EPISODE LINK: MEGHAN RABBITT
BOOK: LINK
TRANSCRIPT:
Colleen: You know, your new book, The New Rules of Women’s Health,
Your Guide to Thriving at Every Age. What kind of, I was pleasantly surprised about your book
because we have had a lot of the experts you reference come on and talk to us about a particular
topic of interest in women’s health. Like I said off air, your book is kind of the Encyclopedia
Britannica of Health, and you come at it from a researcher’s standpoint,
and you have 25 years of research experience. Why was it important for you to compile this
information for women?
Meghan Rabbitt: Yeah, I mean, and I want to be clear too. So I come at this with experience
as a journalist, as a health journalist and the research that is and should be associated with
journalism, right? Just to clarify so that your listeners don’t think of me as like a health
researcher, scientist steeped in bench, you know, bench on the bench in the laboratory doing the
research, that kind of thing. But yeah, it felt crucial right now at this point in time to write
this book. Mostly because for years and years. women’s research didn’t actually really exist.
It wasn’t until 1993 that women were required to be in NIH-funded research.
That statistic really shocks a lot of people. I know I was a freshman in high school in 1993.
And to think that before then, my mother’s generation, her mother’s generation were working off of
research done in men is really horrifying. And thankfully, we are starting to make progress,
you know? And so this book came to be because Maria Shriver, who I work for on her newsletter,
The Sunday Paper, said to me, you know, Megan, we need an updated Our Bodies Ourselves. We need a
book that includes all of the research we do have with a nod to the fact that we still have a ways
to go. And we need the book to cover everything from puberty through menopause and also things that
we don’t think about when it comes to sex specific, like the brain. or the heart or the immune
system? And what do we know about all these areas of our health in terms of what we need to know
differently as women? And so that was really the impetus for the book. And it took me three years.
I interviewed over, you know, there’s 132 all-female experts in this book, which also felt really
important because men have had a seat at the table for a really long time. And yeah,
three years, I hired two independent fact checkers, really trying to do my due diligence as a health
journalist to bring women the evidence-based information we need to take care of ourselves.
Bridgett: Right.
You know, too, you bring up again how this research was done on men and it wasn’t done on women
until 1993. And you also bring up so much bias in healthcare,
so much, you know, just things that people make assumptions about and how women are not taken as
seriously as men. Can you talk a little bit about that issue?
Meghan Rabbitt: Yeah, great that you’re bringing that
- Because again, I think it surprises a lot of women that still in this day and age, right? We’re
in 2026 right now. And if you go into an emergency room as a woman with signs,
which might be more subtle than a man’s signs of heart attack, for example, you are more likely to
be turned away and not treated. Women’s pain is not taken as seriously as male pain.
And there is data to show this. And so it really points to the need for all. of us to know enough
to be able to advocate for ourselves. You know, I’ve interviewed cardiologists, mostly female
cardiologists who say it’s important for us to know the subtle signs of heart attack. And if we
feel like that might be happening, you go into the emergency room and you say, I think I’m having a
heart attack, you know, rather than just going through your symptoms and hoping that you’ll be
taken seriously.
Bridgett: Right. We’ve had a guest and you, you bring up all of these different heart
conditions as well. I mean, you bring up SCAD, you bring up HCM, which runs in my family,
but we had a guest, Keisha Stewart, who was having a SCAD heart event and they wouldn’t believe
her. She is a woman of color. So that’s another bias. She sat for 20 minutes in the ER!
She wrote a book and it’s titled Sonata of a Damaged Heart. I believe that’s what it was.
That’s just one story.
Meghan Rabbitt: Oh, and there’s,
and it spans the gamut, right? It’s even in sex specific, female specific conditions like
endometriosis, you know, I mean, so many women wait years to get an accurate diagnosis on that
front. Autoimmune disease, which disproportionately impacts women, it can take years to get a
diagnosis. And oftentimes you hear from women saying, I was turned away saying, you know, doctors
said to me, nothing is wrong, you know? Interestingly, I did interview an expert in gaslighting,
in medical gaslighting, which I think is really important, right? We’re talking about this more.
We’re using the phrase, I got gaslit a little bit more freely these days.
And she said something really interesting, which is that oftentimes if you feel gaslit by a medical
doctor or another healthcare professional, it might not be as nefarious as it seems. So it might
not actually be intentional. It could be due to cognitive load. Now,
this is not to say it is right that it happens to us, that we don’t feel seen or heard. I want to
be clear about that. But it isn’t necessarily, you know, sometimes it has to do with implicit
biases.
