S9 Ep15: Group B Strep
Bacteria called group B Streptococcus (group B strep, GBS) commonly live in people’s gastrointestinal and genital tracts. The gastrointestinal tract is the part of the body that digests food and includes the stomach and intestines. The genital tract is the part of the body involved in reproduction and includes the vagina in women. Most of the time the bacteria are not harmful and do not make pe...
19m Aug 10, 2021
19m
S9 Ep14: Dentures
Dentures are removable appliances that can replace missing teeth and help restore your smile. If you’ve lost all of your natural teeth, whether from gum disease, tooth decay or injury, replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. That’s because dentures make it easier to eat and speak better than you could without teeth—things that people often take for granted. When y...
16m Aug 03, 2021
16m
S9 Ep13: Medicinal Uses of CBD
Cannabidiol (CBD) oils are low tetrahydrocannabinol products derived from Cannabis sativa that have become very popular over the past few years. Patients report relief for a variety of conditions, particularly pain, without the intoxicating adverse effects of medical marijuana.(NIH) ​On todays show we are speaking with the Dynamic Duo at CannaPros inc. about the various Cannabis products typic...
47m Jul 26, 2021
47m
Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
Shingles is a painful rash that develops on one side of the face or body. The rash consists of blisters that typically scab over in 7 to 10 days and fully clears up within 2 to 4 weeks.  Before the rash appears, people often have pain, itching, or tingling in the area where it will develop. This may happen several days before the rash appears. Most commonly, the rash occurs in a single stripe...
14m Jul 20, 2021
14m
S9 Ep11: Juvenile Arthritis & hEDS
Squeeze a world of passion, goal driven problem solver and an adventurous triathlete into 5 feet of fun and you get Faith Louise Cooper. Faith Louise grew up in a family of 5 with 2 younger sisters.  At the 12 she was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, now known as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.  In 2017 she was diagnosed with hypermobility syndrome and was recently changed to Hyper...
22m Jul 13, 2021
22m
S9 Ep10: Ehlers Danlos & Oral Health
The Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) give rise to a spectrum of features affecting the mouth that may lessen quality of life. Additionally, routine dental care has the potential to be compromised as a consequence of some of the systemic features of the disease. This episode provides a review of the oral and dental aspects of EDS. Orofacial manifestations The oral and facial features of EDS vary ...
16m Jul 06, 2021
16m
S9 Ep9: Congenital Cytomegalovirus
Congenital cytomegalovirus (congenital CMV) is a group of symptoms that may occur when an infant is infected with the cytomegalovirus before birth. Most infants who are infected with the virus never develop symptoms of the condition. However, approximately 10% of babies will experience health problems and/or disabilities such as problems with the lungs, liver and/or spleen at birth; hearing los...
29m Jun 29, 2021
29m
S9 Ep8: Men's Heart Health
On average men die almost 5 years earlier than women!  Why?   Stress and cardiac health have a direct connection, how does this affect men? ​The mind and mental health status for men has a direct correlation to their heart health!  Want to know more?  Listen to this week's episode!!
18m Jun 22, 2021
18m
S9 Ep7: Fibrous Dysplasia
This week's episode discusses a rare condition that turns bone into fibrous tissue.  Fibrous Dysplasia can be devastating, but our guest, Brittany is taking it all in stride and is continuing her advocacy work with us by sharing her story.  Without further ado...here's Brittany!   I am a 36 year old woman from Indiana. I have a rare disease called Fibrous Dysplasia. It turns my bones into fib...
19m Jun 15, 2021
19m
S9 Ep6: EDS Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
On this week's show we are speaking with Kristine Hoestermann, the founder of "FindYourRare (https://findyourrare.com/) " and she will be explaining how she was diagnosed with HEDS and where that diagnosis took her! Heeeeere's Kristine!   Allow me to introduce myself🦓My name is Kristine (kk). I am the CEO of RARE.™ A brand that was born from my own frustrations following the onset of my symp...
