Physicians writing on KevinMD about the diseases they treat and the people who have them: cancer and its screening arguments, pain and the drugs that treat it, diabetes and the obesity argument, mental illness and who gets treated for it, and the decisions at the end of a life. Five maintained records draw on this archive: Cancer: what physicians say, in their own words, Opioids: what physicians and pain patients say, in their own words, End of life: what physicians say, in their own words, Diabetes and obesity: what physicians say, in their own words, and Mental health: what psychiatrists and physicians say, in their own words.
A Kentucky judge rejected the claims made by a teenager who sued his local health department for temporarily barring students at his school who aren’t immune against chickenpox from attending classes and participating in extracurricular activities.
This article prompted a little thought experiment.
Chickenpox used to be a routine childhood illness. For a couple of weeks, kids who contracted the illness were very contagious and experienced discomfort.
Death was rare, …
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Our terrifying chickenpox problem
A wag once said: “There is no such thing as a healthy person, just one who has not had enough tests.”
As we make every minor deviation from the average into a disease, that jest is becoming uncomfortably close to the way our current medical system behaves.
Part of the problem is that many diseases represent an arbitrary cut-off of a number. Thus, hypertension is defined as a blood pressure above a …
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Many diseases represent an arbitrary number
“Let’s ask Ben Shapiro to come speak,” the nurse practitioner said. “He’s popular.” “Or we can mention the ten plagues, since Passover is coming up,” offered a pediatrician. They were talking about countering anti-vaccine propaganda among ultra-Orthodox Jews, and they were brainstorming with a hint of desperation.
Trying not to obstruct women in strollers and men on the way from morning prayer, I had made it to this conference room in …
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Don’t blame Chasidim, or anyone, for not vaccinating. Understand their reasons.
It’s not just someone obsessed by Columbine. Last year, a seemingly normal teen was found dead from suicide in a Corona del Mar park. Just a few weeks ago, a young man walked into a local South County fast food joint, then into the restroom, where he was found hung. Another was found dead on the grounds of an Aliso Viejo school. A few days later, the school parent open …
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Teenage suicide: trouble in a virtual paradise
When a patient comes to me long after he or she suspects that something is amiss, I tell them, “I understand.” I know why they had ignored their tremors for too long. I understand why they had dismissed their balance issues as insignificant.
Depictions of Parkinson’s disease in popular culture are grim, and nobody wants to be told that they have a disorder that is associated with loss of motor skills …
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Move quickly because Parkinson’s builds slowly
Two prestigious medical journals published studies involving Alzheimer disease (AD) and amyloid beta in successive weeks; both were paired with guest expert commentaries (editorials). One editorial, about a drug study, also reviewed several other failures in anti-amyloid therapy and stated: “To be blunt, A-beta [amyloid] lowering seems like an ineffective approach….” The other editorial had an encouraging attitude toward amyloid PET imaging as part of …
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Interpreting 2 recent studies involving Alzheimer disease
“As soon as I mentioned the ‘A’ word, I knew she would not be calling me back.” This was what one of the parents I met at my preschool told me about what it was like trying to register her son with autism in a non-specialized local community program.
Once the registrar heard the “A word” – autism – they said that another child had already taken the last spot available, …
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Autism and advocacy go hand in hand
Busy primary care physicians have a lot on their plates. But when it comes to helping people with diabetes learn how to improve their health, they don’t have to do it all themselves. Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) programs, led by a diabetes educator, can provide vital assistance by helping people with diabetes maintain a healthy weight, quit smoking, begin an exercise routine and integrate other self-management behaviors into …
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How diabetes education programs can help busy primary care physicians
Kaiser Health News told the story of a 69-year-old woman who went to a new doctor for her annual check-up, assuming it was covered by Medicare and was happy with the visit until she got a $400 bill.
Most Americans believe in “annual check-ups,” at which your doctor reviews your medical history, gives you a thorough physical and orders lab tests. The actual value of such visits has been questioned, but …
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When is a check-up not a check-up?
Alex and Edward Santos have just returned from a weekend away at their aunt and uncle’s place. They love it there. The couple is in their 20s and spoil the boys with late bedtimes, movies and video games, and home-made cupcakes with chocolate icing and sprinkles. It’s been a long break for Alex, who’s 15, and has been off school for a week. Now, his vacation is almost over, he …
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A mysterious case of seizures in the ER
Here’s what they should have told you: “We found cancer in your lymph nodes, your liver, your lungs, and your brain. It explains your weight loss, your difficulty breathing and your loss of appetite. This wasn’t just your depression like you thought. It started in your lungs, and now it’s everywhere. This cancer has been growing for quite some time. You cannot, even with the strongest medications and the longest …
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Why didn’t your doctors tell you the truth?
He struggled to breathe, progressing from deep breaths with wet sounds reverberating in his lungs, to guppy breathing — opening the mouth like a fish, contorting the entire face. His heart rate slowly decreased, from 150 beats a minute — a pace attempting to keep up with the oxygen demands of the body — to 50 beats, to 40 beats, to that which is incompatible with life. The nurse pushed …
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A patient that reminded me of the first man I ever witnessed dying
These events happened over 18 years ago. Some content has been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty. Searching for positive changes in the health care industry. We are not a number, and the patients are not a number.
I’m not good at lying. My eyes go to the left or look downward, and I start to stutter and pause. There is no eye contact, and I fall deep into …
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A nurse’s downfall was telling the truth
What do you think about your patients whom you believe need to lose weight? Do you consider them lazy or non-compliant? Or wonder why they don’t they take better care of themselves and listen to your diet or exercise advice?
You’re not alone in feeling frustrated and maybe even professionally inadequate treating patients who struggle with food. Most doctors and health care providers are unprepared for the challenge of changing patients’ …
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Why aren’t patients with eating problems following your advice?
In general, physical activity is important in maintaining your health. Many people falsely believe that running can cause arthritis but research show that this isn’t necessarily true.
In reality, walking, running or strenuous exercise can significantly decrease risk of any knee osteoarthritis. Doctors are still trying to understand how running can improve knee arthritis, with continual research studies.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis caused by trauma or overuse …
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Does running cause arthritis?
