The first day I came to the liver service, I met Mr. S, who was struggling with complications of liver disease. In the long term, he required a TIPS procedure that would better distribute his abdominal pressure and eventually a liver transplant. He was…
He was 82 years old when he came into our ER, writhing in excruciating abdominal pain. After an ultrasound and a subsequent CT scan, the devastating diagnosis was revealed—end stage pancreatic and liver cancer. Despite enduring a pain level of 10, he m…
Imagine not being able to fully feel a hug from your loved ones. Not being able to feel your baby’s head nuzzled against your chest. Feeling like a part of your body doesn’t belong to you. These side effects are common following a mastectom…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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-…
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…
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…
