What if the person a child should trust the most is the one causing them harm? In this episode, host Dr. Denise Millstine speaks with author Andrea Dunlop and pediatrician Dr. Katie Johnson about The Mother Next Door, Andreas’ book on real cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy — also known as medical child abuse. We explore how caregivers, often mothers, manipulate the medical system to fabricate or induce illness in children. The conversation sheds light on the emotional, legal, and medical complexities of this abuse, while offering hope through advocacy, education, and the courage of professionals who speak up to protect vulnerable children.

The episode was made possibly through the generous support of Ken Stevens. 

We talked with:

• Andrea Dunlop is the author of four novels, including She Regrets Nothing and Women Are the Fiercest Creatures, and the host and creator of Nobody Should Believe Me, an award-winning investigative true crime podcast about Munchausen by proxy. Andrea is the founder of Munchausen Support, the nation’s only non-profit dedicated to supporting survivors and families affected by MBP, and a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP committee, where she serves alongside the country’s foremost experts. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.
• Katie Johnson, M.D., is a child abuse pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic Center for Safe and Healthy Children and Adolescents. She completed her medical school and pediatric residency at Mayo Clinic and her fellowship in child abuse pediatrics at the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital. With a passion for medical education, she has developed a widely-used interactive curriculum in child abuse pediatrics and was the recipient of the inaugural Ray E. Helfer Society Early Career Award for her contributions to medical education in the field. Dr. Johnson has published articles in the peer-reviewed literature about medical child and presented on the topic at several grand rounds and medical conferences across the country.  

Purchase The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy:

• From Bookshop.org
• From Barnes & Noble. 

Got feedback?

If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected]. 

We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.

Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, listen to one of our favorite episodes! 

 In her memoir, "The Sober Diaries," Clare Pooley details the first year of her life after deciding to stop her heavy drinking. In that same year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Like many people, she had no idea about the connection between the two. In this episode, Clare talks about the many, many benefits of sobriety that she's discovered — even beyond a lower breast cancer risk — and Dr. Karen Anderson provides her oncology expertise.

This episode was made possible with the generous support of Ken Stevens.

We talked with:

• Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge, before spending nearly 20 years in the heady world of advertising. Clare worked hard, played hard and drank even harder. By the time she was 46 years old she knew she had to go sober. She started a blog called Mummy was a Secret Drinker by way of therapy. That blog went viral and became a memoir: "The Sober Diaries." Clare then started writing fiction. Her debut novel — "The Authenticity Project" — is a New York Times bestseller and is published in 30 languages. Her second novel — "Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting" — is out now.
• Karen Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. She's a medical oncologist and researcher. She focuses on breast cancer, particularly immunotherapy, treatments to reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence and using genomics to guide treatment decisions. She received her M.D. and Ph.D. from Duke University School of Medicine and was trained at the Brigham and Women's Hospital as well as Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

We talked about:

In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:

• Am I an alcoholic? Clare spent a lot of time Googling this question until she realized the better question was "Is alcohol proving detrimental to my life?" The word "alcoholic" has so much stigma it prevents people from getting the help they need for fear of such a serious label. Clare kept trying to moderate her drinking, but when she found herself drinking out of a "World's Best Mum" mug before noon, she realized it was time to quit.
• Breast cancer and alcohol. Alcohol is a carcinogen, and elevates risk of breast cancer as well as other types of cancer. But Clare — as well as many other educated people — have no idea about the link. And it's unclear if alcohol use among survivors increases risk of recurrence.
• The opposite of addiction is connection. Through her blog, Clare found an online community of people like her who helped support her in her drinking recovery. When she was tempted to start drinking again, she thought, "I can't let these people down." If you're thinking of giving up drinking, you don't have to do it alone! There are many people going through a similar journey.

Can't get enough?

• Purchase "The Sober Diaries: How one woman stopped drinking and started living."
  • From Bookshop.org
  • From Amazon
  • From Barnes & Noble
• Want to read more on the topic? Check out our blog:
  • Alcohol is not your breast's friend: Busting myths about drinking and breast cancer
  • Drinking — It's different for women
  • How much is too much alcohol? Go by the numbers, not by feel

Got feedback?

• If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected].
• We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.

