He paged through the test results from five weeks ago. Didn’t say much. There was a flicker of a raised eyebrow. I interrupted his concentration: “She said everything was normal.” He nodded, then shook his head for a moment at something, then turned back to me. He’s an older man. His face is a little […]
Physician, Heal Thyself…
Four years ago following a medical runaround that persisted for close to a year, a friend insisted I get on a plane, travel to France, and see a physician there. I did. With my medical records, my scans, and my stories of who said what and who didn’t say anything. I got answers. A diagnosis. […]
Cookies and Cake – Cash or Credit?
What did you buy at the grocery store this week? How did you pay for it – cash or credit? Does that make a difference? In hard times, we all juggle. It’s the proverbial “rob Peter to pay Paul” as we pull funds from one source to cover another. It’s a sort of hot potato […]
Stigma
It used to be illegitimacy. Or abortion. Or divorce. Stigma was attached to actions that were overtly or tacitly unacceptable. The consequence was banishment from the fold. Being shunned by those whose approval you wanted. Whose love you needed. Some of the reasons may have shifted, but stigma remains a part of western culture. Children […]
Kids Use Condoms, But Adults Don’t?
Are you single? Sexually active? Do you assume your partner or partners are healthy? Bad call. Disease isn’t personal. It isn’t judgmental. It doesn’t know if you attend church, if you brush your teeth and floss. If you’ve only had two sexual partners in a lifetime, or 302. What about your teenagers? Do they use […]
Righteous Recreation of Self-Image?
We revisit self-image over and over…
Starting Over, Over and Over
I ask myself: How many times must I learn the same lesson? And I answer: As many as it takes. I ask myself: How many times must I start over? And I answer: As many as opportunity allows. Starting over I find myself starting over – again. Small things. Big things. And of course, simultaneously. […]
Warped Views? Bad News
Self-image. It’s an evolutionary process.
As plain as the nose on my face
It’s been bumpy around Ye Olde Homestead of late. Cycles of teen stress, silence, a talk, followed by improvement. Two or three days later, the cycle repeats. Fortunately, I have plenty of shoe dye for the gray hair. And far more patience than I ever realized. I also have a usual go-to solution. A great […]
What Ever Happened to Doctor-Patient Relationship?
Some 120 miles away, a friend is lying in her bed. In pain. It’s been six days. She works around the clock – an independent – and has no medical insurance. Just one more thing that disappears for many women when they divorce. And she is over 50. Without an employer, the cost of medical […]