May 23, 2024 • 33 mins
ICYMI: Hour Two of ‘Later, with Mo’Kelly’ Presents – An in-depth conversation with Holistic Practitioner, Dana Mason & Mental Health Counselor, Dr. James P Norris, Ph.D. (AKA Dr. J), regarding ‘Rhythms of Healing: A Journey of Mental Health & Wellness’; “an innovative program designed to harmonize the elements of hip hop culture, meditation, and wellness practices into a transformative healing experience”…PLUS – A look at iHeartWellness with UCLA Health’s new chief of breast surgery and director of breast health, Dr. Mediget Teshome, and the mission to "advance the care of individuals with breast cancer and improving equity in health care and society" - on KFI AM 640…Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:09):
And we're live everywhere at the iHeartRadioapp Let's talk about Rhythms of Healing,
a journey of mental health and wellnesswith my two guests who are in the
studio right now. First, wantedto actually reintroduce you to Dana Mason,
holistic practitioner, sound healer and wellnesscoach. He's been on the show before.
Dana's good to see you. I'veknown you for the better part of
I don't know, maybe thirty years, going back to our days in the
(00:31):
music industry. How are you doingthis evening? Wonderful. Thank you so
much for having us. It's sogood to see you again. And also
joining us in studios Doctor James P. Norris, PhD. We call him
doctor J. He's licensed professional ofMental health counselor Doctor J. Good to
see you and meet you this evening. Nice to meet you as well.
I'm excited to be here. Thankyou well. I'm glad you're both here.
(00:51):
Rhythms of Healing is an innovative programdesigned to harmonize the elements of hip
hop culture, meditation, and wellnesspractices into a transformative healing experience. There's
a lot there, so let's startto unpack it, Dana, let me
come to you. How is itor why is it? You took this
subject matter it seems so vast andlarge and try to make it digestible and
(01:15):
relatable to help people. Well,you know, well, of course,
I started in the music business,and then as I was moving through the
music business and understood the power ofmusic and the way music is a universal
language to help inspire, to helpheal, and quietly, I was also
doing my own spiritual journey and learningdifferent healing modalities, and it's kind of
(01:38):
all alchemized into a space where nowI'm in a space where I can be
of service to a larger group ofpeople by utilizing music and being able to
offer different healing modalities, especially tomarginalized or underserved communities. Doctor j there's
a clinical aspect to this, andeverything that data is saying makes sense to
(01:59):
me as someone who is an alumof the music industry. I know about
the power of music, and Iknow about the healing power of music,
but I'm not a doctor, PhDor MD. What's the clinical tie in?
Well, the clinical tie in iswhat we know is music and sound.
When it comes to the brain,it helps with neural pathways and help
(02:20):
us rewire the brain. And sowe need to use sound because sound is
part of who we are, andthat's the clinical implications of implementing and integrating
music to our wellness. It's partof who we are, and so we're
integrating those two things, the soundand the clinical piece to help people heal.
(02:40):
This unique program it looks at wellnessthrough the universal language of music as
we're discussing, but also the introspectiveart of meditation. How does meditation fit
into this equation. Well, I'vebeen a practicing vedic meditator now for ten
years and realized it was probably thebest decision I made in my life.
And part of meditation the benefits andhealth benefits of meditation is being able to
(03:07):
help you rewire the nervous system,calm the mind, and give you a
mental space and clarity to make betterdecisions. And with meditation, adding a
meditation practice to the clinical practice helps. When doctor J comes in with his
clinical approach, it has already preparedthe mind in a nervous system to receive
the information and be again be atool to help heal the mind and the
(03:31):
body. Doctor J. How doyou I'll say, bring together what you
know, what Dana knows and andher her obviously her expertise goes back to
music and yours is more. AsI said, on the clinical end,
how do you bring those two togetherand make it cohesive to help people?
(03:52):
Well, I take a holistic approachfrom the beginning. So I know the
mind the body is connected, andso as a when you know the mind
and body is connected, you understandthat there are physical responses to trauma,
and then there's mental and so thegoal is when I think about this thing,
it's very easy to blend and helppeople understand they fill their body and
(04:15):
how it responds, but they alsohave some mental implications, and in doing
that, I help them blend ittogether. Data. That's a key word
when we talk about trauma. Wetalk about young people. When I say
young people, let's say eighteen andtwenty four, the world that they have
grown up in, the world thatthey've experienced is very different from the one
than any of us in this studiohave grown up in. I don't recognize
(04:36):
the world today. I can't imaginehaving to grow up again in this world.
What type of trauma are we talkingabout here? Well, it's a
variety of trauma. You said onegenerational trauma. There's also you know that
the younger generation now has access toway more technology. We're completely connected,
(04:57):
way more than we were, youknow, again in our generation. So
the trauma happens and environmentally, itcan happen in the home, and it
can happen again socially, all ofthese things that compact and affect young people.
And with that, it's really aboutgiving the language to trauma because a
lot of times we don't even recognizethat there is trauma to even address,
(05:19):
and we normalize it and you know, we carry it like an armor.
So I think it's important one tomake a language that is palatable to young
people. So it's destigmatizing what mentalhealth looks like. So I think that's
what's really important. And music isthat bridge to do. So I wonder,
doctor J I wonder what my mentalhealth would have been like if I
(05:43):
grew up today. Yes, Iwas bullied, I was picked on,
but there were limitations to it.In other words, when I left school,
it kind of ended because no onecould actually get to be It wasn't
like someone could post something online andembarrass me in front of not only my
whole friends, but the whole school, in the whole world, and now
it can be incessant. How doesbullying in its varying forms figure into this.
(06:06):
Bullying is a huge thing in oursociety today, particularly for young people,
and I think that in helping ouryoung people as a community, as
adults, we have to step inand make sure we safeguard our young people
but also have the conversations right becausesometimes kids are being kids and we need
(06:28):
to have a conversation with them ofthe implications of their action. What do
you say, have a conversation withthe kids? Are we talking about the
kids as far as like, hey, be aware of what to avoid and
also be aware of your own behaviorhow it can impact others. What do
you mean? What I mean bythat is directly what you said. I
think we need to help young peopleunderstand the implications, but also we need
(06:50):
to help them understand how to usetheir voice to express what's going on in
their life to adults and their peersas well. We're talking right now.
My guests and studio are Dana Masonand also doctor James P. Norris.
We call him doctor j. We'retalking in a roundabout way leading up to
the Community Care Program, which isa free three week group counseling session which
(07:12):
is a preview to the thirteen weekintensive cohort which is going to be starting
June fifteenth. If I have mydates correct, when we come back,
let's get into Care the program,how it's going to be run, how
it's going to be laid out inwho it might be able to help.
