Crippling fatigue: a common enemy of autoimmune disease

Conditions
May 25, 2024

For many people with autoimmune disease, fatigue is the most debilitating symptom. Why autoimmune disease and fatigue go together is not entirely understood, although inflammation may be part of the reason. Other possible factors include pain, poor sleep, inactivity, and depressed mood. Fatigue is not just feeling tired. Fatigue is composed of both physical fatigue and mental fatigue. Unlike being tired, fatigue is rarely resolved with rest or sleep. Trying …

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Couples counseling: Understanding conflict and building intimacy

Conditions
May 25, 2024

Situations that trigger a call for assistance with couples counseling are generally described as a need for improved communication, chronic conflict, lack of physical or emotional intimacy, or a desire to better understand the impacts of past trauma. Therapeutic work can evolve into tackling more specific long-standing disappointments in emotional and physical intimacy. Disconnection is often exacerbated incrementally by increased responsibility with children, aging parents, and cultural differences, among other …

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Targeting cancer treatment for better outcomes [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 24, 2024
YouTube video

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We welcome Kevin L. Schewe, a radiation oncologist, as we explore the evolution of cancer treatment from the perspective of someone who has witnessed groundbreaking advancements firsthand. From the significance of targeted therapies …

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Improving maternal health with integrated technology and coordinated decision-making

Policy
May 24, 2024

The U.S. infant mortality rate, children who die under one year of age, rose to its highest rate in two decades in 2022, up about 3 percent to 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

At the same time, the nation’s neonatal mortality rate, infants who die in less than 28 days, increased by 3 percent from 3.49 to 3.58, and the post-neonatal mortality rate, infants who die between 28 days …

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70 and thriving: How I discovered my encore career

Physician
May 24, 2024

In the midst of moving and changing my residential address, and at 70 years of age, I finally figured out my encore career: building Bankers Boxes. Perhaps my skills will transfer to folding pizza boxes.

This is as good a time as any to use humor, i.e. while winding down your career. Most people glumly retire. It has to be done with a modicum of planning and foresight, as well as …

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The “doctor” treatment: How to vet physicians for ourselves and those we love

Physician
May 24, 2024

There’s an old Dutch Proverb that goes: “We grow too soon old and too late smart.”

I’m not so sure about the “too late” part. In the almost five years since I walked off the mound for the last time, i.e., I retired from practicing medicine, I’ve learned a lot and maybe even gotten a tad smarter (about some things). I can change my refrigerator water filters with my eyes closed, …

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Eye dryness, insomnia, and more: hidden signs you’re in perimenopause

Conditions
May 24, 2024

I am 47 years old and was today years old when I realized I have been going through perimenopause for the last four years. It is only with a retrospective lens that I can review my last four years and pick up intermittent symptoms or even just mild nuisance-level symptoms that I can say are likely from perimenopause.

What is perimenopause? Perimenopause is the transition stage before reaching menopause, which is …

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Outdated technology is hurting patients [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 23, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us as we delve into the complexities of modern health care with guest Samant Virk, a neurologist and health care executive. We explore pressing questions surrounding outdated systems and resistance to change …

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Pain management for Black patients and painful realities

Conditions
May 23, 2024

This piece is inspired by my recent patient encounter. Within the past week, I received a call from the ER to admit a 29-year-old African-American female whom, for the sake of this essay, I will call Keisha. Keisha presented with severe lower abdominal pain and was found to be in hypertensive crisis. Her systolic blood pressure consistently was in the upper 200s. It turned out that the young lady suffered …

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Apple’s new accessibility features: a game changer in health care

Tech
May 23, 2024

Apple’s new accessibility features—eye tracking, music haptics, and vocal shortcuts—mark a major technological leap to enhance life quality for individuals with disabilities. These innovations promise to revolutionize health care by boosting patient autonomy, care quality, and inclusive design. Here’s a comprehensive look at their transformative potential.

