ASK ME ANYTHING 2 DONT SAY THE CWORD I DONT WANNA KNOW-Sydel_LeGrande__M_D___-webcam-00h_00m_00

Dr. Fidel LeGrand is a primary care physician who also practices pain management, aesthetic medicine, and integrative medicine. He has a telemedicine practice called MyMD2Me where patients can make appointments for immediate care. He emphasizes the importance of treating HIV with life-saving drugs and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Dr. LeGrand also discusses the reluctance of African Americans to seek medical help for cancer, leading to late-stage diagnoses. He explains how cancer develops in the body and the importance of understanding its causes and ways to decrease the risk of developing it. Welcome back to Ask Me Anything for Health Sake, right here, FM 106, the voice of Polk County. This is Dr. Fidel LeGrand, and let me tell you, I am so happy to be back. I am happy to be back. I heard that you guys have been playing that first recording over and over again, but you know what? That's okay. The more you hear it, the better to get deep down into your spirit. You'll understand better, and you'll be able to tell somebody else what you've learned. So I'm glad you had an opportunity for those who are regular listeners to 106. I am very happy that today we have another show that you can share, right? I'm so happy. Once again, my name is Dr. Fidel LeGrand. I have practices in Tampa, Florida, and St. Pete Beach, Florida. I'm a primary care family practice physician, but I also do pain management, and I also do aesthetic medicine. And I'm really getting involved in what's called integrative medicine, which involves holistic natural medicine, and I combine it with traditional medicine. And I will love to tell you more about that another day. But for right now, I want to share also with you the fact that I have a practice that is a telemedicine practice, and it's called MyMD2Me. And you have an opportunity to be my patient any time you want by going to the website, MyMD2Me.com, make an appointment, and we can see each other face-to-face, and I can take care of you. I'm not going to replace your primary care doctor. This is just for emergencies. I shouldn't say emergencies. Urgencies, things that you want done right now. It's a matter of convenience sometimes. Sometimes you can't get into your doctor to see your doctor at the time you want to see him or her. Sometimes you have to operate on their time. You may have to go to work, have your baby have a fever, and that means you have to take off work. But wouldn't it be nice to just go to your phone and punch in MyMD2Me.com, get an immediate appointment, talk to me or one of my nurse practitioners, and we can get your baby seen, get the medication that he or she needs, and you are back to work, and they are going to get better quickly. So it's a matter of convenience. That's MyMD2Me.com. You are welcome to come and join my patient population and be one of my patients, not a regular one. I'm not going to take the place of your primary care with MyMD2Me, but I'm there to fill in that blank. When you are ready to see a doctor on your time, when you need to, I'm there for you, MyMD2Me. So here we go. We are back. Ask me anything for health's sake, and I say that because you can ask me anything. When we go live, you'll be able to call in, and we'll be on live and talk about whatever we're talking about that time on the show, and you'll have an opportunity to ask questions, and I can answer them. I look forward to that. But right now, you can go to my Gmail account, AskDrLagrande, L-E-G-R-A-N-D-E, AskDrLagrande.com, and all you need to do is ask your question, anything that you feel like you want to ask, and I will right here. Online, share with you exactly what it is, whatever the answer is, and if for some reason I don't know the answer, I will find it and bring it to you because, trust me, I can find it. Even if I don't know it, I know how to research. So that's AskDrLagrande at Gmail.com. I'll be happy to answer your questions as you get them from the conversations that we have. Now, last time we talked about HIV, you know, is it still a thing, and absolutely it is. HIV is still alive. It is still killing people, not at the rate that it did 20 years ago, by no way. There's so much research that has been done and great treatments that are available to those who are HIV infected, so there is absolutely no excuse. If you are HIV infected or you have a loved one that is HIV infected, make sure they get treated because those are life-saving drugs. If you do not use the life-saving drugs, you are putting yourself at risk for getting full-blown AIDS and ending your life. It is not necessary. You can live almost a normal life if you take good care of yourself. Your lifestyle has a lot to do with it. If you're doing drugs and have a sex with anybody and they come your way, that's a risky lifestyle that will not end well with you. But if you take care of yourself, if you eat right, exercise, don't have sex with people other than the one you're married to, you know, don't drink and do drugs, you can live a very long life. So I want to make sure I say that in regards to HIV. If I didn't say it the last time we had a conversation here on this radio station, I want to make sure I tell you that. Live a life that is pleasing to yourself and to God, and it will make it a whole lot easier, even if you have the virus, to stay alive. So tonight and today, our conversation has to do with something nobody ever wants to talk about. It's like, you know, just don't tell me. I mean, don't even mention the C word to me. I don't want to know about it. So unfortunately, particularly those of us of African descent, black folk, we tend to not like to go to the doctor and get bad news. If we feel like something's wrong with us, oftentimes we just won't go because we don't want anybody to tell us we have the big C or cancer. Nobody wants to hear it. Nobody wants to know about it. And unfortunately, we then wait way too long to get help. In general, the statistics indicate, as far as African Americans are concerned, we wait a long time to get help. And oftentimes it's too late. The cancer is advanced. And so