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On this episode of Integrative Cancer Solutions Dr. Michael Karlfeldt is joined by Jeannine Walston who recounts her decades-long journey with a brain tumor, beginning with a shocking diagnosis in 1998 that led to three awake brain surgeries and a sequence of evolving treatments. She situates her story within a broader philosophy of integrative cancer care, emphasizing that true healing addresses mind, body, and spirit. Her narrative blends medical detail with lived experience, framing resilience and self-care as essential companions to clinical interventions.The conversation traces her early treatment arc: initial surgery after an MRI revealed an oligo astrocytoma, followed by cognitive rehabilitation and regular MRIs. As her tumor recurred, she navigated complex decisions and medical systems, seeking perspectives from neuro-oncologists at UCSF and Stanford while also exploring complementary approaches. This period included time in Washington, DC, work on Capitol Hill, and a deepening curiosity about nontraditional therapies that could augment standard care.Walston's treatment path advanced further in California, culminating in a third awake surgery in 2013 at UCLA and participation in innovative protocols. She describes combining radiation, oral chemotherapy, and a dendritic cell-based vaccine—personalized immunotherapy designed to marshal the immune system against the tumor. The discussion highlights promising outcomes associated with dendritic cell vaccines for aggressive brain cancers and underscores the value of multidisciplinary teams aligning evidence-based medicine with supportive practices.Parallel to the medical story runs a thread of personal growth. Walston speaks candidly about a dark period unrelated to cancer and the difficult inner work of cultivating self-love, gratitude, and resilience. She argues that sustainable well-being requires more than disease avoidance: it depends on quality sleep, nourishing diet, movement, stress reduction, and the courage to practice these habits consistently. In her view, neuroplasticity offers the scientific backbone—repeated, intentional behaviors can rewire thought patterns and support better emotional and physical health.Today, as a cancer coach, Jeannine Walston helps patients and caregivers build informed, holistic plans. She outlines practical steps: assemble a care team, evaluate options rigorously, and integrate supportive modalities like breathwork, meditation, music, and community connections. By sharing client stories and concrete tactics, she translates her experience into guidance that empowers others. The episode closes on a hopeful note—advances in treatments continue, and with integrative care, social support, and daily intentional practices, people can cultivate a life oriented toward healing and purpose alongside medical care.Jeannine Walston shares her 27-year journey with a brain tumor, including three awake surgeries and evolving treatments that shaped her philosophy of integrative care.She details moving from initial diagnosis and cognitive rehab to exploring both academic neuro-oncology (UCSF, Stanford, UCLA) and complementary therapies to support healing.A major milestone was her 2013 UCLA treatment combining radiation, oral chemotherapy, and a personalized dendritic cell vaccine aimed at amplifying immune response to the tumor.Beyond medicine, she emphasizes daily practices—sleep, nutrition, movement, stress reduction, gratitude, and self-love—as foundations for resilience and well-being.Now a cancer coach, she helps patients and caregivers build informed, holistic plans that blend evidence-based treatments with practical, compassionate support systems._____________________Grab my book A Better Way to Treat Cancer: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Preventing and Most Effectively Treating Our Biggest Health Threat - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CM1KKD9X?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Unleashing 10X Power: A Revolutionary Approach to Conquering Cancerhttps://store.thekarlfeldtcenter.com/products/unleashing-10x-power-Price: $24.99-100% Off Discount Code: CANCERPODCAST1Healing Within: Unraveling the Emotional Roots of Cancerhttps://store.thekarlfeldtcenter.com/products/healing-within-Price: $24.99-100% Off Discount Code: CANCERPODCAST2----Integrative Cancer Solutions was created to instill hope and empowerment. Other people have been where you are right now and have already done the research for you. Listen to their stories and journeys and apply what they learned to achieve similar outcomes as they have, cancer remission and an even more fullness of life than before the diagnosis. Guests will discuss what therapies, supplements, and practitioners they relied on to beat cancer. Once diagnosed, time is of the essence. This podcast will dramatically reduce your learning curve as you search for your own solution to cancer. To learn more about the cutting-edge integrative cancer therapies Dr. Karlfeldt offer at his center, please visit www.TheKarlfeldtCenter.com
Lesley sits down with Dr. Jen Fraboni, PT, DPT—better known as DocJenFit—to change how you think about pain. Instead of seeing it as a problem, Jen reveals how pain is your body's protective alarm asking for attention, not avoidance. Together, they unpack how stress, sleep, movement, and breath all shape what you feel day to day—and how small shifts can help you feel safer and stronger. Whether you're postpartum, navigating chronic aches, or simply tired of “powering through,” this episode will help you move with confidence and compassion for your body.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:How to recognize pain as a helpful body signal, not a threat.How stress, sleep, and nutrition influence your daily pain levels.Why MRI or scan results don't always predict how you feel.How postpartum movement and breath restore stability and confidence.Why building strength creates long-term safety better than stretching alone.Episode References/Links:Dr. Jen Fraboni's Website - https://jen.healthDr. Jen Fraboni's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/docjenfitDr. Jen Fraboni's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknKMzugCaPXD4AI6rq3wiQDr. Jen Fraboni's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@docjenfitTiny Habits by BJ Fogg - https://a.co/d/56xwXLNGuest Bio:Dr. Jen Fraboni, PT, DPT, is an internationally-renown physical therapist who specializes in helping people overcome chronic pain and maximize physical performance. As the founder of the new platform and app, “Jen.Health,” she brings a unique, whole body approach to strength, mobility and pain-free living. In 2019, Jen was named one of the top 50 most influential healthcare professionals. Jen's easily accessible approach has garnered her more than half a million followers on social media and millions of views of her health and fitness videos. Jen has been featured in Shape Magazine, Self Magazine, Men's Fitness and Muscle and Fitness and in 2020, graced the cover of Oxygen Magazine. During the pandemic, she helped ease back pain with her feature on Good Morning America and NBC. Dr. Jen is the co-host with her husband, who is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy, to a popular podcast called "The Optimal Body Podcast.” But their favorite job together is spending time with their two boys at home. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! 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We're neglecting something. We need to add something in. And yet, when we have pain, we automatically think something is wrong, something is bad, which, sometimes, sure, but most of the time it's just an alarm, especially you didn't get an accident, nothing happened immediately. This is just another signal to the brain that, hey, we're neglecting something in the body.Lesley Logan 0:29 Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 1:12 All right, Be It babe. This is gonna be an epic episode. Really, truly, so excited to have this amazing woman on. I got so excited about all the education information she was giving us. I didn't give her a proper bio, and you'll get one on Thursday, for sure. But just know that Docjenfit is our guest today, and she has been named one of the top 50 healthcare professionals in the US. Like she's amazing, she's wonderful, and she has a really great, amazing outlook on how we can look at pain in our bodies. And when it comes to being it till you see it, there's just so many factors, right? We can give you all the strategies and all the meditations and all the journals in the world, but like, if you feel pain in your body, it could literally be the thing that holds you back. And I can't have that. We can't have that around here. So Docjenfit is going to educate us and give us some inspiration and some options in our life and ways to think about pain that I think you're going to change your life and help you be it till you see it. So here she is. Lesley Logan 1:59 Be It babe. This is this is going to be fun. This is a more like a dream come true. This is a little bit of fan girling, because in the world that I lived in in Los Angeles, I got to see this woman, kind of from afar, sometimes right next to me in work at the same places, and she is just like, just the person who's been so authentically themselves, helping people in the best way, in a different avenue than I do in the fitness world, but just in a way that I so respect and so admire, and watching her grow year after year has been absolutely wonderful and awe inspiring. Jen Fraboni, Docjenfit, holy fucking molly. Thanks for being here. Dr. Jen Fraboni 2:33 Thank you so much for having me.Lesley Logan 2:36 Okay, in case people have no idea who you are. Can't can't believe it, but it could be true. Can you tell everyone what you rock at? Dr. Jen Fraboni 2:42 Yeah, I am a physical therapist. My handle is Docjenfit across the board. So Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, all the places. And I help empower people to move in a different way in their bodies than they might not have known, to hopefully find ways that they could relieve pain and move better, move more efficiently.Lesley Logan 3:05 Yeah, because I think, like, similarly, I'll meet a lot of people, they'll come in and they'll have pain, and there's certain things that they want to do. And as a Pilates instructor, as much as knowledge as I have, there's some things like way outside my scope. But also I think sometimes pain becomes something that really holds us back. And I watch people sometimes, like, hold on to the pain or have a story around it. And it can be hard to watch that, because you're like, you have so much potential, you have so much stuff you could do in this world, but the pain is holding you back. Can you chat about, like, what when people have pain in their body? Like, what have you seen it negatively do and affecting their lives and like what they're capable of?Dr. Jen Fraboni 3:44 Pain is hard, because what should be thought as a good alert system within our body, just like anything else, our stomach grumbles when we're hungry. We yawn when we're tired. You know, our body is constantly giving us signals that something needs to change. We're neglecting something. We need to add something in. And yet, when we have pain, we automatically think something is wrong, something is bad, which sometimes, sure, but most of the time it's just an alarm, especially you didn't get an accident, nothing happened immediately. This is just another signal to the brain that, hey, we're neglecting something in the body, and it's not necessarily bad, but I'm protecting you in case it turns into bad. So if we can start to see it more as that protective mechanism, rather than, oh my gosh, something is damaged. Something is horrible. I have broken like, you know, my spine is popping. Whatever things that we say in our mind about when we feel it, if we could just say, oh, that is a that's a protective mechanism so that it doesn't become bad, and then we start acting upon it and moving into it. I think the number one thing that pops up for people is is that it is horrible. It's bad. I need to stop moving, I need to stop doing whatever I just did. That's going to damage it. I'm creating more damage if I feel the pain. You know, all these stories that we continue to tell ourselves, and sometimes it has nothing to do with the tissue. Yes, the tissue is involved, but there are neuro tags that our brain creates based on little things that pop up within our body, and when we're stressed, when we don't drink enough water, we're not sleeping enough we're not putting good nutrients within our body. And we're constantly kind of in this cycle of either under eating or under fueling, not getting enough nutrients, not I'm constantly going for takeout or processed food because I just don't have time, you know, all these different things that start to happen, and then our lives can create or increase those symptoms and increase those signals to the brain, and we start living in that pain, and we feel it a little bit more amplified. So it's not even always the tissue. But you know, I think the number one thing that happens is that we we fear that we're creating more damage anytime we move and feel pain.Lesley Logan 6:09 Okay, this is, there's so many different things in there, but like that is really enlightening to me. It makes because, okay, so in 2013, 2013, 2014 that's in 2014, 2014 I fractured my tibial plateau running. Yeah, I just retired from being sponsored. I told my sponsor, like, I'm done. Like I actually, I got slower in there. Somehow I got happy. I can't run that hard anymore. Can't do it. And then, of course, I'm like, didn't understand the depth of a curb thing, and I hyper-extended my knee, awful, terrible. And I'm really lucky it was a non surgical situation. And your whole your my brain went through all the fears, like, am I gonna walk again? Am I gonna run again? Is it gonna affect it? Like you're the whole thing goes crazy. And I was just like, having to go this battle of like, you actually are gonna walk again, like you're, this is so, like, you're just off your leg for eight weeks. Like, out of everything that's going on, like this battle with my brain, and I was working with a really amazing trainer, and, you know, I was able to put body weight back in that leg. He was giving me some squats and some things, all fine, all released from the doctor, all able to do and I would go, anytime it was new, I go, oh, that hurts. Oh, that hurts. And he finally said to me, is it hard or does it hurt? And I think it goes to your point with pain, sometimes we also just confuse, like, is my brain actually saying I'm in pain, or am I coming up against a challenge that I feel uncomfortable with? And it turned out that, like, No, it wasn't actually pain. It was just uncomfortable and it was hard, and I hadn't had to deal with hard workouts in a while like I had. Dr. Jen Fraboni 7:45 And it's scary. It's scary coming back in and you're, you don't want to do something where you're like, Well, I don't want this to be my life. So I'm, I'm afraid.Lesley Logan 7:55 Yeah, yeah. And then like, you know, I think about some of the clients I have where they would come back and they would go, Oh, we did after Pilates, this hurt. And I was like, Okay, I'm looking at the exercise we did, and I have to go, Okay, can you tell me what you did before Pilates, what you did after Pilates? Oh, I was organizing my garage. I'm like, do you think perhaps maybe it might have been the garage, but, you know, I think, so then people go to your point, they're like, I can't do that again, versus, like, what is it telling me? What do I need to do? What imbalances do we might have? Okay, so then I guess my question is, like, how do we how do we do that? How do we explore like, in ourselves or with with those of us who, because some people who are listening, have friends or family who are like, constantly in pain or something constantly hurts. Like, when are we indulging it too much, and when are we like not listening to it? I guess it could be on either (inaudible).Dr. Jen Fraboni 8:45 Yes, that's a really great question, because it's so true. Sometimes we have those pain responses and we're like, kick it down the road. Kick it down the road, whatever, both of them. We got to listen to all of it. That's the whole point, right? It's a signal from our body, so we don't want to ignore it, but we don't want to fear it. So that's where we have to say, okay, my body's trying to tell me something. What is it that I'm neglecting? Let's start at just the base of everything, right? If I am not moving much in general, I have been super stressed. I'm I go to work, I sit in a car for an hour. I sit at my desk, I come home, I have so many a million responsibilities to take care of. I have kids that need me. I'm lifting, I'm grocery shopping, so I'm still lifting and moving and picking up kids or doing whatever, but I'm not actively training my body for any of those things, and now I'm doing it in a state of stress. So all of that combined is just a recipe for your body to be overdone, overdoing it. And once our our brains start like those signals can only take so much, and usually they're filtering it out. There's not enough, you know, just like outside noise, like, there's not enough to take in all of the noises all around. So your brain filters a lot of things out, a lot of unnecessary things. When things become when your brain's like, this is getting to a point where something has to change or else this is going to be bad. That's when it can no longer filter it out. And so all of a sudden we start to get that pain response that's like, normally would be resting right down here. We wouldn't really be paying attention to it. It wouldn't really be a big deal. But all of a sudden you bend down, you pick up that pencil, and your back feels like it just broke. It just went out. It wasn't the bending down and picking up the pencil, it was all these little things along the way that we were not paying attention to until your brain was finally like, Nope, you got to listen. This is this is not okay anymore. And maybe it didn't come with a disc herniation. However, we know that a disc herniation can be there prior as well, and there are studies that show all the way to 20s, all the way into your 20s, you can see disc degeneration on an MRI. You can see disc herniations on MRIs, and it increases as we increase with age. So up to 80s, you're going to see like, I mean, gosh, I wish I had the stats with me right now. But I think in your 60s, you could see up to 80% of people have disc degeneration and no pain. Lesley Logan 11:21 Whoa. Dr. Jen Fraboni 11:23 So it's crazy the numbers, but we have to realize, just like the outside of my body is going to change, my face is going to start to sag my I'm going to start to get wrinkles, changes are going to happen externally. Why would we not expect changes to happen internally? Lesley Logan 11:37 Yeah, yeah. Dr. Jen Fraboni 11:39 Like that that's a part of the process. So we're going to have different changes on an MRI. That's fine, and maybe it's part of your story. Maybe it's part of your pain journey, but it might be have been there prior to pain. So we can't just blame an MRI. We can't just blame an image when we don't know if that's new. We don't know if that's always been there, but what we can now start to do is say, Okay, what have I been neglecting? Am I super stressed? Am I not sleeping? Have I not been moving? Am I not am I maybe going to the gym, going hard, but I'm taking zero time for recovery? Am I always pushing to failure? Because that's what I hear I need to do now that I'm getting older, and I need a strength train, and I need to push my body to failure. But am I doing that every single time I go to the gym? Am I hearing, oh, I'm supposed to be doing these HIIT workouts in high intensity, because that's good for my bone health. But have I not progressed and eased my body into it? So all of these things, we have to start to take into account. Where have I what have I been neglecting? What am I not doing enough of that I can just at least start with the baseline level and say, Okay, thank you brain for alerting me that something needs to change. Thank you brain for telling me that enough is enough, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but what can I be doing that I'm neglecting and I can put myself on plenty examples as well. So, for example, my my second pregnancy, I felt all the things in my pelvis, lots of different changes with the hormones and different sensations that would pop up. I don't necessarily like to call it pain, but different sensations that my body was telling me about. And each of those experiences, I could then say, oh, I should not work out today. I should not lift that would be bad. And I did the opposite. And every time I moved in, not into the pain, but into opening up my hips more or loading in a different way. I still lifted weight, but I lifted differently. Maybe I'm not doing a barbell deadlift and going as heavy as I can, but I'm doing a controlled, a controlled deadlift with both legs and a wider stance so that I can open up through my hips and my pelvis a little bit more, and really use my breath to drive up and create that stability in my pelvis that I feel like I'm missing and I'm really needing. Maybe I can add some targeted lunges or step downs that really help to build support in my pelvis and my glutes so that I'm really supporting my body. Maybe I could do some different core things to really add in that stability that I know my body is going into more laxity, because I have a lot more relaxing within my body as I'm as I'm pregnant, and every single time I did movement instead of stopping, I felt better afterwards. Lesley Logan 14:35 Yeah, yeah. I mean, I believe I've never had children, but like, I have also, like, been so tight in my upper back because we do tours, and we're driving the van for the last tour was 36 days. And, you know, yes, I have a (inaudible), yes, we do all the things. Yes, I move my body, but you just, there's only so much you can do after 36 days of you know that? And I absolutely was, like, I should not have signed up for that workout. I probably shouldn't have done my Pilates, and I found myself every with every rolling like a ball, and every seal my thoracic spine just opening up, and it's like, oh, now I'm feel so much better. But it's true. It's like you might have to take a different approach, or you might have to and and we should and this is where that all or nothing mindset, I think, is affecting everybody. Like, it affects not just the way we deal with pain, but like, the way we get into workouts, the way we see if a workout is good or not. Like, it's not about doing what you did yesterday when you're pain free, but maybe going in slow or having a longer warm up, or being more intentional with your breath and then seeing how it's going. But I think it's, I mean, this is your life's mission. How do you get people to listen to their body?Dr. Jen Fraboni 15:44 I know it's hard. The first key is, let's not, let's not be afraid of pain. I mean, I think that that goes for everyone. Let's not be afraid of the MRI either, because we're going to have internal changes on on the body, and that's okay. My husband and I even just did a podcast yesterday on the straightening of the cervical spine, because everyone is afraid. Sometimes you'll go into an office and they'll do an x ray, they'll say, Oh, your your neck is straight. That's why you're getting neck pain. But we have so many studies that show people who have straight spines have no pain. So again, could it be a part of your story? Sure, is it the whole thing? No, because if there's someone out there who has a straight neck and no pain, that doesn't mean that you have a straight neck and pain, right, like that we have to be looking at things can be correlated. It doesn't mean it's the cause. Lesley Logan 16:34 Yeah, yeah. Dr. Jen Fraboni 16:36 And that's what I really want people to hear people who have disc herniations will show up on an MRI and not have pain. People who have osteoarthritis, 43% of people can have osteoarthritis on an MRI and have no pain. So again, not saying, not not discounting that that's a part of your body journey, but it's possible to be in that percentage of people who don't have pain. How do you get there? That's what we want to be focusing on. How do I get there? Right?Lesley Logan 17:03 Yeah. Oh, I love this. It's like, it's like, okay, so you, you, you might be someone with osteoporosis and pain, but the two of them might not actually be connected. It could be. But also, what if we take a moment to think about like, I have osteoporosis, but I also can explore other avenues that could reduce the pain? Dr. Jen Fraboni 17:20 Yes, yes, and it takes a mindset, a mind a mind shift. Lesley Logan 17:30 Yeah, mindset shift got it. Yes, no, it's okay. We'll do this together.Dr. Jen Fraboni 17:35 It takes shifting that mindset of what you're telling yourself and what is wrong and what is bad into saying, okay, what can I explore because of this? What can I do because of this? And that's where, okay, we have to say, if I'm rounding down to the floor and getting pain, what can I be doing that's different? Can, am I sitting a lot? Again, I can do myself as another example. Right now, actually, I am experiencing radiating symptoms into my right glute. So that means I'm I am feeling like a line of pain down into my glutes, sometimes a little further. So I know that's likely coming from my back. A nerve is sending some lightning signals into my glute. Now, I am fully exclusively breastfeeding right now, which means that I am sitting in positions a lot throughout the day where I'm rounded and on, like cuddling into my little babe as I'm breastfeeding, not always in the most ideal position, but kind of sitting like a little shrimp. And so majority of the day, I'm like that. And a lot of times for work, I am sitting at the computer and working. I try to get up, I try to take breaks, I do all the things, but I know that I'm neglecting some things. And so even the other the two days ago, when it really started, I would get out of bed and almost like it felt like my leg didn't want to hold me up. So it felt like it wasn't just nerve related, but it was now starting to affect how my muscles were responding as well. And so it can feel really scary, like, oh my gosh, just stepping out of bed, I'm going to collapse onto the floor, or I'm feeling as I'm rounding and picking up my son, I'm getting a lot of pain. That's bad. I should not deadlift, I should not bend my spine. I should not, you know, we could start telling ourselves, because this pattern equals pain, I shouldn't do this. Instead, I'm saying, Okay, what have I been neglecting? Now I'm spending a lot more time in extension. So if I'm on my phone, I'm going to lay on my couch and it prop my elbows and look at my phone that way. So I'm putting my spine in the opposite position that it's typically in throughout the day, and I'm spending time relaxing there and breathing there. I'm spending time opening up my hip flexors, opening up my rib cage, opening up tension relaxing through my front of my body, since I know that I'm spending a lot of time in that shrimp position. But on top of that, I have to create stability in a new way so my body feels safe. So I'm also adding in a lot of core stabilization. I'm adding in a lot of hip stability through my warm ups, and then I'm lifting, and I'm not shying away, because I'm listening and I'm modifying if I need to, but I'm lifting, and, and I still feel it a little bit today, but not as bad. And we also have to know that some things take time. There's no one magic fix. There's no one give me the one exercise for my for my disc herniation. I can't tell you that. It depends on what your body needs. What have you been neglecting? Are you neglecting your hip mobility? Are you neglecting your upper back mobility? Are you breathing from your rib cage? Are you stabilizing through your core? Are you, you know, can we move a little bit different in an exercise so that you can feel a little bit different? Can we change the range of motion? Can we change the load? There's so many aspects that we could be changing for you, it's hard to say what each individual needs. And at the same time, I just don't stop moving. The more that we stop moving, the more that your body's going to feel, because the one thing that helps us to feel better is getting fluids to move. Is getting our lymphatic system moving, is getting, you know, our even our blood going up to our brain, things. We want oxygen. We want things moving in our body so that we start to feel something different. Another thing I'm super neglecting is sleep. I know that's a huge, big thing for me. I'm staying up late so I could pump before I go to bed. Sometimes my son still wakes up. I wake up early. I'm burning at both ends from not sleeping enough. That's a huge contributor to pain. So we have to take into account other stressors in our life, and some things we can change. Some things are harder, but we have to get really honest with ourselves and say, what is it that I'm not doing that I could be doing for my body in general?Lesley Logan 22:13 Yeah, so Jen, I love this because, like, first of all, I appreciate you sharing your stories, because I always what I get a lot, especially since and I think it's because people can say it and I don't. I can't really argue. I don't have children. You have two kids, one of them whom you're nursing. And like, the thing that I always say is, like, if you like, have a newborn, like, you obviously have to take care of the newborn. But also, like, none of us are good to anyone sick or in pain like zero. I truly believe that self-care is an act of self-love. I will die on this hill. And I really don't think you can love others as as generously as you want if you don't love yourself that way. And so, but also, you're in a very different season in your motherhood journey, where you are breastfeeding, and so I guess, like for the moms listening, or the people who are like really trying, who put so many other people's lives before themselves, like, how do you do that? Because I know you have the mom guilt. They gave it to you when you had the kids. So like, how do you how? Like, yes, it's your job, but also, like, you're a human being. How do you keep that all going?Dr. Jen Fraboni 23:17 So I'm very fortunate to have support. We have support. I could be on this podcast, because we have support, right? So my husband and I can work during the day, and we have people watching our children, and so we're very grateful for that. I have to acknowledge that, right? And within that time period, I take 30 minutes out of where I would be working to work out. 30 minutes. It doesn't have to be a lot of time when we do it efficiently and we learn what we need for our individual body. I also, because I talked about the sleep thing, and that's lacking for me, my accountability and motivation not very high right now, to show up for myself, and I know that for myself right now. So the number one thing I I'm doing right now is I met someone actually on a mom app called Peanut and she comes and works out with me before she goes and picks up her after her work day, and before she picks up her son from daycare, and we work out together. And I know she's coming at the same time almost every day, and she is like, if she's showing up, I'm obviously showing