As physicians, we equate terms like “disorder” and “syndrome” with pathology. If a diagnosis is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) IV, it’s considered a “problem.” In the …
Category: Neurology
How a medical-legal consultant helped refute a possible pre-existing medical condition argument
Doing medical-legal consulting is a great way to use your medical training in a non-clinical field that really helps people. One of the many things we can do is help attorneys refute the question of a pre-existing medical condition. Often opposing coun…
The art of medicine is born in the unforeseen
It was 2:21 a.m., and the pager exploded in my ear like I had forgotten to turn the volume down before plugging in my headphones. The nurses told me your heart rate was getting faster, and your oxygen was dipping lower. When I made it to your room, you…
Defining the goals of care for the dementia patient
An excerpt from Living in the Moment: A Guide to Overcoming Challenges and Finding Moments of Joy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias. When confronted with an injury or an illness in a loved one, it’s human nature to respond, “…
These wounds will never heal
May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and I want to share my story of my dad’s journey after his strokes. Doors open and shut during the early morning hours. I hear the drip dispensing the next dose and some muffled chatter outside the room. Several …
The baby formula shortage puts your baby’s brain is at risk
The baby formula shortage has morphed into a full-blown ongoing crisis. Many stores report that more than half of baby formula products are out of stock. Babies who are six months old or younger should only be fed breast milk or formula. Any substitute…
What to do when your child suffers a concussion
This spring, kids will be returning to extra-curricular activities and organized sports in the community, much of which was canceled over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As these activities resume, now is a good time to learn what to d…
Advocating for a sick parent by confronting physician bias
I spent the first three days sitting next to my dad’s hospital bed, watching his chest rise and fall slowly. He was asleep the majority of the time, fighting off something unknown. Anytime he moved, I jumped up from my chair and stood where he co…
Paracelsus and the birth of toxicology
An excerpt from Preserving Brain Health in a Toxic Age: New Insights from Neuroscience, Integrative Medicine, and Public Health. When my wife and I visited Salzburg Austria a few years ago, we stayed in a small boutique hotel formerly part of the Saint…
A PSA from a neurologist to the medical community [PODCAST]
“Have you ever been to a new city and realized you’d been pronouncing a street or a town name all wrong? Have you ever been from one of those cities and has it broken your heart to hear someone call Copley Square Cope-ly? Or pronounce the Schuylk…
