Although it could be said that I’ve been very “unlucky” over the past couple of years due to surgeries and treatments for three separate cancers, I feel blessed by how “lucky” I have been to have had a combination of outst…
Category: Conditions
From business trip to battling a rare breast disease: my journey of survival, advocacy, and remission
I never envisioned a business trip could result in a diagnosis of a rare, under-practiced, poorly understood, and emerging chronic inflammatory breast disease affecting 2.4 women per 100,000 and growing. Two months after my return from that business tr…
Revolutionizing postpartum care: Transforming breastfeeding support for families
An open response to “Breast or Bottle: The Illusion of Choice” by Amy Kennedy, MD. We see and hear you and are so sorry you endured these experiences. We are physicians practicing breastfeeding and lactation medicine, and we acknowledge the…
How the U.S. blood pressure validated device listing (VDL) ensures accurate readings and revolutionizes hypertension control
Blood pressure is an important upstream indicator of overall patient health, and high blood pressure can be a precursor to more serious medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and stroke. Measuring blood pressure frequently is t…
How to approach teen nose jobs with parents
Getting a nose job, also known as rhinoplasty, requires extensive research and planning. For teenagers, it requires extensive communication and collaboration, and for parents, it requires a lot of understanding and compassion. A nose job can be a life-…
On the front lines of COVID-19: the untold sacrifices and heroic efforts of health care professionals
There is a phenomenon sweeping across various medical circles on social media that is forcing people to address accusations from those who were not on the front lines of COVID at the beginning of the pandemic. Though I have refused to pay much attentio…
Surviving the chaos: an inspiring journey of health care heroes
Calling all health care personnel: EMTs, paramedics, nurses, CNAs, respiratory therapists, police, firefighters. All of you. You’ve been cursed at, spat upon, hit, and scratched by fingernails. You never got that 30-minute break during those 12 l…
Breaking free from BMI’s limitations for fair and effective care
The 2023 Clinical Practice Guideline for Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity heralds a new era of evidence-based anti-obesity treatments for children, a cause I wholeheartedly support. However, amidst these advancements, I…
Unlock the secrets to aging gracefully: specialized care and support for elderly patients
She sat in the hospital bed, staring out the window as the nurse flitted in and out of the room, adjusting IV lines and checking her vitals. It had been a long time since she’d been in a hospital, but at 75 years old, her health was beginning to …
Emotional journey: An inspiring tale from the operating room in Nicaragua
An excerpt from Saving Grace: What Patients Teach Their Doctors about Life, Death, and the Balance in Between. On the morning of the first day of surgery in Nicaragua, I paced. It was 8:10 a.m., and the cases were supposed to begin at 7:30 a.m. But as …