Have you ever felt like you're doing everything for everyone — but losing yourself in the process? Author Julie Chavez joins us to discuss her memoir Everyone But Myself, a candid exploration of anxiety, burnout, and the emotional toll of spreading yourself thin. Along with Dr. Bisi Alli, we unpack the realities many women face when constantly caring for others, the importance of seeking help, and how therapy, medication and self-compassion can lead to healing. This heartfelt conversation is a reminder that prioritizing your own well-being isn’t selfish — it’s essential.

This episode was made possible by generous support from Ken Stevens.

We talked with:

• Julie Chavez is the author of the USA Today Bestselling memoir Everyone But Myself, and her writing has been featured in Real Simple Magazine and The New York Post. Julie is a former elementary school librarian living in Northern California with her husband and sons (when they don't have other plans). She organizes her books by color.
• Bisi Alli, DO, MS, dipABLM, FACP, FAMWA; LEAN Six Sigma Black Belt; Principal, WellNEST Medicine & Chief Wellness Officer, Seeds to Inspire Foundation: Dr. Bisi Alli is a dual board-certified physician in Internal and Lifestyle Medicine with over a decade of experience transforming patient care and healthcare systems. A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and recognized leader in quality improvement, she serves as Quality Improvement Faculty and Coach for the American College of Physicians (ACP). Dr. Alli holds faculty appointments at Creighton University School of Medicine and the University of Arizona College of Medicine and leads a nationally funded initiative to improve obesity care in Arizona through Food as Medicine, impacting communities statewide. She is the author of Tayo and the Super Produce Pals at the Grocery Store!, a Top 100 children’s book that uses stories, recipes, and fun weekly missions to inspire kids and adults to build healthier, plant-powered habits together. Tayo and the Super Produce Pals at the Grocery Store! is available where books are sold and through www.wellnestmedicine.com/books. Through her passion for clinical care, quality improvement, and community health, Dr. Alli is dedicated to making whole-person wellness practical, accessible, and empowering across communities.
   

Purchase “Everyone But Myself”

• From Barnes & Noble.
• From Bookshop.org.

As promised, a date and nut-butter recipe. 

Got feedback?

If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected]. 

Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.

A breast cancer diagnosis turns your world upside down, and yet, the rest of your life doesn’t stop. How do you manage diagnosis and treatment in the midst of caring for kids — or in the case of this episode’s novel, after your husband tells you he’s cheated on you? We’re joined by Katie Yee, author of “Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar,” and Mayo Clinic breast cancer expert Dr. Lida Mina, to explore how Katie’s book illuminates the emotional and medical realities of a breast cancer diagnosis.

This episode was made possible by generous support from Ken Stevens. 

We talked with:

• Katie Yee is a writer from Brooklyn. She has received fellowships from the Center for Fiction, the Asian American Writers' Workshop, and Kundiman. By day, she works at the Brooklyn Museum. By night, she writes, usually under the watch of her judgmental rescue dog, Ollie. Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar is her first novel.
• Lida Mina, M.D., is an associate professor of internal medicine in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona  and chair of the Mayo Arizona Breast cancer and GYN disease working groups. Dr. Mina has more than 45 publications and has a special interest in developing new treatment strategies for metastatic breast cancer.

Purchase “Maggie”

• From Barnes & Noble.
• From Bookshop.org. 

Got feedback?

If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected]. 

Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.

Today's conversation explores the emotional and medical complexities of motherhood, particularly for professional women. Dr. Denise Millstine hosts Dr. Rebecca Thompson, author of Held Together: A Shared Memoir of Motherhood, Medicine, and Imperfect Love, and Mayo Clinic expert Dr. Molly Kraus. We discuss the diversity of paths to motherhood — including adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy and fertility challenges. Dr. Kraus reflects on her own experiences and advocacy for reproductive planning among women physicians. Together, they emphasize the importance of storytelling, listening and community in navigating grief, resilience, and the unpredictable nature of family-building.

This episode was made possible through the generous support of Ken Stevens.