Can you do that for me?Absolutely? Thank you. You're listening to
Later with Moe Kelly on demand fromKFI AM six forty. I Am six
(07:36):
forty. It's Later with Mo Kelly. We're live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
And if you're just tuning in,my guests in studio or Dana Mason
and doctor James P. Norris,doctor j as we call him. We've
been talking about rhythms of healing,the innovative program utilizing the elements of hip
hop culture, music and meditation andwellness practices into a transformative healing experience,
(07:59):
and how that leads into the CommunityCare Program, which is a free three
week group counseling session which is goingto be lead into a thirteen week intensive
cohort or seminar starting in June Junefifteenth. To be exact, it's a
lot of information there, Doctor jLet me start with you tell me about
the Community Care program and what shouldpeople who are attending, what they hope
(08:24):
to gain or they'll experience. TheCommunity Care program is based on the foundation
of the Care model, which isconnectedness, acknowledgment, resilience, and emergence
and that is a pathway from hopeto healing. And so when you come
to the Community Care program, you'regoing to get the tools necessary to work
through your trauma, depression, anxiety, and the community setting, we're here
(08:48):
to put our arms around you tohelp you walk through your experiences using this
model. Dana, I know thisis going to be music involved. I
know that where is this going tobe taking place? Currently we are in
Van Eys, California, and nottoo far from here, not too far
on the Los Angeles Valley College campusand we have its beautiful space and being
(09:16):
there. My portion of what goeson is to teach the tools of meditation.
So there's mechanics and there's science behindmeditation. So it's introducing all of
that information. Is not just aboutyou know, taking away the woo woo
of what meditation actually is. It'sinteresting. I have taken martial arts and
studied martial arts for the better partof thirty five years, and a big
(09:39):
part of this meditation, Yes,because you have to calm your body,
you have to call your nerves,you have to manage your emotions. It's
applicable to every portion of our lives. And to hear you say that just
reminds me of how instrumental and importantit is to everything we do. Now.
I know, doctor j you're aroundthese young people for a limited amount
of time. I know it maybethree weeks and then it turns into thirteen
(10:03):
weeks. How do you what areyour markers? How do you know that
you're reaching people and changing them rightwhere they are? Well? I know
is when they're implementing the tools thatwe're giving them right and we're going to
be going through a process. Andonce they implement the connectedness, the trust,
or the vulnerability. I think whenfolks begin to share their lived experience,
(10:26):
we know we're moving right because theyfeel safe and open, and that's
the first part of change and healing. I am in my fifties now,
and there's certain things I don't wantto talk about to this day. Okay,
you're not They can't see you,but you're not in your head.
You know, there's certain things,there's certain memories, there's certain emotions where
I really don't want to relive that. How do you break down that barrier?
(10:48):
Especially when you're talking about young people? And I know when I was
younger, had a lot more pridethan I do now. You know,
I was much more concerned about whatother people thought then as opposed to now.
This question is for either of you, both of you, how do
you get past that? Well?I would say that I believe if you
create the right atmosphere and the rightconnectedness, anyone will be willing to share
(11:11):
their story. Right. Most ofthe times we don't share it because we
don't feel comfortable right. And sowhen we're creating a space through music,
through connection, through authenticity, andthrough that vulnerability pours out, you don't
have to force it right, Andso I believe we're all looking for the
right space to share our story.Unthrow a curveball at you, data,
(11:35):
but I think you'll appreciate it becausewe came from the same place. Professionally,
music is going to be used herein a very positive way. But
I can spend a couple hours andyou've seen it, you've experienced it where
music has had a negative impact onthe very people that you would be working
with. What say you about musictoday and how that is maybe making your
(11:58):
job more difficult. Doctor Dan andI were just talking about this. He
has a whole thesis on hip hopand it was specifically hip hop music.
And just like anything, there's lightand darkness. So it's usually using figuring
out what is the thing that makesyou feel good and picking the light in
(12:20):
order to focus on that. Becausethere's you said, during our times we
had everything. Hip hop started withtelling the story of what was happening in
our community, and it's not youknow, flowers and fairies. You know,
it was a lot of things thatwere going on that were dark and
you know, the unmentionables, Butthere was also light in those stories as
(12:41):
well. So it's really focusing onfinding, you know, again, creating
the space where you can feel safe. And if people are showing up,
that means there's a willingness to actuallymove through some things. So if you're
showing up, you may not talkin those first couple of sessions, or
you may not open up but it'sreally what I've found, even just outside
(13:01):
of this and just with people ingeneral. People want a genuine connection and
when they can feel on some levelif there's an authenticity there, then that
creates that small bridge of trust,where like doctor J was saying, like
it gives you the space to kindof open up and want to share.
It's interesting because in my business ofradio, it's predicated on making a connection,
(13:24):
authenticity, sincerity. But I havea lot more time to develop this
rapport and relationship with a listener whodoesn't know me, but they're listening to
my voice. You're right there intheir face, but you have much less
time to establish that connection and createthat rapport. What are some of your
go tos? How do you start? What is the first step? The
(13:48):
first step is my approach and mypresence. I think people feel who you
are before you say anything, andso I think it's important of how we're
carrying ourselves, how we live.People gravitate to that and that resonates with
them and then from there you havetheir attention and then you can provide some
information to them. But I thinkwe get so caught up in what we're
(14:11):
saying and how we say it thatwe forget just our very presence as human
beings and how we show up asa real catalyst to creating connection and ultimately
change. Dana, my time hasrun short with you, so let me
just ask. I know someone hasbeen inspired. I know someone has been
curious about how can they be apart of this? Maybe they know someone
(14:35):
who could benefit from the community careprogram. How should they start? Where
should they start? What information canwe give them to come to register?
Come to our website at Rhythms dotRhythms Dash of Dah Healing. That my
canvas. That site, I knowit is a long title. Said that
(14:56):
one more time. It's Rhythms Dashof Dash Healing dot my Cameva dot site.
Okay, and doctor J's website isdot I Thimba I t e Mba
dot us. Both of those placeshave the registration there's more information about the
(15:18):
Rhythms of Healing program and there's alsoa registration button that will give you the
direction to where we're going to beage ranges. Who are we dealing with
currently? The care model is openfor all age ranges and the thirteen week
intensive cohort is eighteen plus. Okay, you're going to be talking about some
(15:39):
very serious issues. I assume,yes, it's it's the deep dive.
It's a deep dive there, allright, last question before I let you
go, doctor j what will beyour your marker, your yardstick that you've
made the inn runs, you've made, the connection, you've made the progress
that you would have hoped on dayone? People showing up, right,
(16:00):
I think that is the mark.After day your said yeah, day after
day, and I mean even thefirst day. I think people's very presence
is the marker because that means thatthey're willing to step into something that's very
uncomfortable and uncertain. And I thinkonce we have that, we can only
go up from there. And there'salso there's also the methodology that goes in
(16:23):
behind us. Is again doctor Jayis a stute researcher. So we have
measurements in place that we will startwith surveys in the beginning to give our
measurements, and then surveys at theend which will give us all of our
quantitide quantitative measurements of how the programworked for the individuals that showed up.
