Conditions

Overcoming the lies of depression: Senator John Fetterman’s struggle with mental health

Conditions

June 5, 2023

In February, just a few months after being elected to the United States Senate, Pennsylvania politician John Fetterman entered into a treatment program for depression. In an interview with CBS News show Sunday Morning last month, he recounted suffering a stroke in May 2022, then fighting through a grueling Senate race that severely impacted his mental health. “You may have won,” he recalled thinking, “but depression can absolutely convince you …

Proposed USPSTF guideline update: Advocating for earlier breast cancer screening at age 40

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

Conditions

June 3, 2023

Pop Quiz: At what age do medical experts recommend women of average risk for breast cancer begin receiving screening mammograms?

40
45
50
All of the above.

If you answered “D,” you are correct. Confused? I don’t blame you. Medical societies and independent task forces do not agree on when to begin or end screening mammograms for women at average risk of developing breast cancer. This has led to confusion and …

The rising threat of lung cancer in Asian American female nonsmokers

Alice S. Y. Lee, MD

Conditions

June 3, 2023

“It’s adenocarcinoma,” said the voice on the other end of the phone.

I couldn’t believe it.

“Lung cancer? Me? How could that be? I’ve never smoked!” Shock, disbelief, and disappointment filled all the nooks and crannies of my mind and heart.

In January 2021, I went to my PCP after developing a nagging dry cough after starting lisinopril eight months prior, during the first months of COVID. I concluded that it was just …

Urgent innovation is needed to address the growing mental health crisis among children and families

Monika Roots, MD

Conditions

June 1, 2023

The growing mental health crisis affecting our children and families has reached a breaking point. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I know well the current mental health crisis is dire and demands immediate attention. And I worry we are not moving fast enough to help those in need.

The number of kids and teens aged 3 to 17 diagnosed with depression or anxiety spiked by 30% from 2016 …

The importance of listening in health care: a mother’s journey advocating for children with chronic Lyme disease

Cheryl Lazarus

Conditions

June 1, 2023

My husband, a physician, and I have four wonderful children – a son and three daughters. I look back over the past decade and wonder, “Why?” Why did my daughters contract Lyme disease and not my son or husband? Why was it so difficult to establish a diagnosis? Why are doctors specializing in treating patients with Lyme disease considered pariahs, while conventional doctors may not consider the diagnosis and often …

The unjust reality of racial disparities in pediatric kidney transplants

Lien Morcate

Conditions

May 31, 2023

I noticed a troublesome trend during my three weeks working in the pediatric dialysis unit and the post-kidney transplant unit. The whiter and younger pediatric patients were resting comfortably in the post-transplant unit with their new surgically placed kidneys being meticulously taken care of. The darker and older pediatric patients spent countless, mindless hours attached to a dialysis machine with little hope for a new kidney after years of being …

The surprising medical mystery of a “good” Hitler: How a rescued kitten revealed a rare movement disorder

Teresella Gondolo, MD

Conditions

May 28, 2023

An excerpt from Fifty Shades of Gray Matter.

He was Hitler. Not the evil Nazi dictator returned somehow from the Inferno to which he had been consigned. Apparently, as with the witches in Oz, there were both good and bad Hitlers. He informed me that he was, in fact, a …

The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

Kim Downey, PT

Conditions

May 28, 2023

Upon reading numerous articles referencing physician coaching, most have been written by physicians who were transformed by coaching and then became coaches themselves. (Thank you. Your work is so needed in this area!) At least once or twice, I’ve seen coaching referenced in a derogatory manner or deemed unnecessary. In those instances, the premise was that “the system” is the problem and coaching is not the answer. In reality, this …

Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

Althea Halchuck, EJD

Conditions

May 27, 2023

“One should . . . be able to see things as hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald

I’m in a massive ballroom with numerous tables and promotional placards lining the walls and center. In attendance are every pharmaceutical manufacturer and their sales reps. All the biggies are here; Pfizer, Merck, Novartis, and AstraZeneca, to name a few. Their drugs are household names because they advertise …

An obstetrician-gynecologist reveals the truth about reproductive planning and how to navigate society’s expectations

Yuliya Malayev, DO, MPH

Conditions

May 26, 2023

Judging a book by its cover is easy. I just did it. There was a title at my library last week, So When Are You Having Kids?, and I judged it. That’s a loaded question: Am I even able to have kids? Do I want kids? If I do, when is a good time, personally or professionally? Who could ever be ready? Yet, how many times a day do …

Nose-brain connection: The surprising link between allergies and mental health revealed

Kara Wada, MD

Conditions

May 25, 2023

Artificially separating the body from the mind has been one of the biggest missteps of modern medicine. Over the last few years, we have increasingly read studies confirming the mind-body connection, the gut-brain axis, and now we are learning more about the nose-brain connection.

