Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
And we are back with the Kristin Augopian Show, and
it's officially the most wonderful time of the year. I
am totally starting to dig it. Yes, it's crazy town sometimes,
but you know what, it's worth it and for many
of us, the Hugopian House included, it's also the most
expensive we can all own that I think.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
You know, you've got.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Gifts, you've got parties, you've got food and decorations, You've
got more food if it's my house. You know your
holiday shopping list can come with a hefty price tag.
But one thing I've found over the years, you know
we love to save some money on this show. Maybe
you two too, is that you can use this season
as an opportunity to educate your kids or just the
(00:46):
younger people in your life about finances too. It's just
a great time to jump in both feet first and
start building good money habits with the next generation that
are going to stick around year round. And joining us
via our newsmaker line, Mac Gramada, head of Family Banking
at Chase, my very own bank, joins us with some
great tips to help kids and parents and anybody else
(01:08):
who might be stressing about money these holiday seasons. How
to start these much needed money conversations, maybe a little
earlier than you thought you might. Thanks for joining us, Matt,
Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas to you and yours.
How's everything there at Chase.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
It's doing great Christmas. Thank you so much for having us.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
It's our pleasure.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
We love our financial segments and honestly, nobody does it
better than Chase. You know, when I put the word
out on social media that we were interviewing you, you
have a big following out there.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
You've got a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
We've got two hundred stations coast to coast, and I'm
pretty sure you have Chase banks and just about all
of them. And there's a reason for that. You clearly
supply something and provide something that people need. You know,
when it comes to their money management. You have tremendous
tools and vehicles for that, for saving, for goals, for investing.
So it's really satisfying to have a representative from your bank,
(01:56):
someone great like you, hanging out with us and just
kind of giving us an in.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Side peak as to what chases up to.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
We got a lot of financial headlines flying around out there.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
You're no doubt hearing them. As well.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Hey, and they can be kind of a downer. But
what I love to flip the script with is it's
also a great opportunity to shake things up a little
bit with your own finances, to make sure that those
financial headlines maybe don't hit you quite as hard this time.
And it all starts with planning. And what a lot
of people don't realize is that their bank go to
your bank. They have got vehicles and tools and tricks
(02:29):
and tips that can help skyrocket your savings without impacting
your quality of life. And so I love having you
on talk to us a bit about how families can
work together kind of budget for holiday shopping. I guess
when people splinter off in all their different directions. I'm
going holiday shopping, I'm going food shopping, I'm going whatever shopping,
they don't sit down, they don't make a plan first.
(02:50):
What are you finding to be the most effective way
to get through this with body, mind and sanity intact?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Well, you know you've already said it. I think possibly
a go be households on the little bit like the
Granmada household in that wonderful family traditions, but also a
huge price tag. And so that opens a door. Honestly,
it opens a door to starting a conversation with our kids.
And it doesn't have to be hard. It can be
so easy. Here's one example. As you start thinking about
(03:18):
the holidays and you're starting to think about how much
how much should we have to spend? How much should
we spend across those you know, the gifts, the parties,
the food, the decorations, all the things. Invite your kids
into those conversations, whether they're youngish or older. Inviting them
in not only help start the conversation, it also demonstrates
(03:39):
that a little bit of planning, a little bit of mindfulness,
can take some of the stress out of the holidays.
But I'll tell you Christen, the thing that I struggle
with personally is doing the math and staying on top
of how much I have actually spent after I've set
that budget. Now I know, right it It can make
(03:59):
me a little bit. But there are so many good
digital tools out there. We want to make it easy
for our customers to right at the top of the
Chase mobile app little think called Snapshot, and what it
does is it gives you a daily digest of what
you have spent, even breaks it down by categories all
automatically easily. We just want to take the headache out
of it.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
For you, that is fantastic, And I want to ask
I want you to do a deeper dive into that
snapshot when you get a second. But you touch on
so many important points because when we're talking about spending,
I mean, I've got a pretty solid lock on spending,
but you talk about a certain avenue of your life
where you're thinking, oh, well, we expended this much and
it turned out to be twice as much. I'm pretty
good with the money. Where I am is like the
(04:40):
calories and the carbs. Oh that was ten carbs, No, Chris,
it was seventy two carves. I mean, when you lose
track of counting certain things, when you don't take advantage
of the tools out there, all you're doing is making
more work for yourself. So and I'm pretty guilty of this.
There are so many tools out there. Apps, you know,
various things you can do on your computer, various things
that you know, that sort of thing. It's unbelievable how
(05:02):
many tools there are out there to help you gain
more control over your spending. When you get the word
out about this, what's been the response from your fans
out there.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
You know the number one thing, you nailed it. It
is hard to sort of stand on the right path,
always make the right choices. Anything we can do to
make it is it makes such a difference. And so
what we hear is, hey, I wish I could manage
my money and my kids money and help them learn
all in one place, not from seventeen apps, but just one,
(05:31):
which is why in the Chase app you can manage
your accounts. Sure, but then when your kids are ready
for their own account and we have special accounts for them,
whether they're atween and want to start learning how to
use money, there's Chaser spanking, or if they're high school students,
there's high school checking. You as a parent, can manage
all of that, all of the oversight, all of the
(05:53):
controls right from one app. It makes a difference.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
It totally makes a difference. And you know what else
is so great about this is kind of a one
two punch. My show is all about helping people save
money while still living a great quality of life and
really stockpile of their savings because the inevitable unexpected expenses
are always going to pop up, and the more control
you have over your finances. It just has a tremendous
(06:18):
ripple effect in your life. But sometimes where I feel
we don't get the message quite across is that that's
only part of the scenario here. When you've had a
couple of years to stockpile your savings, when you've had
a couple of years to pay down your debt to
next to nothing, you've got no more student loans, no
more credit cards, then it's time to take it over
to the bank and start up a conversation and say,
(06:40):
you know what, my finances have never been in such
a great place now. My credit score is so much
lower now. I never even dreamed about buying a home,
but now I'm dreaming about that. And they think it's
going to be all to be another three four years
before I can buy a house. They walk into Chase,
they talk with one of your people, and they walk
out knowing that within a few months they can get
themselves a mortgage. It's just a nice one to punch
(07:00):
when in your household you have all the tools you
need to save as much money as you can and
spend as little as you need to while still living
a great quality of life. But going into your local
Chase bank. They have got unbelievable tools to make some
of the most lofty ambitions a reality, whether it's getting
college costs locked up before you even step foot on
the university, whether it's getting into a house when maybe
(07:22):
you're the first generation to ever be a homeowner. It's
important too. It's like walking into your doctor's office. People
are like, no, I don't feel like talking to the
bank or whatever. You walk in and you walk out
thinking why the heck didn't I do this earlier? You
must get that kind of feedback from your people all
the time.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Well, I certainly hope that our customers feel that way.
We are so proud because we have branches in all
forty eight Lower States yep, literally thousands of bankers who
are ready to have those simple conversations with you about
your goals right, and we have a team of experts
standing by right, whether it's about daily financial planning, or
(08:00):
maybe it's about that first home and how you get
on a path to a mortgage, or maybe it's about
maybe investing right, we have experts ready to serve you,
and the honestly, the optimal word they is served. We
are here to serve our customers in all of our
states and we're in branches and forty eight of them.
(08:20):
We're very proud.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
You should be very proud. And there's a reason for that.
You know, you're being kind of modest, because when you
have an entity that's grown from one location to being
in all the forty eight, you know, contiguous states, there's
a reason for that. There's a service going on there
that people are clearly craving and they need more of it.
You know, I hope I put a fine enough point
on this. But when you're in the midst of some
(08:41):
interesting financial headlines and they you know, happen every ten years, whatever,
it's normal, it's life. But people aren't prepped for it.
You know, we're not teaching this stuff in school anymore.
We're not teaching this stuff on any levels anymore. It's
always kind of spend, spend, spend, I think you and
I I myself was blessed by a childhood where my parents,
whether they knew it or not, just pound it into
(09:02):
our heads every day. You know, be smart with your money.
I'm learning every day every week on the show. A
lot of people didn't have that blessing, and so when
they walk into adulthood. Great people, wonderful people with maybe
a couple of bucks in their bank account. They don't
have that earlier generation to lean on as a role model.
So where do they go. They got to go to
the bank, and they hesitate to do it. They're afraid, Oh,
(09:24):
I can't tell them I've got nothing in the bank.
