How Do I Know This is Working?

This is the question I get asked the most:  “So Doc, how do I know that this is working?”  Sometimes my patients come to me with visible or palpable disease—something on the skin that they can see fading away, an enlarged lymph node in the neck that shrinks visibly during treatment, a lump or a… Continue reading How Do I Know This is Working?

Fight On!

Several years ago my second child, a very gregarious son, applied for college.  We were hoping of course that he would join the ranks of the Ivy League, but barring that, a merit scholarship to one of the wonderful University of California schools would have pleased us greatly.  But my son had other ideas.  He,… Continue reading Fight On!

Cancer is Not a Lifestyle

I’m not sure when I stopped being merely opinionated, and became a true curmudgeon. But I think it was about the same time that medical students started telling me that radiation oncology is one of the “lifestyle” specialties in medicine. According to the National Resident Matching Program, this year radiation oncology ranked 5th on the… Continue reading Cancer is Not a Lifestyle

Go Ahead Kids!

Okay, I confess.  I have smoked a few cigarettes in my time.  In fact, more than a few.  While my teenaged brother was hiding his favorite smoking material  in the Encyclopedia Britannica under the letter “M” (much to the horror of my mother, who decided she needed to read up on this new scourge called … Continue reading Go Ahead Kids!

Follow Up

My new resident started working today.  He is the first radiation oncology resident to come to work in our facility, since the residency director felt that being out in the community was more like “real life”—I don’t have the luxury of treating only one or two types of cancer—out here in the suburbs I have… Continue reading Follow Up

Why Won’t They Stop Talking to Me About Sex?

I have recently checked the website of the American Board of Sexology, and I can absolutely confirm that I am NOT a sexologist.  So why is it that my patients ALWAYS want to talk about sex?  Old, young, male, female, gay, lesbian and transgendered—it doesn’t matter.  This is a topic on everyone’s mind, apparently all… Continue reading Why Won’t They Stop Talking to Me About Sex?

The Leaky Roof

In this dry Southwestern part of the United States, there are only two seasons:  fire season and rainy season.  Fire season will end in another month, hopefully without further casualties or homes lost. The rainy season will start, such as it is.  Here we average 9 inches of rain a year, and we are perpetually… Continue reading The Leaky Roof

My Father’s Hands

I never gave my hands much thought until a few years ago.  They were never pretty, but they were functional serviceable hands that did what they were asked—I could examine a patient, type fast and accurately enough, and everyone always told me that my handwriting was outstanding.  That has always been a point of pride… Continue reading My Father’s Hands