Talk! with Audrey

Many parents have decided to homeschool their children, feeling that the virtual programs provided by their children's schools aren't adequate. To help, PETA's humane education division, TeachKind, is providing free humane education materials for parents to use at home. PETA’s Lisbet Chiriboga, and Teachkind Program Manager is my guest.

The pandemic has kept many of us at home, making our furry friends some of the happiest members in the household. On the flip side, some of our pets are probably counting down the days until kids go back to school and offices reopen so they can have the house to themselves again! Either way, as we look to leave the house more, it’s important for families to start preparing their pets for this transition period. Pet Behavior Scientist at Purina, DR. RAGEN MCGOWAN has Tips  to help address separation anxiety and create a smooth transition into the post-pandemic world.

In the United States, approximately 6.5 million people have autism, an intellectual and/or developmental differences. And, of these adults, an astounding 8 out of 10 with developmental differences are unemployed because of the lack of job opportunities in their communities, despite having the skill sets and expertise to excel in the workplace. Author, talk show host, activist and philanthropist, Holly Robinson Peete joins me to talk about how we can all work together to build a more inclusive workforce in our communities.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month which is a time to remind Americans of the importance of screening and early detection. The Northwestern Medicine Digestive Health Center has developed a leading, comprehensive colonoscopy quality improvement program focused on improving screening rates and ensuring that all patients who undergo screening colonoscopy get the highest quality care.   We talk about the importance of regular screening, what the signs and symptoms may be and strides made in treatments.

Can you look back at your life and say you have no regrets? Are you bogged down by the meaningless complexities of the world? In his witty, conversational book, Let’s Talk, debut author Art Rios wants to make sure his readers know that it’s never too late to make your life exciting, easier, and exceptional.

According to  serial entrepreneur Scott Andrew, “Success is yours if you want it to be,”  who along with wife Daphne, has built more than thirty different national and international businesses in the multi-million-dollar playing field. Now he’s telling you how he did it, in his new book, The Rugged Entrepreneur, What Every Disruptive Business Leader Should Know.

Since Ingrid Newkirk founded PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in 1980, it has become an unstoppable force and the largest animal rights organization in the world. She joins me now to talk about her latest book Animal-kind explores the richness of animals’ lives, talents, emotions, and intelligence, and how we humans can act to prevent harming them.

The COVID pandemic has created unprecedented circumstances for our schools and our students. My guest is President and Founder of the Connecticut Parents Union Gwen Samuel we talk about their #GetSchooled campaign and the community’s overwhelming support for innovative public schools.

Myeloma is the second most common blood cancer in the U.S. and the most prevalent among African Americans.  It is also the blood cancer with the greatest racial disparity in incidence and prevalence; Black Americans are not only at twice the risk of developing this type of cancer when compared to white Americans and other ethnic groups, they are also more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age.My guests are Laura Ortiz-Ravick, Senior Manager of Outreach & Health Promotion at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and myeloma survivor Kelvin Yates.

Dr. Kevin L. Schewe, a board-certified cancer specialist who has been in the private practice of radiation oncology for over 33 years, is an entrepreneur, and author of Bad Love Tigers a sequel to this first novel Bad Love Strikes. He chronicles the adventures of 1970's teenagers time-traveling through a dark time in history, with the adventurous hope of youth, laced with the unforgettable music of the 1960s and 1970s.

What does a successful life look like? More importantly, how can one lay a solid ground on which to build that life? Tom Lewis, founder and CEO of T.W. Lewis Company, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based real estate investment company, takes on these questions and challenges popular myths about what it means to live a fruitful life.

With many families having everyone home for every meal, many are looking for unique meal ideas and bold flavors to mix up meal planning. Look no further than the frozen food aisle at your local supermarket. Chef Jamie Gwen joins me now with some of the most useful items to keep in your freezer and provide tips on how to turn them into a unique and satisfying meal.

Lupus nephritis or LN is a debilitating kidney disease that disproportionally affects the Black community, partially due to Black individuals being at a much higher risk of developing severe manifestations following a systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE diagnosis. Joining me to talk about the challenges of living with and treating LN, the racial disparities currently present in the healthcare system, and the future landscape for the treatment of LN,  Dr. James Tumlin, Professor of Medicine, Emory University and founder and medical director of the NephroNet Clinical Trials Consortium and Victoria Gibbs, a meditation and yoga instructor, wellness influencer and LN patient.

Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men in the U.S., it is more common, aggressive and deadly among Black men, compared to other racial groups. In fact, one in seven Black men will be diagnosed with the disease. Surgeon and urologist, Dr. Arnold Bullock and radiation oncologist Dr. Lannis Hall join me with important information on what all men, especially Black men, should know about prostate cancer.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a devastating inherited blood disorder that occurs in 1 out of every 365 African American births, impacting more than 100,000 people in the U.S. The community has been severely impacted by the pandemic, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listing SCD as one of the populations most vulnerable to severe illness and death from COVID-19. Joining me to talk about the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on those with SCD, and the importance of receiving the vaccine to ensure patients can effectively manage this chronic illness, Lakesha Dickerson, a family nurse practitioner and Sickle Cell Disease patient and Dr. Biree Andemariam, founding director of the New England Sickle Cell Institute (NESCI) at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

Rare diseases affect nearly 30 million Americans each year. One rare, progressive kidney disease, known as Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD), is the most common, rare, inherited kidney disorder you’ve likely never heard of. My guest is Nephrologist, Dr. Meyon Park, Director of UCSF Polycystic Kidney Disease Center of Excellence, she shares the signs, symptoms and impact that ADPKD has on the kidneys.

The flu is a very common but potentially serious illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs. As many as 45 million Americans can get the virus each year,  but even people who are vaccinated could still get the flu. Dr. CASEY LAFFERTY, Medical Director at Health First joins me to talk about  what to do if you get it,  how to protect yourself and your family and about a new preventive option people 12 years of age and older can take if they come into contact with someone who has the flu.

Digital currency is the wave of the future and central banks around the world are weighing introducing a new kind of money – one that will allow us to transact in our digital world, safely and securely by using central bank digital currency (CBDC.)  Joining me to talk about digital currency and the wave of financial innovation it might bring forward, David Treat, senior managing director Global Blockchain and Multiparty Systems Lead, at Accenture.

According to the American Diabetes Association, about half of all people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage. Joining me to talk about diabetic peripheral neuropathy, the signs, symptoms and risks, Dr. Nicole Reardon, a board certified podiatric surgeon who practices at the Department of Veterans Affairs in San Francisco.   Dr. Reardon is an expert in limb preservation and advanced wound care and oversees the limb preservation clinic and is a member of two wound care committees at the SFVA Medical Center; for one of which she sits as co-chair.

The K-12 education scene underwent considerable change over the past year, with unprecedented numbers of families considering new schools. Andrew Campanella, President of National School Choice Week, joins me to discuss how school choice can level the playing field, bringing info and options to parents.