40m Jun 08, 2021
40m
S9 Ep5: Food Allergies
Food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food. Even a tiny amount of the allergy-causing food can trigger signs and symptoms such as digestive problems, hives or swollen airways. In some people, a food allergy can cause severe symptoms or even a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis. Food allergy affects an estimated 6 to 8 percent of children ...
31m Jun 01, 2021
31m
S9 Ep4: Stroke Awareness
This week we will be discussing stroke awareness. More than 800,000 strokes happen each year in the United States. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and is a major cause of serious disability for adults. A stroke is caused by blocked blood flow to the brain and can affect a person’s speech, movement, memory, and more. It’s important to know the signs of a stroke and get h...
14m May 25, 2021
14m
S9 Ep3: Hypothalamic Obesity
Dr. Eugenie Hsu is a clinical psychologist by profession and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children. In 2011 when her son was 8, he was diagnosed and treated for a craniopharyngioma brain tumor: Grateful for his survival but distressed by the many challenges he suffered in the aftermath of the tumor and surgery, Eugenie became focused upon finding solutions and tr...
1hr 11m May 18, 2021
1hr 11m
S9 Ep2: Fabry's Lysosomal Storage Disease
Brandi McAlexander was born and raised in Kirtland, New Mexico, a small town ten miles from the Navajo Native American Reservation. She is both Oglala Sioux and White Stick Creek. She is happily married to a veteran of two tours to Iraq. Together they have a happy full house with seven children; four girls and three boys. She worked in healthcare as a C-Suite executive for twenty years before...
33m May 11, 2021
33m
S9 Ep1: CVID, Common-Variable-Immunodeficiency
Today, we have with us today, Sheila Ames a registered nurse in Northern California who has been diagnosed with a rare type of a primary immunodeficiency known as common variable immunodeficiency or CVID for short.  At the time of her diagnosis she was working as an ICU nurse and her first doctors order was: no more exposure to infectious patients.  This diagnosis not only changed her career dr...
31m May 04, 2021
31m
S8 Ep20: Sturge Weber Syndrome
A mother of two from Alberta, Canada, Chelsey Peat was born with a rare condition called Sturge Weber Syndrome. She was born with a large portwine stain birthmark on the left side of her face and has glaucoma in her left eye. She has had multiple surgeries including life saving brain surgery as a baby. ​Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) is a rare disorder affecting the skin and nervous system. Babie...
23m Apr 27, 2021
23m
S8 Ep19: Sarcoidosis
In this episode we will discuss Sarcoidosis with Frank Rivera. Frank is the Founder and President of Sarcoidosis of Long Island,  is a WEGO Health Patient Leader, a Patient Ambassador at Illumina Inc, and a volunteer Patient Ambassador at The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research. ​Sarcoidosis is a disease characterized by the growth of tiny collections of inflammatory cells (granulomas) in any ...
28m Apr 20, 2021
28m
S8 Ep18: Organ Transplant
Every day, gifts from donors restore health to save and improve lives. As of 2019, 165 million people in the U.S. have registered as donors, but we all need to sign up. There are still      men, women, and children waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.   ​Organ donation takes healthy organs and tissues from one person for transplantation into another. Experts say that the organs from on...
20m Apr 13, 2021
20m
S8 Ep17: Tinnitus
Do you hear a constant sound in your ears, even though there is no external source linked to the noise? If so, you’re likely suffering from tinnitus, and you aren’t alone. It’s estimated that more than 50 million Americans suffer from some degree of tinnitus, 16 million Americans experience such severe ringing that they require some type of treatment, and another 2 million suffer from such debi...
20m Apr 05, 2021
20m
S8 Ep16: von Hippel-Lindau Chuvash Polycythemia
Our guest this week is Shannon Wyatt.  Shannon has an extremely rare condition called von Hippel-Lindau Chuvash Polycythemia (we will abbreviate to VHL).  Her only symptom that led to finding VHL was that she was diagnosed with kidney cancer at 34 years old, that didn’t even have any noticeable symptoms, it was just an incidental finding on an MRI, but when they took it out, they found it was m...
