Life Changing Weekend

As fall migration begins and birds travel to warmer climates, the risk of avian influenza—or bird flu—remains a concern for U.S. poultry - and to backyard chicken coops.  To talk more about this, we’re joined on this episode of The Life Changing Weekend by Dr. Chrislyn Wood Nicholson from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services.

Plus, Barbie Johnson, Tisha Winkler and Amenna Scott are The DYNAMIC THREE - a trio of young women dedicated to inspiring, empowering and transforming lives through storytelling.  Each writer brings a unique voice life experience and mission to the literary world, creating books that uplift, challenge and spark meaningful conversations.  

Menopause isn’t a diagnosis, it’s a transition experienced by 50% of the population.  With it comes many symptoms that women must address with their physicians and one effective way of treating symptoms of menopause is with hormone replacement therapy.  To talk with us about this, Dr. Suzette Sutherland returns to The Life Changing Weekend in an extended podcast cut of the show!

Check out Dr. Sutherland's podcast at www.backtable.com 

In Woodbridge and Manassas, there are safe, welcoming places for moms and dads in crisis. Life First pregnancy medical centers offer a wide variety of caring, Gospel-informed, Life-affirming services and counseling to unexpectedly expecting parents.  The services are free to these new parents thanks to the support of our generous friends.  To talk with us about this incredible non-profit ministry, we're joined by the CEO of Life First, Becky Sheetz.  

LifeFirstVA.org

September is Suicide Prevention Month and one church in Stafford, Virginia, is making intervention part of their ministry.  Stafford Seventh Day Adventist Church in Stafford is hosting suicide prevention workshop on September 27 and today, we’re joined by Pastor Chris Sealey of Stafford SDA to talk with us about this important subject.

www.StaffordSDA.org

Need help?  Call the National Suicide HelpLine at 988.  Just dial 988.

My good buddy Greg Seltz joins us on this episode of The Life Changing Weekend.  Greg joined WAVA over a year ago as a fill-in host for The Don Kroah Show when Don was out sick.  He eventually became one of three hosts when the afternoon show was renamed The Drive Home.  Now, starting September 8, Greg will become THE five-day-a-week host for The Drive Home which airs LIVE, 4-6pm on WAVA!  (You can also stream the show live on WAVA.com.)  

This is the extended and uncut conversation with Greggie, the broadcast version had to be cut down a bit for programming purposes.  Here, Greg offers deeper explanations into his inspirations, motivations and experiences.  A lively, casual conversation between two friends, because really, the world needs MORE GREG!

A recent new survey from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine shows many women are unaware of key risk factors for breast cancer. The group promotes a four-pronged approach endorsed by the American Medical Association: eat a whole food, plant-based diet, exercise regularly, limit alcohol and maintain a healthy weight, along with regular screenings and appropriate medical care.

This strategy is at the heart of the Let’s Beat Breast Cancer campaign, with rallies across the country - including this month in DC and Maryland – with health care professionals and survivors sharing stories, fitness classes, healthy food and prevention tips and more.

To talk with us about the survey and we’re joined by Board-Certified Breast Cancer Surgeon, Dr. Kristi Funk, MD, and to tell us about her story, breast cancer survivor Nikia Lightfoot.

If you think eating a plant-based diet means spending more, you are not alone, but a new national survey from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine reveals that more than 60% of U.S. adults incorrectly believe a plant-based diet is more expensive than one with meat and dairy.  To discuss why plant-based meals are often more affordable than people think and how simple grocery swaps can lead to big savings, we're joined by registered dietitian Xavier Toledo, of the Physicians Committee.

America is facing numerous crises in its healthcare system: the primary care shortage, a changing nursing workforce, threats to healthcare professionals and the general public’s diminishing trust in healthcare professionals. Today on the Life Changing Weekend, we’re joined by two guests to discuss these growing challenges.

