The Hairy Chin Podcast

A mammogram takes about 10 minutes. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I talk with Angie Lane, CEO of The Rose in Houston, about everything it takes to get women to those 10 minutes, and what happens after. With its Pink Fleet of mobile mammography units, The Rose finds 75 percent of the breast cancers it detects at stage zero or 1A. The Rose has spent 40 years taking down the barriers to breast cancer screening. Its five mobile units travel across 45 Texas counties and park at places like schools, where a woman can be screened in about 10 minutes. We also get into what happens after the mammogram: what a callback does and doesn’t mean, and how The Rose’s patient navigators guide women through diagnosis, treatment, and the scary question of cost. I share my own early-stage diagnosis, found on my first mammogram, and we talk about why your past mammograms matter every time you’re screened. Chapters [00:02:30] How two women started The Rose 40 years ago [00:03:20] The Pink Fleet: mammography on wheels [00:05:43] Healthcare deserts and insurance deserts [00:07:35] Mammograms in the school parking lot [00:09:00] Why 75 percent of cancers found are early stage [00:12:00] Fear and radiation worries [00:13:20] What happens after an abnormal mammogram [00:15:00] Patient navigators and paying for care [00:17:30] "I don't have time for cancer" and bad actors [00:21:10] Empower Her Sponsorship [00:22:50] Why your past mammograms matter [00:24:37] What other communities can learn [00:30:00] Closing: Get screened and support The Rose Visit The Hairy Chin Substack blog for links and more information about this episode.

If you struggle with unexplained fatigue, heavy periods, iron deficiency, low ferritin, brain fog, or symptoms that persist even when your bloodwork is considered “normal,” this episode is for you. I’m talking about what ferritin actually tells us about iron stores, new 2026 guidelines for diagnosing iron deficiency, symptoms associated with low iron, oral iron supplements and iron infusions, and what I learned from looking back at nine years of my own ferritin results. For almost a decade, my ferritin remained low while I struggled with severe fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, executive dysfunction, and worsening ADHD symptoms alongside endometriosis and heavy menstrual bleeding. I share how my ferritin was treated over the years, why I eventually received a 1,000 mg Ferinject iron infusion, what the difficult first few weeks afterward were like, and the significant changes I’ve noticed in my energy, focus, cognitive stamina, and ability to get through my day in the three months since. This isn’t a story about an iron infusion being a cure-all. It’s about one part of my health that needed to be addressed and what the experience taught me about understanding my bloodwork, asking questions, looking at my health history as a whole, and becoming a more active participant in my healthcare. Disclaimer: The Hairy Chin does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical concerns.

An eye-opening and practical conversation about what happens when women get sick with author and advocate Rebecca Bloom. Substack Episode Blog: What To Actually Do 'When Women Get Sick' with Author & Advocate Rebecca Bloom (links included) Substack Blog: How I Make an MRI a Little Less Awful Former benefits attorney and women's health advocate Rebecca Bloom joins Spencer to talk about her book "When Women Get Sick: An Empowering Approach for Getting the Support You Need" and what it actually takes to get through a diagnosis without going it alone. For over 27 years, Rebecca has advised women with breast and ovarian cancer on health insurance, benefits, and work through Bay Area Cancer Connections. Her book pairs the practical pieces most patients never learn, like how to read your health insurance summary plan, with the real stories of the women she's worked with. Spencer and Rebecca talk about what patient advocacy looks like on the ground, why the patient voice is still missing from so many rooms where healthcare decisions get made, and why the skills of self-advocacy apply whether you're navigating the US system or healthcare abroad. [15:29] Why Storytelling Matters in Health Advocacy [17:00] Don't Go It Alone: The Lasagna Problem and Your Health Chief of Staff [23:02] The Lasagna Problem [27:34] Talking about MRIs [36:06] Body Shame as a Barrier to Women's Healthcare [43:21] Creativity, Stress, and Healing [43:24] What Kind of Relationship Do You Want With Your Doctor? [44:46] AI in Healthcare and the Doctor-Patient Relationship [50:00] Every Health Journey Has Potholes Disclaimer: The Hairy Chin does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical concerns.

The Hairy Chin Substack has arrived! PCOS was just renamed PMOS. Dental hygienist turned integrative health coach Christine Horton joins Spencer to unpack the name change and the oral-systemic health link that not many people are talking about. In May 2026, PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) was officially renamed PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome) in The Lancet, after 14 years of research into a condition affecting one in eight women, 70 percent of whom go undiagnosed. Spencer and Christine, founder of Fusion Health Coaching, break down what the new name actually means for diagnosis, funding, and care. Then they go somewhere most PCOS conversations don't: the mouth. Christine's background is in dentistry, and she explains oral systemic health, the relationship between gum inflammation and A1C. It runs both ways: treating inflammation in the mouth can lower A1C, and lowering A1C can improve oral health. For women with PCOS or PMOS, who run higher baseline inflammation and higher rates of insulin resistance, this is a piece of the puzzle most doctors and dentists still aren't connecting. [00:53] PCOS Diagnosis Story: How Christine Found Out at 16 [09:21] PCOS Renamed PMOS: What Changed and Why [14:41] PCOS Symptoms and Statistics: 1 in 8 Women, 70% Undiagnosed [19:51] AI vs. the Doctor-Patient Relationship in PCOS Care [32:17] Metabolically Diverse: Reframing PCOS, Insulin Resistance, and Weight [36:44] PCOS Awareness Association and PCOS Awareness Month (Sept 26) [40:14] Oral Systemic Health: The Dentistry and A1C Connection [52:08] Where to Find Christine Horton, Fusion Health Coaching About Christine Horton: Christine Horton is a dental hygienist and certified health coach, and the founder of Fusion Health Coaching, where she blends medical, dental, and lifestyle expertise to work with women navigating PMOS/PCOS, insulin resistance, and metabolic health. She also works with the PCOS Awareness Association, co-hosting their monthly support group and supporting their annual conference. Website: fusionhealthcoach.com Instagram: @pcosglowhygienist PCOS Awareness Association: pcosaa.org PCOS Awareness Month virtual conference: pcoscon.org Explore More From The Hairy Chin: The Hairy Chin on YouTube The Hairy Chin on IG The Hairy Chin Website Spencer Moore on LinkedIn Disclaimer: The Hairy Chin does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical concerns.

A quick summer update from Barcelona! After taking some time away to focus on my health, I’m sharing what’s ahead for The Hairy Chin through the rest of 2026. Coming up I've got lots of new content including some interviews with some really badass women! Rebecca Bloom, author When Women Get Sick Kayla Branstetter, author Don't Be An Athena Anna Mapson, IBS and SIBO nutritionist, podcast host and author Jayne Denton, radiologist and bone health specialist Janine Doughty-Yazdi, the Feminist Dentist There will also be a limited series on AI and health, a Chin Chats about iron infusions, a handful of other interviews with incredible female advocates, a new Substack page, a revamped YouTube channel, and so much more! For updates from The Hairy Chin, you can follow the show with notifications turned on, sign up for the free newsletter, follow on IG or LinkedIn, and also subscribe to YouTube! You can find links for all of these options below. I'll be seeing you soon! Explore More From The Hairy Chin: The Hairy Chin Newsletter The Hairy Chin on YouTube The Hairy Chin on IG The Hairy Chin Website Spencer Moore on LinkedIn Disclaimer: The Hairy Chin does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical concerns.