We talked with:

• Rebecca N. Thompson, M.D., is a family medicine and public health physician who specializes in women’s and children’s health. Throughout her career, she has sought opportunities to use written and spoken words to make complex medical topics accessible to a wide range of audiences. Dr. Thompson trained at Harvard, Stanford, and Oregon Health & Science University and now lives in Portland, Oregon, where she spends her free time wandering through green spaces, reading in cozy nooks, playing unreasonably complicated board games, repurposing found objects, and accompanying her husband and children on all-weather adventures near and far. 
• Molly Kraus, M.D., is a consultant in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Dr. Kraus is an assistant professor of anesthesiology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and is an advocate for women in medicine across their reproductive lives.

Purchase a copy of Held Together with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit Postpartum Support International and their work in maternal and family mental health:

• From Bookshop.org
• From Amazon

Purchase a signed copy of Held Together for shipping anywhere in the US (please specify SIGNED on checkout page notes):

• From indie bookstore Annie Bloom's

Visit Dr. Thompson's website, where you can explore in-person gathering opportunities and recorded media, find reviews and endorsements, read the full introduction and other excerpts from Held Together, and get in touch if you'd like to talk about ideas for collaboration: www.rebeccanthompson.com

Got feedback?

• If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected]. 
• We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
• Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.

When someone dies by suicide, their loved ones are often left asking questions like “How could this have happened?” The protagonist in Onyi Nwabineli’s debut novel “Someday, Maybe,” wrestles with these questions after the untimely death of husband. Onyi and Mayo Clinic psychologist Dr. Craig Sawchuk discuss processing grief, loss and guilt – and the importance of showing up and supporting those who are grieving. 

This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens. 

If you're feeling overwhelmed by thoughts of not wanting to live or you're having urges to attempt suicide, get help now.

• Call a suicide hotline.
  • In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Or use the Lifeline Chat at 988lifeline.org/chat/. Services are free and confidential.
  • If you’re a U.S. veteran or service member in crisis, call 988 and then press 1, or text 838255. Or chat using veteranscrisisline.net/get-help-now/chat/.
  • The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the U.S. has a Spanish language phone line at 1-888-628-9454.
• Call 911 in the U.S. or your local emergency number immediately.

We talked with:

• Onyi Nwabineli is a Nigerian British head-wrap aficionado. Born in Benin, Nigeria, she grew up in Glasgow, the Isle of Man and Newcastle, and now lives in London. Onyi is the cofounder of Surviving Out Loud, a fund that provides fiscal support for survivors of sexual assault, and the founder of Black Pens (black-pens.com), a writing retreat for Black womxn. Someday, Maybe is her debut novel.
• Craig Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P., is a psychologist and the chair of the Division of Integrated Behavioral Health within the Department of Psychiatry & Psychology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is also the co-chair for Clinical Practice in the department and a professor of psychology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. His research aims to improve the treatment of anxiety and depression in primary care.

We talked about:

Purchase “Someday Maybe.”

• From Bookshop.org.
• From Amazon.
• From Barnes & Noble.

More resources:

• What to do when someone is thinking about suicide
• Suicide and suicidal thoughts 
• More suicide prevention resources from Mayo Clinic

Got feedback?

• If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected].
• We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.

In this episode, Dr. Denise Millstine is joined by bestselling author Jonathan Evison and radiation oncologist Dr. Samir Patel to explore the emotional and medical journey of oral cancer through Evison’s novel The Heart of Winter. Inspired by his mother’s diagnosis and his own caregiving experience, Evison crafts a poignant love story between Ruth and Abe Winter, a couple navigating the unexpected upheaval of oral cancer in their later years. The conversation delves into the realities of diagnosis, treatment and recovery from head and neck cancer with clinical insights from Dr. Patel, and highlights the often-overlooked role of caregivers. 

This episode was made possible by generous support from Ken Stevens. 

We talked with:

• Jonathan Evison is the New York Times best-selling author of many novels, including All About Lulu, West of Here, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, This is Your Life Harriet Chance, Legends of the North Cascades, Small World, Again and Again, and Lawn Boy  – a sharp-eyed, side-splittingly funny examination of class divides and white privilege on Bainbridge Island. His third novel was adapted into a feature film, The Fundamentals Of Caring, starring Selena Gomez, Paul Rudd and Craig Roberts. His latest novel is The Heart of Winter.
• Samir Patel, M.D., is Clinical Practice Chair and Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He specializes in the use of radiation therapy for complex cancers of the head and neck and skin. He understands how to apply the latest in radiation therapy technology including proton beam therapy to treat these cancers. An important theme of his clinical and research work is the importance of improving clinical outcomes for head and neck cancers particularly focusing on minimizing side effects.

