Author: Gene

A team struggle moving us forward When my wife, Robin, was diagnosed with a terminal cancer and given 6 months to live in November 2022, we knew we had to … Continue Reading →

Prevention is Dam Important As we approach mid-March, we will again discuss one of the worst disasters in California history that occurred in the Santa Clarita Valley: the collapse of … Continue Reading →

Moving into the Stone Age With the recent change in the Washington, D.C. administration, older adults fear their health insurance through Medicare and personal finances through Social Security might be … Continue Reading →

The Unknown Role of Hormone Balance and DNA We move into every new year carrying beliefs from previous years. Scientific confusion and unresolved questions can sometimes cause society and families … Continue Reading →

Communicating with your doctor online could cost you The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated medical communication as patients and doctors utilized computer technology to manage healthcare that was not available a decade … Continue Reading →

Passing the torch of friendship to you and future generations I have been given the gift of writing excerpts of my life that might influence future family generations, hopefully helping … Continue Reading →

You are now a “deep pocket” and in the crosshairs is your home. As a physician, I have always faced the stigma of being considered a “deep pocket.” What does … Continue Reading →

A holiday tribute to teachers Hello Everyone Happy Holidays to all! Sometimes, a song, a story, or a movie can evoke heartfelt feelings of the season. So often, though, throughout … Continue Reading →

Defeating diabetes What if you knew drinking egg nog would not affect your blood sugar? What if you knew eating a salad increases your blood sugar 100 points? Would it … Continue Reading →

Blame game on the road In almost 60 years of driving, I have never been in a car accident. Lucky.  But I already know now that if I am, fingers … Continue Reading →

Medicare “Disadvantage”  It’s Medicare Open Enrollment time again, and I provide my annual warning of the major pitfalls of Medicare HMO “advantage” plans. When our family first came to California … Continue Reading →

If you build it, they will come The clouds are wispy, and the breeze drifts toward the sunset. The dusky colors of the coming evening signify the end of the … Continue Reading →

Lying displaces trust What if your doctor lied to you? “I can fix your spinal cord so you can walk again,” or “This drug will keep you from getting wrinkles … Continue Reading →

A terminal disease intercepted by modern medicine I have been a physician for over forty years with an office practice and providing geriatric house calls in our community. Now, I … Continue Reading →

A “Senior-friendly” 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles The Paris Olympics have ended, and watching two weeks of events on television was, as usual, captivating. As most of you know, this … Continue Reading →

Hope for those who give up their car keys When you are older, you are a threat to other drivers. Reflexes are dampened, muscle responses are sluggish, cataracts obscure vision, … Continue Reading →

Keeping us in our lane As we get older, one fear is not passing the California driver’s test at the DMV.  Our quality of life depends on hopping into our … Continue Reading →

Passing the torch One difficult responsibility as a physician is to recognize physical frailties especially those indicating patients are incapable of driving.  Too often in my medical practice, most resistance … Continue Reading →

Teammanship Nothing could have prepared me better for my career and life than playing team sports growing up.  It’s hard to imagine someone now in their 70s pitching a fastball … Continue Reading →

The Meaning of D-Day Robin and I share a family bond. Both our fathers were wounded WWII veterans. Her father was on the water, taken to a British hospital unconscious … Continue Reading →

A Jury of Lie Detectors A trial by a jury of your peers does not mean they will reach the correct conclusion of innocence or guilt. When serving on a … Continue Reading →

Targeting Targeted Cancer Therapy For decades, many patients, their children, and grandkids have strived to answer, “What is cancer? As a doctor and scientist, over the past 16 months, I … Continue Reading →

Emancipation from the Medical-Industrial Complex My grandfather was forced to immigrate from Japan to Canada in 1910. As I learned, he owned many saki factories in Japan, which were nationalized … Continue Reading →

On Being a Doctor and an Advocate I opened my internal medicine practice almost four decades ago to serve a growing urban community. I gravitated toward the underserved geriatric population … Continue Reading →