But first, leading the charge to meet the primary care shortage challenge are Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (COMS).  Osteopathic doctors, or DOs, are trained to look beyond symptoms to understand how lifestyle and environmental factors impact well-being.  These doctors wants to address these issues and bring back a holistic approach to healthcare.  To offer perspectives and solutions to these issues, our first guest is Dr. Robert Cain, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

Major challenges face the U.S. nursing workforce, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has released the most comprehensive nursing workforce data available today. This new research—gathered from a national survey of 800,000 nurses—offers critical insight into how the profession is faring since the COVID-19 pandemic and what challenges remain. To talk about the survey findings, we’re joined by Brendan Martin, Research Director at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

A cancer awareness episode on this week's Life Changing Weekend.  First up, Jody Hoyos, CEO of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, discusses the foundation’s 2025 Early Detection Survey, showing that just 51% of U.S. adults 21 years of age and older say that they have had a routine medical appointment or routine cancer screening in the last year. This is a 10-percentage point drop from the 2024 survey.

Next, we're joined by 10-year-old juvenile cancer survivor Jackson Trinh discusses his cancer journey. 

On today’s episode of The Life Changing Weekend, we go to the DOGS!  Training dogs is tough, but our guest today says, “Take Chances, Make Opportunities”!  And one way to do that is to ADOPT A DOG!  To discuss this, we're joined by Chrissy Joy, a celebrity dog trainer, live performer, studio canine trainer, and educator with over two decades of animal training experience. She rescued her first dog, Beasley, in 2014 and now owns four dogs that make up The Joy Crew.

Many adults are faced with aging parents who want to stay in their beloved homes.  To talk about this and how to make it all possible, I’m joined by Rodney Harrell, Vice President, Family, Home and Community (FHC) for AARP.

I’m also joined by Sue Peschin, President & CEO, Alliance for Aging Research to discuss the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease, and a new poll that shows an overwhelming demand for relief for Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers, by improving access to innovative, FDA-approved early treatments.

An Estimated 2.5% of the U.S. Population Has Heart Valve Disease, Yet 3 out of 4 U.S. Adults Know Little to Nothing About It. To talk more about this, The Life Changing Weekend welcomes Dr. Janet S. Wright, MD, Director of CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.

Learn more at www.cdc.gov/KnowYourHeart

Also, every 34 seconds, someone dies from heart disease yet, the good news is that effective treatments exist for risk factors like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  To talk more about heart disease, we’re joined by Dr. Clyde Yancy, Chief of Cardiology, Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute.

Learn more at www.nm.org/heart

Hear The Life Changing Weekend ON THE RADIO with host Tom Boone on 105.1FM WAVA, Saturday at 10am and Sunday at 6:30pm.

Also, listen on AM570 The Answer, Sunday at 8am and 3pm.

You can also listen to The Life Changing Weekend anytime by going to www.WAVA.com/podcast

Adequate protein intake is vital for everyone’s diet, both kids and adults. For children and teens, protein supports growth and development, energy and focus and overall well-being. For adults, protein can reduce hunger levels, boost metabolism, and help your body repair after injury.  To further discuss the benefits of protein in our diets, we’re joined today on the Life Changing Weekend by Registered Dietitian Amy Goodson. 

Also, new study is highlighting the potential financial savings resulting from weight loss demonstrating that even small reductions in weight can lead to long-term cost savings, including lower healthcare expenses, reduced absenteeism, and better overall quality of life.  Study author Dr. Kenneth Thorpe, Ph.D, Chairman of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), joins us to discuss this study further!

Hear The Life Changing Weekend ON THE RADIO with host Tom Boone on 105.1FM WAVA, Saturday at 10am and Sunday at 6:30pm.

Also, listen on AM570 The Answer, Sunday at 8am and 3pm.

Overactive Bladder (OAB) is the sudden, often uncontrollable, urge to urinate, along with other symptoms.  OAB symptoms affect millions of Americans causing them to rearrange many aspects of their personal lives to accommodate the constant need for a bathroom.  On this episode of The Life Changing Weekend, we’re joined by Dr. Suzette Sutherland, of the American Urological Association, to talk with us about this syndrome.

Learn more at www.AUANET.org 

Hear The Life Changing Weekend ON THE RADIO with host Tom Boone on 105.1FM WAVA, Saturday at 10am and Sunday at 6:30pm.

Also, listen on AM570 The Answer, Sunday at 8am and 3pm.

On this episode of The Life Changing Weekend, we’re joined by George Karavetsos, of the Partnership for Safe Medicines to discuss a recent report detailing unauthorized, illegal and suspicious ingredients in popular compounded weight loss drugs that were found to be flooding into the U.S. from foreign sources.   