we're diagnosed in later stages than other people of our community. So that's one of the biggest things I want to talk about today as we discuss cancer. Cancer is not something anybody want to get a diagnosis of. It is something that most people consider an automatic death sentence. It is the last thing any of us want to think about or talk about. But that's why we are here. Ask me anything for health's sake because I want to talk to you about what you don't want to hear. I want to talk to you about the things that are going to be important to you and the people that you love. First of all, you need to know what cancer is. You need to know why and how cancer happens in our bodies. And we need to have a real good understanding as to what you can do to decrease your risk for getting cancer. So that's what we're going to talk about today on Ask Me Anything for Health's Sake. Remember, any questions, you can certainly e-mail to askdoctorlegrand at gmail.com. And I promise you I will read them and I will respond. I will respond on air if I can. But if not, I will get back to you via e-mail. That's askdoctorlegrande at gmail.com. So first of all, the question is what is cancer? Cancer, what is it? How does it develop? What is it about our bodies that allows cancer to develop? And so, first of all, we need to understand that cancer cells develop and can develop from any type of cell in the body. Cells, of course, are what our bodies are made of. Our skin is made of cells. When you look at any part of your body with a microscope, what you see are cells. Cells carry the DNA. Cells carry the powerhouse for the cell for it to be able to live and to function. Cells, in general, have certain things that they do by nature. God has sort of programmed them to do. Cells grow. But when they grow to a certain point, they divide. And when they divide and when they touch each other, they go continue to go only so far. And then they stop. Normal cells. Normal cells don't keep replicating and piling up on top of each other and not obeying the natural laws that cells have, that God has created or programmed cells to be. You know, normal cells, they grow, they divide and they die. You know, all in a controlled manner. When they touch each other, they don't continue to grow. They stop growing. But the DNA of cells can be changed and they can be changed by a lot of different things that disrupt the normal mechanism of how the cell works. And it changes the way division happens. The growth happens. And it also changes the way the fact that cells stop growing and die off when they are crowded together. They normally do that. But when the DNA is altered, when there's some sort of perhaps genetic mutation in a gene, then cancer can develop because what ends up happening is the way the cell operates has been genetically changed. So when cells now continue to grow, even when they supposed to stop growing, they form what's called a tumor. Now, malignant tumors or cancerous tumors then invade the normal tissue. They take over the tissue. They can spread. They can get into the bloodstream and go to other parts of the body. We call that metastasis. So these cells are absolutely abnormal and they will take over whatever part of the body, whatever cells are involved. If it's a lung cancer and there's different types of lung cancer. If there's breast cancer, if it's prostate cancer, if it's colon cancer, you name it, any part of the body, any cell can become cancerous. So we want to make sure you understand that cancer can happen to anybody. Now, I want to talk about the most common causes of the most common types of cancer that is found in women and in men. The very most common. Those are the two I'm going to cover today. And we're absolutely not going to spend a lot of time on them outside of the fact that you need to understand that they do exist and you have an opportunity to decrease your chances of getting these cancers just by your lifestyle and some of the choices that you make. I really, really, really want you to understand that there are some things that you can do to prevent being at risk or higher risk for cancer. So that's the purpose of this broadcast. To talk about that big C. To talk about what nobody wants to talk about. To share with you what cancer is, what cancer does, and what you can do to decrease your risk of getting cancer. First of all, you can say the word because you've got to realize that when you try to make out like it doesn't exist, that doesn't make it go away. Not going to get a mammogram, ladies, because you're afraid that it's going to be positive for cancer does not make cancer go away. Not going to your doctor, gentlemen, and checking your prostate and doing your PSAs is not okay. And it does not make the cancer go away. So if cancer has occurred in your body, you need to know about it as soon as possible so that something can be done about it. So that is what we're going to be talking about today. Let's start with the men. Usually we have women first, but we're going to talk about the men first. And the number one cancer in men, black men, all men, is prostate cancer. Prostate cancer. Now, what in the world is a prostate? Well, first of all, we have to understand that the prostate is something that a lot of people don't even realize that they have, and it's part of your reproductive system. You know, its primary goal is to create and nourish, produce semen and nourish the sperm in a man. It's part of your reproductive system. It is not anything to do with your bladder, even though it is very close to the bladder. It is right, it is located just below the bladder and surrounds the urethra, which is the tube that urine goes through from the bladder. So it is where semen, that liquid that is in when a man is having sex, that liquid, that comes from the prostate. The prostate gland is the sexual organ. It's a reproductive organ. And so there's all kinds of things that can happen with the prostate. I mean, you can have an infection of the prostate, which is called prostatitis. You can have what's called BPH, which is benign prostatic hypertrophy, which is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that occurs as you get