Today we had on Dr. James D’Olimpio, director of supportive oncology at the Monter Cancer Center of Northwell Health. Dr. D’Olimpio has been featured on CNN and The Today Show as an expert in his field. We discussed everything from personal anecdotes, the opioid crisis, medical marijuana, and others. All topics covered are personal opinions of Dr. D’Olimpio and not affiliated with the Northwell Health system.
SHOW NOTES * Dr. D’Olimpio talks about his upbringing in the south of Boston from a large Italian family. His pediatrician was his idol growing up and that’s where the love for studying medicine started for him. He shares his fascinating story over the years with his pediatrician and how he played such a big role in helping James become a physician. * Dr. D’Olimpio later went into palliative care and hospice care as a physician. This interesting field was originally developed for cancer patients who were at the end of their life. In doing so, he and his team realized that these people who received this type of care ended up living a lot longer than those who didn’t get the palliative care. * Dr. D’Olimpio then goes on to take this knowledge and help develop and lead the pain management and palliative care division for the hospital NorthWell. * Dr. D’Olimpio talks about genes and their importance in understating their expressions. He uses the term MOSAICISM to describe how the gene is activated through the different patterns due to forces such as environment and personal choices. * Host Sam Balooch and Dr. D’Olimpio get into the spiritual world of music and the algorithm of one’s DNA and how it affects the central nervous system. * Discussion around the myths and truths of cannabis and its effectiveness in pain treatment and mental health. What is the difference between CBD and THC? * Dr. D’Olimpio talks about the difference between using opioids and cannabis. He shares the numbers on proper treatment through opioids by physicians who have been certified through a medical board as a posed to ones who haven’t. He offers his suggestions on how we can overcome this epidemic as a society and how it starts with educating the doctors first.