(Doctors) are just overloaded. It’s like cognitive load for them is so much that if they don’t know exactly
what’s wrong with you, it’s easier to just say, you’re fine. I don’t know. And so I think these are
all things we need to be thinking about and talking about. And, and also thankfully
if we feel like we’re being dismissed, we can actually put words to it and say. I don’t think
you’re really listening to me. Here’s what’s happening. Let me slow this down and let me go into
more detail. Or if we think it’s like a life-threatening illness, we can say, I think it’s a heart
attack. Or, you know, another thing I learned in reporting the book, which I think is so important
for women, is that when it comes to talking about our pain, using (a phrase) like a, my pain is at a five out
of 10 isn’t super helpful, right? Because your five could be different than my five,
could be different than the doctor’s five. And so what’s helpful to do is to say, I am having
stomach pains that rival the pain I felt during contractions when I was in labor.
I need you to treat me. I need you to take this seriously. Or this part of my body hurts just like
it did when I blew out my ACL skiing. So when we can be specific about that,
it can oftentimes get our doctors to say, oh, okay, I got to pay attention.
Colleen: A topic in the book that you talk about is in part three, when you talk about midlife is the prime
time to start really taking care of our health because we are the sandwich generation and we’re
taking care of aging parents and we’re taking care of our adult children and or young children,
depending on when you had them. So we kind of drop the ball when it comes to making our
appointments, but this can really dictate how we age. Can you talk a little bit about the
importance of that in the book?
Meghan Rabbitt: Yeah, I am so grateful that you brought this up because it is a big
message for anyone in midlife to say, okay, wait a second, where am I at with my cancer screenings,
with my checkups, with taking care of me, right? Because I interviewed Dr.
Lisa Larkin.
Colleen: We love Dr. Larkin.
Meghan Rabbitt: I mean, Dr. Larkin is amazing.
And she said to me that, gosh. We have such a window of opportunity in our 30s and 40s and even 50s
to then prevent disease later on. But oftentimes our healthcare system drops the ball on us,
ladies in midlife, right? We’re going to the OBGYN regularly when we’re in our reproductive years.
And then later on, we go see all the “ologists,” right? We’ve got our cardiologists and our
rheumatologists and all the specialists. because we haven’t doubled down on those really healthy
lifestyle habits in midlife. And so she said something that really struck me, which is that
“oftentimes the dog gets more vet appointments than we get doctor’s visits in midlife.”
And that has to change, you know? And it really does run from everything,
you know, from, let’s say, hopefully you’re getting your annual mammogram, right? Starting at 40,
maybe earlier if you’ve got a family history. Hopefully at 45, you’ve gotten the message. And for any women who are in that 40-ish range who haven’t gotten these really
important screenings, no judgment, just pick up the phone, make the
call, set the appointment because these are essential screenings where the sooner we catch these
things, the better, right? But it also comes down to like a skin check, right? Like when was the
last time you saw your dermatologist, not for a skin concern, like, you know, zits,
but rather just everything is great. Just check my full body for skin cancer. You know,
I have a dear friend who just got so busy raising her littles that I said to her,
you know, when was the last time you had your skin checked? And she said 10 years ago. Sure enough,
they found a basal cell carcinoma, you know? And so again, I don’t want to share this to scare
people. Oftentimes nothing is wrong, but we really have to take ownership, especially in midlife.
And really own our health, because as much as we would like to believe that someone else is going
to come in and set us on the path to well-being and longevity,
it has to be us.
Bridgett: Right. It absolutely does. I mean, my husband, same thing. I said,
we need to be going to the dermatologist. He had a little basal cell carcinoma. They took care of it,
but had he not gone, it would have been worse. So he’s good. But we go.
I just had mine about two weeks ago. You know, you talk about like you address so many of the
things, skin, you know, just dental health, all of the different things that you need to do.
And that can take a lot of time and it can be intimidating. Also, though, in midlife,
things creep up because I was just sailing along just smoothly. And then midlife comes along and
metabolic. issues happen can you address some of the issues like cholesterol um the sugar screening
the screenings that you need Yeah, I mean, what happens in midlife? Menopause. The menopause
transition.
Meghan Rabbitt: And here’s a fun fact about this book. So I reported the menopause chapter and I turned
it in to my really brilliant editors. And they got back to me and they said, Megan,
this is all doom and gloom here. Like, there’s a lot of stuff you covered. And man, they’re younger
than me. And they’re like, we’re feeling… kind of depressed and a little bit scared. And I was
like, oh, because let’s call it like menopause. This transition can also be so empowering.
It comes with a lot of upsides that I think are really important to talk about, you know. And so I
hope we cover those as well. And that said, in that first draft and what. remained into the final
draft in the menopause chapter of this book is, you know, we have to be aware of things that change
and things that are kind of sneaky, right? When estrogen, as Dr. Vonda Wright says,
“when estrogen walks out the door and those ovaries just stop, they just say, I’m retired.
