Buildmybod Health Podcast

Considering CoolSculpting? Don't just take what you read on the internet as gospel. Hear from a real live patient! In the podcast below, you'll hear from Nancy, a CoolSculpting patient that was very skeptical but now a true believer!   Nancy discusses how she was bothered with her lower abdomen and flanks and didn't really want liposuction. So she decided to try CoolSculpting and since she was so pleased with the results, got a second round of treatment to her upper abdomen. Now she feels like her abdomen is flatter and smoother without any ripples that may occur with liposuction.   While not everyone will have the same doctor or recovery, her insights are very helpful. She was very pleased with the "natural" improvement in her contours over 6 weeks even though she could see the results as early as 3 weeks. Listen below to her experience in this installment of our POP podcast series.       To check pricing on CoolSculpting from a doctor near you, click here. And to see the show notes for this podcast, click h

After seeing a patient for one procedure or another and after going through all of the details, they often ask to speak to a patient that went through the same journey. Breast augmentation is no different. Finding a former breast augmentation patient to speak to a new patient is not difficult. But you do worry it's an inconvenient request for your former patient. That's no longer a concern...introducing podcasts with former patients to educate future patients!   In this BuildMyBod Health podcast, we speak with a former breast augmentation patient, "Janet." Patients can hear about her concerns and goals for breast augmentation. She discusses the night before surgery and the last thing she remembers before "going under!"   While not everyone will have the same doctor or recovery, her insights are very helpful. A few pearls of wisdom are to do your research and don't price shop and most importantly, don't go too big! Listen to this interview with a breast augmentation patient on the BuildMyBod Health podcast.  

Photography isn't just for selfies! A very interesting field within photography is medical photography and of personal interest to me is the before and after photos of cosmetic surgery patients. It's not a matter of just pointing and shooting. Before and after photos, to get them right, takes real skill. In this episode of the BuildMyBod Health podcast, we speak to Pat Shoda, a professional photographer with the Cleveland Clinic. She details the important aspects of taking good before and after photos and why it's so important. For example, if you're doing a lower eyelid operation to fix the dark circles, you can't have before and after photos with a flash because this can camouflage the extent of the dark circles. Similarly, you want to avoid the flash during the 'before' photo and a flash for the 'after' photo because you can't be sure what has improved the dark circles - surgery or the flash. This is important to plastic surgeons to practice their skill well but it's important for the consumer as well so t

Do you know anyone with Bell's Palsy? It's an unusual question but this sudden onset of paralysis/droop to one side of the face affects 40,000 Americans every year. It's believed to be caused by the same herpes virus that causes a cold sore. In 85% of patients that get Bell's Palsy, the facial paralysis will resolve on its own without any treatment within three months. The other 15% will have lingering nerve issues and asymmetry to the face. And that's where Jackie Diels come in! In our podcast with Jackie, an occupational therapist, she discusses how she treats patients with synkinesis, an abnormal rewiring of the facial muscles after Bell's Palsy. Hear how she teaches patients to "turn off" the abnormal movements through facial retraining. She sees most of her patients via Skype these days because people seek her out for help from across the country. After listening to her in this podcast, you'll understand why she's so popular. Through the use of metaphors and analogies, she has an incredibly clear way of 

Rakhi Kreymerman, a child life specialist, with her family. Have you ever wondered how children cope with being in a hospital due to their own illness or because of a parent's sickness? Coming out of an emotionally and possibly physically traumatic experience relatively unscathed is due to the work of a child life specialist. Our guest today on the BuildMyBod Health podcast, Rakhi Kreymerman, is a child life specialist that has worked at Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona.   Rakhi moved to the US from India when she was 12 years old. I challenge you to hear an accent in her voice! In her interview, she discusses her path to choosing and becoming a child life specialist due to experiences in her own life.   Hear her stories of difficult situations between patients and parents. For example, how do you handle a situation wherein the child is dying but the parent requests that you don't tell them? It's not an easy answer. While many of the cases that she worked on may be the typical