Of course you can. These are the people who live
to help people grow their bank accounts. So how do
we get the word out more about getting more people
through your doors and getting those financial dreams or reality.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Well, first of all, folks can come into anyone of
our nearly five thousand Chase branches in those forty eight states.
We are ready and we are waiting to help you.
Or you can go to say Chase dot com or
Chase dot com slash student Banking to talk about and
learn about stuff for your kids. But I got to
tell you, Kristin, I have this job because I didn't
(09:58):
come around a family like yours. My family didn't talk
about money, and I made mistakes, and so I want
to make sure in this job that I help folks
avoid the mistakes that I made and help my son
Ben avoid those mistakes too. So if we can do
that for folks out there. We are here to help.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Brilliant, I knew the time would fly. Mac Ramatta, head
of Family Banking at Chase, you're clearly walking the walk
and people are better off board.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Thank you so much for taking the time. You've got
an open mic anytime.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Krick, and thank you so much for having us.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
You bet we'll be right back gang right after this.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Not to step the best of all circumstances.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
I just got a let we.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
Come and we are back with the Christian Agopian Show.
And much as my to do list is running behind,
(11:18):
it is actually holiday season, guys, and it's time to
get it in gear. If you're anything like me, you've
got list after list and you want to kind of
shake things up a bit. You want to do things
for all the different people in your lives. And I
keep coming back to tech when it comes to gifts
for everybody, whether it's my folks or whether it's my
sisters or my kids, Tech is in. And surprisingly, when
(11:39):
I connect with my family and friends and see what
they're looking for, a lot of them are into gaming.
And it's not just the kids in your life anymore.
It's relaxing. It's something fun. Oftentimes it's educational. It kind
of checks a lot of boxes for those of you
out there looking to pack a fun punch with your
holiday gifting and joining us via our Newsmaker line to
break down this season gaming habits and maybe some great
(12:01):
gift ideas. Scott Steinberg joining us. Welcome Scott. How are
you today?
Speaker 6 (12:06):
I think Kristin doing great about yourself.
Speaker 5 (12:08):
No complaints? Well I got one complaint here in our
Philadelphia studios. Way too cold. You know, every November it
surprises me like I'm two years old, it's cold in November,
But there you go. It's what we just have to
deal with. How's it in your neck of the woods.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
That's right, it's pretty cold as well. And it's kind
of funny it seems like it comes earlier and earlier
every year. But the good news is we can get
that cold out of the way and back to spring
soon enough. And hey, you know, considering that all the
retail stores put out the holiday stuff in like October,
now I guess we might as well have some more
atmosphere for the season.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
There you go, exactly. You know, we go into oftentimes
on the weekends, my husband and I do a lot
of home improvement stuff. So we're in the hardware stores
once in a while. I swear to you it was
like Labor Day and there were Christmas trees in there,
so you know, I think everybody is in the same
bucket when it comes to that stuff. But regardless, it's
always a beautiful time of year, despite my whining about
(12:58):
the weather. So happy holidays to you and your and
I've been looking so forward to getting you on the
air with me because gaming is huge, and when we
thought it was big a few years ago, it is
nothing compared to the interest these days. It's just remarkable
what's out there, and it's remarkable a lot of times.
All the great beneficial side effects of it. You've got
people who are getting more interested in computers, you know,
(13:18):
the older generation. You've got younger kids who could do
all this stuff with their eyes closed, and they're getting
more and more intrigued with all the latest offerings. And
according to a recent survey, these numbers really grabbed me.
Sixty percent of adults play video games weekly and it
helps them relax, it helps them focus, it helps them
maybe bond with their kids. Who knows what, And the
(13:39):
average gamer is now thirty six years old. Okay, so
we're talking everybody, parents to grandparents. Everybody's grabbing a controller
and joining in on the fun. And with that, combined
with the fact that we've got the holidays upon us,
break down the latest numbers from your vantage point and
tell us what you're seeing on the streets there. What's
the gaming world like today?
Speaker 6 (13:59):
He got millions of players playing. And actually, the funny
part about those surveys is I suspect that the forty
percent who didn't say that they were playing on a
weekly basis were probably too busy playing with a video
game to actually respond to it. Because just about everybody
you see, men, women, young old are now playing games today.
It's one of the most popular hobbies out there. And
what's really nice is it's become a universal hobby and
(14:22):
that adults are playing for the same reason that kids are.
That sense of fun escape isn't connectivity with other players, challenge.
They want to exercise their mind. And of course that's
been driven by the continued technological advancement of so many
of these games, because you now get movie quality storytelling
from them, these incredible visual, unrivaled graphic experiences, deeply complex
(14:43):
strategy so it doesn't really matter if you're playing on
the way to school on a mobile device, sneaking in
a quick game, or if you're unwinding after a long
day of work with some big action adventure. At the
end of the day, gaming really does fit everybody's lifestyle.
So as you can see it has universal appeal.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
It totally doesn't. I'm taking notes as you're talking. You know,
like my main video game of Poison that I love
more than you know, so dearly to relax and just
chill is some suduco at the end of the day.
You know, I'm of an age where I think, oh,
video games, that's what you're playing and you nailed it.
That's not the case at all. There's this in depth,
incredibly detailed, amazing games out there that people are just
(15:20):
you know, jaw droppingly fun, and a lot of us
don't know about those. You know, when we're thinking about
and you're probably like me, you've got people of all ages,
all backgrounds, all interests on your gift list for this year.
You want to make sure you get them something fun.
And the best part about this, guys, and for people
who love to shop and don't love to shop, you
just buy these and you can download them immediately. It's
(15:42):
amazing what you can do to really delight the people
on your gift list without even leaving your home at
this point. So that's a huge plus for me. But
from your unique vantage point, Scott, what are you seeing
for like the basic I don't know, the wonderful Oh
my god, I didn't even know that game existed yet.
You know, what are the big things that are out
there that are really drawing a lot of attention.
Speaker 6 (16:02):
Yeah. Absolutely, So there's a couple top picks this holiday season.
They come highly recommended. Both great games. So, for example,
there's a super deep strategy game. It's all about city
building and it's called Anno one seventeen Pax Romana. And
in this game, which is set at the height of
the Roman Empire, essentially you play as the governor of
a province. So you're building your city, You're having to
(16:22):
manage trade, resources, diplomacy, military, whatever challenges that the game
throws at you. So of course we've all read about
the Roman Empire, seen it on TV. Now it's your
chance to actually live out the historical period and by
the way, you can create the faith of your own Empire.
But also I highly recommend if you've got a movie
buff in the family that you check out Assassin's Creed Shadows.
(16:44):
That's the latest in the iconic best selling franchise. Guarantee
you you have at least one gamer in the family
who's played a title previously or heard of one. So
in Assassin's Creed Shadows, they actually kick it up a notch.
It's a fully fledged action adventure wile playing experience set
in feudal so essentially you're going back to feudal Japan.
You can try different combat styles, switch between heroes. If
(17:05):
you want to be stealthy, depending on the mission, you
can play as the Ninja not way. If you'd rather
use brute strength, you can play as the Samurai suit case.
So super cinematic, incredible storytelling, beautiful visuals. I think a
lot of people in the family are going to have
no trouble finding holiday gifts this year.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
That is unbelievable. You know, as you went through the
description of it, I finally just stopped writing and my
jaw is dropped. I Mean, that is crazy what they
have out there these days. That's exactly what people need
to know about. Well, here's the next thing too, we
all have shoppers on our gift list, and maybe we
shoppers we know and people were trying to help. Where
if they just look at a selection of maybe ten
(17:41):
different types of mittens, they get here in the headlights,
you know, much less the dozens, if not hundreds, if
not thousands, of different titles out there for video games.
How do we pare it down to perfectly match the
gamer with the game.
Speaker 6 (17:55):
I think the big part of it is you don't
necessarily think about it as shopping for a gamer quote
un quote per se, because as you pointed out, everybody
is playing games nowadays, but rather match it to the
person's interests and what really gets them fired up in
the real world. So, for example, maybe you got a
history buff in the family, or somebody who's into a
strategy or world building than a game like Anna one seventeen,
(18:16):
the strategy simulation, those types of titles will be a
good fit. Alternately, on the flip side, if somebody's really
into cinematic experiences or movies or storytelling, perhaps an open
world action adventures more of their speed. That's where a
game like Assassin's Creed Shadows would come in. But also
keep in mind. There are games that appeal to the
entire family that can get you up and moving even physically,
(18:38):
like Just Dance twenty twenty six for example, that really
get everybody together, bonding, having fun shared experiences. So I
think the trick really is to think about what gets
people fired up in the real world, like I was saying,
their personal passions and interests, and when you match to that,
you'll have no trouble picking a game.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
It's so true. It really does boil right down to
that you can find it. It is definitely out there,
and I knew the time would fly. Where do our listeners,
coast to coast go to find out more information on
this and take it to the next step.