Given the direct proximity between our nose and our brain, this connection shouldn’t be much of a surprise. The olfactory nerve, cranial nerve 1, wires directly to …

Is the rise in mental illness due to greater awareness or a true increase in incidence?

Zahid Awan, MD

Conditions

May 25, 2023

Someone asked me recently if there is a significant increase in the prevalence of mental illness since it seems everyone is in treatment somewhere. It was a good question and got me thinking.

The prevalence of mental illness has been increasing in recent years, but it is unclear if this is solely due to more people seeking treatment or if there is a true increase in the incidence of mental illness.

In …

A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

Michele Luckenbaugh

Conditions

May 24, 2023

Pages of my life turn over as the breezes of time flow over me.

Remembrances of your presence as the world welcomed my firstborn so many years ago.

Your calming voice and words of wisdom reminded me that life would be different but oh so much better.

My baby girl would grow to be a healer like you, offering hope and consolation to those seeking her out. Expert hands stitched my rambunctious toddler’s …

How misused terminology and biased studies may be misguiding our understanding of opioid addiction and mortality

Richard A. Lawhern, PhD

Conditions

May 23, 2023

As a health care writer and policy analyst, I frequently encounter the term “risk” in discussions of medical issues. I also frequently see the term grossly misused in both the popular press and medical literature. Nowhere is this more evident than in the 2016 and 2022 CDC Guidelines for the prescription of opioids in the treatment of pain.

In science, the term “incidence” is a measure of the likelihood …

Unlocking the power of autism: How accommodations and acceptance can benefit us all

Diane Cross

Conditions

May 21, 2023

For a growing percentage of our population, autism is a part of everyday life. How we support and empower children with autism speaks volumes about our society’s ability to be inclusive, productive, and fair.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s a perfect time to celebrate people with autism and elevate our awareness about this complex group of neurodivergent individuals who enrich our lives every day.

Here’s how we all can better …

A unique method for managing chronic bowel conditions, treating fecal impaction, and preparing for colonoscopy procedures

Mahesh Moolani, MD

Conditions

May 20, 2023

Fecal impaction and severe chronic constipation can have significant consequences on patients’ mortality, morbidity, psychosocial well-being, and health care costs. It is especially prevalent among the elderly and individuals with neurogenic bowel disorders. The condition can lead to life-threatening complications like bowel obstruction, intestinal perforation, fecal incontinence, and urinary retention.

Traditional treatments for fecal impaction and severe constipation include lifestyle changes, fiber supplementation, laxatives, suppositories, enemas, and digital stimulation. However, …

The 4 stages of suicidal ideation: a physician’s experience with burnout and self-compassion

William Lynes, MD

Conditions

May 20, 2023

I am a physician, a urologist, and a survivor of multiple suicide attempts related to physician burnout. In dealing with my psychopathology, I experienced a devolution in my mental status, culminating in suicidal behavior. I can remember the exact moment when I acknowledged that suicide was a possible solution to my problems. At one moment, I felt revulsion at the idea of suicide but crossed over to accept it. This …

Finding hope and relief: a physical therapist’s journey with chronic pain and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

Felix S. Linetsky, MD & Francisco M. Torres, MD

Conditions

May 19, 2023

The day Ann entered my clinic, I had already been practicing pain management for over ten years. A 40-something physical therapist, she had a warm smile, a positive attitude—and chronic pain in every part of her back.

Twenty-five years earlier, Ann had been inspired to go into physical therapy to help her family members who suffered from severe chronic pain to the point of disability. However, to her dismay, upon graduating …

Stop saying you “are OCD” if you don’t have OCD

Brandi Lawless, PhD

Conditions

May 19, 2023

When people (especially women) are highly organized, hyper-focused, and efficient they often label themselves (or are labeled by others) as OCD. In essence, “being OCD” is a superpower that leaves us with clean houses, well-manicured appearances, and detail-oriented work products. A person might even flaunt their “OCD personality” as a positive in an interview. But, saying you “are OCD” takes away from the very real anxiety that people who “have …

5 myths of treating sickle cell disease with automated red blood cell exchange

Carly Newton, RN

Conditions

May 19, 2023

Not all transfusion therapies are the same.

Unlike other transfusion therapies, automated red blood cell exchange (RBCX) efficiently and rapidly removes a patient’s hemoglobin S (HbS)-containing RBCs and replaces them with healthy RBCs. You may be surprised to learn that there are a few misperceptions surrounding automated RBCX. How do you think about automated RBCX today?

Myth #1: RBCX is only for acute patients

Reality: Automated RBCX is recommended by …