Cocoa Pods
Podcast - Cocoa Pods Series: A feature of the Birth Center Foundation.
We discuss all things' women, all things' pregnancy, all things' after. Reasons why women fall very sick ( morbidity) or die (mortality) before pregnancy (adolescent girls and young adults),during pregnancy and after are discussed in this maternal morbidity and mortality reduction academy; especially with an emphasis on minority women, all over the world; and ways for all involved in care to work together collaboratively and mitigate and or eliminate risks in women’s health.
Cocoa Pods
Unheard Voices in Medical Research and This Healer's Balancing Acts
As I sat across from Dr. Marwa Farooqui her words struck a chord, echoing the sentiment of countless women whose voices are often unheard in the vast expanse of medical research. This episode isn't just a discussion; it's a revelation of the leaps we've made in advocating for women's health in the fields of hematology and oncology. Contemplate the transformation that female leadership and representation bring to the medical community—how it shapes the way we approach women's health issues, and the rippling effect it has on global healthcare practices. This heartfelt conversation traverses the importance of grassroots movements, the strides we're taking to close the gaps in clinical trials, and the empowerment of women to stand as staunch advocates for their own health, especially in the face of socioeconomic and political challenges.
Peel back the curtains on my life as a female physician, where the art of balancing the roles of healer, educator, researcher, and mother is a daily performance. Amidst the laughter and culinary escapades that add flavor to family life, the narrative turns tender as I reveal how personal loss has galvanized my dedication to providing compassionate care. It's an intimate cross-section of the trials and triumphs that shape us, underscoring the message that in the pursuit of growth, every small step is a victory. As we wrap up our time with Dr. Farooqui , we celebrate the power of these conversations to spark change, not just within the walls of hospitals, but in the lives we touch every day. Join us for a journey that promises to leave you both enlightened and inspired.
as more and more women are entering medicine, we are asking questions for ourselves, first and foremost. Right, I'm a female patient. How does this treatment affect me? Empower yourself, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to ask questions, don't be afraid to learn new things. Ignore the negative noises, you know. Hold on to the positivity around you and, you know, just try to take things one step at a time.
Dr Bola Sogade:Hello and welcome to Cocoa Pods maternal mortality reduction academy. This is a feature of the birth center for natural deliveries foundation. We are recording live from the rural city of Forsyth, georgia. My name is Dr Bola Sogade. I'm a birth certified obstetrician, gynecologist, minimally invasive robotic gynecologic surgeon and a proponent for natural child delivery. We have Dr Marwah Farooqui from the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System Division of Hematology and Oncology. So basically, dr Farooqui is a blood disorder and cancer specialist. So, looking at research and future outlook, are there any promising research developments or clinical trials which is like the, you know, ultimate research related to women's health in hematology oncology that you can share with our audience? And also, what does the future hold in terms of advancement in the field of, you know, hematology oncology, women bleeding and improving outcomes for women with these conditions?
Dr Marwah Farooqui :I think it's an exciting time for women. You know, for decades, women and women's health issues had been ignored, and it's because there weren't researchers that were females. They weren't physicians who were females, and it's been a male dominated space. Science and medicine has been a male dominated space. So I think, as we're getting more women experts, women's health has come into radar, which is important, and I think that has what started this momentum. That's what has started this change where we're getting interest from our national leadership, our local leadership and women's health. We're getting more funding towards women's health Because, historically, most clinical trials were done in men, and clinical trials often exclude pregnant women, they exclude breastfeeding women, and this is a large percentage of your life as a female. So not having any data, not having any answers when it comes to that specifically is very, very difficult, and that is slowly changing as more and more women are entering medicine. We are asking questions for ourselves. First and foremost, right, I'm a female patient, how does this treatment affect me? But we're also helping bring the conversation to the table for all the other researchers that may have not thought about women's health in the past. So now women's health is a national topic. As you see, the first lady has been key in trying to bring women's health to the national agenda, and that should not just be the focus nationally, but we need to look at women's health internationally as well.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :Women are still, unfortunately, a very disadvantaged population Globally. Women are currently suffering because of something as simple as no access to care or misinformation, or just not knowing, because of ignorance. So I'm happy that the World Health Organization is also trying to bring that to light. But working at the grassroots level, working to fix at the bottom and building that foundation to build up, I think is going to be important. It's great at the national level there's a lot of momentum, but I think at the grassroots level, we need to push for change. We need to get those women to appropriate health care providers. We need to find a channel for that.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :As far as research is coming along, there is more enrollment in clinical trials for women within the United States, but is this true globally? I don't think so. I think we're still. You know, we're not there yet. We're not there yet in Africa. We're not there yet in Asia and the Middle East.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :So we really need to think globally because, you know, united States, at the end of the day is a melting pot. Not everyone's going to react the same to the medications and the treatments. So having a global approach to this is important, but starting at the grassroots level is going to be key and I really want to applaud you, dr Sugode, for doing this. You are that foundation that's bringing this knowledge to the average person, so they are equipped with their own health information and they can bring it to the doctors. Because I can't find you, but if you find me and you ask me questions, I can help you right. So I think we need to empower women with the knowledge and, you know, through podcasts like this and through, you know, just educating yourself. That's going to be key and I hope that's where, you know, the next decades take. We really need to focus on education, because without educating women, without health literacy, we're not going to know. We even have a problem.
