What Covid-19 Teaches us About A Good Death
{Update from Sam} When the coronavirus and its resultant disease, Covid-19, first appeared on the scene in New York and Washington State, alarms went off throughout each state’s respective government offices. “Would there be enough personal equipment to protect front line health care workers? Would there be enough health care workers to care for the […]
How Safe Will You Be? The Proper Use of Gloves and Masks
As a gastroenterologist, I have had to get up close and professional (sometimes much more up close and personal than any normal person would want to be) with a host of germ-laden material. Try giving someone a fecal transplant through a colonoscope. And, during the early phase of the AIDS epidemic, gastroenterologists were frequently the […]
The Ritual of Medicine Is Threatened By the Rise of Telemedicine
Recently I saw an article describing the tension between a patient and her oncologist when considering a follow-up appointment during this coronavirus pandemic. On the surface it posed simple questions. Should they meet and risk cross infection? Could they accomplish their goals through telemedicine? Below the surface it underscored the value of medical ritual and […]
Should the Elderly Decline Ventilators?
This post is going to be very grim. I hope you will take it as useful information and food for thought. Despite the call for more ventilators, these breathing machines are not a panacea for elderly patients. As Coronavirus sweeps the country, and as governors beg for federal assistance, the reality of mechanical ventilation for […]
New on the podcast: an interview with Sam about end-of-life and reinvention
In the newest episode of my Gap Year For Grown-Ups podcast, I bring Sam back on the show to talk about end-of-life and how that relates to the topic of reinvention. Click here to listen. We talk about the inevitability of being forced to reinvent yourself in the last stage of your life when you […]
Twenty Things for 2020
Hello and Happy New Year, dear reader. And wishing you all the best in the year ahead. I scribbled this list of intentions and plans for 2020 randomly on a yellow pad. Then looked again and realized they fell out into categories. Health If you don’t have your health in this beyond midlife stage, then […]
Redefining medical futility: my thoughts… and yours!
Dear loyal reader, It has been months since I last offered you a musing on medicine. Although dormant, I have not been stagnant. During those months, I have been thinking about my next writing project and here it is. Drum roll, please… “Redefining Medical Futility.” Although the through lines of At Peace; Choosing a Good […]
First the blog, now the podcast!
My new podcast, Gap Year For Grown-Ups, is ready for prime-time! I invite you to listen and to subscribe via iTunes (or your favorite podcast app). It’s a podcast for those who believe you can take a timeout to reinvent your life, to explore, to find meaning and purpose – and yes, happiness! – especially […]
When a Beard Is More Than a Beard
About five years ago I appeared in a Stonington, ME performance of an original musical. It was both the pinnacle and finale of my theatrical career. The Last Ferryman told the story of the controversy over the construction of the Deer Isle suspension bridge that connects the mainland with Little Deer Isle and Deer Isle. […]
When Celebrities Vow to Beat Their Cancer
I can admire celebrities who are willing to be open about their illnesses because it brings important discussions to the fore and offers multiple teaching opportunities. But we need to change the discussion involving advanced cancer from the usual plan to beat the illness to something more nuanced. The most recent example of this is […]