Medical and health journalist living in Madison, Wisconsin. Formerly on staff at the Chicago Tribune and Tampa Bay Times.
Breast Cancer Best Practices: Factors That May Affect Care Treatment in Women of Color
Many women get breast cancer. But the disease is deadliest for non-Hispanic Black women. And when it comes to metastatic breast cancer, women of color are less likely to get timely treatment that follows national guidelines.
Fat Phobia, Weight Bias, Weight Stigma: If It Happens to You
Laken Brooks, 27, thinks weight bias might be why no one noticed her depression....
Nothing worked for my depression — until I tried meditation
Genes play a role in mood disorders, but they don’t write your destiny. Here's how meditation helped me lift my depression.
Your ability to focus may be limited to 4 or 5 hours a day. Here’s how to make the most of them.
Working less, not more, holds the key to my productivity.
Can Smartphones Sense Depression?
How data tracking may bring mental health treatments to the masses.
Family History and mTNBC: What to Know
Everyone should know their family history of breast cancer. But when it comes to risk factors for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the stakes are higher for some women of color. TNBC is diagnosed most often in and is deadliest for young Black women.
Racial Disparities in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
As a breast oncologist with Yale Medicine, Eric Winer, MD, is on a mission to lessen racial disparities in breast cancer. And there’s one “entirely unacceptable” statistic he can’t get off his mind.
“If you’re a Black American woman and you’re 20 years old, you have literally twice the chance of dying of breast cancer before the age of 50, compared to the 20-year-old white American woman who might live in the next town or over on the next street,” says Winer,
Practical Advice for Living With Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Early-stage breast cancer is breast cancer that hasn’t spread to other parts of your body. That means it’s just in your breasts or nearby lymph nodes. This includes stage 0 ductal carcinoma (cancer of your milk ducts) and stages I-IIIa.
There are really good ways to fight early-stage breast cancer. And your chances of success are high. But you’ll likely get some unwanted side effects along the way. The good news is there are things you can do to ease treatment and recovery. Here are some tips...
Hot Sweats and Menopause. What Can You Do About Vasomotor Symptoms?
How to manage hot flashes and nights sweats with menopause.
How to Find a Transgender-Friendly Therapist
Your gender identity isn’t a mental illness. But if you’re a person who identifies as transgender or gender nonconforming, the way society treats you can take a toll on your mental health. Part of your self-care may be to work through any stress and trauma with a gender-affirming therapist.
Finding a Transgender-Friendly Doctor
Zach McCallum, 55, doesn’t embarrass easily. But the self-described bald guy with a beard felt grateful when his gynecologist said he could check in on a regular medical floor. That meant he could skip the waiting room full of women...
How to Find an OB/GYN Supportive of Transgender Pregnancies
A visit to the OB/GYN can leave you feeling vulnerable. Everyone should have a doctor who puts them at ease. But if you’re a transgender man or nonbinary person who’s pregnant or trying to be, it’s key that your doctor know and respect your medical needs.
Raise Your Voice About Your Metastatic Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a common diagnosis for women of all races. But there are differences along racial lines when it comes to early detection, treatment, and survival rates.
Why striving for happiness can backfire
Reasearch says experiencing happiness is good for well-being, pursing it can backfire. Here’s what happened when I tried it.
When my houseplants died, I felt relieved. Here’s why.
I’m not the only one with a brown thumb. However, most people I know don’t have an existential crisis about it. Here's how depression, anxiety and plant parenting don't mix.