(16:44):
And if you missed any of thisinformation, we'll have it on our website.
At KFIAF six forty dot com underthe Later with Mo Kelly show page.
Doctor j Dan Mason, thank youfor coming in this evening. Thank
you for what you're doing in thecommunity, how you're helping young people of
very ages, and please check inwith us as it goes along so we
can celebrate together on the other side. I love it. Thank you so
(17:08):
much. Thank you so much.Said, and now it's time for our
regular iHeart Wellness segment. Let meintroduce you to doctor metiget Tshoma, who
is Chief of Breast Surgery and Directorof Breast Health across the UCLA system,
(17:33):
including the UCLA Health Johnson Comprehensive CancerCenter. Put another way, doctor Tushoma
is one of the preeminent leaders inthe field treating rare, recurrent and high
risk breast cancer in women and men. Here was my conversation with her,
(18:00):
doctor to show me a pleasure tosit with you today. How are you.
I'm doing well. Thank you somuch. In my conversations with physicians,
I found that they end up incertain specialties either by chance or by
choice. From what I understand aboutyou, you've chosen this field. It
was a specific choice in regard tothe desire to educate the masses about the
(18:22):
issues and ills of breast cancer.Do I have that right? That's right.
You know, breast cancer affects onein eight women, but unfortunately it
actually affects all of us. Ithink each of us has known somebody either
in our family or a close friendor a colleague that has been unfortunately affected
by this disease. You know,I'm no exception to that, and I
(18:44):
think that it really is an areathat speaks closely to my heart and where
I think we can really make abig difference in women's lives. So it's
for a lot of those reasons thatled me to this field. I'm old
enough to remember an actress by thename of Angelian back in nineteen eighty five,
was on this show called It's aLiving. She was a prominent television
star, and she made the announcementthat she had breast cancer and underwent a
(19:07):
double mestectomy. Back in nineteen eightyfive. Then it was national news.
Today it seems like Tuesday, asthey say, what has changed in the
intervening thirty nine years. Are webetter at diagnosing it and treating it?
Or is it something else? Somuch has changed, you know, I
think that over the past several decadeswe really have learned a lot about breast
(19:30):
cancer. We used to treat itmore as a surgical disease. Now we
really understand it to be a systemicdisease that can affect the whole body,
even in early stages. So thathas led to, you know, rapid
advances in medical therapies, targeted therapiesfor specific types of breast cancer. Also,
our technology has improved in terms ofbreast imaging, in terms of surgery,
(19:52):
and also in radiation oncology, soin each area we really have gotten
much better and better. More toit's that kind of precision approach. We
know more about genetic testing and geneticrisk for breast cancer. We know more
also about how to support women andmen through treatment. So there's been a
lot of exciting advances. Still,of course, more to learn and to
(20:15):
discover and to really understand how wecan improve equity in the care that we
provide, but a lot of excitingchanges. Let me take one of those
pieces that you talked about, thegenetic testing. We know that certain women,
certain families are predisposed. If myterminology is wrong, please correct me,
someone may be triple negative and bemore inclined to be diagnosed with breast
(20:38):
cancer later in life. You saidthe imagy is better, but I know
that the guidelines for women getting mammogramshas changed over the years. So can
you at least clear up some ofthat for me? Yes, thank you.
There's a lot to talk about there. Definitely, screening is hugely important.
I mean, screening helps us todiagnose breast cancer at an earlier stage
(21:00):
and that can of course lead toa better outcome. And actually just yesterday,
I believe the US Preventative Task Forcereleased their new updated guidelines around breast
cancer screening. Previously they had changedthem to be starting at age fifty every
other year for women to receive mammograms, but now have actually gone back to
using baseline of age forty to startscreening. I think there's still a lot
(21:22):
of debate about whether every other yearor every year is the appropriate approach.
And as you mentioned, really understandingyour risk of breast cancer helps us to
know what is the right screening modalityor modalities that we should do and on
what kind of an interval. Sowomen who do have a high risk of
breast cancer from a variety of factors, whether it's a genetic risk, whether
(21:44):
it's from previous let's say, radiationin the past or something like that,
we will recommend them to also haveMRIs as part of their screening as well.
So understanding the individual's risks helps usto tailor to the right screening approach.
And then, as you mentioned,and there are certain types of breast
cancer that can be associated with highergenetic risk, like triple negative breast cancer
(22:06):
men who have breast cancer, Soin those situations we definitely do recommend genetic
testing. And the indications for genetictesting are also ones that are continuing to
evolve as we're learning more and more. It's only five to ten percent of
all breast cancers that are associated witha genetic risk, but still if we
do find one, it can helpus to understand better. I was mentioning
(22:27):
screening approaches also treatment options related tohow we can prevent a future breast cancer
or treat the one that is there. This may be anecdotal, but I
think it goes with what you've beensaying. I'm hearing about more and more
women, albeit celebrities, because wehear more about their lives today who are
preemptive, who may undergo a doublemist de actomy even though cancer has not
(22:49):
necessarily availed itself. Why is that? Is that something that is being recommended
more and more or these patient decisionsA lot of times it really is I
would say, a shared decision betweenthe patient and her position. So there's
a lot of factors that go intothat and whether it would be something recommended
or not, or even if it'snot something strongly recommended, why a woman
(23:11):
may choose that approach. So there'sa variety of factors, and really I
think it's about working with our patientsto really come to the best decision that
reaches you know, their values andgoals and what they're trying to achieve.
Of course, removing the breast reducesthe risk of breast cancer, but that
is more potentially impactful if the riskof breast cancer future breast cancer is high.
(23:34):
So really understanding like I was mentioningthe risk, the genetic factors that
can drive that risk, family history, those sorts of things are very important.
It is a big decision, youknow, to do bilado messtectomy,
and so it's not necessarily the rightchoice for everyone, but for some women
it is the right choice for themand can feel oftentimes even maybe more empowering.