Speaker 6 (19:06):
Yeah, I would definitely hit Ubisoft dot com. That's Ubisoft
dot com if you want to see trailers, get deep dives,
learn more about the games, or even grab some downloadable
content with extra adventures.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
Excellent stuff, and you're much too honest, So I'll mention
it for you. For those of you out there who
just know the people on your gift list want nothing
more than a really good book. Scott's written about thirty
or so out there, many of them best sellers, and
you can take a look at his titles on Amazon
and everything else as well. Fantastic stuff. I knew the
time would fly at very Happy holidays to you and yours.
You got an open mic anytime, please join the gam.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
And you ken I'd appreciate kristin. Happy holidays.
Speaker 5 (19:40):
Same and we'll be right back gang right after this
not to.
Speaker 6 (19:49):
The best a.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
And we are back with the Christian Egophian Show.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
And you guys know how much I love our medical
breakthrough segments. We live in extraordinary times and in an
age where there are so many headlines fighting for space
on our endless news outlets. Incredibly sometimes these amazing headlines
get buried in the shuffle. And in case you didn't hear,
the first person in the United States has just received
(20:26):
the world's first dual chamber ledless pacemaker system. And we've
all heard of pacemakers. We have a rough idea of
what they do. Maybe someone we know in our family
tree has benefited from one over the decades. Pacemakers are
designed to treat slow or abnormal heart rhythms, to correct
irregularities that can happen over the years and help the
(20:47):
patient live a normal life. We'll get this, guys. This
new innovation made by Abbot, is roughly one tenth the
size of a traditional pacemaker and for the first time,
allows two chambers of the heart to commute kate with
each other wirelessly. Guys, this is big and joining us
to talk about this game changing technology is doctor Rojesh Banker,
(21:08):
clinical cardiac electrophysiologist at Hogue Memorial Hospital, Presbyterian. Doctor Banker,
thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 7 (21:18):
Well, thank you for having me. I'm excited to share
with your listeners about this new technology.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Well, we're excited to hear more about it. We've got
about two hundred stations Coast to coast.
Speaker 7 (21:28):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
And when I put the word out about this interview,
I was surprised. I mean, we've got people in my
family tree who have benefited from pacemakers and this was
decades ago. I mean, when the technology was so much different.
And it's incredible how many people Coast to Coast know
someone maybe it's them, maybe it's someone in their spouse's family,
maybe it's their family tree. They're everywhere and we don't
(21:50):
talk about them that much. So when this new technology
comes along, people are like, oh, you know, I thought
it was just the same stuff we had back in
the seventies.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Not the case.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Please take a minute to tell us about this new
technology and why it's such a game changer.
Speaker 7 (22:03):
Well, I love how you talked about how it was
the same way in the seventies, because it's absolutely true.
Over the last fifty years, we have not had a
considerable advancement or a large breakthrough in pacing technology. If
you imagine, fifty years ago, we were still sitting with
telephones attached to a wall with a wire, and my
kids don't even recognize what that looks like anymore, what
(22:24):
that even is. Nowadays, we all have cell phones, we
walk around within our pockets, and that's what we've done
with this new technology. This new technology freezes us from
those wires that connects the device together. It's entirely wireless,
and it miniaturizes the devices so they can be placed
inside of the heart and have no external evidence that
(22:44):
a patient even has a pacemaker.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
And I'm taking notes as we're talking here because I
want to make sure I'm keeping up. But you know what,
all of us are in school, middle school, high school,
we learn about the heart there's four chambers these do
that is that talk to me about when you use
the phrase dual chamber, Talk to me about how these
dual chamber pacemakers work.
Speaker 7 (23:04):
So we do have two sets of top chambers, two
sets of bottom chambers in our heart, So we have
four total chambers towing the top two in the bottom
and the top chambers are connected electrically. They will receive
one of these units of this dual chamber leadless pacemaker,
and the bottom chambers will receive one of these units
(23:25):
and they will be able to connect and talk to
each other at the same time. So they talk to
each other wirelessly using this new communication methodology called eye
to eye or beat to beat communication. That technology, when
it speaks to each other, will allow the devices to
coordinate the heart's activity and to monitor and see if
(23:48):
the heart beat is too slow, and if it is,
it can speed it up back to a normal level.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Unbelievable. That's fantastic stuff.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
And it's the size of this new one that really
grabs people as well.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
It is the technology.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I feel like in some ways, you see a car,
they evolve over the decades. You see you know, you
name it, you know, clothing or you know, travel it
all evolves over the decades. It feels like this evolution
of a pacemaker has just leapfrogged generations ahead in a
short amount of time.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Am I wrong there? Or has this been going on
the whole time?
Speaker 7 (24:20):
You're absolutely correct, But it's not a short time in
the making. We've been developing this for over ten years
and Abbott has ten plus years now of developmental experience
with this platform, so it hasn't been a short time
coming with with regards to the background stuff that's been
being developed. But it does seem like a huge advance
(24:40):
forward when it's been released into the market now because
it is so different from what is currently available.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
It's remarkable.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
You know, Expand on that if you would, because we've
got a lot of people listening out there who again
have family or friends or elders in their family tree
who have the traditional pacemakers. Grateful for them, they were
ground breaking technology at the time, but tell us a
little bit more, dive a little deeper into what makes
this different from the traditional pacemakers.
Speaker 7 (25:08):
You know, absolutely that's a great question, and if I
was to boil that down, I'd probably talk about three
different main differences between traditional transvenous devices and these new
dual chamber leadless devices from Abbott. And the first one
would be about those wires or those leads. Now, those
wires were the source of the majority of our pain
(25:31):
when it comes down to these implants, because they would
be responsible for the complications of getting infected. The wires
would break and they would have to be replaced, and
the wires would block up the veins that they would
have to travel to to get to the heart, and
we would have to deal with that complication as well.
So all of that is removed when we moved to
(25:52):
a leadless system. In addition, the implant itself becomes vastly
simpler for the patient, So the patient is going to
instead have one day in the hospital at most without
a surgical pocket, meaning we don't have to cut the
skin to put in this new pacemaker. We can feed
it in through the veins entirely into the heart. And
(26:14):
because of that, that leads to the last main difference,
which is that of recovery. There's no surgical pocket to
recover from. I mean, there's no pain that lasts for
many weeks. There's no arm restrictions where the arms can
be modified or have to sit in a sling for
the next four to six weeks. None of that exists. Instead,
we asked the patient to just do no heavy lifting
(26:35):
or exercise for a week and then they can move
on with their regular activities.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Unreal. My jaw is dropping open at that. I never
even thought to ask about the procedure you just and
again I'm dating myself, doctor, because you think about having
a pacemaker implanted, and of course you've got to cut
open someone's chest and do it that way, and then
there's huge recovery time.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
That is unbelievable. They can just.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Thread that through in a order or a vein or something. Incredible.
I am beyond impressed. That is incredibly It's just such
great news. There's so much crap out there, doctor in
the headlines. This is just like a big shining angel
screaming song of happiness that you're hearing on this end here.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
This is remarkable news.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
So talk to us a bit about people who already
have pacemakers and those who know that they have a
pacemaker in their future. What does this mean for people
who need pacemakers? Educate me and forgive a dumb question.
This is straight from me, But can people who have
had past generational pacemakers get an upgrade? For lack of
a better word, this is important, This is their heart,
(27:35):
this is their life. I don't mean to throw out
a flippant statement like a trade up like that, but
can people who have had pacemakers for years? Can they
go in and get this new one instead?
Speaker 2 (27:44):
How does that work?
Speaker 7 (27:45):
You know? I wish that that was true, to be
able to move from the traditional platform in the same
patient to a lead this platform. Unfortunately, sometimes you've already
taken the risks of implanting the previous traditional trend venus
pacemaker system, and you may be better off sticking with
that same platform and not transitioning to leadless. However, there
(28:09):
are going to be exceptions to that rule, and the
person to speak with is going to be your cardiologist.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yep, it's true. Talk to the cardiologist. Don't be scared,
use the big words. And again, this sounds very flippant,
and I don't mean it too, because I am such
a huge fan of the incredible medical age we live in.
