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
Sunscreen: How to Choose It and Actually Use It Right
Originally published June 2018. Reviewed and corrected August 2026. Summer in the Ozarks is hot, and the sunscreen aisle is overwhelming. Here is how to choose one and use it properly. Which SPF? SPF 30 or higher, broad-spectrum, water-resistant. That covers most people. If you burn easily, have very fair skin, or have a personal or family history of skin … Read More
Pharmacogenomic Testing: What Your Genes Can (and Can’t) Tell Us About Medications
Originally published May 2018. Reviewed and substantially revised August 2026. Your genetics decide your eye colour and your height. They also influence how your body processes medications — which is part of why one person does well on a particular antidepressant while another feels awful on the same dose, and why some people tolerate a statin while others get muscle … Read More
Fever in Kids: When to Worry and When to Relax
Originally published February 2018. Reviewed and updated August 2026 to follow current American Academy of Pediatrics guidance. Let’s start here: fever is not the enemy. Fever isn’t an illness. It’s your child’s immune system doing its job — raising body temperature slows bacteria and viruses down and revs up the cells that fight them. There’s no evidence that fever itself … 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
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
Virtual Visits: See Your Provider Without Leaving Home
It’s 6 p.m. on a Friday. Your 3-year-old has a 102°F fever, a runny nose, and a slight cough. Do you load up the whole family and head to urgent care, or wait out the weekend and hope you can get in Monday with your regular provider? Or maybe you have diabetes, your blood sugars are fluctuating more than usual, … Read More