(23:56):
So it's I think ends up beingvery personalized discussion decision, and I
always counsel women that it should beone that they really feel confident making for
themselves, not one that their familymember thinks they should do, or their
best friend or even their physician.It should be driven by what they think
is the right thing for themselves,as we talk about what is right for
(24:17):
a patient. Just a moment ago, we talked about mammograms the improvement of
technology. What I hear from womenmore often than not is the reluctance to
get a mammogram because of the physicaldiscomfort which may be associated with it,
the pressure that's involved. You saidthat the technology has been improving in recent
years on the front of mammogram technology. Has there been any marked improvement or
(24:40):
is there something possibly on the horizon? Great question, you know, fortunately
or unfortunately, mammogram is still ourgold standard for diagnosis for breast cancer and
for screening, and now certainly thereare ways that you know, they have
made improvements in the technology. LikeI said, with three D mammograms,
there are their approaches that are beingstudied that aren't yet our standard of care
(25:03):
that may you know, ultimately alsohelp us to improve this technology. It's
not ready for prime time probably justyet, but even a hopefully a lot
that's on the horizon, but stillmammograms are I would say the goal standard,
and women who have a high risk, a higher risk for breast cancer
usually we say about a twenty percentlifetime risk or higher, then we do
(25:23):
recommend also adding MRIs, so everyyear the woman would also get an MRI
which is looking kind of three dimensionalat the breast tissue and a little bit
more sensitive fashion and alternating with themammograms, so there's kind of a closer
look in those women who have ahigher risk of breast cancer. We'll have
(25:48):
more with doctor Metigut to show muchcheap of breast surgery and Director of Breast
Health across the UCLA system in justa moment, it's later with Moe Kelly
k if I am six forty liveeverywhere on the Heart radio. App I
is something that's being used and consideredand studied in terms of detection earlier detection
of breast cancers through mimography. SoI think there's you know, hopefully a
(26:11):
lot that's on the horizon, butstill mammograms are I would say the goal
standard, and women who have ahigh risk a higher risk for breast cancer
usually we say about a twenty percentlifetime risk or higher. Then we do
recommend also adding MRIs, so everyyear the woman would also get an MRI,
which is looking kind of three dimensionalat the breast tissue and a little
(26:33):
bit more sensitive fashion and alternating withthe mammograms, so there's kind of a
closer look in those women who havea higher risk of breast cancer. We'll
have more with doctor Metigut to showmuch chief of breast Surgery and director of
breast Health across the UCLA system.In just a moment, it's Later with
(26:57):
Moe Kelly k if I AM sixlive everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. You're
listening to Later with mo Kelly ondemand from KFI AM six forty I AM
sixty. Mister mo Kelly here andwe're in the middle of iHeart Wellness with
(27:18):
doctor Metigat t Shoma, who ischief of breast Surgery and director of breast
Health across the UCLA system. Whatabout men and we know that breast cancer
(27:41):
does affect men, but men arenot going to get a mammogram, I
assume, So how should a manlike me or anyone else who may be
listening may think, well, Iknow it runs in my family, I
know there are incidents of men gettingbreast cancer. But how can I protect
myself better inform myself. That's agreat question, because although as you mentioned,
breast cancer is not as common inmen, we do see men with
(28:02):
breast cancer, and we don't reallyadvocate for screening in terms of mammograms or
anything like that for men. Ithink probably the most important thing is to
understand in that situation your family history, especially if there are any other men
in the family with breast cancer,or any family members with a varying cancer
or anything like that. And alot of times when men are diagnosed with
(28:22):
breast cancer, often they will feela tumor or notice a change maybe in
the nipple area, because oftentimes thedisease is kind of located just behind the
nipple. Yes, and when menare diagnosed with breast cancer, usually we
really recommend the same treatment as wewould for women. We don't do anything
necessarily that's different. But so somemen can have breast cancerving treatment with like
(28:45):
a lumpectomy in radiation or mastectomy,which is I would say probably more traditional.
But I think there's more and morethat we need to learn, you
know, in this area, andbecause it's not as common, we don't
have maybe as much awareness about it, but it is important for meant to
be aware that it is possible toget breast cancer. In the beginning of
our conversation, I think we touchedupon the good news, the improvement and
(29:06):
technology, the increasing level of educationthat not only physicians have, but patients
or potential patients may have. ButI suspect that there's also a bad news
portion to that. You mentioned thesystemic nature of breast cancer, which wasn't
necessarily thought of as back then,and it seems like, again I want
to go back to this, itseems like there's more of a rise in
(29:30):
cases in breast cancer. I don'tknow if that's more due to our awareness,
or is it due to more womenand men getting some type of mammogram
mimography and we'll be able to diagnoseit, or is it something else.
Yeah, I think the other thingI would just add also to the good
news if I could start there.Sure, is that really we are learning
more and more how to tailor ourtreatments to the specific tumor or to the
(29:53):
specific person. So I think that'sa huge focus of where our field is,
especially for surgery, and when canwe pull back on some of our
treatments and hopefully spare women and menthe kind of long term side effects like
lymphedema, things like that, whichis swelling of the arm. And you
know, really how can we worktogether as a team, because really breast
(30:15):
cancer is best treated as a team. When we think about kind of the
challenges that we encounter, I thinkfor me, the main one that I
you know, want to highlight orthink about is disparities that we see in
breast cancer treatment and outcomes. Andthis is even one of the things I
think that sparked the change to themammography screening guidelines that we were just discussing.
(30:37):
Why is it that we see ahigher rate of mortality and black women
with breast cancer? You know,what can we do? You know,
it really is something that is somultifaceted and affects probably the whole continuum from
screening all the way to survivorship.So I think that's really where we will
benefit from focusing and really trying toimprove the care for all patients. I
(31:00):
want to end our conversation not toofar away from where we began. I
began the conversation asking you why oncology, why breast health? And for you,
just paraphrasing, it was personal inthe sense of you felt a need
or responsibility not just your vocation butinvocation to do something like this. Given
(31:21):
that, and given what we've alreadydiscussed, how do you go about navigating
patients losing patients? My mother hadbreast cancer, I had a colleague who
died from breast cancer. So thisis conversation is personal to me and it's
personal to you. How do yougo about navigating your professional world and also
keeping your personal feelings in balance.Yeah, that's a tough one. I
(31:45):
think that I always try to rememberthe perspective that as much as we may
feel as physicians treating patients and withemotions that we feel, certainly it's much
harder, right, and much itdoesn't compare to what our patients and their
families are feeling and dealing with.And so I think that really, as
much as we can focus on bringinghope and you know, focus on what's
(32:07):
on the horizon that is, youknow, important and keeps us moving forward,
but in a way that always bringsdignity, you know, and respect
and autonomy to our patients in termsof what they value and desire you know,
for their lives. And really whatwe're trying to do is positively impact
their lives in whatever way that iskind of brings us, brings us,
(32:29):
you know, to work every dayand keeps us moving forward. Let me
actually with one quasi personal question,what in the heck do you do for
fun when there's so much seriousness aroundwhat you do professionally. Well, there's
always fun to have in life,I mean, honestly, sometimes being in
this field helps you to understand wehave to enjoy every moment, you know,
and really really, you know,are blessed to have each day and
(32:52):
so you know, whether it's goingto concerts or sporting events, or engaging
with friends and family, those aresome of the things. And also with
our colleagues, you know, Ithink one thing to kind of highlight what
you mentioned, we work so closelytogether, you know that in the difficult
times, but also we work togetherfor research, we work together for education,
we work together in the community,trying to improve how we care for
(33:15):
patients and the services we offer,and those bonds also kind of are forged
and built there, and that helpsus to be a better team in a
lot of ways, so as kindof how we approach at UCLA Health.
