I know you’ve heard the phrase, “Too close for comfort.” In most cases, when we use it, we’re describing a near miss with some kind of danger—an automobile accident, a misstep coming down stairs or onto a curb, a potential mistake that might have been embarrassing, costly,
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Did you know that being grateful is good for your health? There is ongoing research that links gratitude with improved self-esteem, resiliency, and improved overall satisfaction with life. Grateful people are better able to build new friendships and to strengthen relationships that already exist. Research also
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Only inches from my face, she holds my gaze with her shiny brown eyes. She listens intently as I share a brief tale. With a slightly quizzical look, she cocks her head, then slowly extends her broad pink tongue with a loving swipe to the end of
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Many of us reveled at the sight of our brilliant sun disappearing behind a dark orb of moon last month as an historic solar eclipse traveled across our entire country. My son, Will, sent me the accompanying photograph from Nashville, TN where the eclipse was total. The
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Have you ever been moved by a beautiful piece of music, transfixed by the creative genius of a painting or inspired by evocative imagery in a poem? This month, I had the gift of a weekend’s immersion in art. On a Friday evening, I attended three
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“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” —Aesop 550 BC. In a medical setting, kindness is especially welcome and meaningful. Even when things seem to be going well, healthcare encounters provoke anxiety. You’re going for your annual assessment and you
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In the late stages of Alzheimer’s Dementia, patients lose their ability to eat independently. Appetite declines, swallowing becomes difficult, and coordinated use of hands is lost. As brain function continues to shut down, mental and physical functions progressively disappear. By the time the ability to eat is
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Death, like birth, is a natural event, and like birth, it is often a messy event. Despite this truth, there’s a conundrum in modern medicine. Folks lucky enough to have full access to comprehensive medical care can face a paradoxical dilemma as they near the end of
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One of the most common reasons doctors give for withholding bad news to a patient or a patient’s family (especially if it’s news about a life-limiting illness) is, “I don’t want them to lose hope,” or “I don’t want to destroy hope.” Interestingly, studies and interviews with
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There’s a stark beauty to winter trees. I’m fascinated by the intricacy of the branches that begin with thick, central trunks. They branch and soar and branch again, until there are thousands of delicate twigs pricking the chilled sky that surrounds them. The anatomist in
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(Latin: doceō, I teach) I learned in medical school that the word, doctor, comes from the Latin word for teacher. I hold that thought closely... read more
These are articles I wrote while in private practice in the early 2000’s. These many years later, I still have folks who ask for links, so I’ve kept them active... read more
