Prescribed Listening

In this episode of Prescribed Listening, host Tessa Lackey talks to Dr. Mersiha Hadziahmetovic about radiation therapy, a common but often misunderstood cancer treatment.  Dr. Hadziahmetovic explains what radiation therapy involves, what patients can expect, and the various indications for its use. She also debunks myths related to radiation, clarifies potential side effects, and provides practica...

What happens as you transition from receiving cancer treatment to that cancer-free diagnosis? In this episode of Prescribed Listening, Nurse Practitioner Jodi McClain, who also works with UToledo Health’s Survivorship Clinic and the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center, joins us to discuss cancer survivorship. We discuss the evidence-based decisions that go into what happens after cancer treatment, survi...

So, you've been diagnosed with cancer. Now what? Dr. Danae Hamouda from Oncology and Hematology and Dr. Mersiha Hadziahmetovic from Radiation Oncology at UToledo Health discuss what you can expect after a cancer diagnosis. They provide an overview of what to anticipate with radiation therapy or chemotherapy, how to talk about your diagnosis with loved ones, how to get clear answers to your qu...

If you plan on watching the total solar eclipse on April 8 with your family, we are discussing how you and your kids can view it safely with Dr. Svitlana Zhukivska with UTMC Family Medicine. We discuss dos and don’ts for eclipse glasses, and the repercussions for not having the right type of protection for yours and your kid's eyes, and helping your kids understand why using eclipse glasses a...

For some, the holidays bring up a lot of emotions surrounding the loss of a loved one. In this episode of Prescribed Listening, host Tessa Lackey discusses tips to manage your grief over the holiday season with Behavioral Health Care Manager Hannah Gullikson from UTMC Department of Psychiatry.

Whether you are just starting out as a caregiver for someone with dementia, or have been one for a while, this episode is for you. Host Tessa Lackey, discusses tips to help caregivers care for patients with Alzheimers and other forms of Dementia with Dr. Dionis Kononov from physical wellbeing, to their mental wellbeing for both caregiver and patient. We also look at what is important to focus on w...

Recently, the US Preventative Services Task Force changed the breast cancer screening guidelines to recommend starting screening at 40 years old instead of 50 years old.  In this episode of Prescribed Listening, Host Tessa Lackey discusses the latest breast cancer screening guidelines and how they apply to you with Dr. Danae Hamouda from UTMC oncology and Hematology. We also discuss genetic testin...

Burnout is difficult to work through, and when you’re on a recovery journey, it can be more challenging. In this episode of Prescribed Listening, host Tessa Lackey talks to Dr. Tanvir Singh from UTMC Psychiatry and the UTMC Recovery Center about how to work through burnout while on your recovery journey.   We discuss how to prevent burnout, how to know when you are experiencing it, tips to manage...

Recently The World Health Organization classified the artificial sweetener most commonly found in diet pop, aspartame, as a possible carcinogen. We talk to Dr. Srini Hejeebu from UTMC Internal Medicine about what WHO and the FDA are saying about aspartame, how you should go about consuming it and other artificial sweeteners, especially if you are a diabetic or suffer from migranes and discuss some...

You can avoid some heart and vascular problems, help yourself age in a healthy way and live a healthy life by going on this diet. In this episode of Prescribed Listening, we are breaking down the Mediterranean diet with Dr. Rajesh Gupta from UTMC Cardiovascular Medicine .  Host Tessa Lackey discusses with Dr. Gupta how you can incorporate methods of this diet into your daily habits, recipe ideas,...

As you spend more time in the sun let's talk about what you need to know about sunscreen for yourself, your loved ones who are sensitive to the sun, and the rest of your family.  Host Tessa Lackey, talks with UTMC Dermatology PA-C, Nina Rettig about how to find relief if you are really sensitive to the sun, tips for boosting your bodies protection from the sun naturally, tips for getting some...

What can skin cancer look like, and how do you know when to talk to a doctor? Host Tessa Lackey discusses with Dr. Danae Hamouda from UTMC's Department of Oncology and Hematology, who is most at risk for skin cancer, methods to check your skin, how to help prevent skin cancer, and her recent study on Melanoma survival trends. May is Melanoma Awareness Month. You can schedule an appointment wi...

