The worst day of a COVID-19 outbreak in long-term care is the first day. There are tears. How did it get in? How did we fail? How do we tell the families? When does the media show up? There is shame, tremendous shame. Shame that we put on ourselve…
Category: Conditions
An insufficiency of enoughness: a doctor’s reflections on anxiety
My college graduation was approaching, and I was slated to start medical school in the fall. I was happy. You could find me with an impossible smile, singing along with the windows down to my favorite song — Beat of the Music by Brett Eldredge &#…
COVID fallout: A cancer pandemic predicted in the coming years
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cancer screenings performed in the U.S. has plummeted. After decades of progress in detecting, treating, and preventing many types of cancers, this nation could face a “cancer pandemic” in the next ten years …
6 strategies to help you return to exercise routines safely
If you’ve always been an avid gym-goer, the COVID-19 pandemic may have significantly disrupted your fitness routine as gyms, health clubs and exercise classes were unavailable for months. Getting active again is not only good for your physical health, …
A doctor’s moment of painful tenderness
I walked into Room 30 to find two eager sets of eyes awaiting me. One set belonged to a young man, late-20s, muscular and imposing, sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. His eyes were hazel brown, big and inviting, relieved at seeing my entry i…
Nurses are our most valuable resource
I am about to express a wildly under-advertised piece of advice: Our nurses are our most valuable resource. This reality has been true for physicians for many years, but with months of lost time on in-person rotations, it will be true for us more than …
Your brain and PTSD: biomarkers and high-stress states
If you’re reading this, you’re probably stressed. Whether it’s related to work, household chores, parenting, school, politics, or, yes, COVID, stress is a normal part of life. Because stress is a normal part of life, our bodies have adapted to react to…
The final insult after my husband died alone
This new virus is changing everyday life-hospitals are doing their best to protect their staff and patients. One thing I’ve learned is that they need to do a better job of communicating with families. My husband was 70 years old when he died of …
A medical student’s 100 days of COVID
March 11, 2020. The medical school officially made all classes remote until the end of the semester. Tom Hanks and his wife have coronavirus. The NBA is suspended; Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert has corona. Travel to Europe is suspended. The renal midter…
When the best care is a comfortable death
I am no stranger to death. I have gently closed the eyelids of a woman dying from liver disease, blasted Led Zeppelin by request during a man’s last breath, and exchanged dog photos with an elderly gentleman on his final day. Although I cared for…