But when you've got a great buick that you've had
for thirty years and it's working great, and you have
no complaints.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Maybe you don't think about having to trade up. That's
the way it works in my driveway anyway. Maybe I'm
not alone.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
But when it comes to this new technology, it is
literally going to be saving, extending, making better. So many
lives on behalf of those who are going to be
getting this in the future or who are getting it now.
It's just an incredible accomplishment. Where do our listeners go
to learn more about this?
Speaker 7 (28:54):
Well, your listeners can certainly speak to their primary care
doctor or their cardiologists. That's going to be their best
bet with regards to new information and whether or not
this technology is appropriate for them. The good news is
is that they are told that they need a pacemaker.
About eighty percent of patients who currently need a pacemaker
will be a candidate for this new dual chamber leadless device.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Wow, that's amazing. So one more question before I lose
you here? What questions when they go and they talk
to their doctor. What questions should people be asking their
doctors when it comes to a pacemaker.
Speaker 7 (29:29):
Number one is whether or not this is actually going
to be relevant to them, because sometimes the leadless platform
is not relevant to the patient, but the vast majority
of time it is Number two is well, what is
the recovery time with whatever platform I choose? What are
the complications? And hopefully they'll find that with this new
(29:50):
technology platform it's going to be vastly reduced.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Incredible. I knew the time would fly. Doctor Rojesh Banker,
electrophysiologist with Hogue Memorial Hospital, Press Byterian, this is fantastic news.
Thank you so much for taking the time. You got
an open mic anytime. Please join us again when you can.
Speaker 7 (30:06):
Thank you so much. I hope you listeners have a
happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday season.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
And same to you, doctor, and we'll be right back
right after.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
This cheap is small not to steal the best of
all circumstances. Be a comson. I just got a learn
(30:40):
to recall.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
And we are back with the Christina Gophian Show.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
And I've been looking so forward to our next guests
because so many of us know someone a relative or
a friend, maybe a coworker or a neighbor who is
suffering from chronic pain or even movement disorders. It's more
prevalent than you might think. And on average, are you
ready for this? People living with chronic pain such disorders
(31:15):
like Parkinson's disease, for example, will often travel more than
one hundred and fifty miles to find relief and receive
treatments like deep brain stimulation DBS implants helping those whose
symptoms are not controlled with medications, and now a first
of its kind technology available in the US, known as
(31:36):
the Neurosphere Virtual Clinic, allows physicians to not only communicate
remotely with patients, but also use the new platform to
adjust the patient's stimulation device to regulate optimal settings, provide
pain relief, tremor control while evaluating the results in real
time and no travel. Amazing stuff, guys, and here to
tell us more is doctor Juan Ramirez Castanada from the
(31:58):
University of Texas Health Science Center and his patient, Darren Wright,
who has been living with Parkinson's disease, to share some
important information about the new virtual technology and how it
has dramatically affected Darren's quality of life.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Gentlemen, welcome, Hi Christian.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
It is great to have you on, Doctor Costinata. I'm
going to start with you if I may. Many people
in the US suffer with chronic pain and movement disorders
and in the past talk to me about what the
traditional method of treatment was and how these new advancements
in technology now, how do they even compare?
Speaker 8 (32:36):
Definitely so for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other
chronic movement disorders. In the past, we've had available only
oral medications which are taking per mouth and are expected
to provide control of those symptoms. Parkinson's diseases specifically is
a condition that comes with what we call motor and
(32:56):
non motor symptoms, and the medications help control them. However,
given that Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative condition, that means
that there is progression over time, that modality of treatment
is just not enough time. Patients with Parking zones and
start having what we call motor fluctuations, which is basically
the inability of the oral medications to control those symptoms.
(33:20):
Sometimes there is an unpredictable response to it. There is
a wearing off of the medication benefit and potential side
effects due to the chronic use of these medications.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Yeah, and this is all I'm writing stuff down as
we're talking. Darren, I'm going to jump to you for
this next one. You have been living with Parkinson's disease
for quite some time. Tell our listeners a bit about
when you were diagnosed. You know, what life has been
like with the condition as you adapt, and what made
you decide to get an implant to help control your conditions.
Speaker 9 (33:53):
Yeah. I was diagnosed in April twenty fourteen, forty three
years old at the time. A bit of a surprise.
Obviously at that age I'd heard of Parkinson's, but typically
you apply that to older people. Yes, So anyway, Yeah,
it was a big life changer. Went on the standard
medications and stuff like that for several years, and guts
(34:14):
got to the point, like doctor Myers was saying, where
they losing their effectiveness. They weren't lasting as long. If
I tried to take more, I'd get additional side effects.
So I approached doctor Emiers about having deep brain stimulation,
went through that program and to all the qualifiers that
we have to go through. The surgery was in March
of twenty nineteen.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Incredibly, Brat, you got guts, You got serious guts, and
now you're out here telling your story and helping so
many others with it. Doctor, back to you, if I could,
when you're talking to people about these ailments and the
various options, who would you consider to be a good
candidate for this therapy?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
What's the basic profile.
Speaker 8 (34:52):
We do a what we call a multidisciplinary evaluation about
each single case, and then we sign off and give
the green light to more forward with a patient. Basically,
when we tell somebody that is a good candidate, that
means that we've worked prior to it just to have
a very good idea of that outcome is going to
be positive for the patient.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Darren, you have walked the walk, You've gotten this taken
care of and it speaks volumes. Tell us about pre
procedure and after the procedure. What are the new possibilities
now that you've received this device?
Speaker 9 (35:24):
I tell people that gave me my life back. Wow,
I wouldn't say I have new possibilities. I'm just able
to live life finally without being interrupted by tremors or stuttery,
or the inability to walk or you know things like that.
That DBS has helped me. Deep brain stimulation has helped
me with.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Talk to me doctor about how the neurosphere, how this
virtual clinic has changed how you help care for patients
and their condition.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
It must be opening up all kinds of new possibilities.
Speaker 8 (35:49):
Definitely, Christian that is exactly what I tell to my patients.
If there is one thing that because given to us
is the ability of doing virtual visits virtual clinic, and
this is an amazing tool that we now have so
about the neurosphere. Virtual clinic has given us the possibility
of providing deep brain stimulation care to our patients without
(36:10):
worrying about the physical distance and in a place where
we are here in Texas is extremely important. I have
patients that travel miles and miles to get to get care.
And especially when we are considering if a patient is
a good candidate for DEE brain stimulation, one of the
considerations was is this patient going to be able to
come to us to receive the treatment. We're able to
(36:32):
connect to the patient system, the de brain stimulation system
and check what the current settings are, make sure that
the system is functioning correctly, and then depending on what
the plan was for that visity, we need to make adjustments.
We can do them right there, done virtually, and they
are instantaneous, and we're able to prescribe that type of
programming and stimulation right away and right there.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
Darren, when it comes to this, you are your own
best advertising. You know, people talk about getting this. You
actually got it done. You walk to the walk. You
are your own best advocate for this kind of thing.
And when you're talking to others living with movement disorders
such as Parkinson's, what advice do you have for them?
You can literally, you know, go from a place where
you actually live it yourself. So what's your top advice
(37:15):
for people who are also living with this as to
how to proceed?
Speaker 9 (37:18):
The best advice I can give is do your research,
learn about the disease, understand that it's different from everybody,
and be honest open with your doctor. As far as life,
I would say, find a hobby, do things, keep living,
don't stop living. That's the most important thing is to
continue moving. I took up woodworking, turning wood on a
lathe and making bowls and pens and things like that,
(37:39):
and it's actually really therapeutic for me on the weekends.
And so it's just very important to learn about the disease,
be honest and open with your doctor, and keep living.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Outstanding doctor, I knew the time would fly, but I
want to get this into Where can our listeners go
for more information on this?
Speaker 2 (37:55):
What do you recommend so.
Speaker 8 (37:56):
To have more information about debrain simulation and what the
options are for a specific person. I always recommend talking
with their own healthcare provider, with their own neurologist if
they want to learn more about ABBO Neurosphere Virtual Clinic,
so I would direct them to the website abbut dot
com where they can have more information about it.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Doctor Ramirez Costanata and Darren Wright, thank you both so
much for joining us today with this exciting information. It's
going to impact so many You've got an open mic anytime.
Please join us again into Happy holidays.
Speaker 5 (38:26):
Welcome you too.
Speaker 6 (38:27):
Thank you Christian.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
You bet until next week, save those pennies, pay with cash,
and you all stay frugal out there.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
To the best of all circumstance.
