Expert Commentary
Joyce Survives and Thrives After Ruptured Brain Aneurysm
May 29, 2020 was a regular day for Rappahannock County, VA, resident and mom of two Joyce (Menefee) Steward, 53. She came home around midday after running some errands – and everything changed in an instant. “The dizziness came on so suddenly. With the snap of a finger, the room was spinning. Then, I began…
Read MoreBy Fighting Skin Cancer Misconceptions, We Can Screen More Patients and Save More Lives
Patricia Lucey, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at the Inova Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center. She has a special interest in the diagnosis and management of melanoma and other skin cancers. Skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in the United States — a fact that can sound discouraging. But another fact we know…
Read MoreFighting a Cancer Epidemic With a Vaccine
John Deeken, MD, is president of the Inova Schar Cancer Institute. He is board-certified in medical oncology and specializes in head and neck cancers. Quitting smoking. Eating better. Wearing sunscreen. These are all well-known behaviors that can lower cancer risk. But there’s another, less-heralded way to reduce cancer odds: get vaccinated. Specifically, vaccination against the…
Read MoreWhat to Expect on an Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit
Mohammed (Ashi) Azam, MD, is a board certified psychiatrist. Although they can be just as devastating, mental health challenges have long taken a backseat to physical illnesses. This often-invisible suffering, and the stigma surrounding it, cause many people to choose not to seek care for mental health concerns. Mental illness is more common than you…
Read MoreSupporting Mental Health for All: Promoting Awareness, Reducing Barriers
Jawad I. Chaudhry, MD, is a psychiatrist and serves as the Section Chief, Adult Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit at Inova Fairfax Hospital. In honor of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in July, Inova is helping to shine a light on the specific challenges communities of color and other marginalized groups face in acknowledging mental…
Read MoreIs Prostate Cancer Slow Growing? Often, Yes — But That’s Not the Whole Story
Prostate cancer, unlike other forms of cancer, often grows slowly. That fact can make screening, treatment and potential outcomes seem a little less intimidating. However, prostate cancer’s slow-growing tendency can obscure other, more complicated aspects of detection and treatment. First, decisions on when to get screened and how to respond to the results are complex,…
Read MoreMinimally Invasive Spine Surgery Gets Consuela Back on Her Feet
Consuela Stephens is always on the go. The 74-year-old keeps busy gardening, cooking, and caring for her twin sister, who is ill. When Consuela had to have knee surgery, she expected that she’d be back to her active life in a few weeks. But while recovering, she began to have painful back spasms, which eventually…
Read MoreTips to Help Moms Reset Their Personal Boundaries
Chandrika Balgobin, DO, PMH-C, is a perinatal psychiatrist with Inova Women’s Behavioral Health Services. What are boundaries, and why are they important? In psychological terms, a boundary is a mental line that helps determine what is and is not “okay.” A boundary serves to “protect the integrity of an individual or group or that helps…
Read MoreDads and Depression: Raising Awareness
Tara Croan, LCSW, PMH-C, women’s behavioral health therapist, Inova Women’s Behavioral Health Services; Sarah Orrison, LCSW, women’s behavioral health therapist, Inova Behavioral Health Services; and Rushi Vyas, MD, psychiatrist. When a couple welcomes a new baby into the family, everything changes. The parents tend to focus on the new baby’s needs and on the new…
Read MoreRachelle Defies MS with Strength and Medical Partnership
It happened all of a sudden. Her legs felt different – heavy, numb and tingly. She ignored it for a few days and figured it would go away. As a 16-year-old, she had better things to focus on – getting used to a new high school, making friends and passing her driving test. But after…
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