In this BuildMyBod Health podcast, we talk to the President of the Medical Tourism Association (MTA), Renee-Marie Stephano. She was first exposed to medical tourism while working for a company in 2004 that provided destination healthcare. From there, she saw a need to better connect consumers and healthcare providers in other countries. Thus, the birth of the trade organization, the Medical Tourism Association! She discusses the importance of accreditation for facilities and providers alike in other countries. While they don't get involved in the actual care of the patient, they do assist the consumer in finding the best fit for their needs. They encourage the potential patient to find a board certified doctor that received their US or European certification regardless of what country they're practicing in now. The conversation gets a little heated during the discussion regarding follow up care for the patient when they return to their country of origin. Dr. Kaplan and Renee disagree on the extent of the prob

Famous and skin care don't always mix but when it comes to the creators of Proactiv and Rodan + Fields, Drs. Kathy Fields and Kate Rodan are as famous as they come! In this BuildMyBod Health podcast, we talk to Dr. Kathy Fields, and what a great conversation it is. They didn't start out being successful but over five years, they created Proactiv and brought it to market. You'll hear how Drs. Rodan and Fields met, why they developed a product for acne and what made Proactiv unique. After the success of Proactiv, the two dermatologists moved on to the treatment of a wider spectrum of skincare issues with the Rodan + Fields prestige skincare line. In addition to acne, the Rodan + Fields family of products treats all aspects of anti-aging. Dr. Fields tells their story of resilience, rebirth and commitment to a product they believed in. Enjoy a conversation with Dr. Kathy Fields on the BuildMyBod Health podcast below.   For more information, check out their website here and contact a Rodan + Fields consultant to o

I had the pleasure of speaking with Kasey Baldwin Thompson, a nurse practitioner in Rayville, Louisiana. She's married to one of our previous guests, Addison Thompson. You can hear his interview on the BuildMyBod Health podcast here. But Kasey is her own person and very accomplished in her own right.   Not only has she gone through the rigorous training to become a nurse practitioner, she's evolved into an unlikely role of IT (information technology) expert as part of her job in Delhi, Louisiana! It wasn't part of her original plan but it just shows how when you're smart, you can acclimate to any role.   Aside from her professional responsibilities, she's also a mother of two. It's especially sweet to hear her talk about how delayed she is on her way to work in the morning because she can't quit kissing her kids goodbye! But maybe the only thing harder than raising two children with her husband is implementing ICD-10 into the electronic documentation system at work! Listen to the podcast below to understand w

Elizabeth Nordman is a physician assistant (PA) that can do it all. Right out of training, she was part of the busiest orthopedic trauma service in town. Because she was smart, affable and able, she was given a great deal of autonomy in taking care of her patients and helping her supervising doctors.   Medicine can provide rewarding careers not only for doctors and nurses but also the position of physician assistant. While school can be expensive - upwards of $80,000 - a physician assistant like Liz can pay off those student loans thanks to a plethora of great-paying jobs.   The training and path to a degree is different for PA's and nurse practitioners (NP) and they tend to gravitate to different areas of medicine. As discussed in the podcast below, PA's often work in surgery and NP's go into primary care or urgent care. The reason for this isn't clear but they're well-suited for their role. We hope you enjoy our discussion with Liz soon-to-be-Garrett!   Find Liz on LinkedIn by searching Elizabeth Nordman an