And we are back with the Kristin Augopian Show, and
it's officially the most wonderful time of the year. I
am totally starting to dig it. Yes, it's crazy town sometimes,
but you know what, it's worth it and for many
of us, the Hugopian House included, it's also the most
expensive we can all own that I think.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
You know, you've got.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Gifts, you've got parties, you've got food and decorations, You've
got more food if it's my house. You know your
holiday shopping list can come with a hefty price tag.
But one thing I've found over the years, you know
we love to save some money on this show. Maybe
you two too, is that you can use this season
as an opportunity to educate your kids or just the
(00:46):
younger people in your life about finances too. It's just
a great time to jump in both feet first and
start building good money habits with the next generation that
are going to stick around year round. And joining us
via our newsmaker line, Mac Gramada, head of Family Banking
at Chase, my very own bank, joins us with some
great tips to help kids and parents and anybody else
(01:08):
who might be stressing about money these holiday seasons. How
to start these much needed money conversations, maybe a little
earlier than you thought you might. Thanks for joining us, Matt,
Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas to you and yours.
How's everything there at Chase.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
It's doing great Christmas. Thank you so much for having us.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
It's our pleasure.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
We love our financial segments and honestly, nobody does it
better than Chase. You know, when I put the word
out on social media that we were interviewing you, you
have a big following out there.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
You've got a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
We've got two hundred stations coast to coast, and I'm
pretty sure you have Chase banks and just about all
of them. And there's a reason for that. You clearly
supply something and provide something that people need. You know,
when it comes to their money management. You have tremendous
tools and vehicles for that, for saving, for goals, for investing.
So it's really satisfying to have a representative from your bank,
(01:56):
someone great like you, hanging out with us and just
kind of giving us an in.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Side peak as to what chases up to.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
We got a lot of financial headlines flying around out there.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
You're no doubt hearing them. As well.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Hey, and they can be kind of a downer. But
what I love to flip the script with is it's
also a great opportunity to shake things up a little
bit with your own finances, to make sure that those
financial headlines maybe don't hit you quite as hard this time.
And it all starts with planning. And what a lot
of people don't realize is that their bank go to
your bank. They have got vehicles and tools and tricks
(02:29):
and tips that can help skyrocket your savings without impacting
your quality of life. And so I love having you
on talk to us a bit about how families can
work together kind of budget for holiday shopping. I guess
when people splinter off in all their different directions. I'm
going holiday shopping, I'm going food shopping, I'm going whatever shopping,
they don't sit down, they don't make a plan first.
(02:50):
What are you finding to be the most effective way
to get through this with body, mind and sanity intact?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Well, you know you've already said it. I think possibly
a go be households on the little bit like the
Granmada household in that wonderful family traditions, but also a
huge price tag. And so that opens a door. Honestly,
it opens a door to starting a conversation with our kids.
And it doesn't have to be hard. It can be
so easy. Here's one example. As you start thinking about
(03:18):
the holidays and you're starting to think about how much
how much should we have to spend? How much should
we spend across those you know, the gifts, the parties,
the food, the decorations, all the things. Invite your kids
into those conversations, whether they're youngish or older. Inviting them
in not only help start the conversation, it also demonstrates
(03:39):
that a little bit of planning, a little bit of mindfulness,
can take some of the stress out of the holidays.
But I'll tell you Christen, the thing that I struggle
with personally is doing the math and staying on top
of how much I have actually spent after I've set
that budget. Now I know, right it It can make
(03:59):
me a little bit. But there are so many good
digital tools out there. We want to make it easy
for our customers to right at the top of the
Chase mobile app little think called Snapshot, and what it
does is it gives you a daily digest of what
you have spent, even breaks it down by categories all
automatically easily. We just want to take the headache out
of it.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
For you, that is fantastic, And I want to ask
I want you to do a deeper dive into that
snapshot when you get a second. But you touch on
so many important points because when we're talking about spending,
I mean, I've got a pretty solid lock on spending,
but you talk about a certain avenue of your life
where you're thinking, oh, well, we expended this much and
it turned out to be twice as much. I'm pretty
good with the money. Where I am is like the
(04:40):
calories and the carbs. Oh that was ten carbs, No, Chris,
it was seventy two carves. I mean, when you lose
track of counting certain things, when you don't take advantage
of the tools out there, all you're doing is making
more work for yourself. So and I'm pretty guilty of this.
There are so many tools out there. Apps, you know,
various things you can do on your computer, various things
that you know, that sort of thing. It's unbelievable how
(05:02):
many tools there are out there to help you gain
more control over your spending. When you get the word
out about this, what's been the response from your fans
out there.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
You know the number one thing, you nailed it. It
is hard to sort of stand on the right path,
always make the right choices. Anything we can do to
make it is it makes such a difference. And so
what we hear is, hey, I wish I could manage
my money and my kids money and help them learn
all in one place, not from seventeen apps, but just one,
(05:31):
which is why in the Chase app you can manage
your accounts. Sure, but then when your kids are ready
for their own account and we have special accounts for them,
whether they're atween and want to start learning how to
use money, there's Chaser spanking, or if they're high school students,
there's high school checking. You as a parent, can manage
all of that, all of the oversight, all of the
(05:53):
controls right from one app. It makes a difference.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
It totally makes a difference. And you know what else
is so great about this is kind of a one
two punch. My show is all about helping people save
money while still living a great quality of life and
really stockpile of their savings because the inevitable unexpected expenses
are always going to pop up, and the more control
you have over your finances. It just has a tremendous
(06:18):
ripple effect in your life. But sometimes where I feel
we don't get the message quite across is that that's
only part of the scenario here. When you've had a
couple of years to stockpile your savings, when you've had
a couple of years to pay down your debt to
next to nothing, you've got no more student loans, no
more credit cards, then it's time to take it over
to the bank and start up a conversation and say,
(06:40):
you know what, my finances have never been in such
a great place now. My credit score is so much
lower now. I never even dreamed about buying a home,
but now I'm dreaming about that. And they think it's
going to be all to be another three four years
before I can buy a house. They walk into Chase,
they talk with one of your people, and they walk
out knowing that within a few months they can get
themselves a mortgage. It's just a nice one to punch
(07:00):
when in your household you have all the tools you
need to save as much money as you can and
spend as little as you need to while still living
a great quality of life. But going into your local
Chase bank. They have got unbelievable tools to make some
of the most lofty ambitions a reality, whether it's getting
college costs locked up before you even step foot on
the university, whether it's getting into a house when maybe
(07:22):
you're the first generation to ever be a homeowner. It's
important too. It's like walking into your doctor's office. People
are like, no, I don't feel like talking to the
bank or whatever. You walk in and you walk out
thinking why the heck didn't I do this earlier? You
must get that kind of feedback from your people all
the time.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Well, I certainly hope that our customers feel that way.
We are so proud because we have branches in all
forty eight Lower States yep, literally thousands of bankers who
are ready to have those simple conversations with you about
your goals right, and we have a team of experts
standing by right, whether it's about daily financial planning, or
(08:00):
maybe it's about that first home and how you get
on a path to a mortgage, or maybe it's about
maybe investing right, we have experts ready to serve you,
and the honestly, the optimal word they is served. We
are here to serve our customers in all of our
states and we're in branches and forty eight of them.
(08:20):
We're very proud.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
You should be very proud. And there's a reason for that.
You know, you're being kind of modest, because when you
have an entity that's grown from one location to being
in all the forty eight, you know, contiguous states, there's
a reason for that. There's a service going on there
that people are clearly craving and they need more of it.
You know, I hope I put a fine enough point
on this. But when you're in the midst of some
(08:41):
interesting financial headlines and they you know, happen every ten years, whatever,
it's normal, it's life. But people aren't prepped for it.
You know, we're not teaching this stuff in school anymore.
We're not teaching this stuff on any levels anymore. It's
always kind of spend, spend, spend, I think you and
I I myself was blessed by a childhood where my parents,
whether they knew it or not, just pound it into
(09:02):
our heads every day. You know, be smart with your money.
I'm learning every day every week on the show. A
lot of people didn't have that blessing, and so when
they walk into adulthood. Great people, wonderful people with maybe
a couple of bucks in their bank account. They don't
have that earlier generation to lean on as a role model.
So where do they go. They got to go to
the bank, and they hesitate to do it. They're afraid, Oh,
(09:24):
I can't tell them I've got nothing in the bank.