(33:36):
UCLA Health provides exceptional healthcare at itsfive hospitals and more than two hundred and
eighty locations throughout southern California. Visitucla health dot org for more information.
It's Later with Moe Kelly. We'relive everywhere on the iHeartRadio app, Full
Fandwidth Stimulation k S I'M and KOSTHDtwo Los Angeles, Orange County Live everywhere
(34:02):
on the Younger Radio app
And we're live everywhere at the iHeartRadioapp Let's talk about Rhythms of Healing,
a journey of mental health and wellnesswith my two guests who are in the
studio right now. First, wantedto actually reintroduce you to Dana Mason,
holistic practitioner, sound healer and wellnesscoach. He's been on the show before.
Dana's good to see you. I'veknown you for the better part of
I don't know, maybe thirty years, going back to our days in the
(00:31):
music industry. How are you doingthis evening? Wonderful. Thank you so
much for having us. It's sogood to see you again. And also
joining us in studios Doctor James P. Norris, PhD. We call him
doctor J. He's licensed professional ofMental health counselor Doctor J. Good to
see you and meet you this evening. Nice to meet you as well.
I'm excited to be here. Thankyou well. I'm glad you're both here.
(00:51):
Rhythms of Healing is an innovative programdesigned to harmonize the elements of hip
hop culture, meditation, and wellnesspractices into a transformative healing experience. There's
a lot there, so let's startto unpack it, Dana, let me
come to you. How is itor why is it? You took this
subject matter it seems so vast andlarge and try to make it digestible and
(01:15):
relatable to help people. Well,you know, well, of course,
I started in the music business,and then as I was moving through the
music business and understood the power ofmusic and the way music is a universal
language to help inspire, to helpheal, and quietly, I was also
doing my own spiritual journey and learningdifferent healing modalities, and it's kind of
(01:38):
all alchemized into a space where nowI'm in a space where I can be
of service to a larger group ofpeople by utilizing music and being able to
offer different healing modalities, especially tomarginalized or underserved communities. Doctor j there's
a clinical aspect to this, andeverything that data is saying makes sense to
(01:59):
me as someone who is an alumof the music industry. I know about
the power of music, and Iknow about the healing power of music,
but I'm not a doctor, PhDor MD. What's the clinical tie in?
Well, the clinical tie in iswhat we know is music and sound.
When it comes to the brain,it helps with neural pathways and help
(02:20):
us rewire the brain. And sowe need to use sound because sound is
part of who we are, andthat's the clinical implications of implementing and integrating
music to our wellness. It's partof who we are, and so we're
integrating those two things, the soundand the clinical piece to help people heal.
(02:40):
This unique program it looks at wellnessthrough the universal language of music as
we're discussing, but also the introspectiveart of meditation. How does meditation fit
into this equation. Well, I'vebeen a practicing vedic meditator now for ten
years and realized it was probably thebest decision I made in my life.
And part of meditation the benefits andhealth benefits of meditation is being able to
(03:07):
help you rewire the nervous system,calm the mind, and give you a
mental space and clarity to make betterdecisions. And with meditation, adding a
meditation practice to the clinical practice helps. When doctor J comes in with his
clinical approach, it has already preparedthe mind in a nervous system to receive
the information and be again be atool to help heal the mind and the
(03:31):
body. Doctor J. How doyou I'll say, bring together what you
know, what Dana knows and andher her obviously her expertise goes back to
music and yours is more. AsI said, on the clinical end,
how do you bring those two togetherand make it cohesive to help people?
(03:52):
Well, I take a holistic approachfrom the beginning. So I know the
mind the body is connected, andso as a when you know the mind
and body is connected, you understandthat there are physical responses to trauma,
and then there's mental and so thegoal is when I think about this thing,
it's very easy to blend and helppeople understand they fill their body and
(04:15):
how it responds, but they alsohave some mental implications, and in doing
that, I help them blend ittogether. Data. That's a key word
when we talk about trauma. Wetalk about young people. When I say
young people, let's say eighteen andtwenty four, the world that they have
grown up in, the world thatthey've experienced is very different from the one
than any of us in this studiohave grown up in. I don't recognize
(04:36):
the world today. I can't imaginehaving to grow up again in this world.
What type of trauma are we talkingabout here? Well, it's a
variety of trauma. You said onegenerational trauma. There's also you know that
the younger generation now has access toway more technology. We're completely connected,
(04:57):
way more than we were, youknow, again in our generation. So
the trauma happens and environmentally, itcan happen in the home, and it
can happen again socially, all ofthese things that compact and affect young people.
And with that, it's really aboutgiving the language to trauma because a
lot of times we don't even recognizethat there is trauma to even address,
(05:19):
and we normalize it and you know, we carry it like an armor.
So I think it's important one tomake a language that is palatable to young
people. So it's destigmatizing what mentalhealth looks like. So I think that's
what's really important. And music isthat bridge to do. So I wonder,
doctor J I wonder what my mentalhealth would have been like if I
(05:43):
grew up today. Yes, Iwas bullied, I was picked on,
but there were limitations to it.In other words, when I left school,
it kind of ended because no onecould actually get to be It wasn't
like someone could post something online andembarrass me in front of not only my
whole friends, but the whole school, in the whole world, and now
it can be incessant. How doesbullying in its varying forms figure into this.
(06:06):
Bullying is a huge thing in oursociety today, particularly for young people,
and I think that in helping ouryoung people as a community, as
adults, we have to step inand make sure we safeguard our young people
but also have the conversations right becausesometimes kids are being kids and we need
(06:28):
to have a conversation with them ofthe implications of their action. What do
you say, have a conversation withthe kids? Are we talking about the
kids as far as like, hey, be aware of what to avoid and
also be aware of your own behaviorhow it can impact others. What do
you mean? What I mean bythat is directly what you said. I
think we need to help young peopleunderstand the implications, but also we need
(06:50):
to help them understand how to usetheir voice to express what's going on in
their life to adults and their peersas well. We're talking right now.
My guests and studio are Dana Masonand also doctor James P. Norris.
We call him doctor j. We'retalking in a roundabout way leading up to
the Community Care Program, which isa free three week group counseling session which
(07:12):
is a preview to the thirteen weekintensive cohort which is going to be starting
June fifteenth. If I have mydates correct, when we come back,
let's get into Care the program,how it's going to be run, how
it's going to be laid out inwho it might be able to help.