I have worked so hard for you.” And estrogen goes down. It really does lead to a lot of impacts in a
lot of various systems. So our cholesterol can go up, blood sugar regulation. can get a little bit
wonky. All the symptoms of the menopause transition, this is why we can start to feel that brain
fog you alluded to. Also crazy things like itchy ears and dryness everywhere and achy joints,
frozen shoulder, these things where you’re just like, what is happening to me? And it all points to
one of my biggest takeaways and something that I really changed personally in my own life after all
of these. is I’m really tracking my symptoms. So I just turned 47. I, um,
I’m in it, you know, I, I am in that transition and I’m just really getting curious about the
symptoms and I’m not brushing anything off as, as like no big deal. But similarly, I’m also not
thinking like this is the end of the world. You know, I’m just tracking things so that when I go to
my doctor’s visits, I can say, here’s what’s been going on. You know,
here’s how I’ve been feeling. Here’s the date it started. It comes and goes. It just leads to,
I think, so much more productive conversations in midlife and making sure we’re on all the
screenings for things like, for example, heart disease runs in my family. And so I just had my
primary care visit and I’m going to get the coronary artery.
calcium score, right? To make sure that the statin I’m on is the right dose and appropriate for me.
You know, on the statin front, that’s another thing I changed after writing this book, I started
taking a statin. I was really resistant to it and come to find out most women are,
well, not most women, women are more likely to be resistant to a cholesterol lowering medication
than men. I think we can do it on our own, right? Like I’ve got everything else
covered. If I just change my diet and exercise, I’ll, I’ll be able to do this. But that was a big
eye opener to me. And I’m like, Oh, my cholesterol has been creeping up for years. I need to start
taking this medication. And sure enough, my cholesterol was down the last time it was checked.
Bridgett: Yeah. I’m on a statin as well. And then she said, then my liver and you address fatty liver as well. She’s like, well, the statin could be making the fatty liver go up. And it
was this thing. It’s a balance. It’s a balance, but I’m doing, I’m doing both.
Colleen: Yeah. Along those
lines, you talk in the book about being proactive and writing down and taking notes. And I thought
it was interesting from the perspective of the doctors and how much they appreciate, like, we’re
always afraid that we’re going to walk in with our 10 minutes, take over, and they’re just going to
be like, no, this is not your appointment to explain to me. But you were saying that these doctors
really appreciate it. When you come in with your list of symptoms, you categorize them as less to
worst. You say when they started. That’s all information that they actually really appreciate.
Meghan: A hundred percent. And, you know, here’s one big reason why is that the same thing that frustrates us
about our doctor’s visits frustrates them about their visits with us, which is that they’re shorter
than ever. If you are not in a concierge model of care, you really are lucky if you get 20,
maybe 30 minutes in an annual visit. And that’s not a lot of time to go over a lot of concerns,
right? And so you’re absolutely right, Colleen. They appreciate it so much when we come prepared,
you know, when we’ve got that. notebook of symptoms or things we want to cover. And then they
really extra appreciate it when we organize that list in order of priority. What’s impacting our
life the most? And then show the doc the whole list and then say,
this is what’s impacting me the most. Here’s everything. What do you think? Do you think this is
what we, the five things we can try to tackle in this visit? I think it’s also really important to
know, and doctors so appreciate when we understand that when it comes to a well-being an exam if
it’s an annual exam that is not the time to go over like five different problems that’s the time to
go over preventive care right they’ve got to assess us they’ve got to get hands on they’ve got to
talk to us about to do our physical, right? And if there’s like three other things you really want
to talk about, just know going in that there’s a good chance you’re going to have to make a second
appointment, you know? And I think really a big takeaway for me is that our doctors really do want
to make shared decisions with us, you know? They want us to be active participants in our own care.
I think if you’re with a doctor who doesn’t want that, it’s a real big red flag. And if you have
any possibility and choice, it’s time to find out. else. But I think going into it,
knowing that our doctors want to partner with us and co-create the path forward,
that’s really helpful.
Bridgett: I loved how you compared, you wouldn’t go to the…
your hairstylist and say, can you do this additional thing after you wouldn’t do that if you went
to your hair?
Meghan Rabbit: Yes. So that makes so much sense. Yeah. You wouldn’t go to your tax accountant
without bringing all of your paperwork. Right. And saying like, look, here are my forms that I got
from the government to help you do your job. And we have to think about our doctors the same way. We
have to go with an understanding of our personal health history and also our
family health history. You know, if you can’t remember all the medications you’re taking, a
snapshot on your phone of your medicine cabinet and bring that picture into the doctor so that you
can answer these basic questions to really help them do their job.
Colleen: Another thing I appreciated in
the book, and it starts with a forward from Maria Shriver, and she says in the forward,
women’s health begins at birth. And I don’t really, that kind of hit me because, you know, of
course we think of women’s health from our age range, but you don’t really think about it from a
young person’s perspective. So the first set of the book is all about talking about
anatomy and talking about puberty and all those things where it’s great because if you have.
a child or a young adult or a grandchild, it’s a resource. It’s like a syllabus.
