One of the things that obsessive compulsive people do is to check things. And recheck them. And check them again. The Dashboard feature on WordPress makes this habit hard to resist. Every time I hit the Dashboard button, I can see how many people have been reading the blog, and how many times the page… Continue reading From the Margins
I Do Not Need A Concierge
My veterinarian answers my phone calls. The other day I called her office to ask for a renewal of the pain medication for my little dog Jack. He has been blind and deaf for over a year, but now his rear end is going and he is falling a lot and having a hard time… Continue reading I Do Not Need A Concierge
You Can’t Go Home Again
“Look homeward Angel, now and melt with ruth, And O, ye Dolphins’ waft the hapless youth” In the fall of 1971, I entered Yale University as one of 250 freshman women, the third class of women to be admitted to a college still dedicated to the concept of graduating “1000 male leaders” a year. … Continue reading You Can’t Go Home Again
Dear Diary
I was talking to a friend the other day about the fact that what we now call “blogs”, we used to call diaries. Then I said to her, “I should pull out the diaries that I kept in college and in medical school and see what my old self had to say.” And so I… Continue reading Dear Diary
The Care At The End Of The Road
Seven months ago, in Carbondale, Colorado, staff at the skilled nursing facility where my mother had resided for over a year recommended that she be placed on hospice. My mother has severe advanced dementia and can no longer walk, speak, feed herself or recognize her family members. As much as I know about hospice care… Continue reading The Care At The End Of The Road
Get A Cat
I have to admit it—I never liked cats. Actually, to be more accurate, they never liked me. Where dogs would always drool and fawn, the cats I knew as a child were reserved and aloof, and heaven forbid you should touch them in the wrong place. The reward could be bite marks and a row… Continue reading Get A Cat
I Coulda Been a Contender
It happened again today. A youngish man, age 59 (youth being relative these days) comes in for a consultation. His history began eighteen months ago when he started to notice hoarseness. Thinking he had laryngitis, he saw his primary care doctor. He was indeed diagnosed with laryngitis despite the fact that he had not been… Continue reading I Coulda Been a Contender
Road Tripping
ROAD TRIPPING Road trippin’ with my two favorite allies Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies It’s time to leave this town It’s time to steal away Let’s go get lost Anywhere in the U.S.A. Let’s go get lost Let’s go get lost Blue you sit so pretty West of the one Sparkles light with… Continue reading Road Tripping
Sara Beth Closes Her Eyes
Just when I think that I have escaped my work world for the day, here I am lying on my couch weeping while watching Dancing With The Stars. Apolo Anton Ono, Olympic speed skater and his partner Karina Smirnoff have just danced to the Rascal Flatts song “Sara Beth”. For those of you who don’t… Continue reading Sara Beth Closes Her Eyes
Cold Roast Beef
Just when you thought I had finished talking about Thanksgiving, here it is again. A few weeks ago, between patients, I was catching up with other physicians’ blogs. Yes, readers, I have discovered that I am not the only one, nor am I the most articulate or humorous or erudite MD to put fingers to… Continue reading Cold Roast Beef