Category: Conditions

How narrative medicine empowers neurodivergent patients

It’s been said that the challenges neurodiverse people face are the ones that neurotypical people view as easy, and vice versa. It speaks to the hard-wired diversity of cognitive styles and perspectives among different individuals. Neurotypical p…

The ultimate guide to child dental sedation

Cavities in kids are common, and many children are unable to complete dental work without sedation. Dental anxiety must be balanced with safe and expedient dental treatment. Further information about early childhood caries can be found here. The preval…

The power of empathy: a tale of two prostate biopsies

I’m sitting in a windowless room in the hospital’s urology department waiting for my second prostate biopsy, feeling surprisingly calm and relaxed. It’s a surveillance biopsy. Two years ago, the first one revealed “a few scatter…

The power of empathy: a tale of two prostate biopsies

I’m sitting in a windowless room in the hospital’s urology department waiting for my second prostate biopsy, feeling surprisingly calm and relaxed. It’s a surveillance biopsy. Two years ago, the first one revealed “a few scatter…

Surviving my nephrectomy nightmare: the night I’ll never forget

My first post-op night after my nephrectomy was a mix of fantastical and almost devastating. I woke up in the PACU after my surgery, extremely confused and disoriented. I felt like I was trapped inside a video game, desperately trying to escape. Upon e…

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: Overcoming doctor bias for a life-changing diagnosis

“Do you have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?” It wasn’t a question I expected during an ophthalmology appointment. It was, however, one I’d been asked before. Two other specialists had suggested I might have connective tissue issues, but noth…

From trusted family doctors to silent white walls

The face of health care in today’s world is unfamiliar to me in many ways. When I was growing up, the family doctor was a well-known and respected member of the community. Patients trusted their doctor to help them navigate life’s challenge…

Dry January’s untold value for older adults: a health revolution beyond youth

As Dry January gains popularity and inspires millions of people to abstain from alcohol for a month, its focus appears to be geared towards young adults. A demographic that is often overlooked, but is likely to benefit significantly from this movement,…

Beyond Ozempic: Why one size doesn’t fit all in weight loss

I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, which is generally associated with a diet of all fried food. Prior to medical school, I thought many adults around me would eventually succumb to a diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes since they didn’t appear to thi…

Autism spectrum disorder and medicine: strengths, challenges, and stories

Dr. Shaun Murphy (played by Freddie Highmore) stars in ABC’s The Good Doctor, a television drama that centers around an autistic surgeon whose job at the hospital was frequently threatened and would be lost if it were not for the practical and em…