up, and we're doing that 30 minute workout together, and I have that accountability to get off my butt and do it, because I can just, Oh, I'll eat a little bit more, I'll work a little bit more, I'll do a little you know, I can make up all the excuses because I'm tired and I get it, I'm in it, like, I don't want to do it either, but I do want to do it because it's going to make me feel so much better after. So I think understanding what is it that you need. We know, I think we know by now that motivation isn't the thing that's going to get us to move, right? We know this, but what is the thing that's going to get you to move? Is that the accountability? I've also told myself I need to be moving a little bit more. So my accountability also is, I am posting every morning that I'm taking a walk. And I asked other people who wants to join me take a walk, I'm going to post every morning that I'm taking a walk. That's my accountability. If I don't post. You know, I didn't walk, and so I'm I'm showing up on stories and just saying, got my morning walk in 10 to 15 minutes. It doesn't have to be long, right? I throw my kids in a stroller and I go for a walk. So what is it that we can be doing that creates that, that deeper accountability? Again, it doesn't have to be a long time, even if you're like, I don't have 30 minutes. Okay, do you have five to 10 minutes. Can you use your your kid and do a couple lunges and squats with them? Trust me, kids love to be used as weights. It's super fun for them. What is the thing that we could be doing? I do my mobility on the floor in the playroom when they're moving around. So there's always a time. Yeah, it's just, how are we creating that space within our life to to commit? Lesley Logan 26:05 Yeah, I You're so right during the pandemic. I studied with BJ Fogg and his team, his the author of Tiny Habits and Stanford science, like behavioral sciences on habits like be the person, right? And he literally said, motivation is the friend you want to go to a party, but you never have them pick you up at the airport. It's unreliable, and then and it's like, just when you think about that, whenever I hear people I don't have enough motivation. I'm like, like, motivation is what you need to, like, push them up a hill real quick, but like, you can't. It's not the thing. And so the other thing that I know from Habits is how we talk to ourselves about something actually, is why where the brain starts to look for opportunities. So I, because I because I know how good I'll feel right and I know what that's gonna do. My brain is like, oh, oh, I could go. I could do this movement here. I have 30 extra minutes I could do. I'm like, seeking out little increments in a busy season, because my brain knows you're gonna get a dopamine hit if you do this here. But if, whenever you think about the things you should be doing in a negative way, oh, I should be moving more. I should be exercising more, and you put all this shit on yourself and this pressure, it stresses your brain. Your brain goes, oh, working out, moving my body, that causes stress, shame, guilt. I don't like to feel that. So you actually don't look for those things. We have to actually trick our brain into seeing opportunities for movement. And so I love that you shared all these different ways, and also what you're using right now, because it's going to be different from for all of us, depending on where our seasons are, depending if you're traveling or not, but it doesn't I am so with you. It does not have to be an hour chunk at one time, like that is a luxury a lot of people don't have, and you might have it one day a week, but not other days a week. And I'm just a big fan of, like, someone always asked me, like, how often should I do Pilates? And I'm like, I'd rather do four 15-minute sessions in a week than one one-hour like, I just would. It's just going to have way more benefits. So I appreciate you talking about the different minutes, and also, like what you're doing right now in your seasons, because it, it does help people start to think, Oh, I could do that, oh I could do 15 minutes. Oh I could pick my kid up, or I could go for a walk with a friend. I have a neighbor who would walk with me every morning, if I would, if I would get up a little later, and I'm like, this is too hot for me right now. So, so. But you know what? If that's if you are someone who needs someone, you're not sure so you can rely on someone, I promise you, get a dog teach him for two weeks to go for a walk in the morning, they will wake you up. They're, my dog knows what time it is. He knows it's time for a walk. So. Dr. Jen Fraboni 26:06 I love that. Lesley Logan 26:41 Okay, so you know this is an incredible journey that you are going on, and what you've been and the gifts that you've been giving people like you've been doing this a really long time. What are you excited about right now? Like, where are you taking this? Where are you taking, like, your education, helping people with their pain?Dr. Jen Fraboni 28:50 You know, my number one thing is to provide ways right now as to okay, if this hurts, how can we do it different? So the number one thing people always tell me when they go through my courses and my plans and everything is that the way UQ lit up, something in my brain that told me I can do it, something different, and I felt completely different, no knee pain, no back pain, because I did, you know, and so doing some of these common things a little bit more uncommon, A little bit different than maybe what you've been told or what you've seen or what you've done in the past can make a huge impact, so that you continue to move forward and you feel better within your body. I think I've grown because people know me as mobility. People know me as but the problem with that is that people believe that stretching and just passive stretching, and it's so not and so sometimes, you know, I even have family members here. Like the other day, my niece is like, going for cheer right now, and she said, Oh, this area within my inner thigh, so, like her groin area was hurting and I was doing a lot of stretching, and I'm like, why are you stretching it? Don't stretch it. Not bad. I don't wanna say it's bad, but it's not gonna be helpful when she needs to be active in her sport in order to get back to what she wants to do. And so a lot of times, we need either active stretching or we need isometric hold. We need strengthening. We need stability within the body. Again, remember that when we have pain, our body wants to feel safe. So a lot of times, stretching though it can feel good, it can feel relaxing, it can help to temporarily reduce pain symptoms. A lot of times, it's not the thing that's going to help the body to feel secure and safe moving forward. And so what we need is great stability. Pilates is great at creating stability. Pilates is great at teaching the body some safety. So a lot of times in those initial phases, especially getting more stability, more isometric holds, more higher reps, lower weight, that kind of thing is going to be better in in the very beginning stages, when we're feeling that pain and creating that safety for the body, before we start loading more, or before we start doing it, or before we start doing really aggressive stretches. I don't even know. I think I went off on a tangent.Lesley Logan 31:15 It's okay, you're clear. I asked what you're excited about right now, and that's it.Dr. Jen Fraboni 31:20 Yes, yes. Continuing to educate people on on a different way to move their body and hopefully get out of pain. I just, I want to stick with pain, and some people tell me that's limiting and and I, I know, but so many people experience pain, and if I could just teach people how to listen to their body a little differently and not fear pain, I that that would be such a gift.Lesley Logan 31:40 I mean, it's really funny what people like to say, like, they like to say, oh, you can't, can't just do that, or that's really limiting, or whatever it is. Like, you know, this particular week that we're recording this, like, I gotta be in my bonnet because somebody, like, said, like, oh, like, someone just commented negatively on one of my Pilates instructors who works for me, and about their their body. Well, I can see that Pilates is really working. Pilate is really working for your for your body, and to something nasty, right? And I got so pissed about it. And then, like, and then I was like, while we're on the topic, there's also no such thing as Pilates arms, right? Like, there's just that's like, if you, like, I don't even want to say, have arms and do Pilates, because there you could do Pilates without arms. Like, you don't even have to have arms. So it's like, not a thing, right? Like, and so and so, it's like, it goes to where this tangent is going from my brain. It's like, people like to put things in boxes and then, and then, that's what it is for. That's what it does. And like, as, if you focusing on pain is so limiting. When pain is like, it is such a, like, I'm like, we could go to so many places, because there's people who like, literally, like, I have a family member in my life every day, something is in pain. I'm like, you are using pain to keep yourself from experiencing life, you know? And then there's also the other spectrum, where it's like, people who won't listen to it at all. You're like, I just want you to like, we don't do, yeah, I can see, like, you shouldn't do that anymore, so, but I so, I think it's really interesting how we people want to put boxes around things. And there, I don't say they're being a boxer, and I do think that, like, we know a lot more about stuff. Like, it used to be like, Oh, if that hurts, don't do anything, as if that's, you know, and I would watch clients whose doctors, like, you can't do anything with that. And I'm like, Okay, so now your foot has changed. Like, now that we haven't used it anymore, it's no longer, like, you have hammer toes now it's doing this thing. It's sickling. Like, can we go back to the doctor and ask for some other things we can do? Because, like, even though that's my scope, like, that foot is not helping. Now your hip's going weaker, and now your back is having problems. So I think we know a lot more now, and I'm really excited for what you're doing, because it does, it does give people a little bit more opportunities to change things before it gets to be something that can't be changed anymore. Am I right like?Dr. Jen Fraboni 33:55 I hope so that's the number one thing that boils my blood is whenever I would have a client come back and said, Oh, my doctor told me not to do that anymore, or not to do this anymore. And it's like, well, the more we don't use it, we lose it. So if, if you want to become fragile, if you want to, you know, age and be in more pain, then that's an option, but I hope that's not what you want, you know. And when it comes to joint health, the if your joints start to go which they are, that's part of aging, right? We're going to start to lose cartilage. They're going to start to wear and tear. That's, I hate that word, but it's true. I mean, we're, we're, they're going to change. It's part of aging. The only thing that is going to support you as those changes are happening, is muscle and being strong and having range of motion and mobility within your body. Yeah, if you don't have the mobility to move into those areas anymore, they're going to get stiffer and tighter. If you don't have the muscle strength to support it, your joints don't have any more room or cushion to support them themselves. So. What's going to happen? You're going to be in more pain, and you're not going to be able to do more things. If we stop moving and to our full ranges of motion, if we stop strengthening throughout our range of motion and and putting that tension across the tendons and the muscles and loading the joints, then we're going to end up in more pain.Lesley Logan 35:23 Yeah, yeah, yeah, you are. And this is not to knock, like, what some of the doctors say, because, like, I also think they're in a practice and they're operating on some interesting information. But I definitely would laugh when someone come and go, I'm not allowed to flex or extend my spine. And I'm like, how did you drive here today? Like, how did we how do we get here? And I just want you to notice that while you take your shoes off right now, you're in flexion. So can I, can I maybe get some permission to move you in a safe way, in those positions so that we can keep them? Yeah, I think that's that's like, thank goodness for you and the work that you're doing, and you do it in a way that actually makes people excited to think about their bodies. And I think that's so beautiful, because it's really hard to do in a world where people want a quick fix, they want the five in five days how do I get out of this? And it's like, Well, you probably didn't get into it. And I just really want to highlight, like, your your focus on like, what are all the other things we could be listening to, you know? And I think that that is something that, as you know, majority of the listeners on this show are women, and there's a few good men, but especially as women, especially as women, like we, tend to it starts with the sleep, and then it starts with the fueling of the food, and then it starts with lack of water. And then, you know, all of us, it's like it's a slow thing, and it's like there are some things we could actually maybe take a look at and be a little bit more priority based on those, even if we don't have time, and see how that affects the rest of our bodies. Dr. Jen Fraboni 36:41 1,000% Lesley Logan 36:43 Yeah, I really want to, like, talk to you for hours, but we're gonna take a brief break, and we're gonna find out how people can find you, follow you and work with you. Lesley Logan 36:49 All right, Docjenfit, where do you hang out? Where is your favorite place for people to connect with you, work with you. Do you have any programs that they can look into if they're interested in this?Dr. Jen Fraboni 37:00 Yeah. I mean the number one place, I check my DMs all the time. It's me, so docjenfit on Instagram is my number one place I hang out. I do upload Tiktok as well, but I don't check Tiktok, so don't try to reach out to me there. YouTube, I do look at comments there, so I get back to everyone there, but I feel like my community is on Instagram, and that's where I started. That's where everything is. So connect with me there if you have any questions, and I have Jen Health. So jen.health, there's no dot com or anything, or also look up the app Jen Health. And if you ever wanted to find something rather than scrolling my Instagram, you can go sign up on Jen Health. It's completely free to sign up. And we have a Discover tab where you can literally type in knee pain or knee and stairs or like low back pain or bending, or whatever it is that you want to and there's going to be something that pops up that can help you. Those are essentially my Instagram searchable. So all my recent posts always get uploaded there, and you can search freely as needed. We also have programs on there so that you're not just looking for a quick fix within those couple exercises that may or may not help, but you're the programs I created, because I'm not individually with you, but my low back plan, (inaudible) plan, is all about like, Okay, let's take a look at the entire system here and how it all can work into helping to improve and reduce low back pain. We're talking mobility stability from the ground up. We're talking strengthening progressively into the body and really building in key areas that are often neglected in five to 15 minutes a day. I'm not trying to take you away from your other workouts or your other life responsibilities, I'm trying to just sprinkle things in little by little, so that you are starting to introduce something different that you might have been neglecting in your body. I love all that that's so helpful. Lesley Logan 37:00 And I think it's really cool, because when people can take some ownership and explore and like also understand, I think the more we understand our body, the easier it is for us to actually like, communicate about what's going on with it, and also advocate for ourselves. If you do need to go see a doctor and they do tell you things, you can go you can advocate for or against or get a second opinion. You can have a lot more authority of yourself when those things do come up. So you're just so wonderful. Thank you for that. Okay, you have given us a lot already, but bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted steps people can take to be it till they see it, what do you have for us?Dr. Jen Fraboni 38:14 Everyday take a breath in to the sides of your rib cage, like not, not into your shoulders, not into your neck, not into your chest. Take a breath and think of closing your mouth, taking your breath, as if your breath is pulling back into your nasal cavity and expanding across your ribs. Sometimes I like to just take my hands on my rib cage, take five deep, long, slow breaths there. You're going to see how pain just starts to diminish. Stress starts to diminish. Things start to feel better within your body. And the only way that we start to know how to move forward is if we tune in first.Lesley Logan 40:00 Oh, my goodness. I love that. I love that so much. That's literally how I like people to breathe when they're in my classes. I just feel like I'm like, Ah, so much validation. I'm obsessed with you. Can you come around the world with me? Anyways, you're just, thank you so much, Jen, just for being you and what you do in this world, and also just being so authentic about how you're on this journey as a human being, so that everyone can also be on that journey with you, but also so that people can be empowered. I'm really, really grateful for you and all these amazing tips. Lesley Logan 40:28 Be It babes, how are going to use these tips in your life? I highly recommend following Docjenfit on Instagram. Make sure you tell her. Share this with a friend who needs to hear it, you know that friend who's always got something going on like just share it with them, because maybe they just need to hear from a different person that it doesn't have to always be what it is, doesn't have to be limiting. And until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 40:48 That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod. Brad Crowell 41:30 It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 41:36 It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 41:40 Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 41:47 Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 41:51 Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
AI isn't just writing your emails anymore—it's reading your hormones and mapping your risk. In this episode, endocrinologist and longevity doctor Dr. Fady Hannah-Shmouni talks about full-body MRIs, cancer blood tests, muscle-driven longevity, HRT, and an at-home cortisol test called ELI. We explore where AI, wearables, and testing truly help women, and where they fuel anxiety, waste money, and dull intuition. We also get real about supplements, bad actors in wellness, and what actually matters if you want to stay strong and functional at 80+. Listen if you want a grounded roadmap for using data, testing, and hormone support to extend your healthspan—not just add more noise to your wellness life. WE TALK ABOUT: 06:00 - Why the future of prevention is continuous data, not yearly check-ups 09:15 - From bulky wearables to ingestibles and toilet sensors: where tracking is headed 13:25 - The $10 trillion wellness economy, influencer noise, and why most women feel lost 18:22 - The truth about supplements: Risks, contaminants, and the few "non-negotiables" 22:30 - Why you don't need 20 biohacks to live longer 28:00 - Tumor-cell blood tests, full-body MRI, and how to think about false positives 35:00 - Sick-care vs wellness: Why women are pushed into the wellness economy 38:05 - How ELI works: Instant saliva cortisol, AI, and a new "Fitbit for your stress" 44:15 - CRP, inflammation, and why a low score is a longevity superpower 48:10 - Muscle as a longevity organ and why women can't "Pilates only" forever 52:10 - Perimenopause, andropause, lost productivity, and why this decade is a wake-up call 57:30 - HRT and dementia/heart disease risk: What the newer evidence suggests SPONSORS: Join me in Costa Rica for Optimize Her, a 5-night luxury women's retreat in Costa Rica with yoga, healing rituals, and biohacking workshops—only 12 spots available. Feeling bloated, tired, or hormonally off? Try BiOptimizers — supplements that actually absorb and work for women's health. Get 15% off with code BIOHACKINGBRITTANY. RESOURCES: Free gift: Download my hormone-balancing, fertility-boosting chocolate recipe. Explore my luxury retreats and wellness events for women. Shop my faves: Check out my Amazon storefront for wellness essentials. ELI Health website and Instagram Dr. Fady Hannah-Shmouni's Instagram LET'S CONNECT: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Shop my favorite health products Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music
Seating issues, Vinted woe, dog cosmos, snout enlargement, animal MRIs, and a monkey opportunity. Join the Iron Filings Society: https://www.patreon.com/topflighttimemachine and on Apple Podcast Subscriptions. Get a 7-day full access free trial and pay for 10 months up front for the price of 12 if you like a bargain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SS&C Blue Prism's VP reveals how they achieved $200M annual savings and $600M revenue growth by deploying 3,000 AI agents, processing 6 million documents monthly as their own first customer.Topics Include:SS&C Blue Prism evolved from RPA leader to agentic automation provider over 25 yearsServes 22,000 clients in regulated industries like financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and retailOffers AI agents, governance gateway, and secure enterprise chat leveraging AWS BedrockAs "customer zero," they deployed 3,000 agents processing 6 million documents monthlyGenerated $200M annual savings and $600M revenue growth using their own technologyFinancial services client unlocked unstructured document processing previously impossible with traditional automationHealthcare client's AI processes MRIs more accurately than human radiologistsKey lesson: Focus on business outcomes first, not just implementing AI everywhereCritical insight: Plan for scale on day one, not after pilots succeedAWS Marketplace streamlined purchasing, especially in challenging Latin American marketsFuture vision: B2A economy where agents negotiate parking, shopping, and services autonomouslyPredicts agent-to-agent communication will revolutionize healthcare monitoring and wealth managementParticipants:Satish Shenoy – Global Vice President, Technology Alliances and GenAI GTM, SS&C Blue PrismSee how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon.com/isv/
We are back in the studio with Cocktales Chardonnay in our glasses and a lot on our hearts.This week Kiki and Medinah catch you up on everything from Hedonism in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa to one of the wildest Weird Sex stories we have had in a minute. Kiki shares how the resort staff has been impacted, why she is turning her suitcase into a donation bin, and how you can help if you feel called to give. Medinah talks about Paradise & Vibe's Traveler's Resort family, the fundraiser in Jamaica and why natural disasters hit different when you know the people affected.We also get into robot taxis glitching in Atlanta, Kiki's fever app mock trial experience where the audience decides who is guilty in an AI car accident, and Medinah's grown woman announcements, including her holiday tablescaping class with her interior designer and a full wellness retreat in Istanbul, Turkey.A listener writes in about an ER trauma case where a woman comes in after being hit by a car, gets scanned head to toe, and the entire team discovers a plug sitting pretty on the CT. From toys to MRIs and lying about metal in your body, we take it there.Then the episode takes a tender turn. Medinah opens up about putting her dog Shai down, what led up to that heartbreaking vet visit, the costs, the process and the grief of coming home to an empty hallway, a leash in the car and a quiet house after more than a decade with her best friend. She reflects on a long season of letting go, trusting God, and learning healthier coping mechanisms than she had when she first got Chi.Kiki shares her own life updates too, including a Leo and Teyana Taylor film premiere, more thoughts on AI car trials, using the Fever app to find things to do, and why Atlanta actually has plenty of food and fun if you stop following only the “lit” IG spots. The ladies swap date recommendations like Midtown Social's R&B Bingo, Cirque du Soleil, museums, sushi classes and even ballroom dancing.They close with some real talk about how podcasts and creator work are actually funded, why your subscription, reviews and shares really matter, and how you can support CockTales without going broke in this economy. Plus, Medinah invites listeners to join her for a Meals on Wheels Atlanta volunteer day and reminds anyone struggling that there are resources and community waiting.If you have ever loved a pet like a family member, felt stuck in grief, or just needed a reminder that you can cry and still get cute for a date and a concert, this episode is for you.Interested in being a guest? Please contact addie@cocktalespod.com and include your information, what makes you an interesting guest, and any relavant links!For all promo codes and links for promotions in the episode, follow this link: https://linktr.ee/cocktalesadsVisit 3rdplanetproducts.com CODE COCKTALES 20 and use code cocktales20 for a discount + free shipping!Promo Code for 20% off a ticket: TABLESCAPE2025WINE & DESIGNhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/wine-design-hosted-by-brian-christion-madinah-monroe-112225-tickets-1857609192099?aff=oddtdtcreatorVOLUNTEER WITH MEDINAH 11/20https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKwE0pjsr38uX9qlRvCJOdHDxJqey1qAxE4vXBIMNLrYr_Bg/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=101308055207483565674Contact Us! Advice: advice@cocktalespod.comCocktales: cocktales@cocktalespod.comWeird : weirdsex@cocktalespod.comLive Show Sponsorship: sales@cocktalespod.comGuest Request/ General Inquiries info@cocktalespod.comGet your Vesper2https://www.lovecrave.com/products/vesper2/?aop=cocktalesGet Your Merch & Order Your Card GamePurchase Merch And Card Game at www.imcurioustoknow.comGet Klassy Baste! Learn to Cook with Kiki www.klassybaste.comJoin Kiki's Book Club www.patreon.com/kikisaidsoTravel with Kiki! We're going to Curacao March 19-23. Tickets will be live soon, email info@kikisaidso.com with subject "Trip" to receive a reminder when the trip goes live.Travel With Medinah! https://linktr.ee/MedinahMonroePurchase Medinah's Coffee Mug! www.medinahmonroe.comInterested in sponsoring? Contact sales@cocktalespod.com today!VOLUNTEER WITH MEDINAHContact Us! Advice: advice@cocktalespod.comCocktales: cocktales@cocktalespod.comWeird Sex: weirdsex@cocktalespod.comLive Show Sponsorship: sales@cocktalespod.comGuest Request/ General Inquiries info@cocktalespod.comLooking for a new podcast home or event space? Use our referal link and book on PeerSpace. This space is available there: www.peerspace.com/claim/gr-PPJGdRwxzlJDGGet your Vesper2https://www.lovecrave.com/products/vesper2/?aop=cocktalesGet Your Merch & Order Your Card GamePurchase Merch And Card Game at www.imcurioustoknow.comGet Klassy Baste! Learn to Cook with Kiki www.klassybaste.comJoin Kiki's Book Club www.patreon.com/kikisaidsoBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/cocktales-dirty-discussions--2818687/support.
From blood pressure monitors and smart watches, to MRIs and step counters, many of us make tracking health metrics part of our daily routine. Armed with data, we can take steps to extend our lives. And this approach can also be used to extend the life of key components of our energy infrastructure. The offshore... The post #352 Health Monitoring for Offshore Wind first appeared on Engineering Matters.
Have a comment or question? Click this sentence to send us a message, and we might answer it in a future episode.Welcome to Season 5, Episode 38 of Winning Isn't Easy. In this episode, we'll dive into the complicated topic of "Beyond the Surface: Understanding Soft Tissue Conditions and Disability Claims."Most people think proving a soft tissue injury should be simple - pain is pain, right? But in Long-Term Disability claims, carriers see it differently. Conditions like chronic back strains, tendonitis, or shoulder injuries often don't appear on MRIs or X-rays, and insurers are quick to assume they'll heal on their own. That assumption can turn a legitimate medical issue into an uphill battle for benefits. In this episode of Winning Isn't Easy, disability law expert Nancy L. Cavey unpacks why soft tissue claims are some of the most misunderstood - and most denied - in disability law. You'll learn how carriers evaluate these “invisible” injuries, what they look for in your medical records, and how they use recovery timelines and vague evidence to deny claims. Nancy walks through what you need to know: how soft tissue disorders actually affect the body, how insurers assess your functional capacity, and why detailed documentation - from therapy notes to functional assessments - can make or break your case. You'll also learn how working closely with your doctor and attorney can strengthen your claim and ensure your records clearly show how pain limits your ability to work. By the end, you'll understand why soft tissue claims require more than a diagnosis - they demand strategy, persistence, and proof that connects your pain to your work limitations. Winning Isn't Easy, but with the right evidence and approach, you can turn a “soft” tissue claim into a strong case for the benefits you deserve.In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:One - What Are Soft Tissue Disorders?Two - How Long-Term Disability Carriers View Claims for Soft Tissue ConditionsThree - What Medical Treatment Does a Long-Term Disability Carrier Expect?Whether you're a claimant, or simply seeking valuable insights into the disability claims landscape, this episode provides essential guidance to help you succeed in your journey. Don't miss it.Listen to Our Sister Podcast:We have a sister podcast - Winning Isn't Easy: Navigating Your Social Security Disability Claim. Give it a listen: https://wiessdpodcast.buzzsprout.com/Resources Mentioned in This Episode:LINK TO ROBBED OF YOUR PEACE OF MIND: https://mailchi.mp/caveylaw/ltd-robbed-of-your-piece-of-mindLINK TO THE DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIM SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS: https://mailchi.mp/caveylaw/professionals-guide-to-ltd-benefitsFREE CONSULT LINK: https://caveylaw.com/contact-us/Need Help Today?:Need help with your Long-Term Disability or ERISA claim? Have questions? Please feel welcome to reach out to use for a FREE consultation. Just mention you listened to our podcast.Review, like, and give us a thumbs up wherever you are listening to Winning Isn't Easy. We love to see your feedback about our podcast, and it helps us grow and improve.Please remember that the content shared is for informational purposes only, and should not replace personalized legal advice or guidance from qualified professionals.