You can just kind of look up and say, oh, are your breasts hurting? Well, maybe it’s because you’re
going to start puberty. You start from the very beginning to the very end.
Meghan Rabbitt: Yeah, because ladies,
I don’t know about you, but I really feel like my health education fell very short. Definitely. And
I think for most of us who don’t go into medical school or nursing school or any kind of additional
schooling to help us really learn anatomy and about things like the menstrual cycle, we just,
we’re kind of piecing it together. And man, Maria is absolutely right. Women’s health starts from
birth. We have a right to know how our bodies work. These miraculous, you know. machines we walk
around in. And the fact that when we don’t have an education about all these various systems and
even our anatomy, that’s when we miss things. So I’ll speak really personally here, even as a
health journalist, as someone who has been steeped in this information for my work,
I totally ignored my own menstrual symptoms. I ignored really heavy periods for a lot of years.
I chalked it up to perimenopause. We were all talking more about perimenopause and how periods can
get very heavy. And in my late 30s, I was like, yikes, this is getting real heavy. And I just sort
of said, it’s fine. I suspect also what happened, and I don’t know if either of you can relate.
I’m kind of like a go-getter, type A, straight A student, sort of fall into the overachiever
category. And I think sometimes at my doctor’s visits, I wanted to get like a gold star. I wanted
to say to my doctor, you know, look at me. I get my period every 28 days.
And I didn’t go into the gory details that I should have been going into. And fast forward to when
I finally got, it got so bad and I was like anemic. And I finally said,
like, I’m passing clots that are pretty big. Finally, a nurse practitioner said,
you know, we’re going to order a vaginal ultrasound here and see if we can learn what’s happening.
And I had a uterus full of fibroids. By the time they found all those uterine fibroids,
which luckily are benign growths, so we’re not talking cancer.
But I needed a hysterectomy. That was the only treatment for me. And so I think it just points to,
and this was a North Star when I was reporting and writing this book, is to give…
women, this education so that we feel knowledgeable, so that we feel empowered when we go to
our doctors to say, here’s what’s happening with me. I know it’s, normal is in this range
and here’s where I’m at. Like, can we have a conversation about this? And so, yeah,
I mean, one of the highest compliments I’ve received so far from women who’ve bought my book is
they say that their teenage daughters, they’re finding it on their beds and on their nights.
understands because teen girls are like, huh? And they tuck in and they’re like, oh, let me keep
learning about this.
Bridgett: Right. I mean, there’s things that I read for phases of my life that I’ve
already gone through that I learned about that I didn’t know when I was going through it,
especially maternal health. I mean, Colleen and I have many people that we know who recently
have given birth and there have been some real issues lately with them whenever they’ve gone
to the hospital. Colleen you and I talk about it and I
don’t remember it being that scary when we had our children. Now Colleen, you had a kind of scary first birth
but I mean I’ve had two or three family members that things have been absolutely terrifying and
they didn’t expect it. It’s not like these women are like not even 30 years old yet and terrible
things are happening. I’m not really sure if it’s just me and I’m more aware or if it is happening
more. I just don’t know.
Meghan Rabbitt: Yeah, I’m hearing more stories like that as well. I definitely think that
for, you know, for the United States of America, maternal care in this country is pretty shocking.
And I’ve interviewed people who are in this space, you know, gynecologists, nurse practitioner,
midwives who are just like, you know. Yeah, the picture isn’t great. I think…
You know, one, I did feel really passionate about talking about some of the complications that can
come up during pregnancy and childbirth. I felt like it was really important when we’re finally
starting to talk about is preconception health and what we need to know. I think this is an area
that a lot of women just, you know, our age didn’t really think about, you know, like, well, what
do I need to do? And what does my male partner need to do to prepare for, you know,
conception really, even before sperm meets egg? I was always taught like,
oh, it’s all about the egg. Really only, it’s all on the woman. And what we know now is that is a
load of, you know what, sperm is half the picture, right? And so there’s an entire section in here
on preconception health. One of the big shockers for me, and I don’t know if you guys have had an
expert on to talk about this, but I think it is so important, is that pregnancy complications can
actually impact our risk of heart disease later on.
So what a cardiologist will tell you is that pregnancy is the heart’s first stress test.
It is hard work to be pregnant, right? And I think this is something a lot of women need to know
because for those who’ve gone through pregnancy complications and then give birth and the
complication just goes away, we’re talking things like gestational diabetes or preeclampsia, even
recurrent miscarriages. You might think once you get pregnant, you have a healthy baby. That’s in
the rear view. Yes, and your gynecologic health history is something you should be bringing to all
of your doctors going forward so that you can make sure you’re… the right screening plan for
heart issues later on.
