Category: Conditions

A mysterious case of seizures in the ER

Alex and Edward Santos have just returned from a weekend away at their aunt and uncle’s place. They love it there. The couple is in their 20s and spoil the boys with late bedtimes, movies and video games, and home-made cupcakes with chocolate icing and…

Why didn’t your doctors tell you the truth?

Here’s what they should have told you: “We found cancer in your lymph nodes, your liver, your lungs, and your brain. It explains your weight loss, your difficulty breathing and your loss of appetite. This wasn’t just your depression l…

A patient that reminded me of the first man I ever witnessed dying

He struggled to breathe, progressing from deep breaths with wet sounds reverberating in his lungs, to guppy breathing — opening the mouth like a fish, contorting the entire face. His heart rate slowly decreased, from 150 beats a minute — a pace attempt…

We need more than medicine to prevent heart disease

Like more than half of older men, I take a cholesterol-lowering medication called a statin. Sometimes that seems a bit strange, because I don’t have high cholesterol. My doctor prescribed it based on a formula that largely hinges on age and sex. I’m 71…

A nurse’s downfall was telling the truth

These events happened over 18 years ago. Some content has been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty. Searching for positive changes in the health care industry. We are not a number, and the patients are not a number. I’m not good at lying. My…

Why aren’t patients with eating problems following your advice?

What do you think about your patients whom you believe need to lose weight? Do you consider them lazy or non-compliant? Or wonder why they don’t they take better care of themselves and listen to your diet or exercise advice? You’re not alone in feeling…

39-year-old woman with fatigue, intermittent rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 39-year-old woman is evaluated for fatigue, intermittent rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain over the past 2 months. She reports that the b…

Does running cause arthritis?

In general, physical activity is important in maintaining your health. Many people falsely believe that running can cause arthritis but research show that this isn’t necessarily true. In reality, walking, running or strenuous exercise can signifi…

Tucked in: an image that gives a sense of peace

I need to see Justin before my workday commences. I’m a social worker at the outpatient cancer center where Justin has been treated for an aggressive colon cancer. Seeing him today means visiting him in the hospital, up the road from the center. …

Chocolate for coughs? Look beyond the headlines.

Everyone loves chocolate, and nobody likes to cough. So when headlines like these appeared, they made a big media splash: Apparently Chocolate Might Be Better for Treating Coughs than Honey and Lemon. Chocolate Fights Coughs Better Than Codeine, Says S…