Can you do that for me?Absolutely? Thank you. You're listening to
Later with Moe Kelly on demand fromKFI AM six forty. I Am six
(07:36):
forty. It's Later with Mo Kelly. We're live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
And if you're just tuning in,my guests in studio or Dana Mason
and doctor James P. Norris,doctor j as we call him. We've
been talking about rhythms of healing,the innovative program utilizing the elements of hip
hop culture, music and meditation andwellness practices into a transformative healing experience,
(07:59):
and how that leads into the CommunityCare Program, which is a free three
week group counseling session which is goingto be lead into a thirteen week intensive
cohort or seminar starting in June Junefifteenth. To be exact, it's a
lot of information there, Doctor jLet me start with you tell me about
the Community Care program and what shouldpeople who are attending, what they hope
(08:24):
to gain or they'll experience. TheCommunity Care program is based on the foundation
of the Care model, which isconnectedness, acknowledgment, resilience, and emergence
and that is a pathway from hopeto healing. And so when you come
to the Community Care program, you'regoing to get the tools necessary to work
through your trauma, depression, anxiety, and the community setting, we're here
(08:48):
to put our arms around you tohelp you walk through your experiences using this
model. Dana, I know thisis going to be music involved. I
know that where is this going tobe taking place? Currently we are in
Van Eys, California, and nottoo far from here, not too far
on the Los Angeles Valley College campusand we have its beautiful space and being
(09:16):
there. My portion of what goeson is to teach the tools of meditation.
So there's mechanics and there's science behindmeditation. So it's introducing all of
that information. Is not just aboutyou know, taking away the woo woo
of what meditation actually is. It'sinteresting. I have taken martial arts and
studied martial arts for the better partof thirty five years, and a big
(09:39):
part of this meditation, Yes,because you have to calm your body,
you have to call your nerves,you have to manage your emotions. It's
applicable to every portion of our lives. And to hear you say that just
reminds me of how instrumental and importantit is to everything we do. Now.
I know, doctor j you're aroundthese young people for a limited amount
of time. I know it maybethree weeks and then it turns into thirteen
(10:03):
weeks. How do you what areyour markers? How do you know that
you're reaching people and changing them rightwhere they are? Well? I know
is when they're implementing the tools thatwe're giving them right and we're going to
be going through a process. Andonce they implement the connectedness, the trust,
or the vulnerability. I think whenfolks begin to share their lived experience,
(10:26):
we know we're moving right because theyfeel safe and open, and that's
the first part of change and healing. I am in my fifties now,
and there's certain things I don't wantto talk about to this day. Okay,
you're not They can't see you,but you're not in your head.
You know, there's certain things,there's certain memories, there's certain emotions where
I really don't want to relive that. How do you break down that barrier?
(10:48):
Especially when you're talking about young people? And I know when I was
younger, had a lot more pridethan I do now. You know,
I was much more concerned about whatother people thought then as opposed to now.
This question is for either of you, both of you, how do
you get past that? Well?I would say that I believe if you
create the right atmosphere and the rightconnectedness, anyone will be willing to share
(11:11):
their story. Right. Most ofthe times we don't share it because we
don't feel comfortable right. And sowhen we're creating a space through music,
through connection, through authenticity, andthrough that vulnerability pours out, you don't
have to force it right, Andso I believe we're all looking for the
right space to share our story.Unthrow a curveball at you, data,
(11:35):
but I think you'll appreciate it becausewe came from the same place. Professionally,
music is going to be used herein a very positive way. But
I can spend a couple hours andyou've seen it, you've experienced it where
music has had a negative impact onthe very people that you would be working
with. What say you about musictoday and how that is maybe making your
(11:58):
job more difficult. Doctor Dan andI were just talking about this. He
has a whole thesis on hip hopand it was specifically hip hop music.
And just like anything, there's lightand darkness. So it's usually using figuring
out what is the thing that makesyou feel good and picking the light in
(12:20):
order to focus on that. Becausethere's you said, during our times we
had everything. Hip hop started withtelling the story of what was happening in
our community, and it's not youknow, flowers and fairies. You know,
it was a lot of things thatwere going on that were dark and
you know, the unmentionables, Butthere was also light in those stories as
(12:41):
well. So it's really focusing onfinding, you know, again, creating
the space where you can feel safe. And if people are showing up,
that means there's a willingness to actuallymove through some things. So if you're
showing up, you may not talkin those first couple of sessions, or
you may not open up but it'sreally what I've found, even just outside
(13:01):
of this and just with people ingeneral. People want a genuine connection and
when they can feel on some levelif there's an authenticity there, then that
creates that small bridge of trust,where like doctor J was saying, like
it gives you the space to kindof open up and want to share.
It's interesting because in my business ofradio, it's predicated on making a connection,
(13:24):
authenticity, sincerity. But I havea lot more time to develop this
rapport and relationship with a listener whodoesn't know me, but they're listening to
my voice. You're right there intheir face, but you have much less
time to establish that connection and createthat rapport. What are some of your
go tos? How do you start? What is the first step? The
(13:48):
first step is my approach and mypresence. I think people feel who you
are before you say anything, andso I think it's important of how we're
carrying ourselves, how we live.People gravitate to that and that resonates with
them and then from there you havetheir attention and then you can provide some
information to them. But I thinkwe get so caught up in what we're
(14:11):
saying and how we say it thatwe forget just our very presence as human
beings and how we show up asa real catalyst to creating connection and ultimately
change. Dana, my time hasrun short with you, so let me
just ask. I know someone hasbeen inspired. I know someone has been
curious about how can they be apart of this? Maybe they know someone
(14:35):
who could benefit from the community careprogram. How should they start? Where
should they start? What information canwe give them to come to register?
Come to our website at Rhythms dotRhythms Dash of Dah Healing. That my
canvas. That site, I knowit is a long title. Said that
(14:56):
one more time. It's Rhythms Dashof Dash Healing dot my Cameva dot site.
Okay, and doctor J's website isdot I Thimba I t e Mba
dot us. Both of those placeshave the registration there's more information about the
(15:18):
Rhythms of Healing program and there's alsoa registration button that will give you the
direction to where we're going to beage ranges. Who are we dealing with
currently? The care model is openfor all age ranges and the thirteen week
intensive cohort is eighteen plus. Okay, you're going to be talking about some
(15:39):
very serious issues. I assume,yes, it's it's the deep dive.
It's a deep dive there, allright, last question before I let you
go, doctor j what will beyour your marker, your yardstick that you've
made the inn runs, you've made, the connection, you've made the progress
that you would have hoped on dayone? People showing up, right,
(16:00):
I think that is the mark.After day your said yeah, day after
day, and I mean even thefirst day. I think people's very presence
is the marker because that means thatthey're willing to step into something that's very
uncomfortable and uncertain. And I thinkonce we have that, we can only
go up from there. And there'salso there's also the methodology that goes in
(16:23):
behind us. Is again doctor Jayis a stute researcher. So we have
measurements in place that we will startwith surveys in the beginning to give our
measurements, and then surveys at theend which will give us all of our
quantitide quantitative measurements of how the programworked for the individuals that showed up.
(16:44):
And if you missed any of thisinformation, we'll have it on our website.
At KFIAF six forty dot com underthe Later with Mo Kelly show page.
