The comedian George Burns once quipped, “By the time you’re eighty years old, you’ve learned everything. You only have to remember it.” With the average life expectancy in the United States up from 54 a century ago to 74 today, …
Category: Neurology
Caring for the cognitively declined individual
An excerpt from A Caregiver’s Love Story. My husband was diagnosed with cognitive decline in the last three years of his life. I was desperate for understanding and help and referred to the following source. Here are ten tips for communicating wi…
Michael J. Fox asks: “Am I still me?” in a new documentary – a question many with critical illness face
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie was recently released by Apple TV+ and provides a ringside seat to the daily, formidable challenges facing the actor since he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease more than 30 years ago. There is, of course, tremen…
The myth of compassion fatigue
Here is a challenge: Review the schedule of patients you have seen today. As you recall each patient, ask yourself this question: Did I genuinely feel compassion towards my patient in that encounter? I will be brutally honest with you (and myself). For…
Understanding migraine symptoms in children
If you’ve experienced a migraine headache before, the sensation is often very distinct: throbbing pain, sensitivity to light and loud noise, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. Migraine symptoms can be uncomfortable and distressing. Equally concer…
Medical residencies: Balancing high stress and low compensation
Exhausted. This is the word that comes to mind when asked how I am. Instead, it’s the usual “Good!” with a smile on my face. Not that this is unique per se. Many others work long hours. A friend who is an accountant will work 80-hour …
Understanding the changes in migraine treatment
This article is sponsored by Pfizer. As a primary care provider (PCP) specializing in headaches and migraine, I cannot stress enough the important role of PCPs in diagnosing and treating migraine disease. Almost 40 million Americans and over a billion …
When work becomes an escape for physicians [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Scott Abramson, a neurologist, as we delve into the complex interplay between work and home life for physicians. Scott shares his personal experiences and reflections on how challengin…
From medical student to MS warrior: Navigating life with multiple sclerosis
I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during my second year of medical school. It happened while I was on a neurology rotation when I approached the neurologist after a lecture and expressed my suspicion of a flare-up. Subsequently, a lumbar puncture…
A touching tale of hope and uncertainty in the hospital
Indeterminate. That’s the word we use when we’re unsure whether a patient will be able to survive without mechanical ventilation. We can’t say for certain that they have a good prognosis, but we can’t say they have a bad one eit…