Colleen: Definitely. That’s something that I have experienced. I had severe
preeclampsia when I had my first daughter and I have a family history of heart disease in my
family. So when they say, have you ever had high blood pressure? I always tell them yes during my
first pregnancy, because like you said, they can’t diagnose properly if they don’t have all of the
accurate historical information, you know.
Meghan Rabbitt: That is awesome. It is awesome that you’re so open about
that too, because you’re totally right. And I think a lot of women maybe have a little shame around
it, or they just want it to be in the rear view. But like, if you’re talking to your doctors
proactively about this, they can be proactive getting you earlier screenings, right? Making sure
they’re checking your heart in different and maybe more nuanced ways.
Colleen: Definitely. And I think
another thing that I have, you have a great section on breast health and talk a lot about that,
which is, because a lot of women are afraid to go get a breast exam because they’re afraid of what
they might find or they feel a lump and they ignore it. But one thing I’ve noticed in, I guess,
the news or what’s, I don’t want to say trending, but it seems like things like breast cancer and
colorectal cancer are happening younger and younger. In your research, in your interviews with
doctors, are they, and you talk a little bit about it in the book, are they seeing why is it
epigenetics? What is this trend?
Meghan Rabbitt: I am not getting definitive answers. And I think there’s a lot of theories right now. My sense is
that a lot of doctors are like, we need to really look at this because it is true. The rates of
younger and younger people getting these types of cancer is on the rise.
So if you feel like you’re hearing about it more, you’re seeing headlines, it’s not scare tactics.
It is truth, right? The why is trickier. My sense is that when it comes to colorectal cancer in
particular, they’re really pointing to processed foods, you know, the advent of ultra processed
foods. I mean, it’s pretty remarkable how bad they are for us across health measures.
Right. And I think with breast cancer, you know, when it comes to immune disrupting chemicals.
So I have a section in my book what we refer to as endocrine disrupting chemicals. You know,
yes, but they’re actually immune disrupting chemicals as well. And so these are chemicals that
mimic hormones in the body and they can really impact how our hormones work, which might be a
reason why a breast cancer is happening in younger and younger women. So yeah,
it is really, really important to stay on top of these screenings. You know, I got my first
colonoscopy like two weeks after I turned 45. I wasn’t even 45 yet and I made the appointment.
I think for anyone listening who’s worried about the prep, I’m here to tell you it’s really not
that bad. You know, is it the most fun thing you’re ever going to do? No. But like you’ll feel,
I think, and the same goes for your mammogram. I think there can be a lot of fear that it can be
uncomfortable. A mammogram is kind of cakewalk. I mean, again, it’s not super comfortable. If you
have choice on when you can go, maybe don’t go in the week before your period when breast tissue
can be super sensitive, right? Maybe try to book it after your cycle. I just had my first breast
MRI. So again, thanks to Dr. Larkin, I learned something that really did shock me,
which is that most doctors aren’t proactively talking to us about our lifetime risk of breast
cancer. So for anyone listening who hasn’t done that Tyrer- Cuzick calculator, hop online,
get a sense of your lifetime risk. I mean, again, I’m a health journalist. I see my gynecologist
every year and I have a primary care visit every year. And until I was 44 years old,
nobody had said anything to me about my lifetime risk of breast cancer. Nobody had asked me about
this. And that’s even after four mammograms and even some follow-up ultrasounds. And your
mammogram report should have your lifetime risk of breast cancer. It’s a percentage.
Anything over 20% is considered high. So I proactively, after I interviewed Dr. Larkin, took the
exam or took the online test and went into my gynecologist and said,
here’s my score. Can we talk about whether or not my screening is right for me? And sure enough,
it led to a breast MRI.
Bridgett: Wow. I was going to ask about that. I thought you were going to say breast density on your report
from your mammogram, but you’re saying your score should be on the mammogram.
Your risk. Your risk. Okay, should be on there.
Meghan Rabbitt: Your lifetime risk of breast cancer should also be
on your mammogram report. And you’re bringing up a great point, Bridgett. You should know your
breast density. And that was something else I learned. We’re told either like dense or not dense,
but there’s actually four categories of breast density, A, B, C, and D. A being fat, mostly fat
tissue. B, a little bit dense. C heterogeneously dense and D extremely dense.
And so knowing that, knowing that even these different ratings exist can help you have a
conversation with your doctor and say, Hey, what is my rating? How dense are my breasts? What is my
lifetime risk of breast cancer? And can we have a very specific conversation to make sure that my
screening plan is right for me?
Colleen: And I appreciate too, how you put the different stages starting at
zero for breast cancer to four. I mean, that really helps,
you know, it helps to understand it.
Meghan Rabbitt: Yeah. There’s a lot of confusion and thank you for calling
that out. I’m really proud of the breast health chapter because as someone with category D
extremely dense breast tissue, I have lumpy breasts, right? And those lumps can come and go.
