The SPOT Check: Recent Episodes
Emilia Dewi, Heather Smith
Real talk from an occupational and speech therapist about the reality of living with chronic diseases beyond "Dr. Google" diagnosis. Through interviewing health care practitioners as well as people who actually live with the chronic diseases, we'll bring on the evidence, the science, and the reality of the human experience.
Emilia and Heather discuss:
- The importance of understanding head and neck cancer rehabilitation process
- The 1 in 3 - important early signs and symptoms of head and neck cancer
- What to look for in a medical chart review
- The different locations of head and neck cancer, and how they can affect function
- Lymphedema of the head and neck
- Side effects of head and neck cancer
- Functional considerations
Thyroid cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women and the most common cancer in men age 30-39. However, we don't often hear about it or talk about it. Our guest last week was diagnosed at a young age of 21, and will have to take thyroid medicine for the rest of her life. What is the lifelong implication of thyroid cancer treatment, especially since the survival rate is quite high? Come and join us as we're diving into more about these side effects and how they can impact one's life!
At the age of 21, Alyssa went through one of the biggest challenges in her life as she was getting treatment for thyroid cancer in the middle of COVID-19. She walked us through her journey (from having surgery to finishing college) and the lifestyle changes that she had to adopt in navigating life post thyroid cancer treatment.
Did you know that 70% of oropharynx cancer is related to HPV? Did you know that drinking any type of alcohol, such as beer, wine, or liquor, also raises the risk of getting cancers of the mouth, throat, and voice box? Or did you know that most patients with head and neck cancer are at risk for long lasting functional changes? Join us as we dig into one of the most important topics that are dear to our hearts.
B-roll on breast cancer in younger women - the one in which we discuss the niche (or specialized) practice of diagnosing and treating those who have breast cancer, breast reconstruction, cognitive impairments, and teasers of other intriguing subjects
Breast cancer affects 1 out of 8 women in the United States. In this episode, Carissa, a breast cancer survivor, takes us with her on her personal journey. From being diagnosed with cancer while still breastfeeding her youngest, the choices she had to make, as well how cancer treatments have changed her life in many unexpected ways, you don’t want to miss her candor and wisdom!
Meet your hosts - speech pathologist Heather Smith and occupational therapist Emilia Dewi as they're discussing the heart behind the SPOTCheck.