Doctor j Dan Mason, thank youfor coming in this evening. Thank
you for what you're doing in thecommunity, how you're helping young people of
very ages, and please check inwith us as it goes along so we
can celebrate together on the other side. I love it. Thank you so
(17:08):
much. Thank you so much.Said, and now it's time for our
regular iHeart Wellness segment. Let meintroduce you to doctor metiget Tshoma, who
is Chief of Breast Surgery and Directorof Breast Health across the UCLA system,
(17:33):
including the UCLA Health Johnson Comprehensive CancerCenter. Put another way, doctor Tushoma
is one of the preeminent leaders inthe field treating rare, recurrent and high
risk breast cancer in women and men. Here was my conversation with her,
(18:00):
doctor to show me a pleasure tosit with you today. How are you.
I'm doing well. Thank you somuch. In my conversations with physicians,
I found that they end up incertain specialties either by chance or by
choice. From what I understand aboutyou, you've chosen this field. It
was a specific choice in regard tothe desire to educate the masses about the
(18:22):
issues and ills of breast cancer.Do I have that right? That's right.
You know, breast cancer affects onein eight women, but unfortunately it
actually affects all of us. Ithink each of us has known somebody either
in our family or a close friendor a colleague that has been unfortunately affected
by this disease. You know,I'm no exception to that, and I
(18:44):
think that it really is an areathat speaks closely to my heart and where
I think we can really make abig difference in women's lives. So it's
for a lot of those reasons thatled me to this field. I'm old
enough to remember an actress by thename of Angelian back in nineteen eighty five,
was on this show called It's aLiving. She was a prominent television
star, and she made the announcementthat she had breast cancer and underwent a
(19:07):
double mestectomy. Back in nineteen eightyfive. Then it was national news.
Today it seems like Tuesday, asthey say, what has changed in the
intervening thirty nine years. Are webetter at diagnosing it and treating it?
Or is it something else? Somuch has changed, you know, I
think that over the past several decadeswe really have learned a lot about breast
(19:30):
cancer. We used to treat itmore as a surgical disease. Now we
really understand it to be a systemicdisease that can affect the whole body,
even in early stages. So thathas led to, you know, rapid
advances in medical therapies, targeted therapiesfor specific types of breast cancer. Also,
our technology has improved in terms ofbreast imaging, in terms of surgery,
(19:52):
and also in radiation oncology, soin each area we really have gotten
much better and better. More toit's that kind of precision approach. We
know more about genetic testing and geneticrisk for breast cancer. We know more
also about how to support women andmen through treatment. So there's been a
lot of exciting advances. Still,of course, more to learn and to
(20:15):
discover and to really understand how wecan improve equity in the care that we
provide, but a lot of excitingchanges. Let me take one of those
pieces that you talked about, thegenetic testing. We know that certain women,
certain families are predisposed. If myterminology is wrong, please correct me,
someone may be triple negative and bemore inclined to be diagnosed with breast
(20:38):
cancer later in life. You saidthe imagy is better, but I know
that the guidelines for women getting mammogramshas changed over the years. So can
you at least clear up some ofthat for me? Yes, thank you.
There's a lot to talk about there. Definitely, screening is hugely important.
I mean, screening helps us todiagnose breast cancer at an earlier stage
(21:00):
and that can of course lead toa better outcome. And actually just yesterday,
I believe the US Preventative Task Forcereleased their new updated guidelines around breast
cancer screening. Previously they had changedthem to be starting at age fifty every
other year for women to receive mammograms, but now have actually gone back to
using baseline of age forty to startscreening. I think there's still a lot
(21:22):
of debate about whether every other yearor every year is the appropriate approach.
And as you mentioned, really understandingyour risk of breast cancer helps us to
know what is the right screening modalityor modalities that we should do and on
what kind of an interval. Sowomen who do have a high risk of
breast cancer from a variety of factors, whether it's a genetic risk, whether
(21:44):
it's from previous let's say, radiationin the past or something like that,
we will recommend them to also haveMRIs as part of their screening as well.
So understanding the individual's risks helps usto tailor to the right screening approach.
And then, as you mentioned,and there are certain types of breast
cancer that can be associated with highergenetic risk, like triple negative breast cancer
(22:06):
men who have breast cancer, Soin those situations we definitely do recommend genetic
testing. And the indications for genetictesting are also ones that are continuing to
evolve as we're learning more and more. It's only five to ten percent of
all breast cancers that are associated witha genetic risk, but still if we
do find one, it can helpus to understand better. I was mentioning
(22:27):
screening approaches also treatment options related tohow we can prevent a future breast cancer
or treat the one that is there. This may be anecdotal, but I
think it goes with what you've beensaying. I'm hearing about more and more
women, albeit celebrities, because wehear more about their lives today who are
preemptive, who may undergo a doublemist de actomy even though cancer has not
(22:49):
necessarily availed itself. Why is that? Is that something that is being recommended
more and more or these patient decisionsA lot of times it really is I
would say, a shared decision betweenthe patient and her position. So there's
a lot of factors that go intothat and whether it would be something recommended
or not, or even if it'snot something strongly recommended, why a woman
(23:11):
may choose that approach. So there'sa variety of factors, and really I
think it's about working with our patientsto really come to the best decision that
reaches you know, their values andgoals and what they're trying to achieve.
Of course, removing the breast reducesthe risk of breast cancer, but that
is more potentially impactful if the riskof breast cancer future breast cancer is high.
(23:34):
So really understanding like I was mentioningthe risk, the genetic factors that
can drive that risk, family history, those sorts of things are very important.
It is a big decision, youknow, to do bilado messtectomy,
and so it's not necessarily the rightchoice for everyone, but for some women
it is the right choice for themand can feel oftentimes even maybe more empowering.