View the report here: https://www.safemedicines.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/PSM-White-Paper-v1-PUBLIC-VERSION.pdf

Learn more at www.safemedicines.org

We’re also joined by Kathleen Wilson, PhD, of American Association of Nurse Practitioners to talk about the dangers of overusing ACETAMINOPHEN, and to talk about a helpful new DOSING CALCULATOR tool.

Learn more at www.knowyourdose.org

Hear The Life Changing Weekend ON THE RADIO with host Tom Boone on 105.1FM WAVA, Saturday at 10am and Sunday at 6:30pm.

Also, listen on AM570 The Answer, Sunday at 8am and 3pm.

You can also listen to The Life Changing Weekend anytime by going to www.WAVA.com/podcast

In 2011, Michelle Darnell and her husband Brett developed a plan to open the Belle Grove Plantation as a historic site and event location.  Over the decade, the couple renovated and repaired inside and out, purchased an endless array of period furniture and décor and spent hundreds of hours researching and uncovering the lost history of Belle Grove Plantation. On this episode of The Life Changing Weekend, Michelle talks about her journey and the challenges of restoring and maintaining a centuries-old historic home.   

Visit www.bellegroveplantation.org for more information.

Also on this episode of The Life Changing Weekend, Lora Monfared, Head of Consumer Credit Card Products at Bank of America, talks about savvy, money-saving summer travel tips you can use year round!

Learn more at www.bettermoneyhabits.com

Hear The Life Changing Weekend ON THE RADIO with host Tom Boone on 105.1FM WAVA, Saturday at 10am and Sunday at 6:30pm.

Also, listen on AM570 The Answer, Sunday at 8am and 3pm.

You can also listen to The Life Changing Weekend anytime by going to www.WAVA.com/podcast

June is PTSD Awareness Month and Canine Companions Executive Director Debra Dougherty joins host Tom Boone on the next episode of The Life Changing Weekend to talk about their dogs and how they help those living with PTSD.   Canine Companions is the oldest and largest service dog provider in the country is now in Mathews, Virginia to help military members and others who have PTSD.    

Learn more about Canine Companions by visiting www.Canine.org

Also on this episode of The Life Changing Weekend, Bonnie Carroll, founder of Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS,) talks to Tom about her experience with PTSD and what TAPS does to help the families of fallen service members. 

And learn about Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors by visiting www.TAPS.org

Hear The Life Changing Weekend ON THE RADIO with host Tom Boone on 105.1FM WAVA, Saturday at 10am and Sunday at 6:30pm.

Also, listen on AM570 The Answer, Sunday at 8am and 3pm.

You can also listen to The Life Changing Weekend anytime by going to www.WAVA.com/podcast

On this episode of The Life Changing Weekend, I’m joined by Bruce Anderson, Executive Director of Shepherd’s Spring, a beautiful and historic summer camp located on the banks of the C&O Canal and just a few miles from the Antietam Battlefield.  Opening as a summer camp in 1991, Shepherd’s Spring has steadily grown including in collaboration with Heifer International to become a center for experiential learning of lessons to last a lifetime. 

Parents can learn more at www.ShepherdsSpring.org

Hear The Life Changing Weekend ON THE RADIO with host Tom Boone on 105.1FM WAVA, Saturday at 10am and Sunday at 6:30pm.

Also, listen on AM570 The Answer, Sunday at 8am and 3pm.

You can also listen to The Life Changing Weekend anytime by going to www.WAVA.com/podcast

Healthy breathing and clean air SHOULD be the norm for everyone who lives, works and raises their families in greater Washington, DC.  The local NON-PROFIT BreatheDC engages local residents and leaders to form a united front against asthma, smoking, lung cancer, COPD and air pollution.  On this episode of The Life Changing Weekend, we’re joined by the Executive Director of BreatheDC, Dr. Lori Taylor.  Plus she’ll tell us about as great summer camp for kids with asthma!

Learn more about BreatheDC and their summer camp, visit www.BreatheDC.org

Hear The Life Changing Weekend ON THE RADIO with host Tom Boone on 105.1FM WAVA, Saturday at 10am and Sunday at 6:30pm.

Also, listen on AM570 The Answer, Sunday at 8am and 3pm.

You can also listen to The Life Changing Weekend anytime by going to www.WAVA.com/podcast