Originally written June 2020. Re-posted June 2022, in honor of Juneteenth.
Tag: jesus
Happy Valentine’s Day
When I first wrote the title for this blog, I spent a few minutes contemplating the punctuation for the title. Should I do without? Add an exclamation for the obvious excitement that it brings for those in love or for those who spend it with other single friends? Or should I end it with a …
Who Am I?
My bones ache. I sweat at night. I'm steadily losing weight. Who am I? A breast cancer patient. Pins and needles stab my feet. I can't quench my thirst. I gain weight for no reason. Who am I? A diabetes patient. Electric shock travels down my leg. I can't sit. I can't stand. I can't …
The Voice Inside
I order and review a lot of labs. A lot. Every day. Basic labs include a blood count, kidney function, liver function, electrolytes (sodium, potassium, etc), cholesterol, and an A1C (if you're diabetic). These labs will typically help us monitor how meds may be affecting patients, how controlled or uncontrolled their medical conditions, and if …
The Christmas Tree
My husband practices Dermatology, a field that most medical professionals are weak in and are weary of. Why? Because it’s hard! So many rashes look alike. But my favorite rash of all time presents mostly in young women, on their back, and in a Christmas tree pattern. Yep, you heard me. This rash is spread …
Prayer Works, Part 3
She spent most of her days overwhelmed with fatigue. She spent a lot of days vomiting. She spent a lot of days traveling to her doc’s office for radiation. She spent two years with breast cancer. I spent time with this patient for two years. I spent our visits smiling with her. I spent our …
Algorithms
I LOVE algorithms! When presented with a symptom from a patient, I will always use an algorithm to figure out what's going on in order to properly treat the symptom. For example, I get a lot of complaints from patients about chronic headaches. So, I use a series of questions in order to go down …
More than Pain
If you ask medical providers their least favorite topic, I would hypothesize that it's probably pain. It's not because we don't want to take the time to do a thorough physical exam, order x-rays, order bloodwork, or prescribe medication. It's because we're a bit frustrated with the opioid pandemic. In actuality, we enjoy trying to …
Genealogy
If you're 50 years or older, you're due for a colonoscopy. Unless you have an immediate family member with colon cancer, then you might need a colonoscopy sooner. If you're a 50 year old female, you're due for a mammogram. You can get one starting at the age of 40 but the USPSTF (U.S. Preventive …
Significance of a Name
Hashimoto's Disease. Takotsubo's Cardiomyopathy. Wernicke's Encephalopathy. These are some famous names in medicine. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, disovered by a Japanese physician named Hakaru Hashimoto, is an autoimmune thyroid disorder where the thyroid gland doesn't function as well as it should, which can cause weight gain, depression, joint pain, constipation, dry skin, etc. This can be life-threatening. …
Finding Faith In Medicine 