And no matter how much I know about how it’s probably a cyst or something else that’s not cancer,
you know, it felt really important for me to go through the list of what can a lump be? You
know, that’s not to say you should put it off and not get screening. Like anytime I feel something,
I’m usually like calling my doctor saying, not usually, I call my doctor saying, I think it’s this,
does the plan, you know, I think it’s a cyst, is the plan to wait? A couple months sound good to
you given my age. After menopause, though, you feel something, you make an appointment. And, you
know, raise the red flag. Right. But it’s important to know that what all the different lumps can
be, what the different breast cancer diagnostics are.
And so a lot of us will go through a biopsy at some point. So what happens?
You know, another high compliment came from someone who was helping me work on the book. She found a
lump and had to get some follow up testing. And when she went after she had read the breast health
chapter. The doctor said to her, are you a nurse? Like, how do you have this information? And I was
like, yes, because she had the basics, right? She had a baseline knowledge that helps them cover so
much more ground in the appointment. And that’s my deepest wish for any woman using this
book. You can tuck into it and tuck out of it. It is big, right? You’re not going to cozy up with
this with your favorite cup of tea and plow through it. But if you have it on your bookshelf,
you can just say, oh, I feel something or what is this? And you can go right to that chapter, get a
sense of it so that you feel like, yeah, you have more productive interactions with the people who
care for you.
Colleen: And we always say knowledge is power. So if you do read, for example, a section on
breast health and you go into the doctor and they’re not taking your questions seriously, it’s okay
to break up with this doctor and find another one. And women are… maybe men too. I’m not so sure
about that. But I know women are afraid. They’re almost like, oh, I don’t want to hurt the doctor’s
feelings. I’ve been seeing them for 20 years and we have a relationship. Well, it’s okay to find
another doctor. You’re at a different stage of life. If they’re not taking your questions
seriously, then you need to really think about yourself first and your health first.
Meghan Rabbitt: Absolutely. You should feel heard. You should feel seen. You should feel exactly as you said,
like someone is really taking you seriously and cares about you and your health,
right? And cares that you’ve gone to the trouble, even though it’s not that much trouble, of
calculating your own lifetime risk of breast cancer. A doctor’s eyes should light up when they see
you coming with this information. You know, and that’s my new gauge. You know, that’s that’s my new
baseline. Like if a doctor doesn’t get kind of excited that I’m coming really proactively with all
the ways I want to care for myself in midlife to prevent seeing specialists later on, I’m looking
for a new doctor and I’m lucky I have choice. I’m lucky. I know I realize I come from a place of
privilege. You know, I can fire a doctor, but I do think that should be our bar in an ideal
situation. You know, a doctor is going to be like, cool. Look how on it you are. Let’s. talk.
Bridgett: Yeah, exactly. And I also really appreciate in your book that you address issues with people who
are in a larger body. And I thought I was one of those people that wanted to avoid
the doctor because I did not want to get on the scale. And that really addressing that.
was so important. I thought that was such a caring chapter in the book. Can you talk a little bit
about that?
Meghan Rabbitt: Yeah, that was a process for me too. Honestly, you know, when I first started really
talking into the nutrition chapter, it was feeling a little bit too prescriptive. And I started
taking a step back and saying like, whoa, like we’ve got to help women bust out of this diet
culture that we have been just trapped in, you know? And the more I dove into the research,
the more I saw it. Health comes in all sizes and
we cannot have our doctor’s visits focused first and foremost on a number on the scale.
Not only is it going to prevent so many women from going to the doctor because we fear having that
moment where we have to step on the scale, but also because there are so many other measures of
health that need to be taken into account. Right. And so, yeah, that, that was a,
felt like a really important. important point. And frankly, a learning, big learning for me,
something I do, even though I’m in a, you know, quote unquote, and I really am doing air quotes
here, normal size body. When I go to the doctor, I ask to, I request not to be weighed.
And sometimes, unless it’s necessary, right? But like, I’ll step on the scale for an annual
appointment so we can track trends over time. But if I’m going to the doctor because I’m sick and
they ask me to get on the scale, I’m saying, no, thanks. I’d prefer not to be weighed. And I’ll
tell you, these medical assistants kind of look at me like, why? Like, what do you, what? And I
explain why. I’m like, here’s why I don’t, is it medically necessary right now? You know,
if I see the doctor and she thinks I need to step on the scale, fine, but is it medically
necessary? And I feel like it’s my one small part to start to normalize not stepping on the scale,
just de facto.
Bridgett: Right. I used to step on backwards.
I’m going on backwards.
Colleen: And sometimes you have to say to them, I’m stepping on backwards.
I do not want you to say it out loud. Because then they’ll, they’ll be like, Oh yeah.