Dr. Eduardo Dolhun is a self-described country doctor in the big city! He's a primary care doctor but also an entrepreneur focused on treating dehydration, one of the most frequent causes of death throughout the world.   Several years ago on a trip to Guatemala, he saw a child die in their mother's arms because of dehydration brought on by cholera. That moment eventually inspired him to develop DripDrop, an electrolyte replacement therapy. Essentially, it treats dehydration similar to IV fluid therapy but it's given orally.   DripDrop has the potential to save lives and even keep children in first-world countries like the US from going to the ER due to dehydration. The key is not just rehydrating with water. You need to rehydrate with electrolytes, particularly sodium. Sports drinks don't have enough but DripDrop does.   Surprisingly, not rehydrating with electrolytes like sodium can lead to osteoporosis too. You can hear more about Dr. Dolhun, his primary care practice in San Francisco and DripDrop in the po

In this BuildMyBod Health podcast, we're lucky enough to speak with a plastic surgeon extraordinaire! Steven Bernard is a plastic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic specializing in microsurgery. Through the use of precision instruments and an operating-room microscope, he is part of the team that performs breast reconstruction daily and also performed the world's first, full face transplant at the Cleveland Clinic six years ago.   By using a microscope to connect very small blood vessels and re-establish the blood supply to various tissues, Dr. Bernard can reconstruct a woman's breast by using skin from her abdomen. In this podcast, you'll hear about the DIEP flap for breast reconstruction that doesn't sacrifice the abdominal muscles like older techniques.   You'll also hear the harrowing story about Connie Culp, the recipient of the world's first full face transplant. According to Dr. Bernard, her wonderful attitude made her the perfect candidate for a face transplant procedure that took over 24 hours to perfor

In this second of our two-part series on sex reassignment, Dr. Meltzer covers an array of interesting topics. Whereas the first podcast here discussed Dr. Meltzer’s path to becoming a sex reassignment surgeon, this podcast discusses the technical aspects of surgery, insurance coverage, timing for kids to transition and his take on the Caitlyn Jenner story.   In the female to male operation, a penis can be formed from thigh or groin tissue and even tissue from the forearm. All of these procedures have pros and cons. There’s even talk of a penile transplant in the future!   The male to female operation is also difficult because of the creation of the vagina in the perineum, the area between the scrotum and anus. And as mentioned in the first podcast, Dr. Meltzer has built his reputation on helping both male and female transition patients achieving an orgasm after their sex reassignment surgery.   Does insurance cover sex reassignment surgery? When can you safely perform transitional surgery on kids and what doe

This subject, by its very nature makes for an interesting podcast. Dr. Toby Meltzer is a sex reassignment surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona. In the first part of our two-part series on his life and work, we discuss how he arrived at this specialization.   Dr. Meltzer finished his general surgery residency at LSU New Orleans at the famous Charity Hospital. Thereafter, he went to Michigan for his plastic surgery fellowship. Surprisingly, he was never exposed to sex reassignment surgery during his formal training. But because of his fundamental knowledge in plastic surgery, he learned about sex reassignment surgery from two retiring surgeons at the University of Oregon where he initially practiced after finishing his fellowship.   He discusses how his practice grew in the early '90's along with the burgeoning internet and chat rooms, even before Google existed! Something as seminal as creating a better clitoris during the male to female sex reassignment surgery really helped put him on the map. A better positioned

In this BuildMyBod Health podcast, we hear from Michael Tetreault, the editor-in-chief of Concierge Medicine Today and the Direct Primary Care Journal. Concierge Medicine Today is the industry's oldest and most respected news organization for all things concierge medicine. What's concierge medicine? Well, keep reading!   Concierge medicine is getting back to the relationship of yore, when the family doctor would make house calls and wouldn't make you wait. Through a monthly, quarterly or annual membership, you can have better access to your primary care doctor than what traditional insurance provides. Your concierge doctor can even advocate on your behalf to reduce the costs of outpatient labs or radiology tests.   Somewhat newer but just as effective, direct primary care provides access to employees and millennials to gain access to basic healthcare and wellness needs. To get a better idea of how these fields are growing, listen to the BuildMyBod Health podcast below.   Not only is the concierge model promot

"When life gives you lemons, make a margarita!" These are the words of Chelsea Gelbart, our guest on the BuildMyBod Health podcast. She was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a diagnosis given to approximately 3 million Americans.   In this third and final episode, Chelsea tells of the annoyance and difficulty of getting her insurance to pay for her continuous glucose monitor. Also she discusses the stock she has taken in her life and what is and isn't important.   The third and final part of this podcast ends with Chelsea telling us of her future goals.   Follow Chelsea on Instagram @ChelseaGelbart or learn more about her by going to bit.ly/teamdiabadass   Listen to more of the BuildMyBod Health Podcast by clicking here.  

