 50.
Did you know that in 2021, the USPSTF (the federal task force that creates and implements screening guidelines in the US) changed their colorectal cancer screening guidelines? Instead of average-risk folks getting their first screening colonoscopy at 50 (the previous standard), the recommendation is now to start at 45!
Your Doctor Friends are happy to present a physician expert in colorectal cancer to provide even more helpful information about why this disease may be targeting younger people, and what we can do as individuals to protect ourselves and those we care about :)
Welcome, Meena Sadaps, MD!
Dr. Sadaps is a board certified oncologist and assistant professor with Your Doctor Friends at Rush, and practices at the RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center. She attended Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University before completing residency and fellowship at Cleveland Clinic.
HEADS UP! The Colorectal Cancer Alliance Blue Hope Bash annual fundraising event in Chicago is Friday, May 3rd, 2024, at Galleria Marchetti (where Jeremy got married!) and Your Doctor Friends plan to attend!
If you can't attend the Blue Hope Bash, PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance!
Resources for this episode include:
A 2021 review article from the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology regarding young-onset colorectal cancer.
The National Cancer Institute's website re: warning signs of young-onset colorectal cancer.
A CNN article about the rise of young-onset colorectal cancer.
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Email: [email protected]
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@HealthPodNet (IG) -
Colorectal cancer in younger folks (under 50 years old) is unfortunately on the rise. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, in the US, about 10% of colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed in people under 50.
Those numbers are rising about 1-2% percent each year, and researchers are still finding out why.
Young adults are the only population group experiencing an increase in colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is currently the deadliest cancer among young men and the second deadliest among young women.
In August 2020, the world lost amazing actor, Black Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman, to colorectal cancer at the age of 43.
Did you know that in 2021, the USPSTF (the federal task force that creates and implements screening guidelines in the US) changed their colorectal cancer screening guidelines? Instead of average-risk folks getting their first screening colonoscopy at 50 (the previous standard), the recommendation is now to start at 45!
Sharing personal experiences, and highlighting the stories of people touched by colorectal cancer is POWERFUL, and the ripple effects flow far.
Your Doctor Friends are SO HONORED to highlight two wonderful individuals on this episode- Ashley Bowman, MHA and Dawn Schneider, PhD, MBA. Ashley and Dawn have quite a bit in common- they are both advocate volunteers at the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, members of the Never Too Young Taskforce Advisory Board, and unfortunately both lost sisters to young-onset colorectal cancer.
Ashley and Dawn share their amazing, heartbreaking, and inspiring personal stories in this episode. We are so grateful!
We will follow up next week with a physician expert in colorectal cancer to provide even more helpful information about why this disease may be targeting younger people, and what we can do as individuals to protect ourselves and those we care about :)
HEADS UP! The Blue Hope Bash annual fundraising event in Chicago is Friday, May 3rd, 2024, at Galleria Marchetti (where Jeremy got married!) and Your Doctor Friends plan to attend! (Julie is already shopping for a fancy blue outfit :)
COME JOIN US! Opportunities to register for the event CLOSE ON TUESDAY 4/23/24 (the day THIS EPISODE DROPS)!
If you can't attend the Blue Hope Bash, PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance!
Resources for this episode include:
A 2021 review article from the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology regarding young-onset colorectal cancer.
The National Cancer Institute's website re: warning signs of young-onset colorectal cancer.
A CNN article about the rise of young-onset colorectal cancer.
A CC Alliance article highlighting our guest, Ashley Bowman!
A CC Alliance article highlighting our guest, Dawn Schneider!
Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :)
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Email: [email protected]
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@HealthPodNet (IG) -
What happens when you turn 40 (and you also have boobs)?
Well, since May 2023, the USPSTF has recommended that women at average risk for breast cancer start screening with mammograms beginning at age 40, and undergo mammography every other year.
These updated recommendations are still “in progress” and the USPSTF cites the urgent need for more research on:
breast cancer screening for people with dense breasts (nearly half of all women),
how to particularly protect women of color
In the US, there exists a long history of health disparities across screening and treatment for breast cancer.
The Task Force discusses, for example, that Black women are 40% more likely to die than White women, and too often get aggressive cancers at young ages.
So, Your Doctor Friends are taking a page from America’s Sweetheart (and breast cancer survivor herself) Katie Couric. You may remember Katie both underwent a colonoscopy AND a mammogram on the Today Show, and YDF Julie wants to do the next best thing- consult with a breast cancer expert before she gets her FIRST EVER MAMMOGRAM!
Your Doctor Friends have the absolute honor to present our guest today, a consummate badass, breast cancer survivor and breast surgeon, to walk Julie through her own personal risk assessment and screening process for breast cancer.
Finally, we want to take some time at the end of this episode to share the story of a dear friend and colleague, a fellow sports medicine doctor, and absolute amazing human being, who very recently lost her life to breast cancer. She is the inspiration for this episode and Your Doctor Friends think it’s important to talk about her, and are so grateful to her family for their consent to share her story.
Learn more about Dr. Kristin Abbott here.
Alright, let’s get on with it, can we answer the question:
Can I protect myself from breast cancer?
ENTER Dr. Liz O’Riordan to help us find out!
Dr O'Riordan is an expert breast surgeon who has had breast cancer three times. She's a best-selling author, speaker, broadcaster and podcaster and is a trusted source of reliable information.
She shares helpful, approachable, valid breast cancer information online, we found her via her IG account @oriordanliz, she also has a podcast called “So Now I’ve Got Breast Cancer”, and she’s published tons of helpful work, including her book “The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer” and her memoir “Under the Knife”. She also has her own wikipedia page, which is pretty rad :)
Resources for today's episode include:
Dr. O'Riordan's website.
Link to the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Calculator for breast cancer.
The USPSTF's "In Progress" updated guidelines for breast cancer screening.
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation's info page on updated USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines.
Thanks for tuning in, folks! Please sign up for our "PULSE CHECK" monthly newsletter! Signup is easy, right on our website page, and we PROMISE we will not spam you! We just want to send you cool articles, videos and thoughts :)
For more episodes, limited edition merch, or to become a Friend of Your Doctor Friends (and more), follow this link!
Find us at:
Website: yourdoctorfriendspodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Connect with us:
@your_doctor_friends (IG) Send/DM us a voice memo/question and we might play it on the show!
@yourdoctorfriendspodcast1013 (YouTube)
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@JuliaBrueneMD (IG)
@HealthPodNet (IG) - Vis mere
