You’re never too old to live a little. Mom spends most of her days doing enjoyable things like “nothing.” She gets up early in order to be dressed and ready when breakfast is served in her assisted living apartment. After my father died, she became used to this additional attention even though she is able to shuffles to the dining room for lunch … [Read more...] about 3 Lessons on Aging Gracefully from My 90-Year-Old Mother
How to Draw the Red Line in the ER
Self-determination often escapes patients while not feeling well and being hoisted onto a stretcher: Ms. Lacy was 86-years-old and barely weighed 80 pounds. She had an anxious look in her eyes while having difficulty breathing. Her lung cancer was resistant to chemotherapy and had gradually destroyed her sense of well-being for 2 years. Her … [Read more...] about How to Draw the Red Line in the ER
3 Reasons Yoga is Contagious and Helps Manage Your Grief
Spread the word: September is National Yoga Month. I've practiced emergency medicine and yoga for 15 years and often sing its praises to coworkers and patients. Yet it has been difficult to describe this invigorating experience in words until I read "Contagious: Why Things Catch On" by Jonah Berger. Why is yoga so popular? Because, Berger … [Read more...] about 3 Reasons Yoga is Contagious and Helps Manage Your Grief
Second Deployment: The Dad Brad Story
Brad was different after he returned from the warzone, having completed the second deployment of a stem cell transplant to combat multiple myeloma. He looked good despite his generalized battle fatigue, carrying both the scars of a dialysis fistula on his left arm and a chemotherapy port under his chest wall. Brad had received support from his … [Read more...] about Second Deployment: The Dad Brad Story
I Can’t Get No Patient Satisfaction
Ruth was a spry, but frail 98-year-old woman who was stiff and sore following the 6-hour drive from California to Arizona. She had suffered a recent wrist injury and was not recovering well after spending three weeks in a rehabilitation center. She was in the midst of upheaval and discontent – in the throes of relocated to an assisted-living … [Read more...] about I Can’t Get No Patient Satisfaction
One Man’s Stigmata to Bear
Self-expression is rarely easy for patients because words often cannot articulate how patients feel inside. Children are often asked to draw pictures in order for psychologists to gain insight into perceptions surrounding particular life experiences. Paul, a 57-year-old patient with a provocative and morbid sense of humor, stunned the ER staff … [Read more...] about One Man’s Stigmata to Bear
When Letting Go Becomes a Luxury
When Letting Go Becomes a Luxury Silva was sitting in a wheelchair next to her husband, John, who had been admitted to the emergency department due to chest pain and dementia. Silva herself was recovering from hip surgery which had necessitated their downsizing and moving to assisted living just five days prior. While John resided in the memory … [Read more...] about When Letting Go Becomes a Luxury
Survival of the Fittest Does Not Apply After 85
John was an 88-year-old ranch owner who struck gold when he sold his homestead in Wyoming. His “golden years” in Arizona were spent struggling with back pain and caring for his 80-year-old niece with dementia. He ran out of pain medication and presented to the ER for another “handout” of hydrocodone. He admitted that life was taking its toll and he … [Read more...] about Survival of the Fittest Does Not Apply After 85