older. Some of the symptoms that men may have is urinary frequency, got to go to the bathroom all the time. Sometimes they have a weak stream, difficulty starting or stopping urination. That's usually benign prostatic hyperplasia, but that or BPH. And that is not cancer. However, those same symptoms sometimes can be the symptoms of prostate cancer. So the only way you know for sure is to go to your doctor, get the blood test called a PSA, Prostatic Specific Antigen. And that will help us determine if indeed your prostate has a problem in regards to it possibly being cancerous. The only way we know for sure, for sure, for sure is a biopsy, a tissue diagnosis. So if you go to your doctor and you find out that your PSA is elevated, your doctor is going to want to get a biopsy of your prostate gland. Now, I personally have two friends, one that just died and one that just got diagnosed. Two men that I know that's very close to me that I love that are my friends that have prostate cancer. There's three men that I know right now that have had prostate cancer. And my little small circle of people who I know, I know those who are listening to me today. You know someone with cancer and if you are a man, you may have been diagnosed with BPH. You may have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. And so, therefore, you need to listen and you also need to share what you are learning today. But those who have not had that diagnosis and you are a man, you are at risk just because you're a man and you have a prostate. You are at risk. Prostate cancer is still the number one cause of cancer death in this country among all men and especially black men. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer and death in black men in particular. But we're going to talk about prostate cancer right now because I want you to understand the importance of getting tested for prostate cancer. And the only way that's going to happen is to go to your doctor. And if you don't have a doctor, then go to a clinic. If you're in St. Petersburg, you can go to the clinic there. You can go to a health department. You can go if you're in Polk County. There has to be a health department where you are. You can find ways to get your prostate checked. You find money to do other things with. Go to a doctor. Go to a private doctor and get a full exam and get your blood work checked to see if your PSA is elevated. It is worth it. It is worth it. You are worth it. So please, please, men and women, as you listen to this, please, please make sure that the men in your life get their prostate checked. This is something that is just devastating our community. I'm watching men whom I love suffer and die. As a matter of fact, just last week, I buried a very close, close friend who succumbed to prostate cancer. He had had it for four years and and he was doing well for a while. He went through some of the treatments. There's chemo. There's radiation. There's removing of the testicles so the hormones are decreased. There's all kinds of treatments that are available in regards to prostate cancer, as I said, surgery, radiation, chemo, and immunotherapy, which is different, a newer way of dealing with cancer. And immunotherapy deals with your immune system. And it literally identifies particular kinds of cells, cancer cells, and teaches your immune system to target it. It's complicated, but at the same time, it's very interesting and has been very helpful in increasing life span of people who have different types of cancers and also prostate cancer. So I want the biggest thing in regards to what I want to make sure those who are listening to me understand is that the greatest thing you can do for yourself is get checked because early detection is everything. Early detection is everything. So that means you get regular checkups. That means you get regular screening. That means you let your doctor or your health department or however you want to do it. Get a PSA. If you don't have anybody, you can't figure out what to do, please just go to AskDrLaGrande at gmail.com and I will get tell me where you live and I will find a place and let you know where you can go. Get a PSA test and also to see a doctor for a full evaluation and not only check for prostate, but also just get an overall evaluation. On Ask Anything for Health Sake, we're going to talk about many of the health concerns that we have to deal with in our community. So I'm starting with what nobody wants to talk about. I'm starting with cancer because cancer is the one everybody is most afraid of and I'm going to tell you something. Please do not fear cancer. Don't fear anything because cancer has a name and you know what? It has to bow to the name of Jesus. We have to understand who we are in Christ. We have to understand that God is God and there is absolutely nothing that he can't do. So we need to recognize that. We have to understand that there's healing and power in the name of Jesus. So whatever the case is, whatever the situation is that you're dealing with, if you have cancer, if you believe you have cancer, first of all, pray. Pray, pray, pray. Cover yourself with the blood of Jesus. Stand in agreement with another person who understands and knows how to pray. That's important. Take care of yourself. My brothers, please take care of yourself. Oftentimes you take care of everybody else. You make sure, but you won't go to the doctor. It's something about being a man that you tend to not take care of yourself. So I am imploring you, this is the number one cause of cancer in men, and it can be caught early. It can be cured if caught early enough. And so I am asking you to please find a way to get yourself checked. The most common cancer in women is breast cancer, and I think most of us knew that. Breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths in women. And so, therefore, women, the best way of avoiding having to deal with end-stage cancer is to get regular mammograms every single year. Mammograms, if there's any kind of abnormality, get the follow-up treatment, whether it's a CT, CAT scan, whether it's an ultrasound, whatever the follow-up is. Do not be afraid of an abnormality that was told to you and then