Today we tackle the perennial question: “Will my MRI change what I should do?” Short answer: rarely. Imaging can explain quirks (like why a funky position eases symptoms), but it doesn't replace learning safe, aggravation-free squats & hip hinges that you already do in daily life. We show how to run “hedged experiments,” record your reps to spot errors fast, and why belts/braces create false security. Plus: sleeping pain (win the day, not the night), DOMS vs relief tools, decompression & inversion (relief, not strength), deadlift progressions, why most adults don't strength train (and why that's your edge), SIJ vs lumbar myths, and smart upper-body work that spares your back.Start here → https://backinshapeprogram.com/start/Highlights:
"At age 75, we fall off a cliff," Dr. Peter Attia warned on 60 Minutes last week—and his solution is training like a professional athlete for your "Centenarian Decathlon," the 10 things you want to do at age 100. But his approach calls for full-body MRIs, experimental drugs, and hours of daily training that most midlife women juggling full lives often can't swing. Today's episode reveals a more accessible path: identify what matters most to you, apply the 150% rule, and incorporate movement, more protein and emotional health awareness into a health span plan that's doable and right for you! LET'S TALK THE WALK! Join here for support, motivation and fun! Wellness While Walking Facebook page Walking to Wellness Together Facebook GROUP Wellness While Walking on Instagram Wellness While Walking on Threads Wellness While Walking on Twitter Wellness While Walking website for show notes and other information wellnesswhilewalking@gmail.com RESOURCES AND SOURCES (some links may be affiliate links) Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, Peter Attia MD Peter Attia Podcast Videos on Stability WWW Ep. 146: Health Documentaries, Demystified HOW TO RATE AND REVIEW WELLNESS WHILE WALKING How to Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts on Your iOS Device 1. Open Apple Podcast App (purple app icon that says Podcasts). 2. Go to the icons at the bottom of the screen and choose "search" 3. Search for "Wellness While Walking" 4. Click on the SHOW, not the episode. 5. Scroll all the way down to "Ratings and Reviews" section 6. Click on "Write a Review" (if you don't see that option, click on "See All" first) 7. Then you will be able to rate the show on a five-star scale (5 is highest rating) and write a review! 8. Thank you! I so appreciate this! How to Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts on a Computer 1. Visit Wellness While Walking page on Apple Podcasts in your web browser (search for Apple Podcasts or click here) https://www.apple.com/apple-podcasts/ 2. Click on "Listen on Apple Podcasts" or "Open the App" 3. This will open Apple Podcasts and put in search bar at top left "Wellness While Walking" 4. This should bring you to the show, not a particular episode – click on the show's artwork 5. Scroll down until you see "Rating and Reviews" 6. Click on "See All" all the way to the right, near the Ratings and Review Section and its bar chart 7. To leave a written review, please click on "Write a Review" 8. You'll be able to leave a review, along with a title for it, plus you'll be able to rate the show on the 5-star scale (with 5 being the highest rating) 9. Thank you so very much!! OTHER APPS WHERE RATINGS OR REVIEWS ARE POSSIBLE Spotify Goodpods Overcast (if you star certain episodes, or every one, that will help others find the show) Castbox Podcast Addict Podchaser Podbean HOW TO SHARE WELLNESS WHILE WALKING Tell a friend or family member about Wellness While Walking, maybe while you're walking together or lamenting not feeling 100% Follow up with a quick text with more info, as noted below! (My favorite is pod.link/walking because it works with all the apps!) Screenshot a favorite episode playing on your phone and share to social media or to a friend via text or email! Wellness While Walking on Apple – click the up arrow to share with a friend via text or email, or share to social media Wellness While Walking on Spotify -- click the up arrow to share with a friend via text or email, or share to social media Use this universal link for any podcast app: pod.link/walking – give it to friends or share on social media Tell your pal about the Wellness While Walking website Thanks for listening and now for sharing! : ) DISCLAIMER Neither I nor many of my podcast guests are doctors or healthcare professionals of any kind, and nothing on this podcast or associated content should be considered medical advice. The information provided by Wellness While Walking Podcast and associated material, by Whole Life Workshop and by Bermuda Road Wellness LLC is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment, and before undertaking a new health care regimen, including walking. Thanks for listening to Wellness While Walking, a walking podcast and a "best podcast for walking"!
The headlines are loud, the mailers are confusing and the clock is ticking. We're making one thing simple: Centra will leave the Humana Medicare Advantage network on January 1, 2026, and you can protect your care by choosing the right plan during open enrollment.With our Chief Revenue Officer, Robert Boos, we walk through exactly who's affected, how this differs from traditional “red, white, and blue” Medicare and why TRICARE members are not impacted. We break down the real-world impact of Medicare Advantage: prior authorization delays that stall MRIs and CT scans, high first-pass denial rates on emergency claims and why those practices can lead to surprise “late” bills months after a visit. You'll learn why many health systems nationwide are rethinking Medicare Advantage contracts and how payment shortfalls and administrative hurdles make it harder to deliver timely care.Most importantly, we focus on action. If you're on Humana Medicare Advantage and want to keep your Centra doctors, you don't need a new clinician you need a new plan. Use open enrollment (Oct 15–Dec 7) to switch to a Centra-participating Medicare Advantage plan like Anthem, Aetna, or UnitedHealthcare, or return to traditional Medicare with a Part D prescription plan. We share tips for confirming drug coverage, avoiding gaps on January 1, and keeping existing appointments on track. Emergencies remain covered by law, but routine care depends on your plan choice, so make the move now.Ready to take the next step? Visit centrahealth.com/humana for FAQs and resources, and call our customer service at 434.200.3777 if you have billing questions or need help understanding your claim. If this conversation helped, subscribe, share with a friend who's choosing a plan, and leave a review to help others find clear guidance.For more content from Centra Health check us out on the following channels.YouTubeFacebookInstagramTwitter
Samantha Rux from OSF HealthCare joined Wake Up Tri-Counties to discuss National Radiologic Technology Week, infectious season, seasonal affective disorder, and availability of appointments for radiology services at OSF Saint Luke Medical Center in Kewanee. This week marks Rad Tech Week, an annual tribute to the essential work of medical imaging and radiologic technologists. These professionals are key players in the healthcare system, utilizing advanced technologies like X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and ultrasounds to aid in diagnosing and treating patients. Rad Tech Week not only highlights their technical skills but also their compassion and commitment. Hospitals and imaging centers nationwide are recognizing National Radiologic Technology Week®, spotlighting the vital role radiologic technologists play in modern healthcare. Running from November 2nd through 8th, this annual observance coincides with the anniversary of Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen's discovery of the X-ray in 1895. The chosen theme for 2025, “The Kaleidoscope of Radiologic Technology,” reflects the diversity and unity found within medical imaging and radiation therapy. Facilities are using the occasion to honor professionals who ensure both accurate diagnoses and patient safety, underscoring their pivotal contribution to medical teams and quality care across the country. The field of radiology has seen remarkable advancements since the invention of the X-ray. In 1972, computed tomography, or the CT scan, was developed, quickly followed by the introduction of real-time ultrasound machines in the late 1970s, transforming prenatal care by providing images of babies inside the womb. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) emerged in 1977, offering detailed insights into the body without radiation exposure. Today, 337,000 registered radiologic technologists are employed across the United States. These highly trained professionals operate advanced imaging equipment, aiding physicians in diagnosing a broad range of diseases with expertise certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Seasonal affective disorder affects many as the days grow shorter, bringing symptoms like low energy and mood changes lasting through the fall and winter. Symptoms typically lift with the return of brighter spring days, though a smaller group experiences SAD during the warmer months instead. Experts recommend not dismissing these changes as typical "winter blues." Treatment options include light therapy, counseling, and medications, offering hope for those facing persistent symptoms. Early recognition and intervention are key, helping people maintain motivation and emotional well-being year-round. Speak with a healthcare professional if you notice these patterns affecting your daily life.
"[When] a lot of men think about prostate exams, they immediately think of the glove going on the hand of the physician, and they immediately clench. But really try to talk with them and discuss with them what some of the benefits are of understanding early detection. Even just having those conversations with their providers so that they understand what the risk and benefits are of having screening. And then educate patients on what a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal exam (DRE) actually are—how it happens, what it shows, and what the necessary benefits of those are," ONS member Clara Beaver, DNP, RN, AOCNS®, ACNS-BC, manager of clinical education and clinical nurse specialist at Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, MI, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about prostate cancer screening, early detection, and disparities. Music Credit: "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 Earn 0.25 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by October 31, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to prostate screening, early detection, and disparities. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. ONS Podcast™ Episode 149: Health Disparities and Barriers in Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer ONS Voice articles: Gender-Affirming Hormones May Lower PSA and Delay Prostate Cancer Diagnosis in Transgender Women Healthy Lifestyles Reduce Prostate Cancer Mortality in Patients With Genetic Risk Hispanic Patients Are at Higher Risk for Aggressive Prostate Cancer but Less Likely to Get Treatment Leveling State-Level Tax Policies May Increase Equality in Cancer Screening and Mortality Rates Most Cancer Screening Guidelines Don't Disclose Potential Harms ONS book: Understanding Genomic and Hereditary Cancer Risk: A Handbook for Oncology Nurses ONS course: Genomic Foundations for Precision Oncology Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: Barriers and Solutions to Cancer Screening in Gender Minority Populations Oncology Nursing Forum articles: Disparities in Cancer Screening in Sexual and Gender Minority Populations: A Secondary Analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data Symptom Experiences Among Individuals With Prostate Cancer and Their Partners: Influence of Sociodemographic and Cancer Characteristics Other ONS resources: Genomics and Precision Oncology Learning Library ONS Biomarker Database (refine by prostate cancer) American Cancer Society prostate cancer early detection, diagnosis, and staging page National Institutes of Health prostate cancer screening page U.S. Preventive Services Task Force prostate cancer screening recommendation statement To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org Highlights From This Episode "The recommendations are men [aged] 45 who are at high risk, including African American men and men who have a first-degree relative who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer younger than 65 should go through screening. And men aged 40 at an even higher risk, these are the men that have that one first-degree relative who has had prostate cancer before 65. Screening includes the PSA blood test and a digital exam. Those are the screening recommendations, although they are a little bit controversial." TS 3:42 "You still see PSAs and DREs as the first line because they're easier for primary care providers to perform. ... Those are typically covered by insurance, so they still play that role in screening. But with the advent of MRIs and biomarkers, these have really helped refine that screening process and determine treatment options for our patients. Again, those patients who may be at a bit of a higher risk could go for an MRI or have biomarkers completed. Or if they're on that verge with their Gleason score, instead of doing a biopsy, they may send the patient for an MRI or do biomarkers for that patient. ... These updated technologies put [patients] a little bit more at ease that someone's watching what's going on, and they don't have to have anything invasive done to see where they're at with their staging." TS 4:35 "Disparities in screening access exist based on race, socioeconomic status, gender identity, education, and geography. It's really hard in rural areas to get primary care providers or urologists who can actually see these patients, [and] sometimes in urban areas. So socioeconomic status can affect that, but also where a person lives. African American men with lower incomes and people in rural areas face the greatest barriers to receiving screening. It's also important to encourage anyone with a prostate to be screened and offer gender-neutral settings for patients to feel comfortable." TS 7:50 "I think a lot of men feel like if they have no symptoms, they don't have prostate cancer ... so a lot of patients may put off screening because they feel fine, [they] haven't had any urinary symptoms, it doesn't run in their family. ...With prostate cancer, there usually are not symptoms that a patient's having—they may have some urinary issues or some pain—but it's not very frequent that they have that. So, just making sure our patients understand that even though they're not feeling something, it doesn't mean there's not something else going on there." TS 12:53 "Prostate cancer found at an early age can be very curable, so it's really important for men to have those conversations with their providers about the risk and benefits of screening. And anyone that we can help along the way to be able to have those conversations, I think is a great thing for oncology nurses to do." TS 15:44
SEASON 4 EPISODE 29: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (2:30) SPECIAL COMMENT: The correct question has been lying there, invisible in the forest, for the trees. It was Mary Trump who finally saw it – and asked it: “Why the hell (do) they KEEP giving him cognitive tests?” That’s IT - isn’t it? THAT'S the question. None of the details, none of the giraffes versus elephants, none of his stupid boastful insults about it, none of the small stuff. It's the big picture. Why the hell DO they keep giving him cognitive tests? And I’ll add a corollary to Mary Trump's burst of simple genius: Why the hell do they KEEP giving him cognitive tests almost exactly six months apart? Friday October 10, 2015 at Walter Reed, which he boasted about on board Air Force One this week. And Friday April 11, 2015, which he had also boasted about on board Air Force One last spring. Those dates are almost six months apart. 182 days. If they’re not giving him pre-scheduled cognitive tests every six months that’s a helluva coincidence. Why the hell do they keep giving him cognitive tests? And I’ll add a second corollary to Mary Trump’s question: why did they give him an MRI? Is it the first MRI to accompany a cognitive test? What was it an MRI of? I mean it may be irrelevant (I once had an MRI to see how my sinuses were draining correctly). You really CAN get MRIs for almost trivial stuff. But you don’t get cognitive tests for trivial stuff. Why the hell do they keep giving him cognitive tests? PLUS: Trump says the Constitution prohibits him from running for president again. Again, mid-flight, after boasting about things that aren't real, he said: “If you read it it’s pretty clear. I’m not allowed to run." So that’s that, huh? That’s what all the experts say. The same experts who said there was no Presidential Immunity. So – what happens next? He just changes his mind? Or decides this term is eight years not four? Or he just cancels the 2028 election? This isn't bluster and it isn't trolling. They might get away with it and they might not, but there are plans. And the more we're convinced they can never pull them off, the more likely we are to see another "presidential immunity" ruling from The Supreme Court. Or another Aileen Cannon. Or another January 6. B-Block (24:00) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Steve Bannon wants to expel Zohran Mamdani from this country. Hell, we should expel Bannon. If we can find a truck that can carry that much blubber. There's a media writer named Rich Greenfield who has extrapolated from the possibility that Comcast might buy CNN and merge it with MSNBC and he has the exact right person to run it: Charlie Kirk's widow (a bible student). And as ludicrous as that sounds, the guy now running CNN wasn't even home from his visit to the White House to try to butter up Trump and the Trumpists when one of the Trumpists mocked him on twitter for visiting. Today, appeasers not only lose, they get flamed on social media. C-Block (36:00) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: With the Dodgers in the World Series again it is time to hurry back to the greatest moment in their Los Angeles history: Kirk Gibson's pinch-hit homer even though three-quarters of his body was barely movable, to win Game One of the 1988 World Series and set them on the path to one of the greatest upsets in baseball history, over the vaunted Oakland A's. Gibson's homer was a surprise to everybody. Except me. Because I predicted it just before the first pitch of that final inning began. And there's a WITNESS.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What does it mean to see beneath the surface — of the human body, the brain, or even the universe itself? In his new book, The Future of Seeing: How Imaging Is Changing Our World, Prof. Daniel Sodickson of NYU explores the future of imaging: How technology is transforming not just medicine, but our very ways of perceiving the world. With the rise of AI-driven “digital vision,” Sodickson, a pioneer of MRI innovation, argues that imaging is no longer just a diagnostic tool — it's becoming a new language of discovery.In this conversation, Sodickson explores the promises and pitfalls of this promising new technology. Reflecting on the history of scientific discovery, we examine what the next generation of imaging might reveal about life itself. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What happens when a doctor gives you six months before a wheelchair? Bitsy Hamilton said no. In this powerful episode, Bitsy shares her journey from teacher to ICF-certified life coach while battling a devastating MS diagnosis. She refused the prognosis. Through radical self-advocacy, inflammation control, and daily creative practice, she achieved completely clear MRIs five years later. Her Own It Framework emerged from navigating career shifts, divorce, and health challenges simultaneously. "If you don't have your health, you don't have anything," her father told her. She listened. Now through EA Hamilton Coaching, Bitsy helps others navigate major transitions. Her question for you: Who do you want to be authentically at the end of this transition?Elizabeth "Bitsy" Hamilton is an ICF-certified life coach, author of the forthcoming Own It: A Guide to Confidence, Clarity, and Unshakable Trust, and founder of EA Hamilton Coaching and Consulting. With over 20 years as an educator and coach, she guides individuals through major life transitions using her signature Own It Framework. After defying a devastating MS prognosis through radical self-advocacy, Bitsy now helps clients navigate divorce, career shifts, and identity rediscovery. A Forbes Coaches Council member and upcoming TEDx speaker, she lives in Austin, Texas, blending traditional coaching with nature-based methodologies while maintaining her lifelong creative practice.About The Show: The Life in Transition, hosted by Art Blanchford focuses on making the most of the changes we're given every week. Art has been through hundreds of transitions in his life. Many have been difficult, but all have led to a depth and richness he could never have imagined. On the podcast Art explores how to create more love and joy in life, no matter what transitions we go through. Art is married to his lifelong partner, a proud father of three and a long-time adventurer and global business executive. He is the founder and leader of the Midlife Transition Mastery Community. Learn more about the MLTM Community here: www.lifeintransition.online.In This Episode: (00:00) Refusing the MS Prognosis(01:04) Teaching Career to Life Coaching Transition(08:28) Rediscovering Creativity Through Art(16:41) MidLife Transition Mastery Ad(22:21) Creative Expression as Emotional Healing(26:46) The MS Diagnosis Journey(30:15) Six Months to a Wheelchair Warning(34:02) Taking Control Through Self-Advocacy(42:50) Transition Mastery Coaching Ad(48:44) Hope and Working for What You Want(50:20) The Own It Framework Question(57:23) Finding Your Spark and ClosingLike, subscribe, and send us your comments and feedback.Resources:Website: https://coachbitsy.comInstagram: @coachbitsyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-anne-hamiltonForthcoming Book: Own It: A Guide to Confidence, Clarity, and Unshakable Trust (Winter 2025)Email Art BlanchfordLife in Transition WebsiteLife in Transition on IGLife in Transition on FBJoin Our Community: https://www.lifeintransition.online/My new book PURPOSEFUL LIVING is out now. Order it now: https://www.amazon.com/PURPOSEFUL-LIVING-Wisdom-Coming-Complex/dp/1963913922Explore our website https://lifeintransitionpodcast.com/ for more in-depth information and resources, and to download the 8-step guide to mastering mid-life transitions.The views and opinions expressed on the Life In Transition podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Life In Transition Podcast, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2025.
In a candid and informative episode of "The Valley Today," host Janet Michael talks with Dr. Marsha Nelson, a board-certified breast surgeon at Valley Health Breast Center, to shed light on the realities of breast cancer. As October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the timing of this conversation could not be more relevant. From the outset, Janet sets a personal tone, sharing her own hesitations about mammograms and giving a heartfelt shoutout to a friend and survivor, Sandy Schwab. This openness paves the way for a discussion that is both educational and deeply human. Understanding the Risks Dr. Nelson wastes no time addressing the statistics: breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, with one in eight women facing a diagnosis in their lifetime. However, she quickly clarifies that while the risk is significant, it is not the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. The conversation transitions smoothly into a discussion of risk factors, emphasizing that age and gender are the two biggest contributors—factors no one can change. Nevertheless, Dr. Nelson highlights the importance of understanding family history, genetics, and lifestyle choices such as smoking and diet. She notes that only a small percentage of breast cancer cases are directly linked to genetic mutations, but encourages women to be proactive about their health regardless of their background. The Power of Early Detection Transitioning to the topic of screening, Janet and Dr. Nelson explore the life-saving potential of early detection. Dr. Nelson strongly advocates for annual mammograms starting at age 40, explaining that early-stage breast cancer is highly treatable and often curable. She addresses common concerns about mammograms, from discomfort to fears about radiation, and reassures listeners that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Moreover, Dr. Nelson discusses the limitations of mammograms, especially for women with dense breast tissue, and explains how additional imaging techniques like ultrasounds and MRIs can provide a clearer picture when needed. Navigating the Emotional Journey The conversation takes a personal turn as Janet admits she has never had a mammogram, despite regularly interviewing health professionals. Dr. Nelson responds with empathy, acknowledging that fear and uncertainty often prevent women from scheduling screenings. She emphasizes that knowledge is power, and that early detection can spare women from more aggressive treatments down the road. The dialogue underscores the emotional complexity of breast cancer prevention, blending medical facts with real-life anxieties and encouragement. Genetics, Testing, and Next Steps As the discussion delves into genetic testing, Dr. Nelson outlines the process for women who may be at higher risk due to family history. She explains that not everyone needs genetic testing, but those who meet certain criteria can benefit from counseling and, if necessary, more intensive surveillance. Importantly, Dr. Nelson dispels the myth that a positive genetic test automatically leads to drastic measures like prophylactic mastectomy, stressing that each case is unique and should be managed with personalized care. A Call to Action In closing, Janet commits to scheduling her first mammogram and urges listeners to do the same. She invites her audience to share their own screening dates, fostering a sense of community and accountability. Dr. Nelson expresses her hope that the conversation will inspire more women to take charge of their breast health, reinforcing the message that early action saves lives.
First, a good chuckle from The Lincoln Project: The Epstein Memorial Ballroom. Brilliant!------President Donald Trump challenging Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to take the same cognitive test given to patients under physicians' scrutiny for dementia or Alzheimer's Disease isn't the "own" he thinks it is, but it begs the question: why's a guy who's had two MRIs in six months and showing clear signs of decline still in office when it was his party that had massive(ly overblown?) concerns about a similar (was it?) scenario just a year ago? ------Steve Bannon's confident there'll be a third Trump presidency (wouldn't Trump need to be alive and in good mental health?) in 2029, but polling indicates that Americans are remembering why they soured on a Trump presidency the first time. Trump's hemorrhaging Hispanic American support (this should surprise no one), but he's also under water with Georgia voters. New Atlanta Journal Constitution polling shows about one in five Republicans agree the nation is on the "wrong track." Overall, GOP support for Trump remains stubbornly strong, but not as strong as disdain for him from outside the GOP. His clout in 2026 races? Not that big a deal, according to likely GOP voters, but then neither is the endorsement of Governor Brian Kemp. ------Are CNN staffers right to be concerned their boss is gently nudging his network to lighten up on coverage of the East Wing demolition? Hmm; why, after his visit to The White House would he be doing that? Also, is it that Americans can actually visualize Trump destroying our nation's institutions and it's a bad look?------Frequent show guest, Jay Bookman with the Georgia Recorder, has weighed in on the 2026 Democratic field for Georgia's governor's race, boiling it down to a likely generational rumble between the 72-year old Mike Thurmond and 42-year old Jason Esteves. His reasons for discounting the early polling leader (Keisha Lance Bottoms) aren't new to consider on this show, but noteworthy, still. Also noteworthy, he didn't even mention Rep. Ruwa Romman, who's galvanizing energy with a small army of campaign volunteers and already door-knocking and doing interviews aplenty to grow awareness of her and her progressive bona fides.On with me to discuss his time with Rep. Romman is Atlanta Voice editor-in-chief Donnell Suggs.------Then, state Senator Nikki Merritt joined me to discuss her bold idea: asking Governor Brian Kemp to call for a special general assembly session to tap into the state's $14.6 billion in reserve funds to keep SNAP benefits going for the state's 1.3 million recipients. She and other members of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus held a press conference Monday to validate their rationale, and there's plenty of merit in it.------This one's wild: a Cobb County school board member (it's vice chair!) is fielding calls for his resignation after he and a business of his has been named in a $250,000 civil lawsuit. On with me to discuss this story, Cobb County Courier's Rebecca Gaunt.
