Labor Day, 2006, is a day I will never forget. It was a gorgeous day here in San Diego—bright, sunny and nearly 90 degrees. I decided it was a perfect day to give the dogs an outdoor bath. At the time, we had Valentine, the matriarch at nearly twelve years old, Izzy who was four,… Continue reading Do Dogs Know They are Dying?
Tag: Cancer
Two Hundred and Nine Short Essays Later
Here I am in Boston, on the eve of my very first writer’s conference, feeling a bit like an imposter. After all, the extent of my writing so far has been this blog, apart from thousands of histories, physical exams and treatment plans over the last thirty-nine years since starting medical school. It occurred… Continue reading Two Hundred and Nine Short Essays Later
Cancer and AIDS, AIDS and Cancer
For Dr. Abraham Verghese, who inspires me. This evening on the way home from Boston I finished a book that I had started more than a month ago, on my way back from Albuquerque. Well, that is not entirely truthful. I stopped reading on page 408, because if I had kept going everyone on the… Continue reading Cancer and AIDS, AIDS and Cancer
Perspective
When I was young and foolish, or very smart depending on your perspective, I married a man who is five and a half years older than me. When my husband was my age (and never trust a woman who will tell you her age, but between you and me I am 58), he started to… Continue reading Perspective
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?