Dr Bola Sogade:Thank you so much. I mean you know I'm from Africa originally, I'm well traveled, I'm very in touch with a global problem, so thank you for even making that mention. With respect to research, thank you, and I want to use that to pivot to patient advocacy and empowerment. You know how can women become advocates for their own health, and I know even the United States is not a monolithic environment. And then you know there are women in the United States that advocate very boldly for themselves I wonder if it's also along lines of being educated and there are women in the United States that don't even know what to advocate for for themselves. So how can women become advocates for their own health and ensure they receive the best care possible? And are there any other patient advocacy groups or organizations dedicated to supporting women with blood disorders or cancers that you think you might not have mentioned?
Dr Marwah Farooqui :So, as I mentioned, educating yourself about important health topics is going to be important, but both in the United States and on the global front, if you're just working to survive right, survive, get food on the table you're trying to protect your family from war-torn nations your last thing on your mind is going to be women's health. So I think creating support systems for these women and for these families you know, in the US we have the women's and children program, the WIC program. That's really helpful to at least, you know, get the resources needed, like food and diaper, and you know the minimal things that are available at low cost or no cost. Having those kind of resources, you know. So women are not worrying about basic survival necessities. So then they can start thinking about, you know, their health. But if you're worried about what am I going to do for my next meal, you're really not going to be worrying about your health. And you know your iron levels are way they're on the back burner. You're not even thinking about it. So I think trying to empower women through training them to be able to be self-sufficient, to be independent, you know women raise the world, moms raise the world, and you know I am biased, obviously because I'm a mom and I'm a woman, but we are capable of doing great things and I think providing that infrastructure to help women to be able to do great things is key. And then, as we bring stability both nationally and globally even in my outside of Chicago I'm talking about you know, they're worried about getting shot if they walk across the street to the clinic. If we're bringing stability to that situation, the environmental situation then we can talk about educating them.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :And once you're educated about your health I'm not talking about education in terms of, like, finding a career and all of that, but just having basic health literacy that's when you'll start asking questions. That's when you're going to, you know, take a real interest in your health, but if you don't know, if it's a problem, you're not going to even bring it up. In terms of organizations that are available for support for women, there is the American Cancer Society that does a lot of breast cancer walks. You could connect with other survivors and really they've been through it so they can become your friend through the journey. As you navigate through cancer Every group ovarian cancer, sickle cell disease, thalassemia there's multiple support groups. You just have to find it. And now, with Facebook and WhatsApp and Instagram and TikTok. Everyone is a subject matter expert.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :Take everything you hear with a grain of salt, but hey, utilize that community, utilize that community, bounce off ideas. Some patients may have had certain experiences with certain medications. I always encourage my patients hey, go to your friends who've done this before and ask them, and that helps empower them in terms of you know, my friends have done it, so now I have more confidence in this treatment. So, really being open about your health, being, you know, vocal about your health is important, but unfortunately, we're still very private about our health.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :You know, breast cancer is still a stigma, believe it or not. To this day we're talking 2024, in the United States, in Chicago suburbia, breast cancer will be a stigma no one wants to talk about. You know, hey, I have breast cancer and I need to go through mastectomy, I'm going to have chemo done and I'm going to lose all of my hair. It's okay. You know, recognizing that as providers, that there's a lot of emotional support needed and that emotional support sometimes healthcare can't provide that. So if you can get that emotional support from friends and family and other survivors, that will help you navigate through the other just as important things.
Dr Bola Sogade:Well, thank you, thank you, you know. Thank you for those answers. I just want to talk about some fun things about you. So I have two questions for you. Can you paint us a picture of your day to day activities and a fun item about you, and the second part of that question. I always have a second part to my two questions. Can you please discuss an item outside of your primary area of specialization? You know, special poem, food or culture, because I lay listeners will want to know a little bit more about you.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :Okay, so my day to day life. I wear several different hats. I am a mom first and I feel like that's the part that I struggle with the most. And you know my kids are very, very young you may be able to hear them in the background. So sorry about that. And my kids are home firm snow day today.
Dr Bola Sogade:So I remember, you know, cutting birthday cakes in my scrubs and my beeper and everything. This is the reality of female physicians, you know. Please tell your kids. Thank you for allowing me to take their mom for a little bit.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :I well know, I've been in meetings all day, so they kind of.