People who live the longest aren't always the ones with the “perfect” body weight. In fact, research suggests that being slightly overweight can actually increase your life expectancy. It sounds counterintuitive, but the science may surprise you. Listen as I explain what's really going on. https://healthland.time.com/2013/01/02/being-overweight-is-linked-to-lower-risk-of-mortality/ Ever since the dawn of the Internet, we've been told to guard against hackers — but today's biggest threat isn't hacking, it's scamming. Cybercriminals are more cunning than ever, tricking millions into giving up money and information every day. If you think you are too clever to be taken by cyber-scammers, think again. Eric O'Neill — former FBI undercover operative, national security attorney, and cybersecurity strategist — reveals how modern scams work and how to stop them before they get to you. He's the author of Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime: Cybersecurity Tactics to Outsmart Hackers and Disarm Scammers (https://amzn.to/4nRvvv1). Imagine medicine without X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs. It's impossible — these imaging breakthroughs revolutionized how doctors diagnose and treat disease. Yet not long ago, the idea of seeing inside the body without a single incision was pure fantasy. Dr. Daniel K. Sodickson, chief of innovation in radiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and author of The Future of Seeing: How Imaging Is Changing Our World (https://amzn.to/3KNz3zS), shares the fascinating story of how imaging transformed modern medicine — and what's coming next. Sarcasm might seem like just a clever way to joke around but it's actually good exercise for your brain. Using and understanding sarcasm requires multiple parts of your mind to work together. Listen as I explain why being sarcastic might make you sharper. https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=49283&utm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Have you or a loved one experienced anxiety before, during or after cancer scans? You're not alone! You may feel like cancer takes away your control, but there are some things you can do to make your life better in this challenging time. Listen to learn why it happens, how it affects both patients and families, and what you can do to manage the emotional rollercoaster of uncertainty. https://bit.ly/4o7eAojIn this Episode:01:56 - Remembering Michael Caine03:29 - Arizona: The Red Ghost and Tamale Pie06:49 - Scanxiety: Stress or Anxiety Related to Cancer Imaging or Scans09:25 - The "What If" Cycle10:41 - Family Members & Care Team Can Also Get Scanxiety11:30 - Strategies to Cope with Scanxiety13:06 - How to Stay Calm and Confident Before, During and After Scans16:49 - Outro#Scanxiety #CancerAwareness #EveryoneDiesPodcast #CancerSupport #MentalHealth #CopingWithCancer #CancerSurvivorship #HealthAnxiety #PatientSupport #MindBodyHealthA normal part of cancer survivorship is to have what are called "surveillance scans" which are an important part of keeping you healthy during survivorship. "Scanxiety" is the anxiety and fear experienced before, during, and after medical imaging tests, such as CT scans, MRIs, or PET scans, and it is a common challenge for people living with a cancer diagnosis. This includes feelings of dread, fear, and uncertainty that can interfere with sleep, appetite, focus, and overall well-being. Learn strategies to cope so you can stay calm and confident through this difficult time.Support the showGet show notes and resources at our website: every1dies.org. Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | mail@every1dies.org
Broadcast from KSQD, Santa Cruz on 10-23-2025: Dr. Dawn opens with a passionate plea about E-bike safety after observing riders ignoring stop signs and wearing inadequate helmets in Santa Cruz. She explains the physics of collisions, noting that force equals mass times acceleration, and a car hitting an E-bike rider at 20 mph delivers impact equivalent to falling from a two-story building. She emphasizes that 97% of bike fatalities in New York involved helmetless riders, and brain injuries result from the brain striking the skull twice during impact - once on the impact side and again on the opposite side during deceleration. She urges drivers to honk at helmetless riders and calls for stricter helmet law enforcement. An emailer asks about hydroxyapatite in toothpaste. Dr. Dawn traces its origins to NASA research in the 1960s by Dr. Bernard Rubin studying crystal growth for preventing bone and tooth mineral loss in astronauts. Japanese company Sangi acquired the patent and created the first hydroxyapatite toothpaste by 1980, receiving official anti-cavity recognition in 1993. Studies show it matches fluoride's cavity prevention effectiveness by filling microscopic cracks where bacteria take root. It also relieves temperature sensitivity by sealing micro-fractures in enamel that expose the dentin layer, making it especially helpful for people who clench their jaws. Researchers from UC Berkeley and the Allen Institute used electrodes and lasers to study how mouse brains process optical illusions like the Kanizsa triangle. They discovered specialized IC encoder neurons in the visual cortex that fill in missing information, creating complete shapes from partial cues. When these pattern-completing circuits activate inappropriately, they may trigger hallucinations in conditions like schizophrenia. Dr. Dawn explains that illusions occur when the brain perceives something different from actual visual input, while hallucinations create perceptions with no external stimulus. She discusses frontotemporal dementia where visual hallucinations result from protein deposits in the occipital cortex, and notes that a 2021 British Journal of Psychiatry study found hallucination rates varying from 7% in young people to 3% in those over 70. An emailer describes unbearable chronic lumbar pain with degenerative disc disease shown on MRI. Dr. Dawn emphasizes that MRI findings don't necessarily correlate with pain levels, citing shopping mall studies showing equal degenerative changes in people with and without back pain. She stresses checking for sciatica symptoms including leg pain below the knee, sensory differences between sides, calf size asymmetry, and ability to walk on tiptoes and heels. Without these red flags, the degenerative disease likely isn't causing the pain. She warns against unnecessary surgery citing frequent "failed back" syndrome when surgery for a disk image doesn't "fix" the pain. She recommends water jogging with a ski vest, McKenzie exercises, abdominal strengthening, ergonomics, removing wallets from back pockets, and alternating heat and ice therapy. She discusses mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy for pain management. A caller references Daniel Levitin's book "Your Brain on Music," discussing research using functional MRIs showing distinct brain activation patterns in musicians versus non-musicians due to integrated auditory, visual, and kinesthetic training. Dr. Dawn describes how infant brains develop from three to six layers with increasingly complex synaptic connections resembling circuit boards. She highlights a blindfold study where college students' visual cortices began responding to sound within two weeks as the auditory cortex expanded. She shares her husband's remarkable recovery demonstrating adult brain plasticity through intensive rehabilitation. Learning new musical instruments helps dementia patients by activating multiple brain regions simultaneously and improving standard cognitive test performance. A caller describes an eight-day chest cold with thick white phlegm. Dr. Dawn recommends guaifenesin as a mucus-thinning expectorant to prevent bacterial growth in respiratory secretions that serve as "bacteria chow." She emphasizes the importance of current flu, COVID, and RSV vaccinations. Secondary bacterial infections develop when bacteria colonize viral-induced mucus in the lungs and invade tissues. She advises aggressive hydration and chicken soup, which research shows helps clear mucus. Another caller provides additional information about Daniel Levitin as a musicologist, neurologist, and musician who runs the Music Perception, Cognition and Expertise laboratory at McGill University.
Sarah AND Susie had MRIs (separately, but still), and let's just say it didn't go well. Hear them trauma bond about it. We learn that cows have accents depending on where they live, and even their mood and what they're mooing about. And we learn how we even know that. We discuss how inspired we are by the work and life of Jane Goodall, and how her legacy will live on. We talk about how there are different expectations for different circumstances and how standards change all the time and expectations affect our perceptions. We learn about a school that is limiting the number of times students can use the bathroom, and we debate whether this is a good policy or not. And Sarah reveals the difference between having an orgasm with a woman vs. having an orgasm with a man.Brain Candy Podcast Presents: Susie & Sarah's SpOoOoOoOoktacular Spectacle, October 30, Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado: Get your tickets! Brain Candy Podcast Website - https://thebraincandypodcast.com/Brain Candy Podcast Book Recommendations - https://thebraincandypodcast.com/books/Brain Candy Podcast Merchandise - https://thebraincandypodcast.com/candy-store/Brain Candy Podcast Candy Club - https://thebraincandypodcast.com/product/candy-club/Brain Candy Podcast Sponsor Codes - https://thebraincandypodcast.com/support-us/Brain Candy Podcast Social Media & Platforms:Brain Candy Podcast LIVE Interactive Trivia Nights - https://www.youtube.com/@BrainCandyPodcast/streamsBrain Candy Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braincandypodcastHost Susie Meister Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susiemeisterHost Sarah Rice Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imsarahriceBrain Candy Podcast on X: https://www.x.com/braincandypodBrain Candy Podcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/braincandy (JOIN FREE - TONS OF REALITY TV CONTENT)Brain Candy Podcast Sponsors, partnerships, & Products that we love:Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BRAINCANDY at https://www.oneskin.co #oneskinpodDownload Hily from the App Store or Google Play, or check out https://highly.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this special live episode of the SHE MD Podcast, Olivia Munn joins Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, Mary Alice Haney, Dr. Shari Goldfarb, and Kristen Dahlgren, for a powerful Breast Cancer Awareness Month panel in New York City. The event coincided with NBC's Today Show coverage and the lighting of the Empire State Building in pink — marking the launch of a national conversation around early detection, AI, and prevention.Together, they explore how lifetime risk assessments, dense breast screening, and AI mammogram prediction tools like Clarity Breast are transforming breast health. The panel also discusses cancer vaccine research, genetic testing, and the importance of women knowing their individual risk scores.Listeners will hear Olivia's personal story of early detection after a high-risk score prompted further imaging, leading to her diagnosis and recovery. This episode offers clarity, action, and hope — empowering every listener to become their own health advocate and partner with their medical team.Subscribe to SHE MD Podcast for expert tips on PCOS, Endometriosis, fertility, and hormonal balance. Share with friends and visit the SHE MD website and Ovii for research-backed resources, holistic health strategies, and expert guidance on women's health and well-being.What You'll LearnHow lifetime risk assessment tools can identify breast cancer risk before symptoms appearWhy dense breast tissue requires supplemental screening beyond mammogramsHow AI predictive tools like Clarity Breast are revolutionizing early detectionThe promise of vaccine research and genetic testing in future breast cancer preventionKey Timestamps(00:00) Live event intro and Breast Cancer Awareness Month context(03:30) Olivia's story: risk score, MRI findings, and early diagnosis(13:00) Dr. Aliabadi and Dr. Goldfarb on dense breast screening and AI tools(16:00) Cancer vaccine and immunotherapy discussion with Kristen Dahlgren(27:00) Genetic testing and family history: understanding your risk(34:00) Audience Q&A: emotional recovery and advocacy(42:00) Is there support for young women being diagnosed with breast cancer?(51:30) Clarifying the term Risk AssessmentKey TakeawaysEvery woman should know her lifetime breast cancer risk scoreDense breasts may obscure cancers — MRI and ultrasound can save livesAI mammogram tools are changing detection from reactive to predictiveResearch into cancer vaccines offers hope for prevention and recurrence reductionAdvocacy and awareness remain key — early action leads to better outcomesGuest BiosOlivia MunnOlivia Munn is an actress, health advocate, and breast cancer survivor. After receiving a high lifetime risk assessment score, she underwent further imaging that revealed cancer across multiple quadrants, leading to a bilateral mastectomy. Since publicly sharing her diagnosis in 2024, she has dedicated her platform toward raising awareness about early detection, risk assessment, and empowering women with knowledge about their breast health.Dr. Shari Goldfarb, MDDr. Shari Goldfarb is a breast medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, with a clinical focus on early and advanced breast cancer. Her research centers on survivorship, symptom management, fertility, sexual health, and quality of life for breast cancer patients. She participates in clinical trials aimed at improving outcomes for women during and after treatment.Kristen DahlgrenKristen Dahlgren is a former NBC correspondent who, after her own stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis, left journalism to found the Cancer Vaccine Coalition. She collaborates with top cancer centers to accelerate immunotherapy and vaccine development in breast cancer and advocates for preventive strategies beyond current standards.LinksOlivia Munn – https://www.instagram.com/oliviamunnDr. Shari Goldfarb – https://www.mskcc.org/profile/shari-goldfarbKristen Dahlgren – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-dahlgren-886519292/Donna McKay – https://www.bcrf.org/teamResources MentionedBreast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) – Funding for innovative breast cancer research and prevention programs
We loved recording this episode! The main topic was the article that rocked the athletic world last week, which asserted that many protein powders had unsafe amounts of lead contamination. We broke down the numbers to reach a much more nuanced conclusion that should help you feel better about it all. And that led to a broader discussion on the perils of advocacy being presented as science. We also talked about a shocking study on 45 asymptomatic people, which found labrum defects in 69% of hips! MRIs are complicated, unveiling mysteries of the human body and the strange line between structural and inflammatory issues. We discuss what it all means!And this one was full of great topics! Other topics: recovery cake, Megan's beastly bike workout, our attempt to program AI with 22 sexy concepts in athletics, a study on actual v. planned carb intake in races, Courtney Dauwalter doing another marathon, a hypothetical about Cole Hocker in ultras, breaking up moderate running with sub-threshold intervals, how grief impacts training, energy deficits in multi-day events, preparing for heat, period parties, and when to FAFO.We love you all! HUZZAH!Prepare for some shockingly high-grade fish,-David and MeganClick "Claim Your Sponsorship" for $40 free credit at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swapGet First Endurance Multi-V: https://thefeed.com/products/first-endurance-multiv-90ct Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com/ (code "SWAP")For training plans, weekly bonus podcasts, articles, and videos: patreon.com/swap
MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through TrainHeroic and you can get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.To continue the conversation, join our Discord! We have experts standing by to answer your questions.This week we're back for round 2 with Brian Carroll. You should definitely go back and listen to our first episode with him before you dive into this one. We brought Brian back to ask a variety of follow up questions, some our own and some provided by you guys in your responses to the initial episode. The most frequent piece of feedback we got was about his interpretation on MRIs. We get to that a little later in the episode, so stick with it.Other topics for this discussion include the psychology of recovering from injury, the complexity of the relationship between pain and injury, and for our video viewers he even breaks out some spine models to demonstrate a few of the concepts he discusses.He mentions Michael Shacklock and neurodynamics a few times, if you want to learn more about that check out their page. He also mentions a few videos they're making about MRI interpretation, here are links to the first two:"MRI Case Study: Why They Matter and Why They Don't Tell the Whole Story""Does Your MRI Tell the Whole Story?"Brian also asked that we include the following clarification in response to his exchange with Alex about Elon Musk's role in SpaceX engineering (this is copied directly from Brian's email): "Elon Musk actually does design rockets and create technology for various aspects of rocket science and aerospace advancement. He oversees engineering and development projects for SpaceX yet only holds bachelor degrees in both economics and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He began (but did not complete) a PhD program at Stanford before launching PayPal etc, he lasted 2 days in the program. He credits mentors and reading many books and studies, as have I with MRi's. "
As a nurse practitioner, I feel a deep responsibility to my listeners and community to ensure that every guest I bring on shares accurate, evidence-based information. A few months ago, I decided to remove two podcasts from earlier this year to make way for an expert who could speak specifically and authoritatively on breast cancer health. So, I am honored to welcome Dr. Robin Roth today, better known as The Boobie Docs, on her popular breast health social media platform, where she shares information about breast cancer in a fun and educational way. Dr. Roth is an associate professor of radiology, specializing in breast and abdominal imaging. She is also the host of The Girlfriend's Guide to Breast Cancer podcast, created to support those navigating a breast cancer diagnosis or caring for a loved one. In our discussion today, we dive into misinformation about breast health and breast imaging. We explore the importance of acknowledging disinformation on social media, risk factors for early breast cancer screening, significant and modifiable risk factors, and the effects of dense breast tissue. We examine breast imaging, exploring ultrasound and mammography, the differences between 2D and 3D mammograms (the gold standard), and when to use MRIs. We clarify why thermography and QT imaging are not the gold standard, and why we need to request different types of imaging modalities. We discuss the importance of screenings, challenges, including diagnoses like DCIS, personalized approaches to breast cancer screening, breast cancer staging, and issues with imaging after mastectomies and with implant placement. Dr. Roth also explains how 80% of breast biopsies end up being benign, how to manage anxiety and callbacks for mammograms, how to understand lab reports in plain language terms, and the benefits of supportive resources like cancerbesties.com. With her expertise and approachable style, Dr. Roth reminds us that proper information can make all the difference when it comes to breast health. You will not want to miss this conversation, especially during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: How online platforms fuel confusion around breast health and imaging Disinformation may influence breast cancer screening decisions Modifiable factors that can reduce or increase your risk of breast cancer Why dense breast tissue matters for imaging accuracy Ultrasounds, 2D and 3D mammograms, and MRIs Thermography and QT imaging are not gold standards Why every individual DCIS diagnosis needs a personalized approach Breast cancer staging and how it guides treatment 80% of biopsies are benign, but still essential How to manage anxiety around callbacks and make sense of lab reports Connect with Cynthia Thurlow Follow on X Instagram LinkedIn Check out Cynthia's website Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com Connect with Dr. Robyn Roth On her website Social Media: @the boobie docs Preorder a copy of Everyone Has Boobies
In this episode of Bendy Bodies, Dr. Linda Bluestein is joined by neurosurgeon and social media educator Dr. Betsy Grunch to tackle complex questions around spine health, chronic pain, and the unique challenges faced by people with hypermobility and connective tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS). Together, they explore why “normal” MRIs don't always tell the whole story, when surgery is (and isn't) the right option, and how the healthcare system sometimes overlooks the needs of patients living with invisible or misunderstood conditions. Dr. Grunch shares what she's seeing in the OR, what she's hearing from patients online, and how she's trying to change the narrative, one compassionate conversation at a time. Takeaways Dr. Grunch explains how patients can feel intense pain even when imaging appears "normal"—and why that doesn't mean the pain isn't real. Learn why people with EDS or joint instability may need a different approach—and what surgeons should know before operating. Dr. Grunch talks about the importance of timing, accurate diagnosis, and avoiding unnecessary procedures when conservative options could work. From TikTok DMs to comment sections, Dr. Grunch shares how social media is reshaping her perspective on what patients need. Through open communication and education, Dr. Grunch offers a refreshing take on how specialists can avoid bias and embrace curiosity. References: Ep 137: https://www.bendybodiespodcast.com/signs-of-tethered-cord-you-shouldnt-ignore-with-dr-petra-klinge-ep-137/ Want more Dr. Betsy Grunch? https://www.x.com/ladyspinedoc https://www.instagram.com/ladyspinedoc https://www.facebook.com/ladyspinedoc https://www.youtube.com/@ladyspinedoc https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgrunch/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ladyspinedoc Want more Dr. Linda Bluestein, MD? Website: https://www.hypermobilitymd.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bendybodiespodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hypermobilitymd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BendyBodiesPodcast X: https://twitter.com/BluesteinLinda LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypermobilitymd/ Newsletter: https://hypermobilitymd.substack.com/ Shop my Amazon store https://www.amazon.com/shop/hypermobilitymd Dr. Bluestein's Recommended Herbs, Supplements and Care Necessities: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/hypermobilitymd/store-start Thank YOU so much for tuning in. We hope you found this episode informative, inspiring, useful, validating, and enjoyable. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to level up your knowledge about hypermobility disorders and the people who have them. Join YOUR Bendy Bodies community at https://www.bendybodiespodcast.com/. YOUR bendy body is our highest priority! Learn more about Human Content at http://www.human-content.com Podcast Advertising/Business Inquiries: sales@human-content.com Part of the Human Content Podcast Network FTC: This video is not sponsored. Links are commissionable, meaning I may earn commission from purchases made through links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send us a textCancer is the second leading cause of death, and while it sparks fear for good reason, 40% of cases are preventable. In this episode, I outline six practical, evidence-based steps that can help reduce your risk.We begin by understanding which cancers are most common based on gender—breast, colon, and lung in women; prostate, colon, and lung in men. While some rare cancers (like pancreatic or ovarian) evoke greater fear, the focus here is on the ones we're more likely to face and can meaningfully act on.Next, I break down risk factors into two categories. Some are unavoidable—your sex, age, or family history. For example, if a close relative had breast or colon cancer, early screening or genetic testing may be warranted. However, only about 5–10% of cancers are directly linked to inherited genetic mutations (American Cancer Society).The more empowering list? Avoidable risk factors—where our actions matter most. Smoking remains the leading modifiable cause of cancer, responsible for about 19% of all cases. Excess weight and obesity account for another 8% and are especially tied to hard-to-treat cancers like pancreatic and ovarian (ScienceDirect) and PubMed). Visceral fat appears more predictive than BMI alone. Alcohol, especially in large quantities, is also linked to liver, GI, and breast cancers.Some risks are cancer-specific. HPV causes nearly all cervical cancers, and melanoma is largely driven by UV exposure. Air pollution, especially particulate matter, may slightly increase lung cancer risk (ASCO Global Oncology).Step three is to act on what you can. Quit smoking, aim for a healthy weight, wear sun protection, and ensure your kids get their routine HPV and Hepatitis B vaccines. Exercise plays a major role too—high activity levels correlate with 10–20% lower risk of several major cancers (JAMA). In colon cancer survivors, regular exercise reduced recurrence by 30% (PubMed).Step four is awareness: don't ignore new symptoms like unexplained bleeding or lumps. Early detection can be life-saving.Step five is screening. If you're 45 or older, colonoscopy is now recommended. Women should get regular mammograms and PAP smears, and individuals with smoking history may benefit from lung CT scans. For rarer cancers with family history, targeted screenings may apply. I also address why whole-body MRIs and liquid biopsies aren't ready for routine use.Step six? Don't put your hope in supplements. Large trials show omega-3s, vitamin D, beta carotene, and vitamin C offer no real protective benefit (NEJM VITAL Study, Meta-analysis on Vitamin C, JNCI on aspirin).Takeaways: You can reduce your cancer risk by modifying lifestyle factors like smoking, weight, and activity. Don't delay screenings—they catch cancers early when treatment is most effective. And remember: no supplement replaces proven preventive strategies.Visit drbobbylivelongandwell.com for more evidence-based tools, and listen to the full episode for actionable steps to help you live long and well.
In this episode of Bendy Bodies, Dr. Linda Bluestein is joined by neurosurgeon and social media educator Dr. Betsy Grunch to tackle complex questions around spine health, chronic pain, and the unique challenges faced by people with hypermobility and connective tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS). Together, they explore why “normal” MRIs don't always tell the whole story, when surgery is (and isn't) the right option, and how the healthcare system sometimes overlooks the needs of patients living with invisible or misunderstood conditions. Dr. Grunch shares what she's seeing in the OR, what she's hearing from patients online, and how she's trying to change the narrative, one compassionate conversation at a time. Takeaways Dr. Grunch explains how patients can feel intense pain even when imaging appears "normal"—and why that doesn't mean the pain isn't real. Learn why people with EDS or joint instability may need a different approach—and what surgeons should know before operating. Dr. Grunch talks about the importance of timing, accurate diagnosis, and avoiding unnecessary procedures when conservative options could work. From TikTok DMs to comment sections, Dr. Grunch shares how social media is reshaping her perspective on what patients need. Through open communication and education, Dr. Grunch offers a refreshing take on how specialists can avoid bias and embrace curiosity. Find the episode transcript here. References: Ep 137: https://www.bendybodiespodcast.com/signs-of-tethered-cord-you-shouldnt-ignore-with-dr-petra-klinge-ep-137/ Want more Dr. Betsy Grunch? https://www.x.com/ladyspinedoc https://www.instagram.com/ladyspinedoc https://www.facebook.com/ladyspinedoc https://www.youtube.com/@ladyspinedoc https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgrunch/ https://www.tiktok.com/@ladyspinedoc Want more Dr. Linda Bluestein, MD? Website: https://www.hypermobilitymd.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bendybodiespodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hypermobilitymd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BendyBodiesPodcast X: https://twitter.com/BluesteinLinda LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypermobilitymd/ Newsletter: https://hypermobilitymd.substack.com/ Shop my Amazon store https://www.amazon.com/shop/hypermobilitymd Dr. Bluestein's Recommended Herbs, Supplements and Care Necessities: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/hypermobilitymd/store-start Thank YOU so much for tuning in. We hope you found this episode informative, inspiring, useful, validating, and enjoyable. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to level up your knowledge about hypermobility disorders and the people who have them. Join YOUR Bendy Bodies community at https://www.bendybodiespodcast.com/. YOUR bendy body is our highest priority! Learn more about Human Content at http://www.human-content.com Podcast Advertising/Business Inquiries: sales@human-content.com Part of the Human Content Podcast Network FTC: This video is not sponsored. Links are commissionable, meaning I may earn commission from purchases made through links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"You've had a zoo experience..." As the show continues to use Monday Night Football's free use music until someone tells them not to, Zaslow is shocked to learn Greg sleeps criss-cross apple sauce, Tony insists he's had more MRIs than anyone, and Billy is ready to launch a new podcast: The Little Things And That Kinda Thing with Larry Little and Greg Cote. Also, is Dan okay? No, seriously. What's going on? Like, is this a body double? Dan? DAN? If you want to attend The Monster Masquerade at Zoo Miami Saturday 10/18, log onto http://zoomiami.org/monster and use code RONMM25. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I am excited to have Dr. Yvonne Karney with me for a two-part series focused on breast imaging options and the importance of informed consent. In Part 1 today, we discuss the limitations of current breast screening options and how to protect yourself if you choose to get mammograms or MRIs. We also introduce you to QT Imaging, which is the future of breast imaging. Benefits of early detection: It allows for procedures like lumpectomy instead of extensive surgery Early-stage cancers often require less chemotherapy or radiation Detecting cancer early generally improves the chance of recovery and survival Smaller interventions preserve appearance and more tissue Early treatment can be quicker, simpler, and less traumatic Yvonne Karney's Bio: Yvonne Karney is a medical doctor, traditionally trained in gynecology, and a former United States Air Force physician, who converted to integrative medicine when she realized she didn't have the right tools to help her patients achieve true health. She is the founder of Vitality Renewal Functional Medicine in the Chicago suburbs, where her newest venture is to revolutionize breast imaging by offering an option that has the image quality of MRI WITHOUT radiation, IV contrast, or painful compression. She's on a mission to give women options for breast imaging and educate them about the risks and benefits of the current breast cancer screening recommendations. In this episode: How mammograms are pushed without real informed choice The value of early detection How false positives tend to fuel fear and lead to extra procedures Risks that come with breast compression and radiation How overdiagnosis leads to overtreatment The problems associated with MRIs How true 3D imaging could change the future of breast screening Links and Resources: Guest Social Media Links: Vitality Renewal Breast Imaging Yvonne Karney on YouTube Yvonne Karney on Instagram Vitality Renewal Functional Medicine Relative Links for This Show: Try Halo (Salt) Therapy for respiratory and skin health. Call 319-363-0033 to schedule your session. https://yourlongevityblueprint.com/product/glutathione-60-ct/ https://yourlongevityblueprint.com/product/coq10-100-mg/ Follow Your Longevity Blueprint On Instagram| Facebook| Twitter| YouTube | LinkedIn Get your copy of the Your Longevity Blueprint book and claim your bonuses here Find Dr. Stephanie Gray and Your Longevity Blueprint online Follow Dr. Stephanie Gray On Facebook| Instagram| Youtube | Twitter | LinkedIn Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic Podcast production by Team Podcast
Send us a textIn this episode, we cover the anatomy and functions of the menisci, the mechanisms behind various types of meniscal tears, and clinical assessment techniques. We also discuss when to opt for conservative care versus surgical treatment, and reviews special tests and imaging standards like MRIs. Tune in to enhance your understanding of knee meniscal injuries and improve your clinical practice.00:00 Introduction to Bets Snacks Podcast00:23 Overview of Knee Meniscal Tears00:54 Anatomy and Function of the Menisci03:03 Types of Meniscal Tears05:58 Clinical Assessment Techniques08:15 Imaging and Diagnosis09:04 Conservative vs. Surgical Treatment12:03 Conclusion and Additional ResourcesBeamer BS, Walley KC, Okajima S, et al. (2017). Meniscal Repair vs Partial Meniscectomy: A Comparative Analysis of Clinical Outcomes. Arthroscopy, 33(9), 1635–1643.Englund M, Guermazi A, Gale D, et al. (2008). Incidental Meniscal Findings on Knee MRI in Middle-Aged and Elderly Persons. New England Journal of Medicine, 359(11), 1108–1115.Logerstedt DS, Scalzitti D, Risberg MA, et al. (2010). Knee Pain and Mobility Impairments: Meniscal and Articular Cartilage Lesions. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT) Clinical Practice Guidelines, 40(6), A1–A35.LaPrade RF, Geeslin AG, Everett CR, et al. (2015). Diagnosis and Treatment of Meniscal Injuries: A Review. Sports Health, 7(2), 147–154.Stensrud S, Risberg MA, Roos EM. (2012). Effect of Exercise Therapy on Meniscal Tear Outcomes in Middle-Aged Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. British Medical Journal (BMJ), 344:e533.Go to PT Final Exam using this link to access great studying options to conquer the NPTE!Support the showStay Connected! Make sure to hit follow now so you don't miss an episode! Got questions? Email me at ptsnackspodcast@gmail.com or leave feedback HERE. You can also join the email list HERE Need CEUs Fast?Time and resources short? Medbridge has you covered: Get over $100 off a subscription with code PTSNACKSPODCAST: Medbridge Students: Save $75 off a student subscription with code PTSNACKSPODCASTSTUDENT—a full year of unlimited access for less! Prepping for the NPTE? Get all the study tools you need to master it at PT Final Exam. Use code PTSnacks at checkout to get a discount! Want to Support the Show?Help me keep creating free content by: Sharing the podcast with someone who'd benefit. Contributing directly via the link...