Of course you can. These are the people who live
to help people grow their bank accounts. So how do
we get the word out more about getting more people
through your doors and getting those financial dreams or reality.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Well, first of all, folks can come into anyone of
our nearly five thousand Chase branches in those forty eight states.
We are ready and we are waiting to help you.
Or you can go to say Chase dot com or
Chase dot com slash student Banking to talk about and
learn about stuff for your kids. But I got to
tell you, Kristin, I have this job because I didn't
(09:58):
come around a family like yours. My family didn't talk
about money, and I made mistakes, and so I want
to make sure in this job that I help folks
avoid the mistakes that I made and help my son
Ben avoid those mistakes too. So if we can do
that for folks out there. We are here to help.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Brilliant, I knew the time would fly. Mac Ramatta, head
of Family Banking at Chase, you're clearly walking the walk
and people are better off board.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Thank you so much for taking the time. You've got
an open mic anytime.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Krick, and thank you so much for having us.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
You bet we'll be right back gang right after this.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Not to step the best of all circumstances.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
I just got a let we.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
Come and we are back with the Christian Agopian Show.
And much as my to do list is running behind,
(11:18):
it is actually holiday season, guys, and it's time to
get it in gear. If you're anything like me, you've
got list after list and you want to kind of
shake things up a bit. You want to do things
for all the different people in your lives. And I
keep coming back to tech when it comes to gifts
for everybody, whether it's my folks or whether it's my
sisters or my kids, Tech is in. And surprisingly, when
(11:39):
I connect with my family and friends and see what
they're looking for, a lot of them are into gaming.
And it's not just the kids in your life anymore.
It's relaxing. It's something fun. Oftentimes it's educational. It kind
of checks a lot of boxes for those of you
out there looking to pack a fun punch with your
holiday gifting and joining us via our Newsmaker line to
break down this season gaming habits and maybe some great
(12:01):
gift ideas. Scott Steinberg joining us. Welcome Scott. How are
you today?
Speaker 6 (12:06):
I think Kristin doing great about yourself.
Speaker 5 (12:08):
No complaints? Well I got one complaint here in our
Philadelphia studios. Way too cold. You know, every November it
surprises me like I'm two years old, it's cold in November,
But there you go. It's what we just have to
deal with. How's it in your neck of the woods.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
That's right, it's pretty cold as well. And it's kind
of funny it seems like it comes earlier and earlier
every year. But the good news is we can get
that cold out of the way and back to spring
soon enough. And hey, you know, considering that all the
retail stores put out the holiday stuff in like October,
now I guess we might as well have some more
atmosphere for the season.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
There you go, exactly. You know, we go into oftentimes
on the weekends, my husband and I do a lot
of home improvement stuff. So we're in the hardware stores
once in a while. I swear to you it was
like Labor Day and there were Christmas trees in there,
so you know, I think everybody is in the same
bucket when it comes to that stuff. But regardless, it's
always a beautiful time of year, despite my whining about
(12:58):
the weather. So happy holidays to you and your and
I've been looking so forward to getting you on the
air with me because gaming is huge, and when we
thought it was big a few years ago, it is
nothing compared to the interest these days. It's just remarkable
what's out there, and it's remarkable a lot of times.
All the great beneficial side effects of it. You've got
people who are getting more interested in computers, you know,
(13:18):
the older generation. You've got younger kids who could do
all this stuff with their eyes closed, and they're getting
more and more intrigued with all the latest offerings. And
according to a recent survey, these numbers really grabbed me.
Sixty percent of adults play video games weekly and it
helps them relax, it helps them focus, it helps them
maybe bond with their kids. Who knows what, And the
(13:39):
average gamer is now thirty six years old. Okay, so
we're talking everybody, parents to grandparents. Everybody's grabbing a controller
and joining in on the fun. And with that, combined
with the fact that we've got the holidays upon us,
break down the latest numbers from your vantage point and
tell us what you're seeing on the streets there. What's
the gaming world like today?
Speaker 6 (13:59):
He got millions of players playing. And actually, the funny
part about those surveys is I suspect that the forty
percent who didn't say that they were playing on a
weekly basis were probably too busy playing with a video
game to actually respond to it. Because just about everybody
you see, men, women, young old are now playing games today.
It's one of the most popular hobbies out there. And
what's really nice is it's become a universal hobby and
(14:22):
that adults are playing for the same reason that kids are.
That sense of fun escape isn't connectivity with other players, challenge.
They want to exercise their mind. And of course that's
been driven by the continued technological advancement of so many
of these games, because you now get movie quality storytelling
from them, these incredible visual, unrivaled graphic experiences, deeply complex
(14:43):
strategy so it doesn't really matter if you're playing on
the way to school on a mobile device, sneaking in
a quick game, or if you're unwinding after a long
day of work with some big action adventure. At the
end of the day, gaming really does fit everybody's lifestyle.
So as you can see it has universal appeal.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
It totally doesn't. I'm taking notes as you're talking. You know,
like my main video game of Poison that I love
more than you know, so dearly to relax and just
chill is some suduco at the end of the day.
You know, I'm of an age where I think, oh,
video games, that's what you're playing and you nailed it.
That's not the case at all. There's this in depth,
incredibly detailed, amazing games out there that people are just
(15:20):
you know, jaw droppingly fun, and a lot of us
don't know about those. You know, when we're thinking about
and you're probably like me, you've got people of all ages,
all backgrounds, all interests on your gift list for this year.
You want to make sure you get them something fun.
And the best part about this, guys, and for people
who love to shop and don't love to shop, you
just buy these and you can download them immediately. It's
(15:42):
amazing what you can do to really delight the people
on your gift list without even leaving your home at
this point. So that's a huge plus for me. But
from your unique vantage point, Scott, what are you seeing
for like the basic I don't know, the wonderful Oh
my god, I didn't even know that game existed yet.
You know, what are the big things that are out
there that are really drawing a lot of attention.
Speaker 6 (16:02):
Yeah. Absolutely, So there's a couple top picks this holiday season.
They come highly recommended. Both great games. So, for example,
there's a super deep strategy game. It's all about city
building and it's called Anno one seventeen Pax Romana. And
in this game, which is set at the height of
the Roman Empire, essentially you play as the governor of
a province. So you're building your city, You're having to
(16:22):
manage trade, resources, diplomacy, military, whatever challenges that the game
throws at you. So of course we've all read about
the Roman Empire, seen it on TV. Now it's your
chance to actually live out the historical period and by
the way, you can create the faith of your own Empire.
But also I highly recommend if you've got a movie
buff in the family that you check out Assassin's Creed Shadows.
(16:44):
That's the latest in the iconic best selling franchise. Guarantee
you you have at least one gamer in the family
who's played a title previously or heard of one. So
in Assassin's Creed Shadows, they actually kick it up a notch.
It's a fully fledged action adventure wile playing experience set
in feudal so essentially you're going back to feudal Japan.
You can try different combat styles, switch between heroes. If
(17:05):
you want to be stealthy, depending on the mission, you
can play as the Ninja not way. If you'd rather
use brute strength, you can play as the Samurai suit case.
So super cinematic, incredible storytelling, beautiful visuals. I think a
lot of people in the family are going to have
no trouble finding holiday gifts this year.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
That is unbelievable. You know, as you went through the
description of it, I finally just stopped writing and my
jaw is dropped. I Mean, that is crazy what they
have out there these days. That's exactly what people need
to know about. Well, here's the next thing too, we
all have shoppers on our gift list, and maybe we
shoppers we know and people were trying to help. Where
if they just look at a selection of maybe ten
(17:41):
different types of mittens, they get here in the headlights,
you know, much less the dozens, if not hundreds, if
not thousands, of different titles out there for video games.
How do we pare it down to perfectly match the
gamer with the game.
Speaker 6 (17:55):
I think the big part of it is you don't
necessarily think about it as shopping for a gamer quote
un quote per se, because as you pointed out, everybody
is playing games nowadays, but rather match it to the
person's interests and what really gets them fired up in
the real world. So, for example, maybe you got a
history buff in the family, or somebody who's into a
strategy or world building than a game like Anna one seventeen,
(18:16):
the strategy simulation, those types of titles will be a
good fit. Alternately, on the flip side, if somebody's really
into cinematic experiences or movies or storytelling, perhaps an open
world action adventures more of their speed. That's where a
game like Assassin's Creed Shadows would come in. But also
keep in mind. There are games that appeal to the
entire family that can get you up and moving even physically,
(18:38):
like Just Dance twenty twenty six for example, that really
get everybody together, bonding, having fun shared experiences. So I
think the trick really is to think about what gets
people fired up in the real world, like I was saying,
their personal passions and interests, and when you match to that,
you'll have no trouble picking a game.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
It's so true. It really does boil right down to
that you can find it. It is definitely out there,
and I knew the time would fly. Where do our listeners,
coast to coast go to find out more information on
this and take it to the next step.