Dr Bola Sogade:Yeah, like mom, yeah. So I want to show the realness of a working mom.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :Yeah, sure, all right. So getting back to a little bit about my day, my daily day, usually my day centers around trying to figure out family and my kids and my work. So at work things are difficult, but everything is scheduled. You know how to plan your day. For the most part, I wear a couple different hats. I'm a clinician, so I see patients on a regular basis, but I'm also a teaching attending, so I teach classes and I teach residents and students. And I'm also a researcher, so I work on my research when I'm not doing the other two things. So it's a combination of things and each day is variable. Some days it's meetings all day, like it is today, some days it's clinical work all day, and some days it's a mix of teaching, and I find enjoyment in all those three different things, so sorry. So I enjoy doing all those three different activities and it's a variation, so I don't really get bored. When I get bored with one thing, I can jump to the other. So I really like being in academia because of that. It gives me an avenue to be able to do multiple different things and I find a lot of satisfaction just from working with a variety of people, whether it's research, scientists or students or trainees, and especially a lot of the gratitude. The gratitude comes from working with patients who are dealing with these chronic and sometimes even terminal conditions. So that's part of my daily routine. An interesting fact about me well, it changes every couple months.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :Now that it's wintertime, I've taken up ice skating again, and the reason for ice skating was because my daughter we were traveling to New York two years ago for a conference and she saw by a Rockefeller there's an ice skating ring and she saw people ice skating and she decided she liked ice skating. At that time she was four. So then she enrolled herself in classes and then she wanted me to do it. That's how I got into it. I bought a pair of skates which were kind of expensive, but then as soon as I bought those skates I stopped using it. So this winter I finally pulled them out and got back into ice skating. So that's a new skill I'm trying to learn.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :I'm in my 30s I won't tell you exactly where, but somewhere in my mid 30s. I really think what keeps me going is I want to try to learn new skills, whether it's professionally or personally, and it keeps life interesting. So taking up ice skating again. It's a scary thing. Most people worry about falling or breaking bones, but it's also exciting trying to learn new things and pushing yourself to the limit and see where you can go. So that's a fun thing about me. I try to experiment new things and things that are challenging. I don't shy away from challenge.
Dr Bola Sogade:And you like cooking and trying international recipes, right.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :I do like cooking Right now I'm staying away from cooking just because it's after holidays and I'm trying to lose weight but I do like making a lot of international food and that's how I introduce culture to my kids. And so you know well, every couple of weeks we'll pick a country and I'll do my best attempt to making food from that country and I'll introduce their culture and current events or historic things that are important. And you know, as a family we try to learn more about other cultures through food, because there's only so much traveling you can do. But you know, really food is what resonates with everyone.
Dr Bola Sogade:So you know before we go to our closing thoughts. I know you did have a personal experience with a family member with cancer.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :My first death that I've ever experienced was when I was 10 years old.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :You know, ever since I remember it was my aunt, my mom's oldest sister, ever since I remember she was a breast cancer survivor.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :So, you know, I always remember her being as the aunt that has been sick because of cancer and she, from my earliest memories of her, all I can remember is like chemotherapy and, you know, eventually she ended up passing away when I was 10 years old and to this day that memory really is ingrained in my brain, but also all of the dynamics that happened surrounding her debt, whether it was with her kids, whether it was with her siblings, her parents and her physicians, the talk about end-of-life care, the talk about chemotherapy, and, you know, I remember her losing all of her hair.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :I remember her husband talking about hospice and her sisters being, you know, taken aback about why are we? You know, why is she hospice? She's only in her late 30s. How can we accept someone to die so early? I just remember that dynamic and now, when I'm looking back, you know, at that time I would always be interested in breast cancer and now, as I get into my patient care, especially when I'm seeing patients with cancer. I'm able to, you know, remember that situation and I really think having that personal connection and going through what I did at a young age helps me resonate with my patients and families better.
Dr Bola Sogade:Well, what a powerful story. Thank you so much for sharing that Now. You said that was the first death.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :That's the first death I ever experienced.
Dr Bola Sogade:Oh, ok, ok. Well, thank you. I just want to, you know, thank Dr Mawa Farouki for coming to Cocoa Pods podcast. Dr Mawa Farouki, just so much information shared, so many personal experiences and, in closing, do you have any final advice or words of encouragement for women who may be listening, whether they are patients, they are caregivers or just individuals interested in women's health?
Dr Marwah Farooqui :So the final message I would have for women is you know, empower yourself, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to ask questions, don't be afraid to learn new things. Ignore the negative noises. You know, hold on to the positive positivity around you. And you know, just try to take things one step at a time and, you know, you'll grow. Always focus on growth. You know, don't don't get bogged down in the negativity of things. Don't get bogged down. And you know what's what's not possible. Think about what's possible and go for what's possible. You know, sometimes the easiest route to take is the easiest route to take. Don't make things harder than it needs to be for yourself. So you know, always remember, as long as you're making progress, even if it's baby steps, no effort goes to waste. So if you're putting in your, you know, even if you're putting in your 20%, that 20% will go to waste. So always try to be helpful and, you know, aim for the best that you can.
Dr Bola Sogade:Wow, we, the members of Coco Pud's podcast, we want to and myself, we want to extend our most grand appreciation to Dr Faroukki for her willingness to participate in Coco Pud's podcast, and this is a podcast that we do believe can make a change. So thank you so very much for coming to Coco Pud's podcast.
Dr Marwah Farooqui :Thank you for having me Dr Sogade to Cocoa pods Podcast . I really enjoyed my conversation with you.