And then what was the point? Yeah. It’s not even that, but if you don’t want to hear it, why are,
if you don’t want to see it, you don’t want to hear it either. Yeah.
Meghan Rabbitt: And I think on that note too,
I think that is, these are great tips and you can also say to your doctor, you know, in your visit,
I don’t want to start with a weight conversation. I want to talk about like all the other things.
And if you feel it’s necessary, we can go there, but I don’t want that to be the focus of this
conversation. And you really do have, and I say that and I’m hearing myself say it and I’m like,
that is a really hard thing to do. Right. And so it takes some next level strength to be able to
say, you know what, I’m going to, I’m going to do this. I’m going to say this right now. I’m going
to try to help direct in, in whatever way I can, this conversation. If a healthcare provider
brings it up to you, you can say, can we first talk about the differential diagnosis?
What’s your differential diagnosis? What are the other things that could be impacting other than my
weight, what I’m experiencing right now? Yes, my weight might be part of it, but can you talk about
the other things first? Again, it’s just one small thing you can do, one big thing you can do to
try to let them know, I don’t want weight to be the focus. And if you’re getting nowhere,
here’s another tip. If you live in an area where there’s a little bit of choice, the next time you
call to make an appointment, you say, are you size inclusive? Do you have any healthcare providers
who are size inclusive? And I think it’s just important for us to be talking about.
That’s a great idea too. And you’re limited to 10 minutes. So maybe the weight conversation can be
down the line, but my first issues I’m having are A, B, and C.
Colleen: Because how many women,
and we were talking about gaslighting before, how many women here, it’s because of my weight or
it’s because you’re stressed? Oh, you’re just under stress. And you want to say, yes, and so is
everybody else on the planet, but I’m still having these symptoms, you know?
Meghan Rabbitt: Totally. Absolutely.
And that’s something else you can say. Okay, yes, I’m stressed. And what else do you think could be
going on? Get inquisitive. Ask the questions, right? And really, I think something else we don’t
talk about enough is really cluing into our own intuition about what could be happening,
about whether or not this is the right partner to help with my care. You know, I think that
oftentimes as women, we do have this intuitive knowledge about what’s going on, about whether or
not we’re with the right team of caretakers. And we have to listen to that.
You know, we really do.
Bridgett: And I also love too,
how you said in the book that you can ask for lab work and results to be sent to somebody else to
look at them. I had never thought of that before that you can ask for these.
Meghan Rabbitt: And pathology, right? Like let’s say you get pathology back from a biopsy, you can have a second
opinion on that pathology, right? I think, you know, when it comes to size and if that is
something, you know, the fear of stepping on the scale, the fear of weight bias playing into your
appointments, I think it’s also really important to name that you can also bring someone with you.
I think this is across the board, bring an advocate, bring your partner, your sister,
your best friend, someone who can really sit there with you and take in the information.
And also if you don’t feel brave enough or confident enough to say, let’s focus on something other
than stress or my size or something like that, your person you brought with you can do that.
Colleen: And I really appreciated in the last section of your book that you start talking about how to
decode medical bills and clinical trials and things that people don’t even… People don’t even
realize there are clinical trials out there that might apply to them and how to find them and what
to ask your doctor. So that section, I mean, when we say comprehensive, this truly is.
You can look it up. If you have a symptom, if you’ve heard of something, you want to see if it
applies, just go to that chapter because there’s so much information. But how important was it for
you to talk about medical bills and to talk about clinical trials?
Meghan Rabbitt: So important, right? Because
these are things that I think oftentimes we just think, I have no choice. I, you know,
it has to be a doctor that tells me I qualify for a study versus me being proactive about it,
or certainly medical bills. I mean, this is, gosh, I learned so much when I talked,
when I talked into the research and the reporting for that section. Because, gosh, we don’t just
have to pay right away. And oftentimes it pays for us to make sure the bills are accurate.
You know, I had an emergency department visit when I was reporting this book. And thank goodness I
had worked on that section because I was about to pay like three thousand dollars extra.
for something they put on the bill that didn’t even happen. So they had marked down that I had had
stitches. Meanwhile, I didn’t have stitches for anything. And so this is like some shocking stuff.
And it sort of was like, whoa, we need to be on it, you know, when it comes to that. And remember
that we don’t just need to pay that bill right away, that we can find help sorting through,
making sure what we were actually billed for were procedures that were done and working with the
hospital on that. I think when it comes to clinical trials, my mind was open to it so much. And I
think why it felt really important in this book is that as women, we’ve been left out of research
for so long. And as women, we can be proactive in being participants in research going forward.
Really big upsides is that oftentimes if you’re dealing with a condition, like let’s say you’re
dealing with some diabetes or something like that, if you qualify for a study, but you’re like pre
-diabetic, say, oftentimes the study, the researchers will help give you extra care to get your
diabetes under control so that you qualify for the research because they need participants.