Speaker 6 (19:06):
Yeah, I would definitely hit Ubisoft dot com. That's Ubisoft
dot com if you want to see trailers, get deep dives,
learn more about the games, or even grab some downloadable
content with extra adventures.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
Excellent stuff, and you're much too honest, So I'll mention
it for you. For those of you out there who
just know the people on your gift list want nothing
more than a really good book. Scott's written about thirty
or so out there, many of them best sellers, and
you can take a look at his titles on Amazon
and everything else as well. Fantastic stuff. I knew the
time would fly at very Happy holidays to you and yours.
You got an open mic anytime, please join the gam.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
And you ken I'd appreciate kristin. Happy holidays.
Speaker 5 (19:40):
Same and we'll be right back gang right after this
not to.
Speaker 6 (19:49):
The best a.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
And we are back with the Christian Egophian Show.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
And you guys know how much I love our medical
breakthrough segments. We live in extraordinary times and in an
age where there are so many headlines fighting for space
on our endless news outlets. Incredibly sometimes these amazing headlines
get buried in the shuffle. And in case you didn't hear,
the first person in the United States has just received
(20:26):
the world's first dual chamber ledless pacemaker system. And we've
all heard of pacemakers. We have a rough idea of
what they do. Maybe someone we know in our family
tree has benefited from one over the decades. Pacemakers are
designed to treat slow or abnormal heart rhythms, to correct
irregularities that can happen over the years and help the
(20:47):
patient live a normal life. We'll get this, guys. This
new innovation made by Abbot, is roughly one tenth the
size of a traditional pacemaker and for the first time,
allows two chambers of the heart to commute kate with
each other wirelessly. Guys, this is big and joining us
to talk about this game changing technology is doctor Rojesh Banker,
(21:08):
clinical cardiac electrophysiologist at Hogue Memorial Hospital, Presbyterian. Doctor Banker,
thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 7 (21:18):
Well, thank you for having me. I'm excited to share
with your listeners about this new technology.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Well, we're excited to hear more about it. We've got
about two hundred stations Coast to coast.
Speaker 7 (21:28):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
And when I put the word out about this interview,
I was surprised. I mean, we've got people in my
family tree who have benefited from pacemakers and this was
decades ago. I mean, when the technology was so much different.
And it's incredible how many people Coast to Coast know
someone maybe it's them, maybe it's someone in their spouse's family,
maybe it's their family tree. They're everywhere and we don't
(21:50):
talk about them that much. So when this new technology
comes along, people are like, oh, you know, I thought
it was just the same stuff we had back in
the seventies.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Not the case.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Please take a minute to tell us about this new
technology and why it's such a game changer.
Speaker 7 (22:03):
Well, I love how you talked about how it was
the same way in the seventies, because it's absolutely true.
Over the last fifty years, we have not had a
considerable advancement or a large breakthrough in pacing technology. If
you imagine, fifty years ago, we were still sitting with
telephones attached to a wall with a wire, and my
kids don't even recognize what that looks like anymore, what
(22:24):
that even is. Nowadays, we all have cell phones, we
walk around within our pockets, and that's what we've done
with this new technology. This new technology freezes us from
those wires that connects the device together. It's entirely wireless,
and it miniaturizes the devices so they can be placed
inside of the heart and have no external evidence that
(22:44):
a patient even has a pacemaker.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
And I'm taking notes as we're talking here because I
want to make sure I'm keeping up. But you know what,
all of us are in school, middle school, high school,
we learn about the heart there's four chambers these do
that is that talk to me about when you use
the phrase dual chamber, Talk to me about how these
dual chamber pacemakers work.
Speaker 7 (23:04):
So we do have two sets of top chambers, two
sets of bottom chambers in our heart, So we have
four total chambers towing the top two in the bottom
and the top chambers are connected electrically. They will receive
one of these units of this dual chamber leadless pacemaker,
and the bottom chambers will receive one of these units
(23:25):
and they will be able to connect and talk to
each other at the same time. So they talk to
each other wirelessly using this new communication methodology called eye
to eye or beat to beat communication. That technology, when
it speaks to each other, will allow the devices to
coordinate the heart's activity and to monitor and see if
(23:48):
the heart beat is too slow, and if it is,
it can speed it up back to a normal level.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Unbelievable. That's fantastic stuff.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
And it's the size of this new one that really
grabs people as well.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
It is the technology.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I feel like in some ways, you see a car,
they evolve over the decades. You see you know, you
name it, you know, clothing or you know, travel it
all evolves over the decades. It feels like this evolution
of a pacemaker has just leapfrogged generations ahead in a
short amount of time.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Am I wrong there? Or has this been going on
the whole time?
Speaker 7 (24:20):
You're absolutely correct, But it's not a short time in
the making. We've been developing this for over ten years
and Abbott has ten plus years now of developmental experience
with this platform, so it hasn't been a short time
coming with with regards to the background stuff that's been
being developed. But it does seem like a huge advance
(24:40):
forward when it's been released into the market now because
it is so different from what is currently available.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
It's remarkable.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
You know, Expand on that if you would, because we've
got a lot of people listening out there who again
have family or friends or elders in their family tree
who have the traditional pacemakers. Grateful for them, they were
ground breaking technology at the time, but tell us a
little bit more, dive a little deeper into what makes
this different from the traditional pacemakers.
Speaker 7 (25:08):
You know, absolutely that's a great question, and if I
was to boil that down, I'd probably talk about three
different main differences between traditional transvenous devices and these new
dual chamber leadless devices from Abbott. And the first one
would be about those wires or those leads. Now, those
wires were the source of the majority of our pain
(25:31):
when it comes down to these implants, because they would
be responsible for the complications of getting infected. The wires
would break and they would have to be replaced, and
the wires would block up the veins that they would
have to travel to to get to the heart, and
we would have to deal with that complication as well.
So all of that is removed when we moved to
(25:52):
a leadless system. In addition, the implant itself becomes vastly
simpler for the patient, So the patient is going to
instead have one day in the hospital at most without
a surgical pocket, meaning we don't have to cut the
skin to put in this new pacemaker. We can feed
it in through the veins entirely into the heart. And
(26:14):
because of that, that leads to the last main difference,
which is that of recovery. There's no surgical pocket to
recover from. I mean, there's no pain that lasts for
many weeks. There's no arm restrictions where the arms can
be modified or have to sit in a sling for
the next four to six weeks. None of that exists. Instead,
we asked the patient to just do no heavy lifting
(26:35):
or exercise for a week and then they can move
on with their regular activities.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Unreal. My jaw is dropping open at that. I never
even thought to ask about the procedure you just and
again I'm dating myself, doctor, because you think about having
a pacemaker implanted, and of course you've got to cut
open someone's chest and do it that way, and then
there's huge recovery time.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
That is unbelievable. They can just.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Thread that through in a order or a vein or something. Incredible.
I am beyond impressed. That is incredibly It's just such
great news. There's so much crap out there, doctor in
the headlines. This is just like a big shining angel
screaming song of happiness that you're hearing on this end here.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
This is remarkable news.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
So talk to us a bit about people who already
have pacemakers and those who know that they have a
pacemaker in their future. What does this mean for people
who need pacemakers? Educate me and forgive a dumb question.
This is straight from me, But can people who have
had past generational pacemakers get an upgrade? For lack of
a better word, this is important, This is their heart,
(27:35):
this is their life. I don't mean to throw out
a flippant statement like a trade up like that, but
can people who have had pacemakers for years? Can they
go in and get this new one instead?
Speaker 2 (27:44):
How does that work?
Speaker 7 (27:45):
You know? I wish that that was true, to be
able to move from the traditional platform in the same
patient to a lead this platform. Unfortunately, sometimes you've already
taken the risks of implanting the previous traditional trend venus
pacemaker system, and you may be better off sticking with
that same platform and not transitioning to leadless. However, there
(28:09):
are going to be exceptions to that rule, and the
person to speak with is going to be your cardiologist.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yep, it's true. Talk to the cardiologist. Don't be scared,
use the big words. And again, this sounds very flippant,
and I don't mean it too, because I am such
a huge fan of the incredible medical age we live in.