DianeKazer.com/PATIENT DianeKazer.com/RESOURCES DianeKazer.com/EXPLANTSOLUTION DianeKazer.com/PEPTIDEPOWER DianeKazer.com/SHOP DianeKazer.com/VIP DianeKazer.com/PURCHASEPEPTIDES DianeKazer.com/PURCHASEPEPTIDESVIP For decades, we've trusted the message: Catch it early, save your life. But what if the very tools built for “early detection” — mammograms, MRIs and scans — are exposing us to radiation, inflammation, and fear that may actually fuel disease instead of prevent it? This week's episode dismantles the myth of modern cancer screening — and uncovers a deeper truth about what really drives healing and prevention.
Start with a laugh, stay for the clarity. We open by poking at flat‑earth tangents and headline noise, then zero in on what actually moves health: the words we use, the food we choose, and the daily habits that tell our cells whether to panic or repair. I break down why calling disease “chronically fermenting cells” changes the frame from doom to metabolism, then map the core strategy—remove impediments, restore essentials, let biology work.We go deep on NAC versus glutathione in plain English. NAC supplies cysteine, the rate‑limiting amino acid for glutathione; healthy cells use it quickly, while dysfunctional cells often don't. That's a smarter redox play than pushing IV glutathione that can be hijacked. From there, we slice through diet myths—kale and oxalates, soy, seed oils, lignans, “anti‑nutrients”—and rebuild a human plate that supports detox, microbiome resilience, and autophagy: plants in their colors, fiber as a rule, time‑restricted eating, and finishing meals five hours before bed for overnight cleanup.The Q&A gets gritty and useful. We challenge “baseline” MRIs that don't change action, talk parasites the right way (botfly larvae need extraction; tapeworms need properly dosed cycles like albendazole, praziquantel, niclosamide, nitazoxanide), and outline child‑safe, weight‑based regimens with liver support. Severe autism? Consider supervised chelation (DMSA/EDTA), real food, vitamin C and D at meaningful levels, and gentle juice fasts. Juvenile arthritis? Think triggers, toxins, mold, and gut permeability—then treat cause, not just inflammation. On a tight budget, I give the short list: vitamin C, D3/K2, mixed carotenoids and E, melatonin, iodine/thyroid guidance, fasting, movement, and sleep before supplements sprawl.When cases are advanced—lung lesions with brain spread—we add integrative oncology: IV vitSend us a text Join Dr. Lodi's Inner Circle membership and unlock exclusive access to webinars, healthy recipes, e-books, educational videos, live Zoom Q&A sessions with Dr. Lodi, plus fresh content every month. Elevate your healing journey today by visiting drlodi.com and use the coupon code podcast (all lowercase: P-O-D-C-A-S-T) for 30% off your first month on any membership option. Support the showThis episode features answers to health and cancer-related questions from Dr. Lodi's social media livestream on Jan. 19th, 2025Join Dr. Lodi's FREE Q&A livestreams every Sunday on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok (@drthomaslodi) and listen to the replays here.Submit your question for next Sunday's Q&A Livestream here:https://drlodi.com/live/Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/DrThomasLodi/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/drthomaslodi/ Join Dr. Lodi's Inner Circle membership and unlock exclusive access to webinars, healthy recipes, e-books, educational videos, live Zoom Q&A sessions with Dr. Lodi, plus fresh content every month. Elevate your healing journey today by visiting drlodi.com and use the coupon code podcast (all lowercase: P-O-D-C-A-S-T) for 30% off your first month on any membership option. Learn to Thrive with ADHD Podcast Welcome to the Learn to Thrive with ADHD Podcast. This is the show for you if you're... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Join Dr. Lodi's informative FREE Livestreams...
Deb from Australia shared her journey with rheumatoid arthritis, which she experienced for about four years before receiving a proper diagnosis. Initially, her GP attributed her chronic pain to other issues and suggested topical treatments. A physio at Nambbor General Hospital recognized her symptoms and referred her to a rheumatologist, who confirmed the diagnosis through blood tests and MRIs.Deb was prescribed methotrexate and folic acid but sought an alternative due to her desire for a healthier lifestyle. She turned to low-dose naltrexone (LDN) upon her integrative GP's recommendation. After starting on LDN, she experienced nausea and dizziness but persevered. Eventually, she reached a dose of 4.5 mg and became completely pain-free, significantly improving her quality of life.Deb expressed gratitude for LDN and noted feelings of euphoria and a boost in her overall health. Although her rheumatologist advised her to continue methotrexate for potential bone erosion, Deb felt fantastic on LDN and is looking forward to her next appointment. Additionally, she mentioned her background as a social worker, her previous burnout, and the possibility that autoimmune conditions run in her family.
Send us a textWelcome to PT Stocks podcast! In this episode, we dive into the fundamentals of using MRIs in physical therapy. MRIs are a great tool, but we need to learn how to use them appropriately to maximize their effectiveness. We'll explore key topics such as common asymptomatic MRI findings, when to order imaging, and how to educate and empower patients. Expect to learn about the cervical and lumbar spine, knee, rotator cuff, and hip labral tears, and get actionable tips on integrating MRI with clinical assessments. Tune in for practical takeaways that will enhance your diagnostic skills without over-relying on imaging.00:00 Introduction to PT Stocks Podcast00:55 Understanding MRIs: Asymptomatic Findings03:42 Clinical Examples of MRI Findings08:59 When to Order an MRI12:34 Cases Where MRI May Not Be Needed14:50 Conclusion and Additional ResourcesBrinjikji W, Luetmer PH, Comstock B, et al. Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015;36(4):811–816. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A4173Culvenor AG, Øiestad BE, Østerås N, et al. MRI features of knee osteoarthritis in patellofemoral pain: a cross-sectional case–control study. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(12):817–823. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-098349Tempelhof S, Rupp S, Seil R. Age-related prevalence of rotator cuff tears in asymptomatic shoulders. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 1999;8(4):296–299. doi:10.1016/S1058-2746(99)90148-9Yamaguchi K, Ditsios K, Middleton WD, Hildebolt CF, Galatz LM, Teefey SA. The demographic and morphological features of rotator cuff disease: a comparison of asymptomatic and symptomatic shoulders. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2006;88(8):1699–1704. doi:10.2106/JBJS.E.00835Register B, Pennock AT, Ho CP, Strickland CD, Lawand A, Philippon MJ. Prevalence of abnormal hip findings in asymptomatic participants: a prospective, blinded study. Am J Sports Med. 2012;40(12):2720–2724. doi:10.1177/0363546512453291Cardinal E, Buckwalter KA, Braunstein EM, Pope TL, Montgomery WJ. MGo to PT Final Exam using this link to access great studying options to conquer the NPTE!Support the showStay Connected! Make sure to hit follow now so you don't miss an episode! Got questions? Email me at ptsnackspodcast@gmail.com or leave feedback HERE. You can also join the email list HERE Need CEUs Fast?Time and resources short? Medbridge has you covered: Get over $100 off a subscription with code PTSNACKSPODCAST: Medbridge Students: Save $75 off a student subscription with code PTSNACKSPODCASTSTUDENT—a full year of unlimited access for less! Prepping for the NPTE? Get all the study tools you need to master it at PT Final Exam. Use code PTSnacks at checkout to get a discount! Want to Support the Show?Help me keep creating free content by: Sharing the podcast with someone who'd benefit. Contributing directly via the link...
Psalm 119:67, which says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.” *Transcription Below* Doug Rumbold is a child of the living God, a loving husband to Jessica, and father to Jada, Oliver, and Pierce. Currently he is the Pastor of Counseling & Discipleship at Northfield Christian Fellowship where he has pastored since 2006. He desires for others to be transformed into Christlikeness through authentic relationships. He holds a biblical counseling certificate from CCEF, a Bachelor's in Youth Ministry/ Adolescent Studies, and a Master's of Ministry in Theology. Connect with Doug on Instagram, Facebook, or schedule a counseling session through his website or order Doug's Book. Presence over Pain Podcast When did you experienced your first major loss? What are the three types of suffering you see laid out in the Bible? Will you share one of your conversations with the Lord where He responded with alliteration? Thank You to Our Sponsors: Chick-fil-A East Peoria and The Savvy Sauce Charities (and donate online here) Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“ Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“ Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” *Transcription* Music: (0:00 – 0:09) Laura Dugger: (0:09 - 1:38) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. I want to say a huge thank you to today's sponsors for this episode, Chick-fil-A East Peoria, and Savvy Sauce Charities. Are you interested in a free college education for you or someone you know? Stay tuned for details coming later in this episode from today's sponsor, Chick-fil-A, East Peoria. You can also visit their website today at https://www.chick-fil-a.com/locations/il/east-peoria. Doug Rumbold is my guest today. He is a pastor of counseling and discipleship, and he has recently written a book entitled Presence Over Pain. With Doug's biblical foundation and his sense of humor, he's now going to share some personal stories of suffering and God's continued faithfulness. He illustrates how a yearness of God is oftentimes born through trial. So, regardless of what each of us are walking through today, Doug's going to remind us that we have the opportunity to turn toward Christ. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Doug. Doug Rumbold: (1:39 - 1:42) It's exciting to be here, even virtually. Laura Dugger: (1:42 - 2:02) Well, and its always kind of special to have a local friend join me as a guest on the podcast. But for those who don't know you yet, I think it would be really helpful to hear your story and gain some context around what led you to write this book. So, will you just begin by sharing your story with us? Doug Rumbold: (2:03 - 6:09) Yeah, I love stories in general. I think when I look at Scripture, three-quarters of it, roughly, is a narrative. It's a story. And so, God's heart for story is just critical, even in His communication of truth and His love for us. So, it means everybody's story matters. So, my little story matters. And I think mine's an interesting one. To begin with, I was born and raised in Morton, Illinois. And I was born the seventh of eight children. So, my parent's kind of did this, like, unbelievable quantity of births in a short amount of time. I'm not a woman, so I don't understand how this works. But I assume that having eight children in 10 years is crazy. And they somehow managed to do that. So, I grew up in a loving Christian home. My dad was a phenomenal example of intention and direct when it came to conflict, merciful and forgiving when it needed to be called upon. My mom was and still is somebody who she could have a conversation with anyone. I love my mom, her ability to just dive deep into conversation. I remember my college years. My friends from college would actually love to come home to be with my parents, which is kind of odd. A bunch of college guys like, “Hey, can we come back from the big city of Chicago and go hang with your parents in the farm town?” Sure. Yeah, enjoy. So, I grew up seventh of eight. My oldest sister passed away before I was born at the age of four. She was actually buried on her fourth birthday, sadly. She passed away from leukemia. And then my youngest brother passed away my freshman year of college, which I talk about in the book a little bit. So, for all of my growing up years, there were seven of us, not eight. And then the family just kind of continued to expand. Everybody eventually got married and had children. And now on my side of the family, there's 35 grandkids. So, those are like pre-Medicaid type family backgrounds. You know, like you get together and everybody's going to take a Tylenol before because it's gonna be nice and loud and crazy. But I would say from just a believing perspective at eight years old, I remember being in the basement of my church in Morton. My Sunday school teacher just giving a really compelling description, not just of how like, oh, you're going to burn, but more of a what does it look like to be separated from God for eternity? What might that be like? And I was terrified but also had enough of these people pleasing mentality that I also didn't want to be the person who asked another question and held the class up. So, later on, I found out that it was easier for me to have that conversation. I think my mom discovered me kind of in tears, maybe even later that day. And it was like, I don't think I know Jesus. And she's like, well, we can like, let's have a conversation. What's that look like? And let's pray together. And so, at eight was when that became a reality in my life. And then really at 15 years old, coming home from a mission trip to Mexico, I ended up having just an awesome experience there and got baptized by a minister from our church. His name was Dwayne. He was awesome. And then as I think through just, I mean, I mentioned it already, our family is really well acquainted with loss. My oldest sister, my youngest brother, and then just some of our ongoing journey. My wife has an ongoing illness that requires a lot. It is a challenge for sure for her. And then I think all of that kind of balls up together to frame a lot of where the content from my book comes from. Just living a life of non-ease has really kind of brought me to this place of if it's not going to go away or if it hasn't been taken away, what is it that sustains and how do I move through it and past it? Laura Dugger: (6:09 - 6:32) And I definitely want to hear more elements of the book. But first, I'm just thinking through this. You said seven of eight and your youngest brother and you all are close in age. So, to bring us into your story further, what age were you when you suffered that major loss of your brother and how did he pass away? Doug Rumbold: (6:32 - 9:06) Yeah, that's a great question. So, my parents had all of us in 10 years. So, in 1969, they were married. 1970 is when they started cranking out children. And then 1980 was when my brother after me was born. And then it was 1997. So, it's actually Halloween night of 1997. So, I was a freshman in college. I just moved away. This was before cell phones. It's almost hard to imagine. But I was lying in my bed at night. And my brother, my other brother, Ed, was at college with me as well as my sister, Jennifer, in the West suburbs in Elgin. And my brother tried to contact me because Ben had been in a car accident. So, he had been taking a walk with this girl he was getting to know. And we live out in the country in Morton. So, you'll recognize these road names just because we're local. But if you know Tennessee, Tennessee and Harding, there's that intersection. And my family grew up on Harding. But going down Tennessee Avenue, going north, a gentleman who actually ended up being our neighbor was coming over top of the hill. And he was changing a cassette tape, also a relic of the past. And he was changing the cassette tape. And my brother was walking on the side of the road with traffic. So, his back was to oncoming traffic. And the car struck him from behind. And he was essentially and effectively dead at the scene, but kind of for the benefit. And I will talk about this in the book a little bit. The benefit of us, my other two siblings and I in Chicago, they, you know, rushed him straight to the hospital and then put him on life support. But he never had brain activity or anything from the moment that he arrived at the hospital till the following morning. We were asked, you know, how we wanted to continue. And probably in the hardest decision that I've watched my dad make was to pull the power cord on life support. I mean, my dad was all about responsibility and he wasn't going to let somebody else do that. And my dad was also very quick in his ability to make a decision, even if the decision was hard. And so, he just knew this was not, you know, technically Ben could have survived on life support. But he would have none of the vitality that he had had his entire 17 years prior. And so, that just was not an option. Laura Dugger: (9:07 - 9:29) Goodness, Doug, I can't imagine that's one of those decisions you hope to never have to make as a parent. And then with your family grieving this sudden loss and then also working through forgiveness of a neighbor. What did that look like? Doug Rumbold: (9:30 - 14:14) That's actually one of the most redeeming. I mean, again, God does this where he just kind of the Genesis 50 moment where it's like what the devil intended for harm. God meant for good. And I remember his name was Mark. He's since passed. It happened in 97. And I remember him coming to the door, you know, how people come to your house, and they provide condolences after a loss. And so, Ben was well known at high school. He worked with special needs children and was in the performing arts. And so, he was just really well liked. And so, there was a high school kid. So, there's a steady stream of people coming, grieving kids, all that. And I remember coming back from college and I remember not saying, I literally did not say a word for three days. My way of processing then was very inward. And so, I just remember being very silent. I should correct myself. I didn't say a word other than what I'm about to tell you. Mark came to the house and Mark was in his mid-40s at the time. And he was crushed. I mean, can you imagine what that would be like? And so, he shows up at the house. And as he's coming up to the door, I remember my dad saying he pulls all of us kids aside. He says, “I want to tell you something. Mark is here. He's coming up to the door. And right now, you have a choice. Forgiveness is never about how you feel. It's about obedience. If you will forgive him now, I promise you will never struggle with bitterness toward him in this way. But it is an act of your will. You must choose to forgive. But I'm not going to make you do so, like if you don't want to forgive him, that's fine. But I'm telling you right now, forgiveness is key.” And I remember walking out to the door and greeting Mark and just giving him a hug and then looking at him in the eyes as a 19-year-old freshman in college and saying, “hey, Mark, I've done what you've done 100 times. You know, I've swerved off the side of the road. And so, I just want to let you know, I hold no ill will against you, and I completely forgive you.” And he didn't really know what to say, just kind of mumbled some level of gratitude, I think. But it was kind of quiet. I had no idea the power in that moment that was happening where I was not bound to hold it against him. And my dad was right. How many years are we removed from this? And I still had I never once thought, oh, what a jerk. I can't believe you. I never struggled with anger toward God over the loss of my brother. These were things that I think could have happened had I held on to not being forgiven and not released Mark from that. And probably the greater redemption happened over the years where over the next seven years, he would see my parents or my family around town, and he would always kind of hang his head. And my dad would always make it a point to say hi and to try to contact him and be kind. But Mark was just sullen, and it was difficult. And then later on, Mark ended up having a pretty aggressive form of cancer. And by this point, my wife and I got married in January before. And I'll never forget. We went to Carolina Beach. We lived in North Carolina at the time for just a quick getaway, the two of us. And we were coming back. And on the drive back, I remember receiving a call from my dad and he's crying on the phone. He says, “Well, Mark just passed away.” And he goes, “but before he did, he invited your mother and I up to his hospital room.” And when we walked in the room, he looked at me, he said, “Gary, I have I have often wondered why and how. Why would you forgive me? How did you muster the strength to do such a thing?” And my dad, in his simplicity or whatever, was like, “Well, it's easy. I've you know, I've been forgiven. Do you know how much I've done? Do you know what hurt I've caused other people?” And he says, “It's only natural that I should forgive you for what happened. It wasn't your intention. Jesus forgave me. And so, I forgive you. Just real simple.” And in that moment, Mark then began to ask what motivates. And my dad got to explain a relationship with Jesus Christ. And so, literally on his deathbed, just prior to passing, Mark turned his heart over to the Lord. I mean, it was awesome. And so, just such a powerful story of forgiveness. Laura Dugger: (14:16 - 19:48) And now a brief message from our sponsor. Did you know you can go to college tuition free just by being a team member at Chick-fil-A East Peoria? Yes, you heard that right. Free college education. All Chick-fil-A East Peoria team members in good standing are immediately eligible for a free college education through Point University. Point University is a fully accredited private Christian college located in West Point, Georgia. This online self-paced program includes 13 associates degrees, 17 bachelor's degrees and two master's programs, including an MBA. 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We ask that you also will share by sharing financially, sharing The Savvy Sauce podcast episodes, and sharing a five-star rating and review. You can also share any of our social media posts on Instagram or Facebook. We are grateful for all of it, and we just love partnering together with you. Now, back to the show. What are the three types of suffering you see laid out in the Bible? Doug Rumbold: (19:50 - 21:29) Yeah, I'm not a theologian by any stretch, and so I'm sure I might be missing some. But I think when I look at all of Scripture, I guess I just kind of come away with three different forms of suffering. I see the first one that you kind of come across is the most poignant one is the suffering of Job. Here's somebody who didn't do anything wrong, and he experiences catastrophic pain. So, the suffering that God allows in his sovereignty is the first form. The second one is the suffering that I caused. Now, obviously, this is the one we first confront in Scripture, in the narrative. We see it in Genesis 3. But the story that most poignantly points this out to me is the story of David and Bathsheba. Here's a king who has everything he needs and wants, and he should be out protecting and defending his kingdom. And instead, he's on his rooftop looking and taking what is not his. And so, there's suffering that I cause. My pastor in college used to say, “You choose to sin, you choose to suffer.” And I think it's an apt description. And then the third form of suffering is the suffering that my faith brings. I think about the apostles where they are called in by the council and arrested and beaten and told not to speak in the name. And what do they do? They walk out rejoicing, like, yes, we've been counted worthy to suffer. Like, yeah, that's so different than the American version of Christianity at the present moment. We don't necessarily think that way. So, in short order, the suffering that God allows in his sovereignty, the suffering I cause in my sin, and the suffering my faith brings with persecution would be the three. Laura Dugger: (21:30 - 21:42) Well, and I loved one of your quotes where you write, the earnest desire of my heart is that you come to understand the presence of God in and through suffering, no matter its cause. Doug Rumbold: (21:43 - 22:03) Well, when I think about that, think of your own life, Laura. When you go back through ever since you just you surrendered your heart to Jesus, can you point to where were the deepest learning moments for you? What do you think? How would you answer that question? Laura Dugger: (22:04 - 22:26) I do feel like I may be an anomaly here because some of it is from those seasons of grief or searing loss. But also, I would say in the really good times, the gratitude and joy that he provides, those have been some of my greatest leaps in faith. Doug Rumbold: (22:28 - 24:32) Yeah, I think that's huge. I think it's one of those reasons why you see in Scripture this idea of we're supposed to be people who are thanking God even through our suffering. I think it's that rhythm or that habit of gratitude that can transform even what may appear hard or difficult. In the book, that quote that you just read, I think comes from this idea that God communicates his presence to us in different ways because of the form of suffering or hardship that we're facing. If I'm somebody who is suffering because of what God has allowed, I look at the idea of our daughter with cancer, for example, and I think, okay, the hardship that she faced, it would not make sense for her to frame her life and her hardship with suffering in terms of confession and forgiveness of sin. She didn't sin to get sick. And so, the idea of how God's going to communicate his presence to her in the suffering that he allows is more about what does it mean to endure with patience and joy? How does she endure hardship with patience and joy? In those ways, in that way, rather, I think that's how God begins to communicate his presence to her. His nearness to her means he's not far because something is wrong with her and she needs to be discarded. It's more that he is quite near, and it's the recognition of that. It's this like my heart can be glossed over by the pain I'm facing, whether God allows it, I cause it, or my faith brings it. It can be glossed over if I have an inward curve, if I have like this inward turn of sin and I can miss. How does God want to communicate his presence to me through this? I think that overall, most of us focus more on the suffering that we're experiencing at times than we do on God's provided presence. Laura Dugger: (24:33 - 24:54) And that reminds me of something else where you later write about Psalm 119:67, which says, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word.” So, Doug, how did you experience the truth of this scripture through your experience with your daughter Jada? Doug Rumbold: (24:56 - 27:57) Yeah, I think probably the safest and quickest description is pain has a way of getting our attention. Like your toe is just fine when you're walking to the kitchen at 2:00 a.m. to grab a drink of water and go back to bed. And then your toe makes its presence known when you kick the chair, right? And you're like, oh, and then you're acutely aware of it. You know, you go back to bed and it's throbbing. You might put some ice on it. Now it's cold. And pain is like that where it gets my attention when it's hit. And so, I was not aware, I don't think, of the depth of my self-reliance until every bit of control was removed from me. So, particularly when I think of Jada's challenge, you know that before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word. There's this mercy in suffering that says ever so slightly, we are people who easily turn to ourselves and our resources before we will turn to God. My wife would say it this way, and I agree with her. I think it's an excellent understanding of parenting. We both view parenting as a form of stewardship. So, if I get paid, which I do, you know, for my work as a pastor, I get paid, I steward that money. It's not my money. The Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills, right? So, if he owns everything, he owns even the finances that are put into my back pocket. And the way that I steward it is the degree to which I am surrendered to him. And so, parenting is like that. God has given you the currency of children, and you have children that you are to steward back to God as an offering to him. And my wife would say this, I just didn't know. I'm supposed to lay them down every day before the feet of God in full reliance and trust that he is a better parent than I will ever be. What happened in particular with our daughter showed how quickly we will take them back again, how quickly we will be people who will say, “Oh, well, I actually think I can make a better decision here than the Lord will.” We would never say that out loud, but our control and our actions will illustrate that every day. It's one of the reasons why it's so easy to get offended when your kid sins against you. It's one of the reasons why it's so easy to be overwhelmed when your kid is far from you. We can get to a place where though we are to steward our children back to God, like finances given to us, like children given to us, there's this idea we are supposed to be stewards. And so, I learned that I went astray from God. And I still do every day. It's a thousand opportunities to return to him. Does that make sense or am I talking crazy? Laura Dugger: (27:58 - 28:24) No, that makes that makes sense. And even I think you're talking about something probably a lot of us are relating to as parents of certain times where we really grasp we are not in control. So, will you even take us to that day where that first became a realization for you? Because you're a parent of I believe she was a five-year-old at the time. Is that right? Doug Rumbold: (28:25 - 37:11) Yes, that day was awful. I would never want to repeat it. Jessica had it's not really a day, but a kind of a progression from kind of like a Thanksgiving time frame until January. So, the short order is my wife was pregnant with our youngest and her date for delivery was supposed to be right after January 1st, because I remember thinking, are you kidding me? I'm going to miss the cutoff for claiming this dependent. And anyway, Thanksgiving, we had gone down to visit some dear friends of ours. So, a shout out to John and Katrina. I'm sure they'll listen to this who live in Oklahoma. It's where I did my internship in college on like this orphan boys ranch. It was awesome. I loved it and grew a great friendship with them. So, we were down there visiting them. And my wife has this gallbladder attack. And the way she describes it, she felt like she was dying. And of course, she didn't wake me up because, you know, women can apparently experience pain and not make a big deal of it. Men, that doesn't work. So, there's definitely a gender difference there. And so, she realizes as she's homeschooling Jada, this is not tenable. I can't keep this up, especially if I'm going to have a child and everything. And so, we decided, oh, no big deal. We'll have just come back from our trip and decided we were going to put Jada in public school just for the last part of kindergarten. And Jessica was going to give birth to the child and hopefully get the treatment that she needed because we took an ultrasound, and they discovered a bunch of gallstones. And it was rough. And so, we get back, and we go to the school, get the forms. And basically, it was just filling out a couple of forms. Oh, yes. A bunch of check marks here, and a bunch of check marks there. Get the dental form and all that. You need one last thing that we can't just sign away. You need to do a quick physical. Now, Jada was feeling great doing everything. You know, all of her markers were fine. We go to a doctor from our church at the Tremont Medical Clinic and he performed just a simple physical. And Jada was, you know, everything was just fine. And as he's palpating around her stomach, he's just kind of pressing there. And I don't know how doctors do this where they, you know, press on your stomach and they're like, OK, your organs are in the right place. OK, I trust you. So, his face, like his countenance, just