“In January of 1991, at twenty-two months old, Nick had another heart catheterization. Andy and I had started thinking about the next stage of surgery to finish the heart repair. Just before Nick was discharged, I discussed it briefly with Dr. Ka…
Category: Patients
The advocate’s sword stands polished and ready
“The weapon of the advocate is the sword of the soldier, not the dagger of the assassin,” according to journalist and writer, Alexander Cockburn. The sword of the advocate, whether used for oneself or a loved one, may also end up opening doors that can…
A message from a patient to health care workers: Always remember your humanity
For those working in the health care profession, life has been a nightmarish existence for the past 18 months. COVID-19, originally billed as an illness no more severe than the flu, has devastated America and most other world countries. Loss of life du…
When records are wrong, patients are at risk
I took a deep breath. The medical assistant who was checking me in for a video appointment was trying my patience. I was trying to explain, once again, that no, I really didn’t have HNSHA due to triosephosphate isomerase deficiency. The rare condition …
The triad of health care: patient, nurse, physician
I believe in the power and sanctity of the relationship between nurses, patients, and physicians. A feeling that one is part of a team, part of a triad, whose sole purpose is centered on enhancing the patient’s health. This security empowers a pa…
Don’t be the patient that says these words [PODCAST]
“Don’t be the patient that says: ‘Doc, just tell me what to do …’ Instead, you should ask for information to empower yourself to make decisions about your healing process. Framing questions around the clinician’s experience is always …
Patients don’t need quick diagnoses. They need accurate ones. [PODCAST]
“The patient knocking on your door is not your enemy. They’re sick. They’re scared. They’re in pain. They don’t know why, and they’re hoping for an answer. If you can’t find the source of a problem quickly, it doesn’t mean it’s not there.” …
Doctors and patients continue to search through the overgrown forest of corporate health care
It’s been a rough and difficult year for us. Separation, desperation, depression, illness, and death are scattered among the months that have passed by. Hope, for the longest time, seemed non-existent. The COVID virus gave the world a “suc…
Healer, are you so different from me?
My heart pumps rhythmically, as does yours, and aches when sadness strikes. I am stressed and discouraged when I feel I have no control over an illness that invades my body. Is this not true for you as you lay in your bed at night, feeling that “…
Who says doctors don’t care?
Yes Virginia, there are still some doctors who truly care for their patients. On December 13, 1993, my husband Bill was playing golf. Early in his round, he suffered a massive heart attack. Bill was 56 years old. Thanks to the staff and emergency ro…
