Last September, a gentleman and professor from Carnegie Mellon (Carnegie Tech) made headlines when he announced he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, then stood before a lecture hall of students and gave his “lecture of a lifetime.” It’s about achieving one’s childhood dreams. I watched it again this morning. As I said when I […]
Update on Randy Pausch, Known for His Lecture of a Lifetime Read More »
Regular readers of this blog know that I encourage patients to step up when they notice that a healthcare worker is getting ready to touch them and has not washed his/her hands. Why? To protect oneself from MRSA and other possible deadly superbug infections, that’s why! It could mean the difference between life and death,
Making Handwashing Part of the Routine Read More »
Most of us know the word “placebo.” It’s a Latin word meaning “I shall please.” Along comes a word I’d never heard before yesterday — but it has application in areas of my work. The word is “Nocebo” — more Latin — meaning “I shall harm.” I heard the word from a broadcast producer, Stacie,
The Nocebo Effect: The Potentially Deadly Version of “It’s All in Your Head” Read More »
(May 20, 2008 – find an update to this post) [Let me begin this post with a bit of a disclaimer. My husband is a retired veteran of the Air Force — 20+ years — before I knew him, but that doesn’t diminish my pride in the fact that he served our country. His son
I’ve watched and heard plenty of controversy from those who are either upset, or elated, that ABC will be airing an episode of its new TV show, Eli Stone, tomorrow night. Eli Stone is a lawyer who defends a lawsuit imposed by a family who believes that a vaccination caused their child to develop autism.
Eli Stone, ABC, Autism, and My Take on the Controversy Read More »
Unless you have a developmentally disabled child or adult in your life, this is something you may never have thought about before. When I was a child, I knew of other kids who spent their lives in wheelchairs, or went to special schools. When I got to college, I used to volunteer in a state-run
What’s New? Developmentally Disabled Children Grow Old Read More »
Do you get the daily newspaper? Does the comics section carry Close to Home? It’s one of my favorites — and I spent quite a bit of time poking around the Close to Home website to see if I could put a copy here on my blog. but no. It’s worth a look — just
Close to Home Comic – for Your Consideration Read More »
So hubby and I are excited about this tax rebate thing… looks like we fit in that middle class group that will get $1200 back from the federal government. We reflected on the rebate for a few moments, and the thoughts by legislators and the president alike — why they voted “yes.” I share their
Tax Rebates: Maybe Health Insurance Should Pay Attention! Read More »
