“Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice…..” Robert Frost Sometimes there is a very fine line between doing too much, and not doing enough. I have been thinking about this lately as I watch patients go through radiation therapy. It’s not just the acute side effects that worry me with… Continue reading Fire and Ice
You Took Your Dog’s Medicine, REALLY?
I was lecturing to a group of medical students on Tuesday –it was their first introduction to breast cancer and I was determined to make those two hours as exciting as possible. They had just started their second year, and after the first, spent entirely learning about the “science” of medicine, they were eager to… Continue reading You Took Your Dog’s Medicine, REALLY?
Fallout
September 11, 2001 was supposed to be a very good day. It was my mother’s seventieth birthday, and she and my father were scheduled to fly from their home in Colorado to New York City to celebrate with my sister, who lived on West 72nd Street, a few blocks from the famous Museum of Natural… Continue reading Fallout
Nana
When I was ten years old, there were only two things in life that I loved beyond question: horses and my Nana. Nana, whose real name was Jenny Silver, was my maternal grandmother. She and my grandfather, known of course as Papa, lived in Augusta, Georgia on a tree shaded street in the true heart… Continue reading Nana
TANSTAAFL, or There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch!
Robert Heinlein got it right. In “The Moon is A Harsh Mistress”, sometime in the future, we colonize the moon. But we don’t send our best and brightest, we send our criminals, our misfits, our dregs of society. They eke out a hard living in this future penal colony: their language becomes muted, shortened; their… Continue reading TANSTAAFL, or There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch!
Expect the Best (but prepare for the worst!)
It occurs to me that I say this quite a bit. It applies to a lot of things in my world—living in an area where natural disasters are a way of life, my van stands gassed up and ready to roll with dog crates, blankets, extra water, cleaning supplies, a change of clothes and even… Continue reading Expect the Best (but prepare for the worst!)
Why I Am Not a Psychiatrist #2
After that last uplifting little story, I figure I better write Part Two of “Why I Am Not A Psychiatrist”. It’s always important to have a good laugh after a good cry! So back to my Adventures in Psychiatry. As I mentioned before, my psychiatry rotation was at the VA Hospital. My attending physician was… Continue reading Why I Am Not a Psychiatrist #2
Why I Don’t Go to Funerals
For Nick Some things are just so damned hard to write about. People often ask me, “Why do you have so many animals?” The current count is 4 dogs, two horses and a cat. I used to say, “Because it’s good for my children to learn responsibility. Having a dog, whose life is so much… Continue reading Why I Don’t Go to Funerals
Why I Am Not A Psychiatrist, #1
I love psychiatrists. Besides the fact that several of my family members have availed themselves of psychiatric services, I have always admired the intellect and insight required to truly “see” into another person’s mind, combined with the patience to listen, even when one is bored or otherwise preoccupied—these are skills I do not have. When… Continue reading Why I Am Not A Psychiatrist, #1
Blame it on the radiation!
“Blame It On The Bossa Nova” (Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil) I was at a dance when he caught my eye Standin’ all alone lookin’ sad and shy We began to dance, swaying’ to and fro And soon I knew I’d never let him go Blame it on the bossa nova with its magic… Continue reading Blame it on the radiation!