Category: Conditions

A physician’s perspective on what therapy is

Therapy is a treatment intended to heal a disorder. That’s the medical perspective anyway, and it’s not wrong, but it’s maybe only part of the picture. Therapy frequently begins by addressing a primary complaint or problem in a collaborative relationsh…

Reducing death from COVID-19 pneumonia before widespread vaccination

When the pandemic hit the U.S. – we were caught off guard. We were uncertain about how COVID-19 spread or how it killed. But amidst the chaos, health care providers have learned how to better care for infected patients today. Since March, we’ve learned…

How transparent were the COVID vaccine trials?

On March 2nd, 2020, as New York State announced its first proven case of COVID-19, a federal court there handed down a stunning decision. For 10 years, according to the court, the United States government illegally failed to hold drug companies account…

The side effect of the COVID vaccine that no one is talking about

7:42 a.m.: I got my first COVID vaccine today. I don’t feel a thing and almost wonder if I really got the injection. Then, within the first few minutes after receiving it, I feel a little lightheaded. But I realize I haven’t eaten yet for the morning. …

Maximizing COVID-19 vaccine equity and minimizing death in South Carolina and beyond

That hospitals in South Carolina (SC) began COVID-19 vaccinations in mid-December of 2020 is a marvel of human ingenuity, resilience, and courage. Tragically, however, more than 5,000 confirmed South Carolinian lives have now been lost due to COVID-19….

COVID doesn’t matter to them. Until it matters.

As I take the pups on their daily walk around the neighborhood. I come upon eight adults outside their houses, near the street, laughing and coughing and sneezing and smoking their cigarettes and huddled up close together. They didn’t say hello to me, …

The synergy in obesity and cancer

Over two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, and approximately 88 million American adults have pre-diabetes. More than 84 percent of those with pre-diabetes are not even aware that they have it. Both obesity and type 2 diabet…

The R-word takes away people’s humanity

Some of you may have heard it on the playground. Others might have used it in jest. I’m not going to write it. I’m just going to call it the R-word because it’s that disgusting. It’s a slur against people with intellectual disab…

Why won’t unproven COVID treatments go away?

A recent conversation among a group of physicians gave me a fair amount of distress and discomfort. The topic was an unproven treatment for COVID-19. The discomfort was the disinformation — in my opinion — being shared. The distress was that the discus…

The historical medical significance of carrots

An excerpt from Medical Myths: A Sceptic’s Journey. Most people have heard the joke about rabbits and vitamin A: “Are carrots good for your eyesight?” Well, I never saw a rabbit wearing glasses! Vitamin A, one of the essential groups …