I recently learned that a cousin has been diagnosed with brain cancer. He is a few years younger than I am. It was a stunning revelation. My response to all things medical is generally muted. I have given bad news to hundreds of patients and been the first physician to recommend hospice care to dozens. […]
It’s 0530h. West Penobscot Bay is throbbing with the sound of diesel motors, thousands of horsepower under the decks of hundreds of lobster boats. The sun has been up for twenty minutes. By now, many of the lobstermen have been hauling traps for two hours. I have an appointment to take the gasman to the […]
Andy*, this one is for you, but you have to read to the end to get the rant. It has been about two weeks since I returned to Maine from visiting my father in Milwaukee. This is peak summer vacation time and, indeed, that is what I have used it for. A Gap Year principle […]
If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world, and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. – E. B. White This is […]
Today and tomorrow are the big pushes to get “stuff” out of the house, where it clutters the floor and the mind, and into our new guesthouse. Hopefully the mind clutter will diminish. A brief healthcare rant Recently The New York Times reported that medical insurance premiums will fall by 50 percent in the state of New York […]
One of the most irritating expressions a patient can use is… “I am supposed to…” It is usually verbalized just after a diagnosis is made and a treatment plan is being considered. For example: “Mr. Smith, your CT scan shows extensive diverticulitis; and, although no abscess is demonstrated your abdomen is very tender; I recommend […]
Ok, no touchy-feely comments about my state of mind as I enter the third week of my Gap Year, keeping in mind that in 40 years of medical education, training, and practice three straight weeks is the most vacation time I have ever had and this on less than five occasions. Let’s get to some […]
I am indescribably proud of my two daughters who are both embarking on careers as M.D.’s. Why, you might ask, am I leaving the practice of medicine just as they are starting? It is an easy rationalization. My era is over. Yet the medical profession remains the career with the most promise of honor, achievement, […]
Well, today is the first “work” day of my sabbatical. Because I am in Milwaukee visiting my 92-year-old father there is a hint of vacation in the air, but my body’s muscle memory is telling me to dress for work. I feel the Void. I must make this day worthwhile. So I will applaud the […]
