This week marked my third root canal this year. Ouch! 2009 also included a dental implant and subsequent crown. Who pays for this professional service? See figure 1… 950 dollars is indeed the going rate. Notice the guarantor is yours truly, not Anthem, Humana, GE, General Motors, UPS or anyone else. A regular Discover card […]
Category: General Medicine
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"People of Size?" Really…
Yesterday I saw enlightening news from the New England Journal of Medicine: Although heavy on statistical modeling, this Harvard study looked at the competing effects of smoking reductions and increases in obesity. It is true that the number of smokers is declining. This is very good. However, at the same time the number of obese […]
High intensity exercise was in the news today. Let’s do science: Don’t worry, I will make it easy. Background: It is known that exercise is good for the heart, even after stents or bypass. Historically, high intensity exercise was too scary to recommend for heart patients. Recently though, reports have suggested that high intensity exercise […]
This very important study on the importance of fitness in early adulthood almost passed me by. That is, until this sign at Walden caught my eye… Here is a study linking cardiovascular fitness in early adulthood with increased intelligence, better performance on cognitive tests and higher achievement later in life. In other words, being fit […]
The parking lot is devoid of the usual chaos. The coffee cart is closed. An unusual quiet in the hallway is the norm. Holiday in the hospital. There were dark circles underneath the fatigued eyes and a slowness of gait. A colleague “fixed” four heart attacks on Thanksgiving. Sometimes, I make fun of the “squishers,” […]
My grandfather had many grin-inducing phrases; one of the more commonly heard was, “nice guys finish last.” Maybe in a cross race, but not so much with heart disease. More interesting news from November’s AHA meeting. Here, a study showing that patients who exhibit positive attitudes in the face of stress are much less likely […]
Patients are asking me about the H1N1 vaccine. Usually, as a “one more thing” question at the tail end of a visit. This question churns the angst machine. The face twists in unknowing. It doesn’t have to be so bad. Could just give the party line and say, “get the shot.” Have a nice day […]
November marks the annual American Heart Association (AHA) meeting. This is one of the few major heart meetings each year. AHA focuses on the newest technologies for the treatment of ongoing cardiac disease. Termed, “secondary prevention,” this year there were studies on implantable devices for heart failure, new blood thinners to assist in the squishing […]
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Just knowing…
Along the road of learning medicine, there many memorable teachers. Many years ago on a renal (kidney) rotation at IU, my chart notes were criticized for lack of clarity and my signature could not be read. I was told by the intimidating very senior attending physician that a reader of your note should be clear […]
Staci takes the Internal Medicine board exam tomorrow; in a cubicle, with a computer. No pencils. No ovals. It has been 12 years since she last took the exam. For 10 years, she stopped doctoring and simply took care of Cat, Will and me. A mom. Moms do that stuff. They are a different species […]
Technology has changed things in so many ways. When I was Will’s age (12) there were no remote controls, a rotor which turned our antenna on the roof for better TV reception of the 4 channels and no cell phones, heck-there were rotary dial phones. Information was less accessible as well. There was a building […]