Originally published July 2018. Reviewed and expanded August 2026. Pelvic floor dysfunction could be affecting you, ladies — and gentlemen. Chronic urinary tract infections? Bowel trouble? Pelvic pain? Painful sex? Urinary incontinence? I know what you’re thinking — my pelvic floor muscles control all of that? Absolutely. And their dysfunction often goes undiagnosed for years, which means people get treated … Read More
Introducing Peanuts, Milk and Other Allergens to Your Baby
Originally published March 2018. Reviewed and substantially corrected August 2026 to reflect current NIAID, AAP and AAAAI guidance. Nobody has time to sort through the constantly changing, conflicting advice on infant feeding — and Google makes it worse, not better. So here is the current version, plainly. The old advice was backwards For years parents were told to delay allergenic … Read More
Cervical Cancer Screening: How Often You Really Need a Pap
Originally published January 2018. Reviewed and updated August 2026 — cervical cancer screening has changed substantially since this was first written. “How often am I supposed to get a Pap smear?” is one of the most common questions I get, and the honest answer is that it’s more complicated than it used to be — because screening got better, not … Read More
Thyroid Test Results Explained: What TSH, T4 and T3 Mean
Originally published November 2017. Reviewed and rewritten August 2026 to reflect current guidance from the American Thyroid Association, AACE and AAFP. You had blood drawn, the result says “TSH,” and you have no idea what you’re looking at. Let’s fix that. What TSH actually is Your thyroid — the butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck — makes two … Read More
Health Insurance 101: What the Terms Mean and How to Choose a Plan
Open enrollment comes around every year, and every year patients ask us the same thing: how do I tell whether a plan is any good? So here is a plain-English explanation of what the terms mean, and how to actually compare plans. The terms, decoded Premium. What you pay every month to keep coverage active, whether you use it or … Read More
Menopause: What Nobody Warns You About
Originally published August 2017. Reviewed and updated August 2026 to reflect current guidance from The Menopause Society, the American Urological Association and the FDA. Being a woman practitioner, I take care of a lot of women, and menopause is one of the most common conversations I have. Almost every time, the patient says some version of: “Nobody tells you it’s … Read More
Breastfeeding: My Real Story, and What I Tell New Moms
August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month, so I want to share my own breastfeeding story — not the tidy version. I usually keep these posts scientific, and there are medical facts and tips at the end. But first I want to tell you what it was actually like, because I think new moms hear the polished version far too often. My … Read More
Poison Ivy: What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
Around 85% of people are allergic to poison ivy, oak and sumac. Only about 10 to 15% seem genuinely unable to react. Here are the facts and the fictions, because there is a lot of confident misinformation about this plant. FICTION: “I’ve never gotten it, so I’m immune.” This is the one that catches people out. The reaction is an … Read More
Lyme Disease in Missouri: How Common Is It Really?
The lone star tick — the female’s single white dot makes her easy to identify. This is the tick behind most of Missouri’s tick-borne illness. Summer in the Ozarks brings lake days, hiking, yard work — and ticks. Every year patients come in worried after finding one attached, and the first question is almost always the same: “Can I get … Read More
Skin Cancer: How to Protect Your Skin and What to Watch For
Summer in the Ozarks means lake days, gardening, and a lot more time in the sun. It is also a good moment to talk about the most common cancer in the country — and one of the most preventable. About 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70. The good news is that when it is caught … Read More