43m Mar 30, 2021
43m
S8 Ep15: Bleeding Disorders, Hemophilia, von Willebrand Disease, Coagulation Disorders, Blood Clotting Disorders, Clotting Factor Deficiencies
  Bleeding Disorders, also known as Hemophilia, von Willebrand Disease, Coagulation Disorders, Blood Clotting Disorders, Clotting Factor Deficiencies ​Bleeding disorders are rare disorders affecting the way the body controls blood clotting. If your blood does not clot normally, you may experience problems with bleeding too much after an injury or surgery. This health topic will focus on bleed...
10m Mar 23, 2021
10m
S8 Ep14: Trisome
Trisomy is an abnormality in which an organism has the wrong number of chromosomes. In humans, a normal baby will have 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs, with each parent contributing 23 chromosomes. When trisomy occurs, the individual is born with three instances of a particular chromosome instead of the usual two, resulting in 47 total chromosomes instead of 46. The results of this extra data can va...
12m Mar 16, 2021
12m
S8 Ep13: Lysosomal Storage Disease
Lauren, is here speaking with us today about Lysosomal Storage Disease.  Lauren has four siblings whom she loves dearly, and graduated in 2011.  She worked at a community center until COVID put a hold on social gatherings. She considers herself a social person and is grateful for the chance to get her story out into the world. ​ Lysosomal storage diseases are inherited metabolic diseases that...
25m Mar 09, 2021
25m
S8 Ep12: Muscular Dystrophy
This week we are speaking with a Muscular Dystrophy Warrior!   Keisha Greaves is a motivational speaker, the founder of Girls Chronically Rock, and the Massachusetts State Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Girls Chronically Rock (www. girlschronicallyrock.com) offers inspired fashion celebrating Muscular Dystrophy and other chronic illnesses. Over the past few years, Ke...
30m Mar 02, 2021
30m
S8 Ep11: Rare Disease CAMK2 Genetic Mutation
Our guest today is Karen is a wife and mother to 5 children.  Her youngest, who is now 13 was born seemingly healthy.  In her first weeks it became clear that she wasn't developing normally. After 10 years of looking for a diagnosis and not finding answers, they decided to do whole exome sequencing.  That finally gave them an answer.  She has a mutation of her CAMK2 gene. It was so newly disco...
27m Feb 23, 2021
27m
S8 Ep9: Fibromyalgia & POTs
Jason is an engineering graduate who reinvented himself as a podcaster and chronic illness/disability advocate after developing fibromyalgia and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). He is the host of Discomfort Zone (http://www.invisiblenotbroken.com/discomfortzone) , a podcast featuring immersive stories on chronic illness and disability that showcase our vulnerability, wellness, ...
31m Feb 09, 2021
31m
S8 Ep8: Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva
Kim Shields is 38 years old and just finished her masters in social work program. She was diagnosed with FOP at age 15, but it has mildly affected her throughout her life. She is a wheelchair user, but she doesn’t let that slow her down. She is working on a plan to open a nonprofit in the future to help with access issues for those with disabilities, specifically wheelchair access, but will fig...
34m Feb 02, 2021
34m
S8 Ep7: Tick Borne Illness & Autoimmune
Board Certified in Family Medicine, Dr. Kelley was among the first physicians to become Board Certified in Integrative Medicine. She has studied the causes, effects, and treatments of Lyme Disease extensively, and lectures nationally on this and other topics.  Dr. Kelley graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed her residency in Family Medicine at St. Joseph Ho...
29m Jan 26, 2021
29m
S8 Ep6: Household Safety
Talking today amongst ourselves, we will share some important safety tips around the home.  (TRANSCRIPT BELOW) ​ Most home safety tips talk about the importance of preventing fires, preparing against extreme weather and protecting the home from potential burglars. If you are a homeowner and have not taken precautions in any of these areas, the time to act is now.  ​ Yet even though it’s imp...