But when you've got a great buick that you've had
for thirty years and it's working great, and you have
no complaints.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Maybe you don't think about having to trade up. That's
the way it works in my driveway anyway. Maybe I'm
not alone.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
But when it comes to this new technology, it is
literally going to be saving, extending, making better. So many
lives on behalf of those who are going to be
getting this in the future or who are getting it now.
It's just an incredible accomplishment. Where do our listeners go
to learn more about this?
Speaker 7 (28:54):
Well, your listeners can certainly speak to their primary care
doctor or their cardiologists. That's going to be their best
bet with regards to new information and whether or not
this technology is appropriate for them. The good news is
is that they are told that they need a pacemaker.
About eighty percent of patients who currently need a pacemaker
will be a candidate for this new dual chamber leadless device.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Wow, that's amazing. So one more question before I lose
you here? What questions when they go and they talk
to their doctor. What questions should people be asking their
doctors when it comes to a pacemaker.
Speaker 7 (29:29):
Number one is whether or not this is actually going
to be relevant to them, because sometimes the leadless platform
is not relevant to the patient, but the vast majority
of time it is Number two is well, what is
the recovery time with whatever platform I choose? What are
the complications? And hopefully they'll find that with this new
(29:50):
technology platform it's going to be vastly reduced.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Incredible. I knew the time would fly. Doctor Rojesh Banker,
electrophysiologist with Hogue Memorial Hospital, Press Byterian, this is fantastic news.
Thank you so much for taking the time. You got
an open mic anytime. Please join us again when you can.
Speaker 7 (30:06):
Thank you so much. I hope you listeners have a
happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday season.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
And same to you, doctor, and we'll be right back
right after.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
This cheap is small not to steal the best of
all circumstances. Be a comson. I just got a learn
(30:40):
to recall.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
And we are back with the Christina Gophian Show.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
And I've been looking so forward to our next guests
because so many of us know someone a relative or
a friend, maybe a coworker or a neighbor who is
suffering from chronic pain or even movement disorders. It's more
prevalent than you might think. And on average, are you
ready for this? People living with chronic pain such disorders
(31:15):
like Parkinson's disease, for example, will often travel more than
one hundred and fifty miles to find relief and receive
treatments like deep brain stimulation DBS implants helping those whose
symptoms are not controlled with medications, and now a first
of its kind technology available in the US, known as
(31:36):
the Neurosphere Virtual Clinic, allows physicians to not only communicate
remotely with patients, but also use the new platform to
adjust the patient's stimulation device to regulate optimal settings, provide
pain relief, tremor control while evaluating the results in real
time and no travel. Amazing stuff, guys, and here to
tell us more is doctor Juan Ramirez Castanada from the
(31:58):
University of Texas Health Science Center and his patient, Darren Wright,
who has been living with Parkinson's disease, to share some
important information about the new virtual technology and how it
has dramatically affected Darren's quality of life.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Gentlemen, welcome, Hi Christian.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
It is great to have you on, Doctor Costinata. I'm
going to start with you if I may. Many people
in the US suffer with chronic pain and movement disorders
and in the past talk to me about what the
traditional method of treatment was and how these new advancements
in technology now, how do they even compare?
Speaker 8 (32:36):
Definitely so for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other
chronic movement disorders. In the past, we've had available only
oral medications which are taking per mouth and are expected
to provide control of those symptoms. Parkinson's diseases specifically is
a condition that comes with what we call motor and
(32:56):
non motor symptoms, and the medications help control them. However,
given that Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative condition, that means
that there is progression over time, that modality of treatment
is just not enough time. Patients with Parking zones and
start having what we call motor fluctuations, which is basically
the inability of the oral medications to control those symptoms.
(33:20):
Sometimes there is an unpredictable response to it. There is
a wearing off of the medication benefit and potential side
effects due to the chronic use of these medications.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Yeah, and this is all I'm writing stuff down as
we're talking. Darren, I'm going to jump to you for
this next one. You have been living with Parkinson's disease
for quite some time. Tell our listeners a bit about
when you were diagnosed. You know, what life has been
like with the condition as you adapt, and what made
you decide to get an implant to help control your conditions.
Speaker 9 (33:53):
Yeah. I was diagnosed in April twenty fourteen, forty three
years old at the time. A bit of a surprise.
Obviously at that age I'd heard of Parkinson's, but typically
you apply that to older people. Yes, So anyway, Yeah,
it was a big life changer. Went on the standard
medications and stuff like that for several years, and guts
(34:14):
got to the point, like doctor Myers was saying, where
they losing their effectiveness. They weren't lasting as long. If
I tried to take more, I'd get additional side effects.
So I approached doctor Emiers about having deep brain stimulation,
went through that program and to all the qualifiers that
we have to go through. The surgery was in March
of twenty nineteen.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Incredibly, Brat, you got guts, You got serious guts, and
now you're out here telling your story and helping so
many others with it. Doctor, back to you, if I could,
when you're talking to people about these ailments and the
various options, who would you consider to be a good
candidate for this therapy?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
What's the basic profile.
Speaker 8 (34:52):
We do a what we call a multidisciplinary evaluation about
each single case, and then we sign off and give
the green light to more forward with a patient. Basically,
when we tell somebody that is a good candidate, that
means that we've worked prior to it just to have
a very good idea of that outcome is going to
be positive for the patient.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Darren, you have walked the walk, You've gotten this taken
care of and it speaks volumes. Tell us about pre
procedure and after the procedure. What are the new possibilities
now that you've received this device?
Speaker 9 (35:24):
I tell people that gave me my life back. Wow,
I wouldn't say I have new possibilities. I'm just able
to live life finally without being interrupted by tremors or stuttery,
or the inability to walk or you know things like that.
That DBS has helped me. Deep brain stimulation has helped
me with.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Talk to me doctor about how the neurosphere, how this
virtual clinic has changed how you help care for patients
and their condition.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
It must be opening up all kinds of new possibilities.
Speaker 8 (35:49):
Definitely, Christian that is exactly what I tell to my patients.
If there is one thing that because given to us
is the ability of doing virtual visits virtual clinic, and
this is an amazing tool that we now have so
about the neurosphere. Virtual clinic has given us the possibility
of providing deep brain stimulation care to our patients without
(36:10):
worrying about the physical distance and in a place where
we are here in Texas is extremely important. I have
patients that travel miles and miles to get to get care.
And especially when we are considering if a patient is
a good candidate for DEE brain stimulation, one of the
considerations was is this patient going to be able to
come to us to receive the treatment. We're able to
(36:32):
connect to the patient system, the de brain stimulation system
and check what the current settings are, make sure that
the system is functioning correctly, and then depending on what
the plan was for that visity, we need to make adjustments.
We can do them right there, done virtually, and they
are instantaneous, and we're able to prescribe that type of
programming and stimulation right away and right there.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
Darren, when it comes to this, you are your own
best advertising. You know, people talk about getting this. You
actually got it done. You walk to the walk. You
are your own best advocate for this kind of thing.
And when you're talking to others living with movement disorders
such as Parkinson's, what advice do you have for them?
You can literally, you know, go from a place where
you actually live it yourself. So what's your top advice
(37:15):
for people who are also living with this as to
how to proceed?
Speaker 9 (37:18):
The best advice I can give is do your research,
learn about the disease, understand that it's different from everybody,
and be honest open with your doctor. As far as life,
I would say, find a hobby, do things, keep living,
don't stop living. That's the most important thing is to
continue moving. I took up woodworking, turning wood on a
lathe and making bowls and pens and things like that,
(37:39):
and it's actually really therapeutic for me on the weekends.
And so it's just very important to learn about the disease,
be honest and open with your doctor, and keep living.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Outstanding doctor, I knew the time would fly, but I
want to get this into Where can our listeners go
for more information on this?
Speaker 2 (37:55):
What do you recommend so.
Speaker 8 (37:56):
To have more information about debrain simulation and what the
options are for a specific person. I always recommend talking
with their own healthcare provider, with their own neurologist if
they want to learn more about ABBO Neurosphere Virtual Clinic,
so I would direct them to the website abbut dot
com where they can have more information about it.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Doctor Ramirez Costanata and Darren Wright, thank you both so
much for joining us today with this exciting information. It's
going to impact so many You've got an open mic anytime.
Please join us again into Happy holidays.
Speaker 5 (38:26):
Welcome you too.
Speaker 6 (38:27):
Thank you Christian.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
You bet until next week, save those pennies, pay with cash,
and you all stay frugal out there.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
To the best of all circumstance.
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