Who am I?
I’m a primary care doctor in Washington, DC. I’ve been seeing patients for over 20 years.
I realized early on in my career how desperate people are for straight talk and trusted guides to shepherd us through hard times—and how narrowly we define “health.”
I’m here to redefine it.
Health is more than your cholesterol and weight. Health is not an outcome; it’s a lifelong process that requires facts, courage, truth-telling and guidance.
Health is about awareness of your medical facts, acceptance of the things you cannot control, and agency over what you can change. Health is more than simply not dying; it is the painful, marvelous process of living.
Why I started writing this newsletter
The pandemic uncovered just how wired and tired we were—well before COVID. We are keyed up and burned out. We scroll online for wellness advice and health hacks. We grab quick hits of dopamine through sugar, shopping, booze, or whatever gizmo social media is offering up. We are sleepless and irritable and don’t know what’s wrong. Worse, we don’t even know who to trust.
So, I write about the things my patients ask me about every day: viruses and vaccines; alcohol use; weight loss; exercise; aging; sex; talk therapy; hormone replacement therapy; digestive problems; osteoporosis; skeletal health; caregiver burnout; end of life decision-making; the health benefits of belonging; and giving ourselves permission not to be okay.
In addition to this newsletter, I’ve been writing for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Hill and MSNBC. I’ve appeared on TV and testified in front of Congressional committees about the lessons learn from a global pandemic. (You can read about this wild ride here.)
Now you can interact with my content, the community we’ve built, and me—right here!
What does this mean for you?
As a free subscriber, you will get my weekly Are You Okay? newsletter and my Beyond the Prescription podcast episodes for free, delivered to your inbox, without doing anything at all. It’s important to me that everyone who wants access to my content can get it, regardless of means.
And if you’re looking for something specific, you can always search my archives.
And for $6/month (or $60/year):
You get everything above, plus I’ve added a new layer of interactive features! These include:
Full access to my regular subscriber Q&As. Each week I will answer a handful of reader questions about mental and physical health! You can submit questions to me right here—and you might find your question—plus my answer—in one of my regular reader Q&A posts!
Exclusive access to my private chats where we can come together and share ideas!
Periodic Zoom hangouts with me.
Bonus episodes of my Beyond the Prescription podcast.
The ability to pitch ideas for my newsletter topics.
Access to my full archive of content.
Other fun extras like live chat sessions and more.
Giddy up! Becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter is now the best way to support my content and to become a more active part of this community.
Founding Member - $150/year
For this, you get my eternal love and gratitude for supporting this work. In addition, you get all the perks of the paid subscription plus the chance to join Founding Members’ Zoom hangouts with me where we’ll discuss various topics like menopause or weight loss and recent hot topics from the newsletter or podcast.
Even without using any of the new features, becoming a paid subscriber means that you’re committing to helping me grow this platform and share more nuanced information about health and well-being.
In order to justify the time it takes to write and produce this newsletter, I’m asking for your support. Your subscription for $6/month or $60/year makes it all possible!
My story
I grew up in DC. I studied art history and pre-med at Princeton University where I met my husband. (Here we are in college.)
He and I moved to England where I earned a Master’s in Pharmacology as a Fulbright fellow from the University of Cambridge—and my now-husband played semi-professional soccer. I then attended Harvard Medical School and completed my medical internship and residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
You can learn more about me here.
I’m also a mom
My kids are my everything. This is our vibe as a family. (Photo ca. 2011.)
Some final thoughts
You might ask me: why am I doing any of this in the first place? Why don’t I go back to solely caring for patients (which is, after all, my enduring passion and top priority)?
I realized early on in my career how desperate people are for straight talk and trusted guides to shepherd us through hard times—and how narrowly we define “health.”
Caring for patients and working with readers fills me with joy. I’m excited to help even more people make sense of their bodies and minds.
Thank you so much for supporting me and my work. I’m glad you are here!
❤️ Lucy
