In this brief recording, I share an essay that I wrote about the experience of supporting my son through chemotherapy these past 6 months. So many of us, as women, are caregivers and providers. We are not alone but we often feel so alone.

I wrote this essay in the middle of his 6 month chemotherapy treatment. Spoiler alert - we received amazing news this past week that his post-chemo scan looks great, and he is now pursuing surveillance.

I'm hoping you enjoy the audioversion of this written work.

https://substack.com/@allisongroff/note/p-216580280?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=4ldror

Perimenopause and menopause are normal life transitions, but everyone's individual experiences can vary.

In this episode, I review what the individual periods refer to - perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause mean. I talk about the physical and emotional changes that may occur. It covers some of the options available for managing bothersome symptoms, but stay tuned - more to come in upcoming episodes! I also share practical guidance to help you prepare for a productive conversation with your healthcare professional.

#Perimenopause #Menopause #Postmenopause #MenopauseCare #WomensHealth #MidlifeHealth #HormoneHealth #EvidenceBasedMedicine #HerHealthMD

I'm so excited to share this fantastic conversation that I had with Kayla Branstetter who wrote a book called Don't Be An Athena. She interviewed many women about their experiences with women's health issues.

The themes that came up in this conversation are so important for any woman who has felt marginalized while seeking care for her health conditions.https://kaylabranstetter.wpcomstaging.com/home-2/

This conversation features a discussion with Dr. Nadia Sirdar, who speaks about the importance of specialized care for women in midlife, as well as modern primary care. We review:

• Direct Primary Care (DPC): Dr. Sirdar explains her practice's membership-based model, which bypasses traditional insurance for primary care to offer direct physician access and longer, more personalized visits.
• Menopause and Perimenopause Care: We review that menopause care should be a standard part of primary care rather than a niche, as it affects the entire body, including bone, brain, and sexual health.
• Integrated Medicine: The discussion highlights the importance of looking at the "whole picture," ensuring that symptoms attributed to menopause are also screened for other medical issues like diabetes or high blood pressure.

Dr. Nadia Sirdar is an internal medicine-trained physician and the founder of Bethesda Modern Primary Care. Before opening her private practice in January 2026, she served as a hospitalist for 10 years. Her practice is geared toward healthy aging, also with a special focus on women in midlife and beyond. She is an advocate for educating both patients and fellow physicians on the standard of care for menopause and Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM).

Practice website: https://bethesdadoctor.com/

In this episode, health researcher, Dr. Nichole Cubbage and I speak about her research on vanishing twin syndrome, as well as her volunteer work in the field.

Our conversation got very deep, and we delved into what can happen when complications or rare diseases can stress the doctor/patient relationship. We also spoke about the challenges faced by modern medicine.

This episode was recorded last summer, and is a delayed release.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholecubbage

Welcome back! In this episode, I share the components of making a behavioral change. This is grounded in behavioral science theory plus my own personal experience.

Join my conversation with Dr. Catherine Huss-Johnson, founder of Bari Boot Camp. She is a nurse practitioner who also has a doctorate with a focus on life after bariatric surgery. Her work at Bari Boot Camp deals with supporting those in their journey after bariatric surgery. In this episode, she talks about her work and shares her own journey.

https://www.baribootcamp.com/

https://www.syracusewomanmag.com/2023/01/16/inspire-cathy-huss-johnson-losing-the-weight-gaining-a-new-life/

Hi listeners -

In this issue, I talk about the concerns that are undeniable and that I can't ignore as an ObGyn. Just my 2 cents - those of us who can, need to look out for people who are vulnerable.

Some references from the episode:

https://www.cdc.gov/contraception/hcp/contraceptive-guidance/index.html

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1159901

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/foreign-service-worker-sues-trump-pregnant-wife-faces-life-threatening-rcna192599

https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/02/19/texas-measles-outbreak-cases-symptoms/79198911007/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157998171-supercommunicators

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53288445-women-in-white-coats?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=6qrvpHl4Rd&rank=1