"When life gives you lemons, make a margarita!" These are the words of Chelsea Gelbart, our guest on the BuildMyBod Health podcast. She was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a diagnosis given to approximately 3 million Americans.   In this second episode, Chelsea goes into detail how her symptoms started and how an unrelated affliction at the age of 16 led to her diagnosis of diabetes. She discusses the machine that is saving her life and keeping her diabetes under the best control possible.   The second part of this podcast ends with Chelsea getting out of the hospital and being confronted with the realities of being sick and attempting to use health insurance.   Follow Chelsea on Instagram @ChelseaGelbart or learn more about her by going to bit.ly/teamdiabadass   Listen to more of the BuildMyBod Health Podcast by clicking here.

"When life gives you lemons, make a margarita!" These are the words of Chelsea Gelbart, our guest on the BuildMyBod Health podcast. She was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a diagnosis given to approximately 3 million Americans.   Chelsea was a typical San Franciscan working for a woman's reproductive rights organization, NARAL, until diabetes changed her life. In this first part of a three-part podcast series, hear all about diabetes from her perspective. She discusses the difference between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes and how it can affect anyone. For example, how can a young, fit, healthy person get type 1 diabetes?!   The first part of this podcast ends with Chelsea beginning to tell us of that fateful day in May when her symptoms started to present themselves.   Follow Chelsea on Instagram @ChelseaGelbart or learn more about her by going to bit.ly/teamdiabadass   Listen to more of the BuildMyBod Health Podcast by clicking here.

Seth Kaplan, no relation, is a physical therapist that treats everything from problems after breast surgery for breast cancer, low back pain and pretty much any pain you have! Aside from having his doctorate in physical therapy, he’s also the CEO and President of BRPTLake, a physical therapy practice based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.   Listen in on his journey from small town Mississippi to the Capital City of Louisiana! You’ll learn what it takes to be a physical therapist and what maladies they treat. He’s taken care of quite a few patients after finding themselves in unfortunate accidents.   Questions for Seth? Contact him through the BRPTLake website at www.brptlake.com   Listen to more of the BuildMyBod Health Podcast by clicking here.

Vanessa Castro is a successful certified personal trainer in Miami and has her masters degree in dietetics and nutrition. On the BuildMyBod Health podcast, she discusses the paleo diet, why it seems to have formed a cult following and fad diets in general. She's a wealth of knowledge and knows the healthy way to get into shape and stay in shape. Funny enough, she was quoted in this article in regards to the best way to get a workout and have a healthy sex life at the same time! She wasn't always this in-shape so she's a testament to changing your ways. Enjoy the podcast below. Listen to more of the BuildMyBod Health Podcast by clicking here.

Does everyone with back pain need surgery? Dr. Dani Bidros, a neurosurgeon from Lafayette, LA explains why surgery can be a great solution for the right type of back pain.   In this episode of the BuildMyBod Health podcast, hosted by Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery’s very own Dr. Jonathan Kaplan, you’ll hear about Dr. Bidros’ neurosurgery training and how it was sidetracked by Hurricane Katrina. From carrying patients on doors to talking to Sanjay Gupta of CNN, he’s seen it all.   Aside from back pain, Dr. Bidros discusses some amazing patients and their miraculous recovery. So stop reading and start listening to the podcast below!   Listen to more of the BuildMyBod Health Podcast by clicking here.