Why Not Tweet When You Are In the Hospital and Not Feeling Well?

Being isolated in a hospital room leaves you vulnerable to doctors who may be inappropriate, rude and even abusive. You might consider that having the capacity to call for help – to Tweet – is empowering. Health care #911, and very public! But…

Posted in Blogs, Communication, Empowered Patient, Future of Medicine, health care delivery, Life as a Doctor, Life as a Patient, Media, Privacy, Social MediaTagged , , , , , , 4 Comments on Why Not Tweet When You Are In the Hospital and Not Feeling Well?

A Message for Doctors, on Christmas in the Hospital

Please don’t race through rounds. Be a little generous with your time, your thoughts and words. Patients may need more examination, a bit of hand-holding, besides extra diligence.

Posted in from the author, Life, Life as a Doctor, Life as a PatientTagged , , , , , 2 Comments on A Message for Doctors, on Christmas in the Hospital

What to do about a Curved Spine? On Data, ‘BodyCast’ and New Directions

The NIH provides some information on scoliosis …Life is curved, usually, and maybe it’s better that way. Perhaps that was the Bocanegra’s point,

Posted in from the author, Life as a Patient, Life in NYC, scoliosis, Theater, Women's HealthTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment on What to do about a Curved Spine? On Data, ‘BodyCast’ and New Directions

Why I Like the (Absurd) Dancing in the OR Video

What Deb did, and I thank her for this, is offer an extreme example of patient-centered care. Among other things, she did everything possible to assure that the people caring for her perceive her as a human being who loves dancing.

Posted in Breast Cancer, Empowered Patient, Life as a Patient, Medical News, Patient-Doctor Relationship, Video, Women's HealthTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment on Why I Like the (Absurd) Dancing in the OR Video

A Little Bit of Good? on Dying, Communication, and Breaking Bad

Sometimes there’s no way to mend a person or a bad situation. You can’t deny reality. But if you’re still conscious and able to communicate, you may be able to lessen the damage you’ve done, or the pain someone else is experiencing, just a bit.

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On Friends Affected by Cancer, and Environment Oncology

If I could pick a field for future investigation that might lead to insight on cancer’s causes and, ultimately, reduce the cancer burden 30 and 50 years from now, I might choose the tiny, under-funded area of environmental oncology

Posted in Blogs, cancer causes, Environmental Health, journalism, Life, Life as a Patient, Life as a writer, Oncology (cancer)Tagged , , , , , , , 1 Comment on On Friends Affected by Cancer, and Environment Oncology

Should People With Health Problems Talk About their Conditions?

Do you need to explain to the person on the checkout line or, say, a mother organizing a bake sale, why your back hurts? Or why you need a seat on the bus?

Posted in Communication, Essential Lessons, from the author, journalism, Life, Life as a Patient, PrivacyTagged , , , , , , , , 8 Comments on Should People With Health Problems Talk About their Conditions?

Finding Kindness and Introspection in ‘Half Empty,’ a Book of Essays by David Rakoff

the words we use matter enormously, not just in clinical outcomes, but in how people with cancer feel about the decisions they’ve made, years later.

Posted in Books, language, Life as a Patient, Oncology (cancer), Quotes, ReviewsTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment on Finding Kindness and Introspection in ‘Half Empty,’ a Book of Essays by David Rakoff
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