Eye tracking on iPad and iPhone for enhanced patient communication

Eye-tracking technology is a groundbreaking development for individuals with physical disabilities, enabling users to control their …

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A simple poem, and a profound message: Exploring Wendy Cope’s The Orange

Physician
May 23, 2024

Wendy Cope is a poet of modern times. She was born in Erith, Kent. She spent fifteen years teaching primary school in London after graduating from college. She has published five collections of her poems: Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis in 1986, Serious Concerns in 1992, If I Don’t Know in 2001, Family Values in 2011, and Anecdotal Evidence in 2018. Her observation of the commonplace, everyday elements of life …

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The credentialing scavenger hunt: Navigating hospital credentials

Physician
May 23, 2024

If you are a physician planning to move to a new hospital or take a contract job in another state, prepare yourself for the daunting process of credentialing. As a pediatric emergency physician who frequently provides locum coverage, I’m intimately familiar with the cumbersome, repetitive, and costly scavenger hunt that accompanies credentialing at each new hospital. This process must be endured every time, at every hospital, with no sharing of …

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A disabled sibling’s right to stay home [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 22, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us for a conversation with Franke James, an activist, artist, and author, as we delve into her book, Freeing Teresa: A True Story about My Sister and Me. Together, we explore the …

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The many faces of anger: from frustration to social change

Physician
May 22, 2024

Understanding human anger is complex and multifaceted, rooted in a myriad of psychological, social, and even biological factors. We frequently confront personal experiences with everyday people reacting angrily to situations that could be handled with communication and a kind approach. The daily news is filled with violence related to anger.

One of the primary catalysts for anger is unmet expectations. When individuals perceive that their needs, desires, or expectations are not …

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How physician groups can beat private equity

Finance
May 22, 2024

As a society, we should all be concerned about the increasing rate at which private equity firms are acquiring physician groups. Over the last decade, private equity firms have invested nearly $1 trillion in approximately 8,000 health care deals, encompassing a wide spectrum of medical services, from fertility clinics to neonatal care, primary care to cardiology, hospices, and everything in between.

The consequence? Health care has shifted towards a profit-driven model …

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Forced immigration and the American dream: a physician’s story

Physician
May 22, 2024

My grandfather was forced to immigrate from Japan to Canada in 1910. As I learned, he owned many sake factories in Japan, which were nationalized in a government takeover of certain businesses. Governments do that. The family was heavily burdened, and the government pressured them to move across the Pacific.

Over the next century, our family prospered under the Canadian government, with some family members coming to the United States.

One reflection …

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The truth about employee turnover: It’s inevitable (and OK!)

Physician
May 22, 2024

It is a simple idea, but we don’t think about it. Everyone will leave their job, including us. This thought occurred to me as our office was undergoing a painful turnover. I started my private practice in 2020, expecting it to be a small, close-knit office. I had the vision of practicing medicine as I thought it should be practiced, with attentive and caring staff who truly cared about the …

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Assisted suicide legislation: ethical considerations [PODCAST]

Podcast
May 21, 2024
YouTube video

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Join us as we delve into the complex terrain of end-of-life care and the contentious debate surrounding assisted suicide legislation. Cardiologist Joseph E. Marine offers unique insights into the ethical, medical, and societal …

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How choosing purpose over design transforms your life and destiny

Physician
May 21, 2024

In our quest for personal and professional fulfillment, many of us meticulously plan our lives, crafting each step to align with our individual preferences and values. This “life by design” approach offers a clear path through the chaos of everyday existence, providing a sense of control and direction. However, while setting up our lives according to our own specifications might bring temporary satisfaction, does it truly offer long-term fulfillment? Contrast …

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Xylazine: the lethal ingredient hiding in your pills

Meds
May 21, 2024

Xylazine has been found to be adulterating pills in America, and doctors will need to understand this new threat. First, xylazine is not “krokodil,” although it produces somewhat similar-looking skin ulcers.  Krokodil is a pseudonym for desomorphine, which is created from a precursor chemical called alpha-chlorocodide. Desomorphine is dihydrodesoxymorphine and was developed in Germany in 1932. It is a very fast but short-acting, semi-synthetic opioid used mainly in Russia.  Xylazine …

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