Purchase “The Heart of Winter.”

• From Barnes & Noble.
• From Amazon.
• From Bookshop.org. 

Got feedback?

• If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected]. 
• We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
• Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.

We’re exploring the intersection of elite athletics and women's health with author and former professional soccer player Georgia Cloepfil and Mayo Clinic women's health expert Dr. Chrisandra Shufelt. Using Georgia’s book The Striker and the Clock: On Being in the Game as our lens, we delve into the emotional and physical toll of high-level sports, particularly the underrecognized condition of functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA), a type of absence of menstruation. We discuss the cultural silence around menstruation in sports, the physiological consequences of FHA, and the need for more research, awareness and support for women navigating intense physical demands in both sports and professional life.

This episode was made possible with the generous support of Ken Stevens.

We talked with:

• Georgia Cloepfil’s writing can be found in The Yale Review, The New York Times Magazine, and The Washington Post, among other places. Select essays have been featured on Longreads, The Rumpus, and WBUR Boston’s Only a Game. She holds an MFA from the University of Idaho and works at Whitman College. The Striker and the Clock is her nonfiction debut.
• Chrisandra Shufelt, M.D., M.S., is Professor and Chair of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Associate Director of the Women's Health Research Center for Mayo Clinic Enterprise. Dr. Shufelt is a women's health internist with fellowship training in vascular biology and women's health and a certified menopause practitioner.

Purchase “The Striker and the Clock.”

• From Barnes & Noble.
• From Amazon.
• From Bookshop.org.

To learn more about Dr. Shufelt’s studies:

• ARCH: https://noperiod.info/arch
• REVEAL: http://noperiod.info/reveal

Got feedback?

• If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected].
• Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.

Dr. Denise Millstine is joined by author Allison Ashley and hematologist Dr. Jeanne Palmer to explore the emotional and medical journey of leukemia treatment and stem cell transplantation through the lens of Allison’s romance novel IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES The conversation touches on the steps of bone marrow and stem cell blood donation, the anxiety and worry following transplant, and the power of human connection. 

This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.

We talked with:

• Allison Ashley is a science geek who enjoys coffee, craft beer, baking and love stories. When she's not working at her day job as a clinical oncology pharmacist, she pens contemporary romances, usually with a medical twist. She lives in Oklahoma with her family and beloved rescue dog. Her books are filled with lots of happiness, love and laughter. 
• Dr. Jeanne Palmer serves as the Vice Chair, and Section Chief for Hematology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She also is the Program Director for the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. She teaches at the Mayo Clinic Medical School and University of Arizona in Phoenix. Her clinical interests include bone marrow transplantation, where she strives to offer innovative therapies to patients. 

Purchase “If Tomorrow Never Comes.”

• From Bookshop.org. 
• From Barnes & Noble.  

Got feedback?

• If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected]. 
• We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
• Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.

Dr. Denise Millstine hosts author Julia Phillips and pulmonologist Dr. Ana Zamora explores the emotional and clinical realities of interstitial lung disease through the lens of Phillips’ novel BEAR. As we discuss the story of two sisters caring for their ailing mother, listeners can gain insight into the complexities of chronic illness, caregiving and the socioeconomic pressures that shape health outcomes.

This episode was made possible with the generous support of Ken Stevens. 

We talked with:

• Julia Phillips is the author of the bestselling novels Bear and Disappearing Earth, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year. A 2024 Guggenheim fellow, she lives with her family in Brooklyn
• Ana Zamora Martinez, M.D., is the Medical Director of the Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Clinic at the Mayo Clinic Arizona, where she treats patients with, among other conditions, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, familiar pulmonary fibrosis, short telomere biology, collagen vascular disease associated ILD, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and diffuse cystic lung diseases. She is the co-director of the autoimmune ILD Clinic, where she collaborates with rheumatologists to diagnose and manage patients with this condition in real time.

Purchase “Bear.”

• From Barnes & Noble.
• From Bookshop.org.

Got feedback?

• If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected]. 
• We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary.
• Connect with others talking about the podcast in the Read. Talk. Grow. group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Connect is free, trusted, moderated, welcoming, safe and easy-to-use.

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.