shifted. And Jessica and I were both in the room and he just kind of looks at me because I just can't reconcile this. But to rule anything out, we're just going to have her get an ultrasound and be on our way. I remember thinking I had a hernia when I was young, maybe six months or something. I can't remember how old I was. And so, Jessica and I went home that night and I mean, we were shedding tears like, oh, my goodness. Our sweet daughter has a hernia. Can't believe it. What does this mean? She's going to have surgery, all this stuff. And never were we prepared for what happened next. You know, the next morning she wakes up, and she takes Jada and Oliver, who's two at the time, to get the ultrasound in Peoria at a place called Peoria Imaging. And I stayed home. I was writing a sermon. So, I'm sitting there working on a sermon from Mark, Chapter eight. And Jessica goes and I'm not hearing from her. I'm not hearing from her. And then about three hours later, I got a call and she's like, so, they did an ultrasound and then they did like another one. And then they ordered a CT, and they just got done with the CT. And she goes and I just looked out in the waiting room and it's full and nobody's coming in. And now they said that she needs an MRI. And I'm like, “What?” This doesn't seem like a hernia. And she said, “Honey, I just asked the nurse, and they won't commit.” “Like they won't say anything,” I asked. I kept asking if it's a hernia. And finally, I just asked one of the nurses, “Is it bad?” And the nurse said, “That she thinks it's significant.” And I'm like, oh. And I remember that day then calling my dad or my parents and just kind of giving them updates along the way. Like, okay, you know, Jay is going in for a quick ultrasound, probably a hernia. But then I remember calling my dad and my dad's on the phone with me right after I got off with Jess. And I just said, “So, it went from just a quick ultrasound to CT to an MRI.” And I said, “They just finished the MRI or they're in process.” And they said, “That after the MRI, they want to send her to the hospital for blood work.” And my dad's only response was, “Oh, boy. I mean, it was just like,” and his voice quivered. You know, the quiver of like the I don't know if I'm ready for this sort of quiver. And I can only imagine what's going through his head, having already lost two children and particularly one to cancer. He knows that feeling. So, the day only got longer from there. I got a ride over there with my sister-in-law to Puri Imaging. And then we went to the hospital together and had to get blood drawn and all that stuff. And that's a whole story in and of itself, the trauma of that for her. But I remember leaving the hospital and Jessica and I know at this point with the full weight of this is not a hernia, but we still don't have answers. Like every time I'm asking a question to a doctor or a nurse, they are deferring and deferring and deferring. And my anger internally is kind of growing. And so, I'm a little, I'm not aggressive, but I'm assertive. And I remember driving away from OSF in Peoria. And as we're driving away, Jade is just in the back seat looking out the window. And Jessica and I are in the front seat, just crying, but trying to hold it together, you know. And I look in my rearview mirror. I'm like, “Hey, sweetie.” And she's like, “Yeah.” “Like, what are you thinking about?” She goes well. I just can't decide what smoothie I want at Smoothie King. That was the day where they, you know, the scan that she had to have was an NPO, which means she can't have any food or liquid unless it's clear. And so, she was starving. And at this point it was like 6:30 at night. So, she's super hungry. And so, we went to the first location and the second location. They were all closed between Christmas and New Year's. So, no Smoothie King for her. And that was the last time we remember eating at McDonald's as a family. And then that night the diagnosis finally came. We got back home. We were home for 10 minutes. And we received a call from what ended up being her surgeon from Illinois Medical Clinic. And we were asked to come back into an after-hours appointment, which those are never good. And so, we walk in the door. We sit down. There's not even a secretary. The lights in the building are off. We were walking down this hallway to this last, you know, exam room. And Jada is just sitting there on the table. Jessica is about ready to pop pregnancy-wise. And the doctor walks in and says, so, I assume you know why you're here. And I said, actually, we haven't been able to get a straight answer. And we have no idea what's happening. And she goes, are you kidding me? She's like, I have to be the one to tell you this, that your daughter has kidney cancer. And I think the thing that caught me was Jessica sitting on a chair kind of at the foot of the exam table. And instinctively, I mean, it was like it wasn't even – it was no coaching. There was no – Jada just kind of crumbled and her body just kind of fell onto Jess. And Jess's mom has walked through cancer twice. And so, Jessica has lived this journey as well, just the difficulty of it. And so, for her, she's just like I know what this required of me when my mom had it. And I had to take care of her when I was in junior high and then again when I was in college. And now I'm pregnant and now my daughter has cancer. It was unreal. And then I wrote about it in the book, but the walk from the front door to the van where Jada's face was buried in my neck. And the warmth of her tears and just her body just kind of melted into mine as we're walking back to the van. And it's like I never want to forget that because the usefulness of it, how helpful it is for me to recall some things, to live in that place of like this is what you redeem, this is what you restore. But it was hard as heck. And so, that would be what I remember from the day of diagnosis. Laura Dugger: (37:13 - 37:26) It is so hard to imagine what that would look like to get that news. And I'm just wondering for you and Jess, what did your faith look like and what were your conversations like with the Lord at that point? Doug Rumbold: (37:29 - 39:10) You know, I – because of the loss of my brother earlier, I don't – I mean that's a great question. And I don't mean this how it might sound or come across, but my faith was never – I don't think that my faith was an issue in terms of am I still going to cling to Jesus. It was just more of a – it was just – it was so hard. I really wish I had words for it. I talk about this in another podcast that I did. I remember just feeling so overwhelmed and more of a feeling like we were treading water in the middle of an ocean. And someone – you're like begging for a life raft and they hand you a cinder block. And you're like, not helpful. So, my faith, our conversations with the Lord, they were hard, and we were certainly super sad. My wife would probably talk about how she was broken and quiet and learning afresh what it means to surrender. But she is methodical and consistent in her pursuit of the Lord and extremely faithful. And so, hers was sitting in solitude and just waiting and cry and lament and work through it all and then come out the other side stronger. I process things a little bit more verbally. But I think our faith was strong. We were just shattered for the pain that she was experiencing for sure. Laura Dugger: (39:11 - 39:35) That's a great way of putting it. And just like He promises, I have spoken – Mark and I have talked with you and Jess before. And you've shared how God continued to be an ever-present help in these times of trouble. But will you share one of your conversations with the Lord where he responded to you with alliteration? Doug Rumbold: (39:35 - 45:50) Yeah, the one that I think of is – and I write about it a little bit in my book. But I just remember thinking kind of two questions that I would ask. One was right after Pierce was born and we obviously weren't having any sleep. So, if you look at the timeline, Jada was diagnosed on the 30th of December. The 2nd of January was Jessica and my anniversary. The 3rd was Jada's surgery. The 10th was when her pathology came back. And the diagnosis went from 95, 98% cure rate, survival rate just fine to like 40 to 60% survival rate. And a different stage of cancer and the size of the tumor was much larger than they originally anticipated. And so, we came home that night from the pathology report and wept and wept and wept. And then Jessica started labor that night. And it was a blizzard. Our midwife didn't make the birth. And then Pierce is born on the morning of the 11th, which is the same morning that Jada and I were supposed to go back in now to have more MRIs, more blood work to determine had the cancer metastasized throughout her whole body instead of just in that one tumor. And it was assumed that it had and so, that's why they were checking everything. And so, it was an urgent, you need to get there for this. I just kind of felt like the one question, one of two questions I was asking, but one of them was with conversation with the Lord was when will you relent? Won't you just relent? So, I was never like struggling in my faith to the degree that I was going to toss it, but I was angry with God. I was like, come on, like, how does this work? Can you give, throw me a bone, basically. So, that was one conversation. But the conversation that's most poignant is after he started to frame those things up a little bit and give more of a trellis to build on. I remember treatment had begun, which timeline, if you're looking at it, the 11th is when Pierce is born. The 13th is when Jada started treatment. So, from like the 13th to the 18th, she had radiation. And then after that, for the rest of the year, eight months, whatever, she had chemo. I remember one morning I never slept at the hospital. It was just not comfortable. It was always beeping, stuff like that. So, I would often go down to the playroom. There's an activity room at the end of the hall on the sixth floor there at OSF. And I'd be down there with a lackluster cup of coffee and my Bible and journal. And I'd watch the sunrise over the city of Peoria. And it would just be kind of like; I really couldn't hardly read. It would be more of me just like, because no one was awake. That was the only time when it was semi quiet. And I would just have these out loud conversations with the Lord. Like, what's happening? And the conversation, the question that I kept asking was, Lord, how in the world are we going to do this? How in the world are we going to make it through? That's really when he began to kind of press back in. And I'm not, I don't know how to explain this, but more of a, I had a very tangible sense that as I'm sitting there on the sixth floor, that he was almost in the chair next to me. And he's just, he's like, okay, tell me more about your struggle. What's it like? Help me to understand the pain of your heart. And so, I'm, I'm unloading these things to Him. And all of a sudden I noticed the time and it's like, oh, Jada is going to be waking up soon. I need to get back there before they do rounds, you know, and the whole dance starts again. And so, I kind of like, oh, I want to return. It's like when you wake up from a dream and you're like, oh no, I want to finish the dream. And you try to go back to sleep quickly. That's a little bit of how that conversation was working out. And I remember going back to the room and jotting a few more things down in my journal. And then after that it goes, okay. The day was now full of motion. And I had forgotten about the conversation quite honestly. And until that evening, I was like, okay, I'm just gonna, I told Jada, I'm like, “Honey, I'm going to run home real quick and shower, get a change of clothes and maybe get some real food. And then I'll be back. Okay.” Don't worry. And so, I hopped in my car, I turned on my headlights, and I got out of the parking garage, and I got on 74. And right as I was getting on the bridge to cross over the Illinois to go back toward Tremont, it was, I mean, I don't know how people feel about this. So, sorry if I start a theological controversy on your podcast, but, um, I, as I'm sitting there as audible as you and I talking back and forth, there's this sense of my spirit of like, you asked how you're going to get through Christ community and confession. But there was really beyond that, there was really no discussion. You know, it was more just like those three words got tossed out. And so, I remember driving down the highway and almost like, uh, you're in a zone where it's like, you see the headlights, you know, going like right past you and, and nothing is distracting to me. And I remember thinking some of those things made sense to me, like, you know, yes, Christ suffered. Yes. I need community around me, things like that. But confession was the one that I struggled with the most. Like what do you mean by that? You know, because I had a courtroom idea of confession, like, okay, I got caught doing something I shouldn't have. I need to confess. What I did was wrong. And there definitely is that element. But I came to learn later that confession is the Hebrew word. One of the Hebrew words for it actually means praise. And so, there's this, there's this idea of caught up, being caught up in understanding the presence of God and you're confessing. It's the word that actually, more accurately, fits is declaration. And so, I'm like, oh, wow. Okay. So, what you're saying then is these scriptures that I've been studying for years now, I I'm actually, it's about declaring them in praise over my life, over my circumstances, over my daughter as a way of help to get us through. Okay. Laura Dugger: (45:51 - 47:09) By now, I hope you've checked out our updated website, thesavvysauce.com so that you can have access to all the additional freebies we are offering, including all of our previous articles and all of our previous episodes, which now include transcriptions. You will be equipped to have your own practical chats for intentional living. When you read all the recommended questions in the articles or gain insight from expert guests and past episodes, as you read through the transcriptions, because many people have shared with us that they want to take notes on previous episodes, or maybe their spouse prefers to read our conversations rather than listen to them. We heard all of that and we now have provided transcripts for all our episodes. Just visit thesavvysauce.com. All of this is conveniently located under the tab show notes on our website. Happy reading. And I just want to go back to something that you said, because you use the word relent. God, how long until you relent? And yet he flipped that word and taught you that he will relentlessly continue to pursue you with his presence. Doug Rumbold: (47:10 - 49:26) I'm glad that you draw that out because I think the relentless pursuit is in that question of when will you relent? It was one of our darker moments, even in marriage where my wife and I were both stretched to the max, totally thin and struggling. And it was an argument, you know, where I'm lying on the ground after my wife and I had just kind of like, I need you to take care of this. And she's asking me to take care of something I'm not wanting to, and I'm holding my ground and I'm tired. She's tired. And aren't your best moments between midnight and 7am anyway? And so, I remember laying on the ground. That moment was laying on the ground at the foot of my son's crib in our bedroom. And he was not sleeping. He's a newborn. Newborns don't sleep easily. And I remember pounding the ground and actually saying, you know, when, when will you relent God? Like when will you let up? And to see the connection between my question was the assumption that God had left the building that God had kind of punched the clock. Okay. I'll be back by five. You know, like when instead, the way that He wants to communicate His presence to me in my suffering shows that He's relentlessly digging through every bit of self-reliance that I've set up to try to manufacture outcomes. And so, there, there's a way that His relentless presence is like, like waves on a shore one after the other, the rhythmic nature of it, the dependable nature of it, you can't stop it. Nature of it is the way that He can and will use any circumstance trial in your life to communicate His presence to you. So, yeah, that's right. Its relenting is a releasing and letting go, but relentless pursuit is also this like dogged pursuit of us. it's been said before that, that God or Christ is the hound of heaven, you know, like a blood hound with your scent who won't give up until He finds you. And so, similar to our experience for sure. Laura Dugger: (49:27 - 50:00) Well, and you go into these stories and then also offer hope and offer so much scripture where you have poured over to help us make sense of suffering. And even see things where it's a very upside-down economy as God often has, where there's blessing in the affliction, but yet to close the loop on this story. Can you give us a picture of where your family is at today? Even the ages of your children and Jada's status? Doug Rumbold: (50:01 - 52:27) Yeah, for sure. So, it's been a long journey for sure. Jada now is 18 and we are in preparation for her. She is going to be going to Arizona Christian University in the fall. So, a nice short 24-hour drive away. And so, again, we're learning afresh what it looks like to lay down our children, but we're super excited about it. We are super excited about the new friends she'll make. My wife and I have always said Jada is a spread your wings and fly sort of girl and cancer only proved that. So, we're super excited about that for her. Our son, Oliver, who was two at the time, is now 14 where he's a freshman. He turns 15 this summer and I'm sure we'll be driving soon after. No concerns there. And then my son, Pierce, is in sixth grade. And yeah, they all have their own interest's kind of across the board. Jada loves music and singing and playing piano. Oliver is relationally. He's just this guy who enjoys mature conversation. So, like when we get together with our life group, you'll find him talking to the adult men just because he fits there. He's more of an old soul. Pierce is our creative kid. He's always doing trick shots. And I mean, it's pretty crazy the stuff that he does. He's kind of fun like that and loves fishing and things of this nature. So, yeah, all of my kids are very interesting and different like that. My wife is doing homeschooling for the boys, and she continues to be somebody who is a silent influencer in the lives of many, usually and primarily through prayer. But I am amazed at how often the Lord uses her in the lives of other people to bring about change and transformation. She's just an excellent gifted counselor of people with the word of God and prayer. So, that's kind of where our family's at. I've been at the time that Jada was ill, I was the youth pastor at Northfield and I'm still at Northfield though. I'm in a different role. I'm pastor of counseling and discipleship here at Northfield. So, I have never left this community. So, I'm trying to think if there's anything else update wise. I don't think so. I think it's pretty much it. Laura Dugger: (52:27 - 52:30) And so, Jada is in remission. Doug Rumbold: (52:30 - 55:11) Yes. She did have one other occurrence where she started having really acute headaches in 2013. Then, those acute headaches turned into taking her back for a checkup and the checkup revealed a lesion on her frontal lobe. So, a brain tumor. We had to wait eight weeks to scan again. Those eight weeks were the hardest and worst that I think we've faced even from the first cancer. It was like, “Oh my goodness, we're going to have to go through this again.” And then we had this season of waiting, you know, the eight weeks and then she was going back in for another scan to determine scope and growth. Also, you know, what type of craniotomy or brain surgery they were going to perform, to address it or whether it was going to be treated medically. Or how was that going to happen? And so, that all took place. Then, they did the scan, and we had to wait. Normally we would have these scans, and it would be like a four-to-eight-hour turnaround. And you know that same day or even the next day we get a call from the St. Jude office, and they would say all clear. This one went one day, that was two days. And I called and they said, “Oh, well, you know, the doctor will call you.” And I'm like, “Come on Beth.” You know, she was the head nurse that I've had relationship with for a while. And she's like, “No, you know, the doctor will tell you.” And I'm like, “That's never good.” And come to find out, we had to wait until the end of that week. So, it was not one day, not two days, not three days, not four days, but five. So, it went from Monday to Friday. And on Friday, the doctor called me after hours. And I thought for sure it was, you know, here we go treatment time. And, um, she called back and said, the reason it's taken so long is because I had to have conference calls with, uh, Memphis, DC, LA, all these different cancer centers and looking at the imaging together. But when, when we laid the last image that shows the lesion over the newest one, the newest one shows nothing like it's completely gone. And she goes, and it's definitely here. It's definitely something that requires intervention. And now it doesn't. And so, she goes, I just wanted to confirm the anomaly. I'm like, that's not an anomaly. That's a healing. And so, uh, Jada has been in remission, ever since. So, she's been, she's been doing good. In fact, her last cancer follow-up appointment was like three weeks ago and got the all clear. So, praise God. Laura Dugger: (55:11 - 55:44) Praise God. What an awesome, miraculous healing. I'm so thankful you shared that and really Doug with your unique career that you're in and the journey that you and Jess have been through and your love of scripture, you're putting all of this together and it really is such a gift, this book that you've written. So, can you tell us just a little bit more of who this book is for and what people could expect to find when they read it? Doug Rumbold: (55:45 - 57:54) Yeah. So, the book is for anyone because, and you would know this as well, but you're either heading into a trial, you're in the middle of a trial or you're on the backside of a trial. And there's never a moment in which you can say, “Oh, okay, well now I've learned and now I've arrived and now we're good.” I do think that the preparation of our heart for trial is critical because it's going to come like we are going to face suffering of some form at some point. And so, it's good to know how to approach it. It's for anybody who wants to learn and grow and be encouraged. But specifically, one of the things that I struggled with during our trial, and it's ongoing, you know, because of some of the stuff that we mentioned before ongoing health issues in our family and stuff like that. But I, what I found was people would be like, “Oh, here's a book.” It's only 320 pages on suffering. I'm like, really? Thanks for that. I've got no capacity to do that. So, I purposely wanted to write a book that you could personally sit and read like in an afternoon. It's so, it's short. It's like, you know, a hundred pages and it's digestible. So, you could jump from one chapter to the eighth chapter if you wanted, and you would, you would still hopefully gain something. So, I wanted to make it uniquely accessible and heart focused. So, you'll find kind of like throughout the chapters, I have these like, so, truth to life. And what I'm basically doing is trying to say, “Okay, we talked about something at a 30,000-foot view. What does it look like boots on the ground here?” I don't usually just spell it out for you. I usually ask questions that are going to force you to address heart issues because scripture is pretty clear that all of our conduct flows from a heart that's filled with good or bad. So, people can expect to be challenged. They can expect to not have something that's too long and too hard to read, but they can also expect to find it kind of built around story a little bit. That's one of the reasons why I use those different stories from scripture. I think we relate well and explain things well in a story. Laura Dugger: (57:55 - 58:14) Definitely agree. We learn so much from Jesus's stories. Those stick with us and yours do too. So, thank you for sharing all of those today. And if anyone desires more help and healing after today's conversation, where would you direct them? Doug Rumbold: (58:15 - 59:59) The first thing that I would do is just encourage prayer. The idea of silence and solitude is where you can be begun to become aware of the healing that you may need and being able to just journal it down and have it right in front of you. That is probably one of the first steps. Second thing I would say is to lean into community. COVID has kind of wrecked things in some ways where some people have gotten used to this idea of either online attendance or whatever. Nothing, nothing, nothing replaces the body of Christ in the tangible way. And so, the idea of being with and around other like-minded believers is critical. But in terms of myself, the book that I wrote, it's available on Walmart, Amazon, Barnes and Noble. You can just search Presence Over Pain in a search engine and find it pretty easily. I am currently in the works of working through like an audio version of it because some people prefer that. So, that will be forthcoming. You can find me on Facebook or Instagram. I provide biblical counseling in person or virtually so, people can contact me through those platforms if they want to have a conversation. And the cool thing is those things happen. There's a number of different connections that God has made where people have either read the book or they know someone who read the book and my name was recommended and here I am a couple of months later having a conversation with someone who found me online. And I love technology for that purpose. How can we come together and build around something in Christ? It's pretty awesome. Laura Dugger: (59:59 - 1:00:31) That is awesome. And we will certainly add all of those links in the show notes for today's episode. In addition to the link to your own podcast where you dig a little bit deeper into the book. And the name of that is also Presence Over Pain podcast. And Doug, you know that our podcast is called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, what is your Savvy Sauce? Doug Rumbold: (1:00:32 - 1:04:48) I love the question because practical is helpful. So, I think probably just some brief stories and then a couple of suggestions. So, I remember when I was younger, all seven of us children kind of growing up in the same house. My dad had such a passion for us to know the word of God that he wanted us to all like sit down at the same time. And he was going to read a chapter of Proverbs. Well, can you imagine seven kids on a Tuesday morning trying to get ready for school? And then your father saying, “Okay, everybody sit down.” Like nobody's going to be able to do that. And so, after a few failed attempts, what my dad did was he would, he would have a section that he was going to read, and he would start with the oldest child, and he would follow them around literally like follow them. And he would just, he would read the word of God to them and then he would move to the next one and to the next one and to the next one and the next one. And I have memories of like even walking out the door, going to get on the bus and my dad following me right up to the door, reading the last bit of Proverbs to us. And so, practically speaking, you really cannot underestimate the value of intentionally diving into God's word daily personally. Like don't let somebody else do it for you. It's so, personal. It's so, needed. And just when you feel like it's not going to matter, the fruit of it will come forth. So, that's, that's one. And then the other story that kind of points to a practical reality is my wife grew up through her parents splitting up when she was, I think, second or third grade. And just the difficulty of that, like the life of a single mom as she and her sister watched her mom go through that. But Jessica tells a story often of like not understanding and now understanding, but like she would knock on her mom's door and she would hear her mom crying and she would, she'd open the door and her mom would be face down on the floor, just, just praying and weeping. And she's like, hold on, honey. Mommy just needs to be with Jesus. And it communicated this idea. And my wife has carried this on in our own family and in her practice of just like prayer and particularly prayers of lament are huge. And so, practically speaking, what's that look like? I mean, I have an exercise. I'm sure you are being a counselor by nature would, would appreciate this. But one of the things that you can do to learn how to lament is to look at a good number of the Psalms are lament Psalms. Like they're sad Psalms. Like Lord, my life stinks. The wheels have fallen off and you're nowhere to be found. So, being honest with God is critical, but a simple assignment would be to read a lament Psalm, like Psalm 13 or Psalm 88 or Psalm 77, Psalm 42, any of those. And then as you read that Psalm, just the simple assignment is to like write your own Psalm of lament and then read it back to the Lord. You know, Lord, I felt like you were absent when my daughter was diagnosed with cancer, but I am going to trust in your unfailing love. Like you see those pictures all throughout the Psalm. So, that's a practical, simple way to engage God. I think the last thing that I would say in terms of practical is the idea of rest from a perspective, you know, biblically it's called Sabbath. Do you have a 24-hour period of rest? Because what you do when you Sabbath is you say something to God and to everyone else. It doesn't depend on me. When I choose to rest, I'm choosing not to be productive. I'm choosing not to perform. I'm choosing only to receive. I'm choosing to rest. I'm choosing to fall back into his arms. Rhythmically reminding ourselves of that for me, the way that that works out is like, you know, I'm a pastor. So, Sundays are a workday. So, once I get home after Sunday until like noon, the following day is the time when it's like, okay, this is where I'm not going to be on my screen. I'm going to take a walk with the family. We're going to have dinner together. Things that are filling and receiving are critically helpful. And I would say savvy. Laura Dugger: (1:04:49 - 1:05:08) That's so good. And Doug, Mark and I are just so grateful to know you and Jess. We learn from both of you, and we've learned from your stories. They've been so impactful today. So, thank you for writing this resource and thank you for being my guest today. Doug Rumbold: (1:05:09 - 1:05:11) It was a total pleasure. Thank you for having me on. Laura Dugger: (1:05:12 - 1:08:54) One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news. Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved. We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him. That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, would you pray with me now? Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to im
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Are they really going with a "Justice For Leka" mantra??? It seems like Stephen is going to have some words about that. Also coming up on this week's episode of The Right Reality, more Turbo in a speedo, MRIs and why does no one want to be partnered with Olivia??? YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/DO-Xl48b8FM Welcome to The Right Reality Podcast — your not-so-serious, definitely hilarious weekly recap of The Challenge: Vets and New Threats (and every messy season after that). Each week, we break down the latest episode with just enough analysis and way too many jokes. Expect unfiltered opinions, wild theories in Conspiracy Corner, and the one and only Ass of the Week — because, let's be honest, priorities. If you're tired of podcasts treating The Challenge like it's the Super Bowl, hit subscribe. We're here for the drama, the chaos, and the hot takes — not the draft boards.
