Information and Critical Thinking for Your Health
(Snippets from the frontline) Paying off my medical school loan Yep…it’s done. It took only 37 years. Why did it take so long? Partly because of the principal, but mostly … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Prescription denied He was an opera coach with a deep melodious voice. Now in his 80’s, my patient uses a walker and suffers from lumbar spinal … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Retirement worry Some want to retire, while others are forced to retire. We rely on savings, social security, investments, retirement benefits, and family. In reality, you … Continue Reading →
Snippets from the frontline) Mike He was a veteran who lost both legs below his knees in Vietnam, yet returned to California, married, raised three daughters, and started a successful … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Hospital “code words” Over the past decade, the business mentality takeover ascribed “code words” to hospitalized elder seniors, herding them out of the hospital into nursing … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Decreasing life expectancy After rising 26 years, US life expectancy decreased for the second straight year. News reports attributes opioid fatalities as a contributing factor to … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Sepsis In hospitalized patients, experienced doctors and nurses instinctively recognize imminent death, and that awareness makes them act immediately to save a life. This instinct is … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Elder suicide We’ve heard these words before: “He died peacefully in his sleep.” As a geriatric physician, I fear that an elder senior has committed suicide … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Being au naturel Sometimes statistics are baffling. Why do many autoimmune diseases (fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, etc.) effect significantly more women than … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Readmission If you are admitted, discharged, and return with the same diagnosis within 30 days, hospitals are penalized by Medicare for the readmission. Nowadays, hospitals are … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) The easy way out “Take this pill.” Words patients like to hear from their doctor assuming it will solve all medical problems. Likewise, grabbing fast food … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) The other gateway drug Many states are on the road to legalizing medicinal and recreational marijuana. Much of this is related to change in cultural attitudes, … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Overtime Doctors know when a patient breaks a hip, surgical intervention is quickly needed to control pain and avoid complications like anemia, fat emboli, deep vein … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Computer reality My patient visited New York and had a heart attack. Upon his return, it took 6 weeks to get medical records snail-mailed back to … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Dehydration Every day patients arrive in the emergency room with confusion, weakness, and low blood pressure, and are diagnosed with infection. Intravenous fluid and antibiotic are … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) The silent doctor Doctors have been described as the best and brightest, and they should be as medical decisions impact the lives of many people. But … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Overdosed by government Opiate overdose is a leading cause of death in our country with addiction destroying lives and families. Many disabled patients however under chronic … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Grace She was a teacher, retiring at age 65 and traveling the world finally seeing countries she passionately illuminated for her students. Grace wanted those she … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Painting a picture Upon admission to a hospital, the doctor you choose has already earned your trust and confidence. Nowadays though, one can be admitted by … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Don’t forget the forgotten There is no place like home. Just not a nursing home. The re-invented name “Skilled Nursing Facility” cannot erase images of screaming … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Surviving war and hospitalization Robert, a Vietnam veteran, returned from the war zone without physical or psychologic scars, and did not adopt the habits of smoking … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Business bandwagon Some of the “best and brightest” have become medical doctors. They endure rigorous training caring for the health and well-being of those ill in … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Re-blending our DNA Seretse Khama, a prince from the African country of Bechuanaland (now Botswana), fell in love with a woman in England after WW II. … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Rolling the dice with chest pain You are awakened with crushing chest pain and brought to the emergency room. Initial testing reveals no heart attack, but … Continue Reading →
(Snippets from the frontline) Medicare HMO is not free Every year during open enrollment, HMOs direct full-page ads toward Medicare patients promoting “free” coverage including medication, glasses, hearing aids, dental … Continue Reading →