No matter your politics or judgment on the COVID-19 vaccine, we can agree that the visuals of the world’s number one tennis player being detained and treated like a criminal when he went to the Australian Open last year were unsettling, and the A…
Category: Conditions
Nature’s role in relieving physician burnout
In today’s corporate health care world, physicians are exposed to high levels of stress in the course of carrying out the duties of their profession, making them susceptible to experiencing burnout. Burnout has far-reaching implications not only …
Rethinking U.S. opioid policy
I write widely as a subject matter expert on U.S. policy for the regulation of prescription opioid pain relievers and of clinicians who employ them in managing their patients’ chronic pain. Because I am a patient advocate and the spouse of a chro…
My breast cancer journey: Why mammograms matter
25 years ago, at the age of 42, I had my first mammogram, which was part of my routine checkup. I had no symptoms at the time. I was devastated when the radiologist discovered a shadow in my left breast. To confirm this, a biopsy was scheduled, and ind…
Turning adversity into hope: my path to a career in medicine
I have wanted to work in medicine ever since my eleven-year-old cousin passed out during my uncle’s birthday party. He suddenly fainted when we were supposed to cut the cake. We rushed to the emergency room. Doctors diagnosed him with blood cance…
The Spandex dilemma: Does size still matter?
In today’s fashion landscape, one may wonder if size truly matters anymore. With the prevalence of spandex in clothing, determining one’s actual size has become a challenging feat. The question arises: what role does spandex play in the ong…
When a breast lump is as scary as Halloween
October is an important month for many, but I’m not actually talking about Halloween. However, for many, it can be a reminder of something very scary that happened in their lifetime. For me, it isn’t October, a month dedicated to breast can…
When mandates fail to protect, science can help
On October 28, 1918, a San Francisco horseshoer named James Wisser urged a street corner crowd to throw away their masks in defiance of a local mask mandate issued a few days before. He was shot twice after resisting a local health inspector’s at…
The lifesaving power of CPR: a 30-year journey
A woman who asked us to call her Strawberry taught me cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for the first time, more than thirty years ago. I was getting my Girl Scout badge in babysitting, and it was a requirement. The class involved an overview of the …
Alcohol’s impact: hangovers and health risks
In July, we all got at least one day off to celebrate a very American holiday, Independence Day. If I were a betting man, I would say that many, if not most of you, participated in at least one of those grand old American pastimes: eating hotdogs or ap…