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What is your data trying to tell you? In this episode, John Dues talks to Andrew Stotz about why most leaders misread data, overreact to single results, and miss the real story. Discover how Deming thinking exposes when change is truly happening and how to use a process behavior chart to listen to the real story. Plus, find out why nine years of ‘stable' results may still demand transformation. Tune in and rethink data-driven leadership! 0:00:02.2 Andrew Stotz: My name is Andrew Stotz, and I'll be your host as we dive deeper into the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Today, I'm continuing my discussion with John Dues, who is part of the new generation of educators striving to apply Dr. Deming's principles to unleash student joy in learning. The topic for today is understanding variation is the key to data analysis. John, take it away. 0:00:27.8 John Dues: Andrew, it's good to be back. Yeah. So, we've just started the school year in Ohio, so I thought doing a session on goal setting would be a good place to kick off the year. And I was thinking a lot of leaders, school leaders and leaders in general, are setting goals around this time period. And I was really thinking about having this Deming lens. I was thinking, how did I set goals before I sort of started understanding this approach? And it's, you know, this is one of those things where if you really stop and think about it, goal setting is a lot harder than it seems at first glance. Things like, how do you set a reasonable goal? And then once you've gotten to that place, how do you know if things are improving? How do you know if things are getting worse? And I was thinking how powerful this understanding variation method is for folks that may be struggling with those questions. 0:01:32.9 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. In fact, that's a great question for the listener and the viewer. Like, how do you set goals? How did you set goals in the past? How have you improved that? And I was thinking when you were speaking, I didn't set goals. I gave proclamations. You know, 20% of I want to see this and that. And they were just stretch targets without any means or methods. So yeah, interesting. 0:01:55.2 John Dues: Yeah. How do you set the target? Was it arbitrary? Is it based on some standard that you heard somewhere? A lot of times you have no idea sort of what's behind that target or you've sort of associated it to something that's familiar. Like in my case, we often sort of set goals that sort of mimic the grade scale. So, you know, 80% is a common goal for something like test scores, you know. 0:02:23.7 Andrew Stotz: But they don't even call them goals anymore. They call them, let me remember, I think it's called KPIs. 0:02:30.0 John Dues: KPIs, targets, you know, lots of different things for sure. And I think what I've seen is that a lot of the reason that goal setting is so hard is because you, well, one, you misinterpret your data in the first place. And a lot of that misinterpretation, at least in the education sector, is because leaders don't have the knowledge. They don't know about natural variation. They're typically making comparisons between some current performance level, some previous value. But those two things, those two data points don't show you, don't convey the behavior of that data across time. So, what we do and what I did before I sort of discovered this method is you overreact to a single data point. Probably less frequently, you underreact to the data because you don't have this understanding of, you know, how much is the data moving up and down sort of naturally almost no matter what you're doing. Now, that's not always the case, but that's the case that I've found in a lot of situations. And so until you start to take that into account, those natural ups and downs, then you just misinterpret the data over and over again, usually by overreacting is what I've seen. 0:03:54.9 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. 0:03:56.0 John Dues: So there's, you know, I think as a starting point, people in the Deming community will be familiar with, a lot of people. But others listening to this probably have never heard of this idea of dividing variation into, I've heard it described as like two flavors. There's the routine variation, what I call natural variation, things vary naturally no matter what you're doing. And then there's exceptional variation where things are so different that there is reason to pay attention to this. And what I found through studying this is, the key is knowing how to tell the difference between those two types of variation. And don't do that, lots of confusion, lots of wasted effort. And so that's really where the power of this methodology comes into play. And for anybody that's studied this, you sort of realize that you have to have a tool to make that differentiation. It's not arbitrary. And so that's where what I call the process behavior chart, some people call the control chart, where that comes into play because that tool allows us to tell what type of variation is present. And it also allows us to tell if the system is predictable or unpredictable. And once we have that understanding, then we can chart an improvement sort of roadmap that makes sense. 0:05:21.8 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. In fact, I've applied two of the things, you know, one of the things to my pass rates and admission rates, I applied the process chart, the control chart, based upon your recommendation a long time ago. And it did help me to kind of think if, you know, in my case, I wanted to break out of that standard outcome that I was getting. And so I realized, something has to change substantially in the system in order to get a different result than this variation that I was getting. That was the first thing. And then the second one, a couple of nights ago, I was giving a lecture and I was using your work that you and I have talked about, as well as Mike Rother's stuff on goal setting and having the target. And then there's that obstacle. And what I realized when I gave a little talk on it and I used the diagram and I showed the obstacle, it became kind of apparent to everybody like, oh, yeah, there's an obstacle there that we don't know how to solve. 0:06:27.6 John Dues: Yeah. 0:06:28.3 Andrew Stotz: And that's where PDSA came in. And we started talking about that, as you have taught previously. So, yeah, I'm excited to hear what you have to say today. 0:06:38.2 John Dues: Yeah. And the Mike Rother model, I mean, he does have this target that's this long term target that's pretty hard to hit. And you don't really know what you're going to do. But the difference there then in the situation I'm describing is that that in Mike's model, that target is knowingly outside of the current sort of capability of the system. And they're coming together as a team and saying, how do we get to that target six months from now or a year from now? And we're working towards that rather than someone has just arbitrarily set some target, without a realization that the system isn't capable of hitting that currently. Those are two completely different scenarios. Yeah. So, I think I'll share my screen. Well, actually, before I do that, I would just say, too, because I know sometimes when I introduce these things, a lot of times people get scared away because they think the math is hard. And what I would say there is that there's the creation of a process behavior chart probably takes about fourth grade level math skills. You really only need to do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. 0:07:49.3 John Dues: That's it. But the thinking, I think, actually can be taught all the way down to the kindergarten level. And I've actually seen kindergartners explain the data on a process behavior chart. So, if anybody gets scared away at this part, the math is simple and the thinking is also pretty simple and powerful once you sort of have the basics. So, I'll go ahead and share my screen so the folks that are watching have a visual to follow along on. And for those that don't, I'll do my best to describe it. When we're talking about a process behavior chart, and this one's sort of an annotated version so that things are clear. But basically a process behavior chart is just a time sequence chart. It has upper and lower natural process limits, and we plot data for some measure that we're interested in. And the chart typically has a central line so that we can detect a trend of those plotted values toward perhaps either limit. So, this particular chart, the data is the percent of students who scored proficient or higher on the Ohio third grade reading state tests from spring 2004 through 2015. 0:09:06.8 John Dues: So, I've labeled sort of some of those key parts of the chart. So, just kind of call those out. Again, the red lines are the lower and upper natural process limits, sort of bound where you'd expect the data to be in a stable system. 0:09:21.1 Andrew Stotz: And those are 1, 2, 3 standard deviations or what? 0:09:28.1 John Dues: Well, this particular chart, it's what I call a process behavior chart. So it's actually, it's not standard deviation. It's based on a measure of dispersion called the moving range. And then there's a formula that smarter people than me figured out sort of how to use that moving range to set the red lines. But the important thing to know about the limits is that they're set empirically. And that just means that they're based on the data. And so they are where they are, not where I want them to be necessarily. I don't get to choose where they are, how wide they are, where they're placed numerically is based on the data itself. And then that green center line for this particular chart is the average of all the blue dots. And then the blue dots is each year of, again, testing data. 0:10:19.4 Andrew Stotz: 2004 to 2015 as the x-axis, yep. 0:10:27.0 John Dues: Yeah. So, you have a decade and a half or so, or sorry, a decade plus of data here. So, a good amount of data. So, you can kind of see how things are performing over time on this third grade reading test. And so the purpose of the chart, like we talked about, is to separate those two flavors of variation, the routine and the exceptional. And this chart is a really great example of just natural or routine variation. So, I'm looking for patterns in the data, like a single data point that would be outside the end of those red process limits. And you don't see that. The results for these years instead are just bouncing around an average of about 78.5%. Now there's some years where it's a little higher than that and some years where it's a little lower. But the point is none of those increases and decreases are meaningful. There's only that natural variation present. But the problem is, in the typical data analysis method, what I call the old way, the simple sort of limited comparison, is that a leader will rely on comparisons between the current figure and some previous value. 0:11:48.9 John Dues: And probably the most common and why I chose this data, at least in my world, is a leader will compare last year's test scores and this year's test scores. That's very, very common. But the problem is, again, that what I'm calling a limited comparison, the comparison between two years of data, it doesn't take natural variation into account. So, what happens is we try to ascribe meaning to those increases or decreases between data points when in reality there's often no difference to be found. And I have a really great example of this. Let me switch my screen here. So, there's a lot of information here, but it's pretty simple to understand. So, this is a snapshot from 2017/2018 state test results. And so this is a document that was published by our Department of Education here in Ohio back during those school years. And the thing is, it may be eight or so years old, but it's as relevant today as when it was published eight years ago. We're still making the same sort of mistakes. So, we're basically, when we look at the data in this chart, we're basically being led to believe that there's been this meaningful decline in performance in third grade ELA. 0:13:16.4 John Dues: That's what's signified by that red arrow in the first row of the table. So, you have the ELA data says that in '16/'17, 63.8% of our third graders were proficient. And in the following year, 61.2% were proficient. And there's this red down arrow to say, oh, things got worse this school year, at least when it was published. But then if you look at the blue box, the text for those that have video, in the text it says we're not supposed to worry because, "third grade saw decreases this year, but has maintained higher proficiency than two years ago." So. Then you start to think, well, which is it? Should I be worried about my third grade ELA state test scores because of the most recent decrease, you know, as of when this was published? Or should I not worry because the scores are better than they were two years prior to that? 0:14:21.7 Andrew Stotz: And that depends what side of the argument you're on. 0:14:24.4 John Dues: Depends what side of the argument you're on. What story do you want to tell with this data, right? 0:14:30.3 Andrew Stotz: So, it's bad enough to be potentially misled by this probably common variation, but then to have both sides of an argument be misled at the same time. 0:14:41.0 John Dues: Right, yeah. Ultimately it seems like what they're trying to do is show improvement because you have this big headline up here that says, Ohio students continue to show improved achievement in academic content area. 0:14:55.2 Andrew Stotz: Yay! 0:14:58.5 John Dues: But there's a way to actually answer these questions definitively using this method, right? And so what I did was I took the data from the three years of the state testing for third grade ELA from this state education department publication, and I just plotted it on a process behavior chart. And then I continued plotting it for the more recent data that's happened since this, because three data points isn't a lot, so I kept plotting it. And so now we have, going all the way back to the first year of data in this state testing document, we have 2015/2016 data, and of course now we have data all the way up through the end of the last school year, 2024/2025. So, we have nine data points. So I plotted it, right? It looks like this. So, here's those same data as the first three data points, spring 2016, spring 2017, spring 2018. 0:15:58.3 John Dues: That's from the table from the previous slide. And then I've continued plotting things for, you know, spring of 2018, '19, '21, '22, '23, '24, and '25. So, now we have nine years of data. And what we can see is, just like what I would have predicted, even if I had only had those three years to work with that were from the state testing document and not the more recent data, but there's no evidence of improvement. It's definitive. And so you see these nine data points. They're just simply bouncing around this average of 61%. That's what the green line shows. It's almost perfectly balanced, in fact. So, three of the points are actually below the average. One point is almost right on the line, the average line. And then there's five points above. And if you follow it from point to point, it increases, then decreases, then increases, then decreases, then increases very slightly for a couple or three or four years in a row. Right? But there's no signals or patterns in this data to indicate any changes of significance. Right? So claims like, you know, yeah, we've declined in this most recent year from that testing document or, oh, we shouldn't worry too much because it's better than two years ago. All of that is nonsense. 0:17:24.6 Andrew Stotz: So, the title should have been nine years of no improvement. 0:17:29.7 John Dues: Nine years of no improvement. Nine years of stable data. And the thing is, a lot of data looks just like the state testing data over time. Not only in education, but in other things. And how I've heard this described by people that use this methodology is that, claims of improvement are often nothing more than writing fiction. And I think that's a very good description for what we see here. And the thing is, is like, I'm not trying to throw the person that wrote that document under the bus. All I'm saying is that there's a better way to be looking at data like this, a way that makes more sense. 0:18:24.9 Andrew Stotz: It made me think of the Mark Twain quote, rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated. 0:18:39.9 John Dues: Give me one second here. My screen switched on me. There we go. Okay. So, when I think about this data, there's no real decline in performance, there's no real increase in performance. It's just stable performance. I think the key for leaders, systems leaders especially, is that this system, the way we would describe it is it's producing predictable results, and it's performing as consistently as it is capable. And so it's a waste of time to explain the natural variation in a stable system. Because what people would say is that there's no simple single root cause for this noise. 0:19:24.5 Andrew Stotz: And I think it's even better way of saying it. It's not a waste of time, it's a waste of your career. 0:19:32.6 John Dues: That'd be a very apt way of describing this. 0:19:36.0 Andrew Stotz: It kind of goes back to the point that Dr. Deming said, which was that, a manager could spend his life putting out fires and never improve the system. And every little thing above and below was a little, little mini emergency or a response was made every year because of the under or over, you'd just spend, you know, it would just be whack-a-mole. 0:20:01.9 John Dues: Yeah. But I think the thing for people to understand is I'm saying this system is performing as capable as it is, or as the performances is what this particular system is capable of. But that doesn't mean just because it's stable and predictable, like this one is, you know, it's up above 61% one year, and then it's down below it a little bit or right on the line. That doesn't mean that stable means acceptable. It doesn't mean stable is satisfactory. 0:20:37.1 Andrew Stotz: I'm thinking that this is neutral, you know, it's an observation rather than a judgment. 0:20:42.5 John Dues: Yeah. It's just what is. It's the process is producing what you would expect it to produce because it's stable and predictable. 0:20:49.8 Andrew Stotz: I want to just mention that my mind's wandering because I know that you help people with these types of charts. And when I was working with a hospital here in Thailand, they had a great room that they set up that was all blacked out and it was full of these great computer screens and guys in their technicians, like 10 of them in this room. But the room was dead silent, blacked out 100%. And they were radiologists and all the x-rays, MRIs, and everything that were being done on the machines outside were coming into them and then they were making their judgments on it. And then they would submit that and then the doctors would very quickly get a read on that. And I was just thinking, imagine being a person that just all day long looking at these types of charts. Like just any system can be described by the... And then what's your judgment on this? Yep, common cause. That's it. 0:21:50.9 John Dues: Yeah. And I think it obviously doesn't mean that there isn't work to be done. Like in this case, even though it's stable and predictable, so if I was putting a bet down on what the results are for spring 2026, at the end of this school year, I'd put my money somewhere between, let's call it 55% and 65%. And I'd be right almost every single time, I think, as long as nothing changes. But that doesn't mean, like I said, it doesn't mean there's not work to be done because when you look at this, this means that about 60% of third graders are proficient in any given school year on this Ohio third grade state test, which means that two in five students are not reading proficiently. So, the improvement roadmap, there has to be some fundamental changes to how we do third grade reading instruction, curriculum, assessment. Something fundamental has to change if we want to get a different set of results. 0:22:54.8 Andrew Stotz: And one of the things that I've kind of come to believe in my life, right or wrong, I'm not exactly sure, but it's like having traveled to so many countries and seen so many places, I kind of feel like people get what they demand. Like the population of a country, if they don't demand certain behavior from politicians, they don't get it. And so on the one hand, this is a neutral thing, but I think you can also make a judgment that the population of Ohio is not in a continuous uproar to see this change. 0:23:39.0 John Dues: Yeah. Well, I would say very few people even have this picture in their head, whether it's educators or the general public, because every time we get one of these state testing reports, it usually has only two or three years of data. So no one even remembers what happened. 0:24:01.9 Andrew Stotz: I agree that they don't have clarity, real good clarity like you're bringing us here. They have an understanding of what's happening generally. And this is what, so the reason why I'm mentioning that is because part of the benefit of trying to understand the state of a system is to understand that the level of change or work or new thinking that has to go into saying, modifying, let's just say that the population was in an uproar and they decided that they wanted to get to 90% proficiency from 60%. The level of rethinking is such a huge thing. And I think what this chart tells me is like, that's kind of what's set in stone. And in order to move beyond what's set in stone, there is a whole lot of work and a whole lot of new thinking that has to go into that. And it must be continuous. And that's part of the constancy of purpose. And you do it for three years and then a new guy comes in and he changes it. And then next thing you know, it's not sustained. 0:25:17.4 John Dues: Yeah. I mean, yes, you'd have to do something significant and then you'd have to stick with it. That constancy of purpose phrase is right on because you'd have to, first you'd have to develop the right plan and then you'd want to test it. But then once you started seeing some evidence of improvement, you'd have to stick with that plan for a decade or more to see those types of results. And that's really hard when the political will shifts, the focus shifts, you have a pandemic, whatever the thing is, you have less money for school, whatever that thing is or any combination of that, it makes it very challenging to sustain. 0:25:57.8 Andrew Stotz: And the reason why I'm raising this point is because it just kind of really hits me that take away Ohio, take away education, take away all of those things and just produce a control chart on any process in any business, in any school, and you're gonna see the current state. 0:26:17.3 John Dues: Yep, absolutely. Yeah. You can use this in any setting, any data that occurs over time, you could use this methodology. 0:26:24.8 Andrew Stotz: And one of the questions I have in my mind as I was thinking is like, why change it? The level of effort required to sustainably change that is just incredible. And you could argue that, okay, there's companies that build a competitive advantage by saying, that's not the status quo that we want to exist in and therefore we're gonna create a whole new business built around something different that produces a result that's considerably better than that. But it happens for sure, but we're much more likely in our lives if we were to see that to just let it be. 0:27:03.6 John Dues: Yeah. Yeah. And when you get it down, when you sort of zero in and get down to the sort of local level, there are schools that sort of performed in this sort of general fashion that made changes at the building level and then got significantly different results. So, it becomes a little easier. It's not easy, but it becomes easier when you're talking about a single school building and coordinating the efforts there versus trying to do that across all the school buildings. 0:27:32.9 Andrew Stotz: And I think this is what, when Dr. Deming talks about leadership, this is what he's talking about. 0:27:39.1 John Dues: Yep. Yep. And I think, you know, the good thing is here, if this is resonating with you, whether you're a school leader or the leader of some other type of organization, you know, you've probably struggled to interpret your most important data. So, before I discovered this method, I didn't really have a method per se. I'd put numbers in a table and then try to look at them and try to sort of ascertain what was happening on. And so I think it's, you know, if you've never heard of this, it's totally fine. Most of us were never taught how to understand variation in our data. But I think there's two sort of big ideas I would take from this as we've talked about this. The first is just taking natural variation into account. Just meaning plot your data over time, plot your dots, and look at how it's moving up and down over time. So, that's the first big idea, this idea of natural variation. Things are going to move up and down just naturally, no matter what's happening, even if nothing of significance has occurred. 0:28:47.6 John Dues: And then big idea two is that you can use this chart, this process behavior chart methodology to differentiate between those two types of variation that I talked about, the routine or natural variation, and then the exceptional variation. And then once you do that, you're gonna get some very powerful insights into what your data looks like, because people are gonna say, oh, I know why that happened. I know why that looks like that. Now that I see it like this, I have an understanding for why the patterns look like they do. And then you can start to turn that sort of type of analysis into better outcomes. And that's really the point of doing this is that you, you know when to react, when not to react, you are making sound decisions based on a logic, a logical model, a logical data model. And the best part is it's very simple. Like I said, a fourth grader can do the math required to create the chart. And I've seen kids as young as five or six interpreting the data in a chart. So, that means that we can all do it for sure. It's not actually that difficult. 0:30:00.6 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. And I was just thinking of Newton's law of inertia, meaning an object stays at rest until acted on by an outside force. 0:30:12.7 John Dues: Yeah. 0:30:13.8 Andrew Stotz: And I think what you're showing is the state of inertia. 0:30:18.5 John Dues: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The state of inertia. And I think it's just, you know, you don't know what you don't know. But once you see this and, I did some of the figuring this out on my own reading about it, listening to other people talk about it, but I talk to a lot of people and got a lot of guidance. So if this has piqued your interest, my suggestion is reach out to somebody that has done this before, at least at the start. Because there are a lot of, you know, while I am saying you can create a chart with fourth grade math and I've seen kindergartners analyze the charts, there is some learning, there is some technicality to it. And so I think if you have a coach, even better because you're gonna learn it so much faster and be able to sort of turn that learning into results so much faster. 0:31:07.0 Andrew Stotz: And maybe the starting point is trying to figure out of all the different measures that I've got in my business, in my school, in my life, what's one that I get regularly? And I like data that comes out more than annual because then it's just such a long process. So if I have daily data, weekly, monthly, you know, those types of data points, then from that, you know, and what's one thing in your life that would be a data point that you'd like to look at? And I would even argue the first step is just to start collecting it into, let's say, an Excel file and just collect that raw data. And you can make a chart of that raw data. And the benefit of the process, you know, control chart and the process chart is that what you're seeing is, you know, tools within that chart to help you interpret. But even if you just start by figuring out what data point you wanna look at, start collecting it, do a month or two of getting that data, and then you can start saying, okay, now I'm gonna apply these tools, nothing wrong with that. 0:32:21.2 John Dues: Yeah. And you wanna show it to people, like whether that's teachers or students, you wanna show them the data that you're collecting because they're gonna be a part of that improvement process, no matter what type of data that you're looking at, at least in schools, you're always gonna want the front line people to be a part of that process. 0:32:39.4 Andrew Stotz: And the way I did that in my area of research when I was an analyst and I had a research, was I wanted to see the data of the output of our research operation. How much did we produce? I didn't have a strong opinion as to whether we should produce more or less or whatever. I just wanted to understand them. And so I started plotting that data on a weekly basis, and I labeled it pretty well. And then I just put it up on the wall, and I didn't talk about it. And I put it up, and people looked at it, and I didn't go and explain it, and I didn't put control limits or anything like that. I just put the data up. And I remember a Thai lady that worked for me came to me, and she said, I figured you out. And I was like, what are you talking about? And she said, I was out to lunch with a friend of mine, and she asked me, how many reports do you publish a month? And she said, my employee said, I publish six reports in a month. And my friend said, what? 0:33:45.4 Andrew Stotz: And she said, how many do you do? She said, I only do two in a month. And she said, what are Andrew's targets for you? My God, to get six reports. And then my employee said to her, he doesn't have any target for me. And then that employee of mine came back to see me after that lunch, and she said, I get it. You just put it up on the wall, and it raised the awareness for all of us, and we all looked at it, and then it influenced the way we thought about our job without you telling me, get four or six or two. And so sometimes, and I did that exact same thing when I worked at Pepsi when I was in 1989 when I joined Pepsi in the factory in Buena Park in particular, where I would put up on the wall, here's everybody's error rates from last night. And I would post that, and then the employees would just look at it and go, that's wrong. Okay. Fine, great, tell me. Let's look at the data. 0:34:44.8 Andrew Stotz: And I kept all the underlying data that was manual in my hands in stacks, and then they would go, oh, okay, so I did get that wrong. Let me fix that. And then I fixed it and put it back up, but it didn't look much prettier after I fixed it. And then all of a sudden, people started looking at it, and then they started having new information they never had. And I hadn't studied with Dr. Deming by that time, so I didn't even understand anything to do with the chart, but just putting up the chart without any major commentary is fascinating. 0:35:12.9 John Dues: Yeah. It starts those conversations, starts getting people sort of more involved, more engaged with the work. Yeah, I think those are all really smart moves that we often don't do. 0:35:25.2 Andrew Stotz: And I think that was why my boss suggested I go to a Deming seminar, because he saw me starting to do that, and then he had heard about Deming and knew a little bit, and then he was like, yeah, this guy could be suited for that. 0:35:36.6 John Dues: Yeah. It sounds like it was fate or something like that. 0:35:41.6 Andrew Stotz: Yeah. Definitely. So, I'm going to wrap up just by saying that, for the listeners and the viewers out there, I think a big takeaway is figure out that one data point, just one. You don't need five, just one that comes out consistently, daily, weekly, monthly, you know, something that's relatively regular, and then start collecting that data. Write it down on a, you know, I do have times that I just write it down on a manual chart, in my notebook. Write it down there. You don't even need Excel. Just start collecting that data and thinking about the collection of the data, what time of the day you get it or what time of the week or what time of the month, and then start collecting it. Then the second stage is start to, you know, obviously, if you can go to an expert, someone like John or others, reach out to them, LinkedIn or other place, you know, and say, hey, I've got this data. Can you help me? And then they can easily do the calculations and then send you back the Excel file and say, here it is with all the calculations, which you did to me on one of mine, and that was great. And then get that help, and then start to move yourself slowly into the process because I think one of the things that I take away from it is that this really is the present, and it is an accurate representation of what the system is capable of. 0:37:10.2 John Dues: That's right. Yeah. 0:37:10.8 Andrew Stotz: And if you don't understand that, then you're just going to be beating your head against the wall. So, anything you would add? 0:37:18.9 John Dues: No, just beat your head against the wall and you make stuff up about what is happening. That's often what happens. Yeah. 0:37:27.0 Andrew Stotz: Then you become AI. You're hallucinating. 0:37:30.1 John Dues: Yes. 0:37:31.0 Andrew Stotz: Well, John, on behalf of everyone at the Deming Institute, I want to thank you again for this discussion. And for listeners, remember to go to deming.org to continue your journey. And you can find John's book, Win-Win: W. Edwards Deming, The System of Profound Knowledge, and the Science of Improving Schools, on amazon.com. This is your host, Andrew Stotz, and I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Deming, and that is that people are entitled to joy in work.
