It’s 4 a.m. when a 17-year-old awakens at home with severe left shoulder pain that his worried parents call 911. By the time he reaches the emergency room (ER), he has pain all the way to his wrist. “Any recent injuries?” asks the doc…
Category: Conditions
My blood pressure spike on postpartum day 3
The headache wasn’t that bad. The fatigue was worse. I had slept about six hours total in the past three days. I was fortunate to have dutiful help from my husband and both grandmas, but I was still exhausted. Between breastfeeding, diaper change…
A gastric bypass might help some people bypass cancer
In an exciting recent study, researchers found that for adults with obesity, weight loss through bariatric surgery lowered their risk of cancer by 35% and reduced their risk of cancer-related death by 43%. This was true of both gastric bypass and gastr…
Nothing is sacred: Changing CPR algorithms can be a rude awakening
It always makes my heart sink when the CPR guidelines change. In 1980 I became a provider of advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) as certified by the American Heart Association. This was a great move. Through my internship and the many years t…
My journey being gaslighted about obesity, skinny fat, and body type
When I was eight years old, I was a star soccer player on a state championship team. During shirts-off practice and while down at the local pool, I noticed how different my body was compared to my peers. After I referenced my scientifically approved hu…
He was more than a housekeeper
Over 30 years ago, this man began working for our hospital system. He was assigned to our ICU/CVICU units. Though some health care employees hadn’t even been born yet, Charles was a tried and true “lifer.” He was our housekeeper. And …
Fat acceptance is a human acceptance movement
The recent article by Danielle Crittenden, “The Danger of Fat Acceptance: The Average American Woman Is Now a Size 18” is more of the same perpetuation of our society’s deeply internalized diet culture, weight blaming, and shaming of …
The building blocks of a cancer risk management strategy
According to data gathered by the American Cancer Society (ACS), more than 1.9 million new cancers are projected to be diagnosed in 2022. In addition, missed cancer screenings due to the pandemic are expected to potentially increase the number of cance…
The new 988 hotline has the potential to transform mental health care, but challenges loom
The federal 988 hotline represents a promising new approach to alleviating the nation’s growing mental health crisis, but several key challenges loom that could derail this well-intentioned initiative. One significant information technology chall…
I have survived every tragedy that comes with nursing
If mommy dearest only knew. There I was, sitting in the banquet room — a room full of retired nurses celebrating with upper management. They were praising us for our retirement and praising us for our blood, sweat and tears and massive overtime hours w…