(23:56):
So it's I think ends up beingvery personalized discussion decision, and I
always counsel women that it should beone that they really feel confident making for
themselves, not one that their familymember thinks they should do, or their
best friend or even their physician.It should be driven by what they think
is the right thing for themselves,as we talk about what is right for
(24:17):
a patient. Just a moment ago, we talked about mammograms the improvement of
technology. What I hear from womenmore often than not is the reluctance to
get a mammogram because of the physicaldiscomfort which may be associated with it,
the pressure that's involved. You saidthat the technology has been improving in recent
years on the front of mammogram technology. Has there been any marked improvement or
(24:40):
is there something possibly on the horizon? Great question, you know, fortunately
or unfortunately, mammogram is still ourgold standard for diagnosis for breast cancer and
for screening, and now certainly thereare ways that you know, they have
made improvements in the technology. LikeI said, with three D mammograms,
there are their approaches that are beingstudied that aren't yet our standard of care
(25:03):
that may you know, ultimately alsohelp us to improve this technology. It's
not ready for prime time probably justyet, but even a hopefully a lot
that's on the horizon, but stillmammograms are I would say the goal standard,
and women who have a high risk, a higher risk for breast cancer
usually we say about a twenty percentlifetime risk or higher, then we do
(25:23):
recommend also adding MRIs, so everyyear the woman would also get an MRI
which is looking kind of three dimensionalat the breast tissue and a little bit
more sensitive fashion and alternating with themammograms, so there's kind of a closer
look in those women who have ahigher risk of breast cancer. We'll have
(25:48):
more with doctor Metigut to show muchcheap of breast surgery and Director of Breast
Health across the UCLA system in justa moment, it's later with Moe Kelly
k if I am six forty liveeverywhere on the Heart radio. App I
is something that's being used and consideredand studied in terms of detection earlier detection
of breast cancers through mimography. SoI think there's you know, hopefully a
(26:11):
lot that's on the horizon, butstill mammograms are I would say the goal
standard, and women who have ahigh risk a higher risk for breast cancer
usually we say about a twenty percentlifetime risk or higher. Then we do
recommend also adding MRIs, so everyyear the woman would also get an MRI,
which is looking kind of three dimensionalat the breast tissue and a little
(26:33):
bit more sensitive fashion and alternating withthe mammograms, so there's kind of a
closer look in those women who havea higher risk of breast cancer. We'll
have more with doctor Metigut to showmuch chief of breast Surgery and director of
breast Health across the UCLA system.In just a moment, it's Later with
(26:57):
Moe Kelly k if I AM sixlive everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. You're
listening to Later with mo Kelly ondemand from KFI AM six forty I AM
sixty. Mister mo Kelly here andwe're in the middle of iHeart Wellness with
(27:18):
doctor Metigat t Shoma, who ischief of breast Surgery and director of breast
Health across the UCLA system. Whatabout men and we know that breast cancer
(27:41):
does affect men, but men arenot going to get a mammogram, I
assume, So how should a manlike me or anyone else who may be
listening may think, well, Iknow it runs in my family, I
know there are incidents of men gettingbreast cancer. But how can I protect
myself better inform myself. That's agreat question, because although as you mentioned,
breast cancer is not as common inmen, we do see men with
(28:02):
breast cancer, and we don't reallyadvocate for screening in terms of mammograms or
anything like that for men. Ithink probably the most important thing is to
understand in that situation your family history, especially if there are any other men
in the family with breast cancer,or any family members with a varying cancer
or anything like that. And alot of times when men are diagnosed with
(28:22):
breast cancer, often they will feela tumor or notice a change maybe in
the nipple area, because oftentimes thedisease is kind of located just behind the
nipple. Yes, and when menare diagnosed with breast cancer, usually we
really recommend the same treatment as wewould for women. We don't do anything
necessarily that's different. But so somemen can have breast cancerving treatment with like
(28:45):
a lumpectomy in radiation or mastectomy,which is I would say probably more traditional.
But I think there's more and morethat we need to learn, you
know, in this area, andbecause it's not as common, we don't
have maybe as much awareness about it, but it is important for meant to
be aware that it is possible toget breast cancer. In the beginning of
our conversation, I think we touchedupon the good news, the improvement and
(29:06):
technology, the increasing level of educationthat not only physicians have, but patients
or potential patients may have. ButI suspect that there's also a bad news
portion to that. You mentioned thesystemic nature of breast cancer, which wasn't
necessarily thought of as back then,and it seems like, again I want
to go back to this, itseems like there's more of a rise in
(29:30):
cases in breast cancer. I don'tknow if that's more due to our awareness,
or is it due to more womenand men getting some type of mammogram
mimography and we'll be able to diagnoseit, or is it something else.
Yeah, I think the other thingI would just add also to the good
news if I could start there.Sure, is that really we are learning
more and more how to tailor ourtreatments to the specific tumor or to the
(29:53):
specific person. So I think that'sa huge focus of where our field is,
especially for surgery, and when canwe pull back on some of our
treatments and hopefully spare women and menthe kind of long term side effects like
lymphedema, things like that, whichis swelling of the arm. And you
know, really how can we worktogether as a team, because really breast
(30:15):
cancer is best treated as a team. When we think about kind of the
challenges that we encounter, I thinkfor me, the main one that I
you know, want to highlight orthink about is disparities that we see in
breast cancer treatment and outcomes. Andthis is even one of the things I
think that sparked the change to themammography screening guidelines that we were just discussing.
(30:37):
Why is it that we see ahigher rate of mortality and black women
with breast cancer? You know,what can we do? You know,
it really is something that is somultifaceted and affects probably the whole continuum from
screening all the way to survivorship.So I think that's really where we will
benefit from focusing and really trying toimprove the care for all patients. I
(31:00):
want to end our conversation not toofar away from where we began. I
began the conversation asking you why oncology, why breast health? And for you,
just paraphrasing, it was personal inthe sense of you felt a need
or responsibility not just your vocation butinvocation to do something like this. Given
(31:21):
that, and given what we've alreadydiscussed, how do you go about navigating
patients losing patients? My mother hadbreast cancer, I had a colleague who
died from breast cancer. So thisis conversation is personal to me and it's
personal to you. How do yougo about navigating your professional world and also
keeping your personal feelings in balance.Yeah, that's a tough one. I
(31:45):
think that I always try to rememberthe perspective that as much as we may
feel as physicians treating patients and withemotions that we feel, certainly it's much
harder, right, and much itdoesn't compare to what our patients and their
families are feeling and dealing with.And so I think that really, as
much as we can focus on bringinghope and you know, focus on what's
(32:07):
on the horizon that is, youknow, important and keeps us moving forward,
but in a way that always bringsdignity, you know, and respect
and autonomy to our patients in termsof what they value and desire you know,
for their lives. And really whatwe're trying to do is positively impact
their lives in whatever way that iskind of brings us, brings us,
(32:29):
you know, to work every dayand keeps us moving forward. Let me
actually with one quasi personal question,what in the heck do you do for
fun when there's so much seriousness aroundwhat you do professionally. Well, there's
always fun to have in life,I mean, honestly, sometimes being in
this field helps you to understand wehave to enjoy every moment, you know,
and really really, you know,are blessed to have each day and
(32:52):
so you know, whether it's goingto concerts or sporting events, or engaging
with friends and family, those aresome of the things. And also with
our colleagues, you know, Ithink one thing to kind of highlight what
you mentioned, we work so closelytogether, you know that in the difficult
times, but also we work togetherfor research, we work together for education,
we work together in the community,trying to improve how we care for
(33:15):
patients and the services we offer,and those bonds also kind of are forged
and built there, and that helpsus to be a better team in a
lot of ways, so as kindof how we approach at UCLA Health.
(33:36):
UCLA Health provides exceptional healthcare at itsfive hospitals and more than two hundred and
eighty locations throughout southern California. Visitucla health dot org for more information.
It's Later with Moe Kelly. We'relive everywhere on the iHeartRadio app, Full
Fandwidth Stimulation k S I'M and KOSTHDtwo Los Angeles, Orange County Live everywhere
(34:02):
on the Younger Radio app
Later, with Mo'Kelly News
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.