In this raw and deeply personal episode of Everyday Epigenetics: Raw. Real. Relatable., Susan opens up about her terrifying journey with Gadolinium Deposition Disease (GDD), a condition triggered by contrast injections commonly used in MRIs. What started as a routine scan for hip pain spiraled into months of excruciating suffering, disbelief from doctors, and a desperate search for answers.Susan is joined by Dr. Richard Semelka, one of the world's leading experts on MRI safety and the physician who has dedicated his career to researching, identifying, and treating GDD. Together, they shine light on a condition too often dismissed, ignored, or misdiagnosed, and discuss why awareness could be life-saving for countless people undergoing MRIs with contrast.This conversation is equal parts personal testimony, medical expertise, and call to advocacy. If you or someone you love has ever had, or may need, a contrast MRI, this is an episode you cannot afford to miss.In this episode:Susan's unfiltered story of surviving GDD and finding validation after years of pain and dismissalWhat Gadolinium Deposition Disease actually is, its symptoms, and why it's often overlookedWho is most at risk, and why some people may react while others don'tThe latest research on heavy metal toxicities and how GDD is treatedThe critical role lifestyle and immune system regulation play in recoveryWhy informed choice matters when doctors recommend contrast MRIsThis episode is not only about awareness, it's about reclaiming your voice, listening to your body, and refusing to be silenced when you know something is wrong.Learn more about our guest Dr. Richard SemelkaDr Semelka's career is shown to be the #10 in MRI, # 12 in Medical Imaging worldwide by Scholar GPS. He has written 6 editions of textbooks on MRI of the abdomen and pelvis, 5 editions of a textbook on MR physics, a textbook on quality improvement in Radiology and over 380 peer-reviewed articles, including the broadest range of subjects on safety issues in Radiology. Most recently he has described the entity Gadolinium Deposition Disease, on which he has written more than 16 articles. He has lectured around the world on topics in Radiology over a 35 year career. Presently he devotes his medical career to treating individuals with Gadolinium Deposition Disease and other metal toxicities. He is the president of the nonprofit GadTTRAC, an organization devoted to helping sufferers with Gadolinium and other heavy metal toxicity.RESOURCES:Connect with Dr Richard Semelka:Website: gadttrac.orgWebsite: www.richardsemelka.comFind all of Kate and Susan's Resources and links in the show notes: https://healthyawakening.co/2025/0915/episode74Connect with Susan: https://healthyawakening.co/Connect with Kate: https://theradiantlifeproject.com/Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcastFind listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/linksP.S. Want reminders about episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, you can find the link on our podcast page! https://healthyawakening.co/podcast
Show LinksSelf-Paced Resources:Subscribe To The Daily Podcast: https://yourlevelfitness.com/podcastNew To The YLF Philosophy? Start Here: ylf30.comDaily Accountability And Structure For Your Self-Paced Inside/Out Process: https://yourlevelfitness.com/daily-emailQ&A Response YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjSupgaY5KA66MD2IdmCwFhLFbDe-pk1lIndividualized Guidance From DarylJoin The YLF Experience: https://app.moonclerk.com/pay/5t93iox9udm3Compare All Service Levels: https://yourlevelfitness.com/coachingGet Your Merch, Mugs & Wall QuotesShop The Current Collections: https://yourlevelfitness.shop/collectionsEpisode DescriptionIn this episode of The Daryl Perry Podcast, I'm talking about two things that are very much part of my life right now. First, Taco Tuesday has officially become a lifestyle. Every week I look forward to grabbing the La Torta Loco taco special, and honestly it has become a little weekly anchor for me. It even helps me avoid unnecessary restaurant runs the rest of the week because I know the tacos are coming.The other piece of my current reality is dealing with my ankles. I'm recovering from pretty severe internal bruising on one side and increasing discomfort on the other. That means MRIs, physical therapy, and a structured daily routine of stretches that are basically workouts themselves. The sessions range from twenty to thirty minutes depending on which set I do, and they're hitting the exact areas that need support. The real challenge is staying calm, not rushing, and keeping perspective while managing all this with cerebral palsy in the background.So today's mix is tacos and CP. I'd love to hear about your favorite food specials, whether it's Taco Tuesday or something else. If you have a spot I should know about, let me know. Heather and I love to check out local food whenever we're traveling, so send your recommendations.Thank you as always for listening. I'll talk to you again real soon.Please share this episode with anyone you think would be interested in listening to it.Visit darylperrypodcast.com for links to the show page on each of the major podcast directories. From there, you can subscribe and share this pod.For comments, questions, topic ideas, possible collaborations please email daryl@yourlevelfitness.com
Lauren Rosenberg, a highly experienced Physician Associate, has dedicated nearly two decades to Internal Medicine and Health Optimization. Driven by a passion for preventative care, Lauren founded Vent Health to shift the focus from disease treatment to prevention. She specializes in a personalized approach that blends genetics, epigenetics, biomarkers, and lifestyle factors to tailor health interventions that extend and optimize each patient's healthspan. Lauren's practice includes prescribing peptides (GLP, CLP/GIP) for weight loss, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, etc. This episode concentrates on MENOPAUSE. Lauren and Heather discuss what symptoms could be related to Menopause. Lauren will speak about hot flashes, heart palpitations, frozen shoulder, brain fog, lack of libido, itchy ears, anxiety, trouble sleeping, hair changes, urinary tract infections. They will discuss what can you do at home and what treatments can be beneficial from professionals, such as GLP 1's for weight gain and hormone replacement options. Lauren is a frequent speaker at the Age Management Medicine Group (AMMG) and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) conferences. Lauren's practice includes Cardiology prevention: Diagnostics and AI analysis to detect dangerous plaque and calcium; advanced lipid testing and cardiovascular genetics Longevity biomarkers: DNA methylation for biological age, VO2 max testing, Telomere health; Therapeutic plasma exchange Cancer prevention: methylated DNA screens, preventative MRIs, tumor marker testing. Lauren's Website: https://myventhealth.com/about/ Heather's Website: www.heatherthomson.com Social Media: IG: https://www.instagram.com/iamheathert/ You Tube: https://youtube.com/@iamheathert?si=ZvI9l0bhLfTR-qdo SPONSORS: BLISSY: Blissy is offering 60-nights risk-free PLUS an additional 30% off when you shop at www.Blissy.com/HEATHERPOD and use code HEATHERPOD. Your hair and skin will thank you! AIRDOCTOR: Go to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code HEATHER to get UP TO $300 off today! AirDoctor comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, plus a 3-year warranty—an $84 value, free! Get this exclusive, podcast-only offer now at www.AirDoctorPro.com using promo code HEATHER. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 49ers rallied late for a 17-13 comeback victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Lumen Field. While San Francisco's defense produced several key performances, a surprising face on offense made the play of the game when third-string tight end Jake Tonges stepped up in George Kittle's injury absence. Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan break down the roller-coaster ride that was the 49ers' Week 1 win, from outstanding defense and gritty offense to their erratic special-teams play.--(1:00) 49ers hold on for late win in wild finish(3:00) Tonges delivers with game-winning TD(7:00) Jauan Jennings, George Kittle will have MRIs on injuries(12:00) CMC a main reason 49ers won(17:45) Jennifer details postgame vibe in 49ers' locker room(21:00) 49ers' special teams roller-coaster continues(23:00) How long can Jake Moody remain 49ers kicker?(26:00) Special teams as a whole must be fixed(29:00) Biggest player personnel takeaways from Week 1
Neurons. Immune systems. MRIs. Weed gummies? One of the greats in neurology, Dr. Aaron Boster, takes time to chat all about Multiple Sclerosis, a neurological autoimmune disease close to our hearts. Alie's mom, your grammapod a.k.a. Fancy Nancy, was diagnosed with MS over two decades ago, and this episode explores in depth the factors that can cause MS, therapies that do – and don't – show promise, how diet, exercise and mindfulness actually can help folks who have MS, the oftentimes agonizing journey to a diagnosis, and advice for those who've MS for a while – or are newly in the community. Also: yeah, weed. Visit the Boster Center for Multiple Sclerosis and follow Dr. Boster on YouTubeA donation went to MS Views and NewsMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Disability Sociology (DISABILITY PRIDE), Diabetology (BLOOD SUGAR), Post-Viral Epidemiology (LONG COVID), Dolorology (PAIN), Salugenology (WHY HUMANS REQUIRE HOBBIES), Psychedeliology (HALLUCINOGENS), Cardiology (THE HEART), Somnology (SLEEP)400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topicSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn
In this episode Andrea Samadi revisits a popular interview with Dr. Dawson Church about his book Bliss Brain and the neuroscience of meditation. They explore how simple, evidence-based practices can quiet the brain's default mode, trigger blissful neurochemicals, and reshape stress and happiness networks. Listeners learn why happiness must be trained, how meditation helps people live more in the present, and practical tips to start a daily meditation practice using guided tools like the free Bliss Brain meditations. Welcome back to SEASON 14 of The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning and emotional intelligence training for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren't taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I'm Andrea Samadi, and seven years ago, launched this podcast with a question I had never truly asked myself before: (and that is) If productivity and results matter to us—and they do now more than ever—how exactly are we using our brain to make them happen? Most of us were never taught how to apply neuroscience to improve productivity, results, or well-being. About a decade ago, I became fascinated by the mind-brain-results connection—and how science can be applied to our everyday lives. That's why I've made it my mission to bring you the world's top experts—so together, we can explore the intersection of science and social-emotional learning. We'll break down complex ideas and turn them into practical strategies we can use every day for predictable, science-backed results. For today's Episode 369, we are moving forward on our journey of the mind, to our next interview review, with our goal of building off of our past reviews, and sharpening our saw for improved well-being, productivity and success in 2025 and beyond. To review our last 3 episodes, with our interview with speaker Bob Proctor, we learned that “If we want to improve our RESULTS, we must focus on the six faculties of our mind—reason, intuition, perception, will, memory, and imagination.” “Devoting a year to developing each one would be time well invested, elevating us to greater heights and setting us apart from others.” Next, we looked at how we need to become extremely clear with our vision of “what we really want” and keep in mind that…. Our External Environment Reflects Our Internal World What exactly does this mean? It means that if we don't like what's happening in our external world—whether it's in our job, relationships, results, or any area of our life—we must first look inward. Our circumstances mirror the beliefs and thoughts we hold within. As James Allen reminds us in As a Man Thinketh: our outer world is always a reflection of our inner state. For today's Episode 369, we'll turn inward—sharpening our inner world so that we can transform the outer one. Today we go back EP 98[i] our interview with Dr. Dawson Church, that was recorded back in December of 2020, where we looked at the science behind implementing meditation into your daily routine. This interview is currently our most watched YouTube interview with over 11K views. This week, in our review of EP 98 with Dr. Dawson Church and his book Bliss Brain, we will explore how meditation can rewire the brain for happiness and presence. We will learn: ✔ Since happiness didn't evolve naturally, we must train our brain to achieve it. ✔ Our brains default to the past or future, constantly scanning for threats, instead of resting in the present moment. ✔ Extreme states of happiness are possible for all of us when we implement meditation consistently. ✔ How to commit to a daily meditation practice using the free meditations that come with Bliss Brain, or explore other guided programs until you find one that resonates with you Just a reminder-Dr. Church is the author of the book called Bliss Brain: The Neuroscience of Remodeling Your Brain for Resilience, Creativity and Joy.[ii] He's an award-winning science writer who blends cutting-edge neuroscience with the stories of people who've had firsthand experience of brain change. Neural plasticity—the discovery that the brain is capable of rewiring itself—is now widely understood. But what few people have grasped yet is how quickly this is happening, how extensive brain changes can be, and how much control each of us exerts over the process of our thinking. It's been almost 5 years since this interview, and it feels like yesterday to me. I remember at the time, one of my dogs was barking in the yard when the landscapers came, and I was worried it would distract our interview. It didn't. I don't even think Dr. Church could hear them. There were also two other things that stuck out in my head from this interview (other than the fact I was wearing glasses trying to prepare for Lasik surgery and couldn't really see the questions) but I'll also never forget that American entrepreneur and biohacker Dave Asprey, who's well known for his interest in helping others achieve these elevated brain states, wrote the Foreword to his book. I also won't ever forget Chapter 1, of Bliss Brain, where Dr. Church shares how he and his wife lost their home and pets in the 2017 Santa Rose Fire, yet they chose to focus on gratitude and rebuilding their lives with joy. This story highlights his teaching that even trained minds struggle under pressure, but with meditation and practice, we can shift into a bliss or flow state. Church's EcoMeditation method, (that he covers in his book) supported by science and praised by Dave Asprey in the Foreword, helps quiet the brain's Default Mode Network[iii] and quickly releases calming, pleasurable chemicals—in as little as four minutes. Dr. Church has a strong following, and there are many powerful testimonials at the start of his book. One we spoke about in our interview was from Toni Tombleson who wrote: After a week of putting out a handful of mini-fires that often accompany the start of a new school year in my world, I can see why these lessons to handling both major life crises and everyday challenges, by learning to cultivate a “Bliss Brain” should remain a top priority for resilience, productivity, and well-being, for all of us. VIDEO 1 Click Here to Watch Which brings me to Video Clip 1 of our review. Watch video clip 1 with the link in the show notes. Historical Context: Dr. Church begins by reflecting on The Buddha, who over 2,000 years ago sought to relieve human suffering. He also reviews other spiritual teachers, including Plato, who grappled with the same question. Biological Explanation: Dr. Church emphasizes that suffering is a biological problem, a feature of how the human brain evolved. How our lives have become easier than they were 2,000 years ago. He explained to me how people are 3x as wealthy now, than they were 40 years ago. In terms of longevity, our lifespans have doubled in the last century. There are many markers like this that show us that we live in a much more secure and safe world than we used to. Key Point: While we live in a safer environment today, than 2,000 years ago, our brains were not designed for where we are today. We are not suffering he reminded me because we are bad people, we lack will, or haven't read enough personal growth books… “We simply didn't evolve to be happy because there was no survival benefit in being happy.” Tip #1: Since happiness didn't evolve naturally, it's something we must train our brain to achieve. Practical Application: This is the basis of his book Bliss Brain, where he explains how meditation helps us train the brain to reach a bliss or flow state. It's in his book that we learn how to achieve this state that will change not only our brain, (our internal state) but our outer results in our everyday lives. In Chapter 2, he shows us why most people find it so hard to meditate. The difficulty has nothing to do with willpower or intention. It's simply due to the design of the human brain. When you understand this clearly, you'll be equipped to work around it. Chapter 3 describes the ecstatic states that you can achieve in meditation. He examines the regions of the brain that you activate, and what each one does. He also lists the extensive health and cognitive benefits that you get from activating each of those regions. In Chapter 4 you'll hear the story of his own personal failed meditation experiences. He learned many different styles of meditation, but could never establish a consistent practice. His breakthrough came from science. When he combined seven simple evidence-based practices together, found a formula that puts people into deep states automatically and involuntarily. No effort required. When he and his colleagues hook people up to EEGs and MRIs, they find that using these seven steps, even non-meditators get into profound states in less than 4 minutes. Sometimes in less than 50 seconds. Historically, the secrets of these states have been available to only about 1% of the population. Thanks to science, they're now available to everyone. Chapter 5 he goes into the seven neurochemicals of ecstasy. We learn how each one is like a drug that makes you feel good. But combine all seven together, and you have a potent formula that takes your brain into bliss. Meditation is the only way you get all seven at one time. The star of the show is a neurotransmitter called anandamide, aka “the bliss molecule.” When you trigger these ecstatic states daily, they change your brain. Chapter 6 is about the extensive brain remodeling that occurs in seasoned meditators. Stress circuits shrink, while happiness networks grow. But you don't need to be an adept to trigger this rewiring. It begins the very first week you meditate effectively. Chapter 7 is about post-traumatic growth, and how the brains of meditators make them resilient to the inevitable upsets of life. Medical crises and financial disasters included. It provides practical examples of how meditation can make you resilient even during global upheavals like the coronavirus panic that was happening at the time of this interview. Whatever challenges confront us, we will be well equipped to handle large and small life challenges. If we truly want to find happiness, then we will need to rewire our brain to accomplish these states. VIDEO 2 Click Here to Watch Watch video clip 2 with the link in the show notes. Question asked: “How can we learn to be more in the present moment, instead of somewhere else?” Dr. Church's explanation: The brain is hardwired to identify threats for survival. Today, most of us don't face immediate threats, but the brain's Default Mode Network (DMN) keeps scanning for danger. Without real threats, it replays past negative experiences (even from years ago or childhood) and projects fear into the future (“what if it happens again?”). This keeps us stuck in the past and future, not the present moment. Monks & meditation: Monks, after years of deep meditation, trained their brains differently. Brain scans showed structural changes—the brain literally began to shrink in areas related to stress and overthinking. Key Point: Our brains are not naturally wired to live in the present moment—they default to the past or future, scanning for threats. Tip #2: Get serious about meditation. Example: Australian astrophysicist & TV journalist Graham Phillips remodeled his brain in just 8 weeks of meditation practice. VIDEO 3 Click Here to Watch Watch video clip 3 with the link in the show notes. In this clip, Dr. Church explains how “meditation changes everything” and why “20 years ago, he decided to make this commitment to daily meditation” sharing how his whole world changed after this. These are noticeable changes that were behind his motivation to write this book, Bliss Brain, to show the world how they too can reach these states of extreme happiness. He told us to go back and study historical figures who were clearly in altered states of being, like the Italian Catholic Preacher, Saint Francis of Assisi, who appears in a blissed-out state as we see in a drawing, where it looks like he is communicating with God or something divine. This beautiful blissful state, that goes beyond happiness, is available to all of us. We will cover more about the changes our brains undergo with meditation as we go back to review our interview #28 with clinical professor of psychiatry from the UCLA school of medicine, Dr. Dan Siegel[iv], on a later episode, but for now, we can conclude that we can in fact change our outside world, in a significant and powerful way, by dedicating ourselves to a daily meditation practice. Key Point: We can ALL reach this state of extreme happiness by implementing a daily meditation practice. Tip 3: We can get started with our own meditation practice (if we are not currently implementing one) by using the FREE mediations that come along with the Bliss Brain Book Or use whatever meditation program resonates with you. REVIEW AND CONCLUSION Episode 369 Wrap-Up: Bliss Brain Review with Dr. Dawson Church This week, in our review of EP 98 with Dr. Dawson Church and his book Bliss Brain, we explored how meditation can rewire the brain for happiness and presence. Key Point from Clip 1: Although we live in a safer world than 2,000 years ago, our brains weren't designed for today's environment. “We simply didn't evolve to be happy because there was no survival benefit in being happy.” Tip #1: Since happiness didn't evolve naturally, we must train our brain to achieve it. Key Point from Clip 2: Our brains default to the past or future, constantly scanning for threats, instead of resting in the present moment. Tip #2: Commit to meditation—like astrophysicist and TV journalist Graham Phillips, who saw powerful changes after just 8 weeks of his daily practice that helped him to focus in the present moment. Key Point from Clip 3: Extreme states of happiness are possible for all of us when we implement meditation consistently. Tip #3: Start small. Use the free meditations that come with Bliss Brain, or explore other guided programs until you find one that resonates with you I highly recommend watching the full interview with Dr. Church[v]—especially if you've struggled to stay consistent with your own practice. Even Dr. Church himself shares moments where he lost momentum, which is a reminder that this is a journey for all of us. Personally, I've cycled through different meditation programs—starting with John Assaraf's work, then moving on to Dr. Dan Siegel's Wheel of Awareness, using Dr. Church's Bliss Brain meditations, and now practicing Dr. Joe Dispenza's chakra-focused work. The program you choose matters less than your ability to make it a consistent daily practice—that's when the real brain changes occur. We'll see you next week as we continue exploring the Journey of the Mind, working on connecting practical science to improve our inner and outer world. See you next week! RESOURCES: VIDEO CLIP 1 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DkeDGwbShwU VIDEO CLIP 2 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/a5O3eI7qKro VIDEO CLIP 3 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zatnfj4MPok FREE ACCESS TO BLISS BRAIN RESOURCES, MEDITATIONS https://blissbrainbook.com/ REFERENCES: [i]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE 98 “Dr. Dawson Church: The Science Behind Using a Meditation: Rewiring Your Brain for Happiness, Resilience, and Joy” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/dr-dawson-church-on-the-science-behind-using-meditation-rewiring-your-brain-for-happiness-resilience-and-joy/ [ii] FREE ACCESS TO BLISS BRAIN RESOURCES, MEDITATIONS https://blissbrainbook.com/ [iii] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE 204 “The Neuroscience of Happiness” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-fact-friday-on-the-neuroscience-of-happiness/ [iv]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE 28 with Dr. Daniel Siegel on “Mindsight: The Basis for Social and Emotional Intelligenvce” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/clinical-professor-of-psychiatry-at-the-ucla-school-of-medicine-dr-daniel-siegel-on-mindsight-the-basis-for-social-and-emotional-intelligence/ [v] YouTube Interview with Andrea Samadi and Dr. Dawson Church https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH8yVKHjFN4
(00:00-23:40) The Colonel Gabe DeArmond of Power Mizzou joins us talking about the Tigers' big win last night. Quick audio of the caller who was eating chicken wings on the potty last night. People just trying to be like Tiger Terry. Pribula impressive in his first college start. Both injured players getting MRIs today. Just some unfortunate "football" plays. The offensive line had a couple issues last night but it's game one. Drink wanting the offense to be more explosive. The Wildcat. The passing of Ben Arnet.(23:49-40:10) They call it auto-lemminating, you gotta be flexible. Timmy Trumpets was back. Wildcat Gate. It's Beau Time. Warson Woods Wacko is on the phone. Is he ready to admit he was wrong? Fiddlesticks Brothers. He owes Harrison's Brother Master $100. Lotta backtracking from WWW.(40:20-45:19) Mt. Rushmore of trumpet songs. You've never heard of Herb Albert, have you? Drops of the Week.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.