don't follow up with it. That is the worst possible thing you can do. So I want you women to please go to your doctor. Again, if you don't have a doctor and you don't know where to go, call, I mean, e-mail me at askdrlegrande, L-E-G-R-A-N-D-E, at gmail.com. Also know that if you have any kind of medical concern, you definitely can just click on your computer or your phone, the website, mymd, the number two, me.com, and decide when you want to be seen, put in an appointment for a consultation, and we will talk face-to-face via telemedicine, and we will have an opportunity to hear whatever it is that's going on with you and take care of it, if it's possible to take care of via telemedicine. But whatever you do, if you have a primary care doctor, if you have a doctor that you go to on a regular basis, please, women, get your mammogram every year. Do breast self-exams. That is so important. Every time you get in your shower while you're nice and soapy, you know, check your breasts. Check your breasts. If you have, if you're married and your husband is there with you and you guys are on good terms, and I pray that you are, let him check your breasts. Sometimes it's better for another person to check because they can feel things you can't feel. So these are the things that really need to happen. I know it sounds weird and it doesn't all sound too romantic. I understand that. But this is something that you need to do as women to make sure that you are around for your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. You know, it is God's desire. It is absolutely his desire that we be healthy and whole. You know, it is important that he wants that we understand that God wants us to be healthy and whole in order to fulfill what he has put us on this earth to do. So in order for us to do that, we have to make sure that we don't put ourselves at risk for the cancers that can take us out. And so the question is, you know, what is it can we do? What can we do to stop cancer from overtaking us? What are some of the things that put us at risk for cancer? Well, of course, genetic mutations happen. That's how it happens. And it can happen by the wrong kinds of food we eat, what's called something that's called free radical, processed food, foods that are that basically are chemically made, not natural foods, genetically modified foods. All those kinds of foods are not the best for us. The best foods we can eat are live vegetables and fruit, fresh, non-hormone bred meat. So grass fed beef. And, you know, trying to stay away from pork as much as possible. We're not saying that you have to eliminate pork from your diet. But, you know, it is definitely true that pork can solicit problems with people who already have issues like high blood pressure and things of that nature. And we really don't even know why that happens, but we know that it does. So whatever the case is, I want you all to understand that some lifestyle choices can make a difference. If you are a tobacco smoker, stop. Because cigarette smoke can add to cancer development, not just in the lungs, but anywhere in the body. A poor diet of processed foods, like I just told you, can do it. You know, it is important that you try to get stress out of your life as much as you can. Because stress causes chronic inflammation. And chronic inflammation over a long period of time contributes to the DNA damage and increasing likelihood of cancer development. So these are the things that you can do, you can stop doing, that allows you to be able to live a longer life. So the big C, listen, you've got to stop deciding that you just don't want to hear. That you won't go to the doctor because you don't want to know what's wrong with you. That is absolutely insane. Please don't do that. Please go and understand what's going on with your body. When you notice something that is wrong going on in your body, take the time to go and get it checked out. Pray. Put your hands, lay your hands on your body. Believe God for your own personal healing. It is his desire that we be in good health and prosper as our soul prospers. As the word of God says. God is our healer. He is Jehovah Rapha. He is the one who loves us and cares about our health. And so therefore, as the great physician that he is, go to him. Let him show you what you need to do for you. And then do everything you can for yourself. God gives us the power to do what we need to do for ourselves. He gives us strategic plans if we ask him. So I am saying to you. Whether you are a man, whether you are a woman. You have an obligation to yourself and to the people who love you to take care of you. It is so important that you do that. So let me just leave you with this. This is so important. Ask Dr. LeGrand at gmail.com. You can ask me anything. But let me leave you with this. Pay attention to you. Take care of you. Love you. Go to your doctor and get checkups. If you don't have a doctor, MyMD2Me is here for you to get you at least started. And then ask Dr. LeGrand at gmail.com. We will help you find someone or find a place to get the types of testing, the types of screenings that you need. I look forward to continue to talking with you about these things. And I am believing God. Father, I just pray right now for those who are listening. In the name of Jesus, I pray, oh God, that any cancer cells that are in the bodies of anyone that is in the sound of my voice. I speak death to those cells right now. And I speak life to the bodies. Life to the bodies. From the top of their head to the bottom of their feet. That the cells will function properly. That every cell in their body will work according to the way you created it, oh God. I plead the precious blood of Jesus over them. From the top of their head to the bottom of their feet. I cover them with the precious blood of Jesus. And I speak health, healing, and wholeness. Spirit, soul, and body. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. Thank you so much for tuning in to Ask Me Anything for Health's Sake. This is Dr. Sadele LeGrand. And I look forward to learning and hearing what you need to know. I want to know what you need to know. God bless you. And until next time, I'll see you then. Amen.