As school sports start back up and the weather is nice enough to go outside for a run again, how do you get back into your workout routine after taking a break?    In this episode of Prescribed Listening, host Chrissy Billau talks to Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. David Sohn about how to safely get your body ready to perform at its best, when to know if you pushed yourself too hard, an...

Cases of substance abuse, and addiction to drugs and alcohol, remain high since the pandemic. Host Chrissy Billau sits down with UTMC Psychiatrist Dr. Tanvir Singh to discuss what the difference is between substance abuse and addiction, what you should look for in yourself or a loved one struggling with drugs and alcohol, what substance abuse looks like for the person going through it, and how you...

There are a lot of misconceptions related to organ donation, so let’s ask the expert. In this episode of Prescribed Listening, host Chrissy Billau talks to Dr. Obi Ekwenna, a Transplant Surgeon from The University of Toledo Medical Center’s Urology Department, about living organ donation addressing common myths, the truth about how organ donation may not only save someone else’s life, but your own...

What if you could reach your health goals and enhance your overall wellbeing by improving certain areas of your lifestyle? Our host Chrissy Billau talks to Psychologist Dr. Julie Brennan and Independent Clinical and Sports Counselor Dr. Angele McGrady about how the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine — restorative sleep, a whole-food, plant-based diet, physical activity, stress management, positive...

In part two of our discussion about women’s mental health we focus on the mental health struggles within motherhood. Our host, Chrissy Billau, talks to Psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Kelly about how to recognize postpartum depression in yourself, how to support a new mom, why kids can be so mean, the importance of self-care, and how to be happy. If you missed part one of this episode, tune in on Spotif...

This one's for the ladies (or if you’re looking to understand the mind of a woman better)! Did you know than 1 in 5 women in the U.S. have experienced a mental health condition in the past year? In Part One of this episode of Prescribed Listening, we talk about women's mental health — from societal expectations and balancing their roles in life to the increases in ADHD and anxiety in wom...

Traditionally the winter months bring on seasonal cold and flu.  In this episode of Prescribed Listening, we hear from Dr. Michael Ellis, Chief Medical Officer for The University of Toledo Medical Center. Dr. Ellis discusses steps to prevent and protect yourself and others from those dreaded winter colds and flus. 

Do we really need 8 glasses of water a day? What is right for your body’s hydration? In this episode of Prescribed Listening, we look at common themes from our last season about hydration and how it works in our body. Host Chrissy Billau talks to University of Toledo Physician and Family Medicine, Dr. Coral Matus, about how to know if you’re dehydrated or if your over hydrated, how athletes should...

This season we are expanding on common themes found in the last season. Such as, even if you know your own body, at what point should you talk to your doctor about a medication before taking it? Why does it matter? Host Chrissy Billau asks UTMC Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Srini Hejeebu why taking a supplement or medicine you saw on Tiktok without talking to your doctor may not give you the re...

Two of the top Googled Health Questions from the last few years are: "does cholesterol really count " and "how to lower blood pressure?" Our host Chrissy Billau asks Primary Care Physician, Dr. Kevin Phelps, what can you do to change your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, what are the risks if your numbers are high, and how lifestyle medicine can change your life. You can...

Two of the top Googled Health Questions from the last few years are "how to relieve constipation" and "should I go gluten-free?" How do you find relief, and should more people be avoiding gluten for their gut health? Our host Chrissy Billau talks to Dr. Benjamin Hart who works in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at UTMC what you can do if you or your kids are constipated, who ne...

One of the top Googled health questions from the last two years is, "why can't I sleep?" Our host Chrissy Billau asks Dr. Andre Aguillon, a specialist in sleep medicine at UTMC, how to get good sleep as an adult and a child, if naps are helpful, how to calm your brain before bed, and recommended school start times for children and how it impacts their sleep. You can schedule an appo...

One of the top Googled health questions is, "are short workouts worth it?" Will a 10-minute workout into your busy schedule produce any progress on your fitness journey? Our host Chrissy Billau asks UTMC Physical Therapists Joe Dietrich DPT, ATC, and Tyler Schinharl PT, DPT, where you can start your exercise journey if you aren't sure, recommended workouts, the best time of day to w...