My journey in nursing has led me to experiences and insights I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I declared nursing as my major because I was passionate about making a difference in patients’ lives. I envisioned sitting by patients̵…
Category: Conditions
A retired ICU nurse’s brunch conversation sparks a life-changing moment
We were a team. Always had been. Always would be. We defended each other, protected each other—from management, from nurse bullies, from the cruel ICU doctors who thought they ruled the world. Back in the day, we had our own kind of “therapy sess…
Cancer treatment and sexual health: the conversation we need to have
When we think of cancer treatment, we often focus on the immediate goals: Shrinking tumors, stopping the spread of the disease, and ultimately aiming for a cure. What doesn’t get as much attention, but is just as important, is how cancer treatmen…
Medicine’s mental health crisis: Why the system is failing us
An excerpt from Has Medicine Lost Its Mind?: Why Our Mental Health System Is Failing Us and What Should Be Done to Cure It. One of society’s great issues is who decides what science does—the public or science. For example, the populace has taken …
Through the lens of COVID: a radiologic technologist’s story
I’ve been an X-ray and CT technologist for almost ten years, and I’ve always taken pride in my work. But nothing could have prepared me—or any of us—for what the COVID-19 pandemic brought. It wasn’t just the virus itself; it was the w…
The cost of presence: a lesson in listening
Last week, a mother of six children—four of whom have disabilities—made the trek to the health care campus where I’m a faculty member to share her story. She’s making this trip weekly on Thursdays to give the same presentation twice in succ…
The unexpected truth behind these misdiagnosed medical cases
I worked in rural health in Kentucky for twenty years, then in urgent treatment centers in Denver. All sorts of patients pop up in primary care and in UTCs. Most have easily identified complaints: UTI, sinusitis, flu. Others are there for regular refil…
How doctors can help IBD patients manage symptoms between visits
With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is on the rise, there is an urgent need for physicians to arm their patients with tools and edu…
Flying with food allergies: Combating misconceptions and advocating for safety
Why do so many people share their harrowing airline experiences with me yet never document them or file complaints? Some say they do not want to relive the trauma. Others feel embarrassed for having been ridiculed, either themselves or in front of thei…
How to advocate for your transgender child’s health care
An excerpt from About Your Black Transgender Child: Answers to MOST of Your Burning Questions. “Mom, I would never have told my doctor because you were my doctor.”—My trans young adult Those words hit me hard! My eldest offspring said them …