30m Jan 19, 2021
30m
S8 Ep5: Myostatin Issues- Dylan's Strength
Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy is a rare condition characterized by reduced body fat and increased muscle size. Affected individuals have up to twice the usual amount of muscle mass in their bodies. They also tend to have increased muscle strength. This condition is not known to cause any medical problems, and affected individuals are intellectually normal. Myostatin-related muscle hypert...
39m Jan 12, 2021
39m
S8 Ep4: Vaccines
The first human vaccines against viruses were based using weaker or attenuated viruses to generate immunity. The smallpox vaccine used cowpox, a poxvirus that was similar enough to smallpox to protect against it but usually didn’t cause serious illness. Rabies was the first virus attenuated in a lab to create a vaccine for humans. Vaccines are made using several different processes. They may c...
19m Jan 05, 2021
19m
S8 Ep3: Disability Etiquette
Basic disability etiquette involves treating people with disabilities with respect.  For example, speak to the person directly, not to the person accompanying them. Do not make assumptions about what they can or cannot do. The impact of a specific disability can vary widely from person to person, so offer assistance only if it appears to be needed. Acknowledge and respect the individual’s abili...
18m Dec 29, 2020
18m
S9 Ep2: Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect movement and muscle tone or posture. It's caused by damage that occurs to the immature brain as it develops, most often before birth.   Our guest today is Zain Bando (https://zainbando.org/about/) , a Chicago area, 21-year-old college student and is studying journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a junior. He hopes to ...
27m Dec 22, 2020
27m
S8 Ep1: Cosmetic Medicine
Cosmetic Medicine is the practice of non-surgical and minor surgical procedures that are designed to change the appearance of individuals by their effects on superficial tissues, thereby reversing the signs of ageing. Cosmetic Medicine is commonly associated with treatments such as botulinum toxin and dermal filler injections. Other treatments such as laser therapy and sclerotherapy are also e...
35m Dec 15, 2020
35m
S7 Ep20: Fibromyalgia
Our guest this week is Arushi Lohiya, from Jaipur, Rajasthan -India.  She is a marketing & branding strategist, an amateur poet, animal lover, and a Fibromyalgia warrior.  She graduated top of her class from Iowa State University, USA in marketing. At one time she was also a national level sports player and managed to combine both of her passions with a dream job in sports marketing. She was a...
23m Dec 08, 2020
23m
S7 Ep19: Corneal Dystrophy
Savanna is a health policy and patient advocate from Houston, Texas. She meets with senators and representative at the federal level to advocate for patients to have better access to treatments and for the protection of the ACA, as well as creating awareness & education through social media and consulting with companies about the patient experience. Savanna has several chronic illnesses includi...
23m Dec 01, 2020
23m
S7 Ep18: Epilepsy
Matt is a preschool teacher turned computer programmer and disability advocate.  He developed Epilepsy while in college and is here today to discuss this often misunderstood disease.   ​ Epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of awareness. ​Anyone ca...
46m Nov 24, 2020
46m
S7 Ep17: Gastroparesis
Ambre is a gastroparesis patient. She was diagnosed in 2016, after suffering with GI symptoms for nearly 2 years. Her disease has progressed to where she is now completely dependent on enteral nutrition. In the last two years she has become a vocal advocate for the gastroparesis community. She has also, in the last year become a vocal advocate for feeding tubes and body positivity. By particip...
43m Nov 17, 2020
43m
S7 Ep16: Lupus
Britt Clark is a patient advocate and the founder of Lupus Lyfe, a blog about living with lupus. She is also a lupus patient leader for WEGO Health and actively participates in discussions and panels advocating for chronic illness warriors.  She has battled lupus, fibromyalgia, trigeminal neuralgia and recently stage 1 kidney cancer. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her husband a...
18m Nov 10, 2020
18m
S7 Ep15: Crohns During Motherhood
Myisha is the ceo of @gameofcrohnsandchronicillness Facebook group and Instagram.  Myisha is a 2019 WEGO Health Awards finalist and WEGO Health top 10 rookie of the year 2020 this year. ​ Myisha have been nominated for 10 WEGO Health awards. Myisha started her Facebook group gameofcrohnsandchronicillness to help others feel less alone. ​ When Myisha was first diagnosed 11 years ago she kne...