Right. And so that it’s sometimes research can come along with some extra, you know, some bonus
that you, you get free care. I joined the Wisdom Study. Have you guys heard of this study?
Oh, it’s so cool. It is a longitudinal breast health study and it looks at who gets breast cancer.
And so it’s very simple. I signed up, I upload my mammogram report every year,
or like I had my breast MRI uploaded. And it came with some genetic testing.
And it’s just one of those things where like, there’s some perks for me,
and also big perks for my nieces, you know, and their kids and their girls in terms of like,
that’s how I can help. It’s one small thing I can do, it feels like to help our scientists get more
information to help the next generation get better care.
Colleen: I’m curious, you know, you spent three years doing
this book and it’s very comprehensive. What do you see as the new research going in for women’s
health going forward? Like where are they putting the very tiny million maybe dollars of research
going forward? Because we know women’s health is underfunded and ignored. But what did the doctor
seem to be, I don’t want to say the word excited, but seem to be interested in
looking at going forward?
Meghan Rabbitt: Yeah. I mean, I think that’s the sad part.
What kind of still ticks me off and makes me sad is like, we’re not, we’re still underfunding the
research, right? So there are a whole bunch of brilliant minds who want to give us the answers we
need and deserve. And in this point in time, it’s like the picture is even worse,
you know, with how much funding has been messed up due to a variety of factors.
But I think where people, where researchers I’ve heard are really hopeful are in some of the
gynecologic conditions that just haven’t gotten enough research,
like endometriosis, you know, for example. Like, I think there’s a lot of researchers out there now
trying to say, look, we’ve got period blood that we should be studying. This is something that is
very easy to collect. And like, why are we not doing that? You know, I think when it comes to
fibroids, even, you know, for something that so many women deal with, it is shocking how little we
know about why they happen. And I think we finally are starting to get a new crop of researchers
excited about that. Again, funding is another issue, right? And so I’m thinking now,
like there were researchers trying to look at fibroids and then the funding was cut
and now the research is on hold, you know? And so it’s, it really, it’s not a super hopeful picture
right now. I think autoimmune disease is another area where researchers are realizing,
particularly when it comes to women, we just don’t have all the answers we need. Brain health I
mean, look at the amazing research that’s happening on women’s brains, trying to unpack why we are
two-thirds the cases of Alzheimer’s disease. And so it really does,
I think, go across the board. But again, I just…
got all these brilliant people wanting to do the work and the funding just isn’t there.
Colleen: Which is so true. And I think that buzzword of longevity is now getting a lot of talk,
but is it medically based or is it beauty based? It’s great if you want to age in a healthy manner,
but longevity can mean a lot of things to a lot of people.
Meghan Rabbitt: Yes, I think that is definitely one of
the wellness buzzwords of this moment in time, for sure. You know, and I think I was encouraged
because of the hundred plus experts I talked to for this book. Really, they’re like,
sure, focus on longevity if that’s your thing. But man, make sure that the staying steady and
consistent with the basics is like at the heart of your longevity plan. You know, these tactics.
that we talk about, these lifestyle habits, like sleeping and good nutrition and exercise,
it really is that simple. It’s being consistent. And so I think oftentimes in this wellness bro
culture, in this wellness culture that sucks us as women in as well,
we can get really lured by the sexiest, next best thing.
And really what my big learning was from this book is like, oh, I got to try to tune that out and
double down on the really solid basics and stay consistent with those. Right.
Colleen: I just want to tell the listeners, there’s so much
more in this book. I mean, you address AI, you address just, there’s so many things in it that it
really is what a wonderful reference to have. So this is a book. We’re talking 600 plus pages of
reference. Reference for all throughout your life. throughout your female life.
Megan Rabbit, thank you so much. We are going to have the book at links in the show notes. And
gosh, thank you for all the research you’ve done, because you could tell this was in your heart,
in your mind for a long time. And you’ve spoken to so many of the great experts.
We’ve spoken to some of them, but gosh, a hundred plus you are just. I imagine that there’s two
more books in your brain that you could write right now.
Meghan After a vacation, as my littlest niece who
I dedicated this book to said, at which she held it for the first time.
She looked at me and she goes, you know, Meggie, are you going to take a vacation now?
So maybe another book after a vacation, but thank you so much. Yeah, I just, my hope is that it
really does help women, you know, that it feels like evidence-based. expert backed information to
help you take care of yourself and your family and, and to feel empowered, right? Knowledge is
Power, knowledge is empowerment, you know, to go to those doctors and feel like I got this. And now
listen to me, here’s what’s happening.
Colleen: And you, you definitely have done that. So thank you. We
appreciate your time and we appreciate you writing this book. We’ll make sure to share it with
everyone in the show notes. So thank you.
Meghan Rabbitt: Thank you guys so much.