23m Nov 03, 2020
23m
S7 Ep14: Halloween During COVID
In this episode we will discuss Halloween Safety during COVID   ​Fall celebrations like Halloween and Harvest Day are fun times for children, who at one time could dress up in costumes, enjoy parties, and eat yummy treats. These celebrations also provide a chance to give out healthy snacks, get physical activity, and focus on safety. ​Check out these tips to help make the festivities fun and...
13m Oct 27, 2020
13m
S7 Ep13: Barrett's Esophagus
Our guest today is once again Lita Tomas, one of our co-hosts.  Lita has suffered with GERD for most of her adult life (as you learned in S6E19 (https://bit.ly/3jbAOTV) )  This year's upper endoscopy showed damage to the esophagus from the chronic acid backflow.  She now has a new diagnosis of Barrett's Esophagus. Barrett's esophagus is a potentially serious complication of GERD, which stands ...
14m Oct 20, 2020
14m
S7 Ep12: Rotator Cuff Repair
Our guest today is Lita again, she has recently had her torn rotator cuff repaired.  I would like to refer to the Mayo Clinic to explain this complex group of muscles and ligaments:  The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, keeping the head of your upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder. A rotator cuff injury can cause a dul...
21m Oct 13, 2020
21m
S7 Ep11: Injectable Neurotoxins for Migraines
Two Co-Hosts discuss injectable neurotoxins as a medical treatment, especially for migraines.    Neurotoxins are injected around pain fibers that are involved in headaches. It enters the nerve endings around where it is injected and blocks the release of chemicals involved in pain transmission. This prevents activation of pain networks in the brain. It prevents migraine headaches before they...
12m Oct 06, 2020
12m
S7 Ep10: Volunteering, Good For Your Mental Health
Volunteering can help you make friends, learn new skills, advance your career, and even feel happier and healthier. With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering can be enormous. Volunteering offers vital help to people in need, worthwhile causes, and the community, but the benefits can be even greater for you, the volunteer. The right match ca...
19m Sep 29, 2020
19m
S7 Ep9: Hyperacusis
Hyperacusis is defined as a collapsed tolerance to normal environmental sounds. Ears also lose most of their dynamic range.  Dynamic range is the ability of the ear to deal with quick shifts in sound loudness. Suddenly everyday noises sound unbearably or painfully loud. The disorder is often chronic and usually accompanied by tinnitus (ringing in the ears), but can occur in patients who have li...
37m Sep 22, 2020
37m
S7 Ep8: Camaraderie in a Pandemic
Even though we often feel Physicians are 'super-heroes" during times of extreme stress even these heroes need support!  Dr. Jackson is here today to talk with us about the care and support that physicians can give one another.  The current pandemic is such a stressful time for all of us, have you considered how hard it is on the front line workers? ​ Dr. Kimberly Funches Jackson is a board-ce...
23m Sep 15, 2020
23m
S7 Ep7: Rabies
Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. In the United States, rabies is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. However, in many other countries dogs still carry rabies, and most rabies deaths in people around the world are caused by dog bites.
10m Sep 08, 2020
10m
S7 Ep5: Celiac Disease
Moira Cleary (more-a), a mom of two beautiful, smart, funny teenagers who both live with often debilitating chronic conditions, is a Certified and Accredited Professional Coach as well as a Mindfulness Practitioner. Moira share her story about Celiac disease, a digestive disorder that causes problems in your small intestine. You experience the problems when you eat foods that have gluten. Glu...
20m Sep 01, 2020
20m
S7 Ep4: Endometriosis
This week we are discussing endometriosis.  Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus. Endometriosis most commonly involves your ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining your pelvis. Rarely, endometrial tissue may spread beyond pelvic organs. Returning to our...
12m Aug 23, 2020
12m