In Why Don’t I Feel Hope? I talk about hopelessness as a physical problem. If changes in the brain block the proper firing of brain cells needed to experience hope, willpower and/or spiritual faith may not be enough (just as a severed spinal cord makes it impossible to move the legs)—no matter how much patients want to feel hope.
Read moreWhy Don't I Feel Hope?
A patient knew there is hope—a real possibility of a good outcome. That patient wanted to feel hope but didn’t. What could he do?
Read moreAnyone Else Feel Stressed by Texts?
Am I the only person who sometimes feels stressed by text messages that are not time sensitive? At the risk of presenting myself as a carmudgeon, I’m sharing my struggle to highlight a challenge of self-care.
Read moreA Practical, Comforting Primer for Newly Diagnosed Patients
Jen Singer is an accomplished medical writer who wrote a book you can judge by the cover. This remarkable 78-page primer guides people through the transition from “healthy” to “sick.”
Read moreWhat I Wish I Knew
I feel honored that Katie Couric’s video montage of advice for the newly diagnosed concludes with my message about hope.
Read moreGreat Advice for Relationships
An article touting “the best” advice for relationships includes a simple technique useful for Healthy Survivors dealing with a challenge of illness or injury.
Read moreLessons from Surviving Coma
Two women remembered their experiences from months in a coma. Once recovered, they had something to say.
Read moreBetter than "Better"
Friend: Are you better? Pateint: Yeah, I’m better. The friend now thinks everything is fine or back to normal when, maybe, the patient is still working through tough times.
Read moreIt's Okay--Nightbirde's Message of Healthy Survivorship
A striking young woman singing “It’s Okay” on America’s Got Talent in 2021 offered a timeless lesson on Healthy Survivorship.
Read moreWalking with Hope
My dream was for every patient to get free personalized exercise training and support. With hope of making a real difference now, I’d set the bar low: Write something that motivated patients to walk at least 10 minutes twice a day while in cancer treatment. The challenge was….
Read morePlease Don't Tell Me You Could Die, Too
When I was ill, sometimes friends tried calming my fears about my uncertain future by saying, Life is uncertain for all of us. I could get hit by a Mack truck. Offered from a place of caring, that comment may have helped other patients but only made me feel more alone.
Read moreTurning off the News
Knowledge is power. Unfortunately, the power of knowing something may be to make life more difficult. For example, keeping up with the news may erode the emotional resilience needed to deal with medical challenges.
Read morePersonal Note
This blog is designed to share a physician-survivor’s perspective on getting good care and living as fully as possible while dealing with a health challenge. When I share personal stories of my successess and failures, it’s not for you to learn about me. My aim is to encourage you to think about your own challenges in ways that help you find the best path for you to make your life the best it can be.
Today, I’m making an exception by posting a personal update.
Read moreTen-Minute Blech Sessions
At times, my emotions get stirred up over something trivial. When I’m overreacting, I tell myself, Wait! This is not a big deal. Often that’s enough for the wave of emotion to break and for me to regain my emotional footing. When such emotions don’t abate, instead of fighting them or trying to suppress them, I find a safe place for a time-limited blech session. As the title emphasizes: Ten minutes, at most.
Read moreJournalism versus Churnalism
Healthy Survivors are adept at distinguishing journalism and churnalism.
Read morePatients Don't Fail
The patient had done everything right. Yet the surgeon told her, “You failed out-patient antibioics. Now you need to be admitted to the hospital.”
Read moreTime Toxicity
When looking at risks/benefits of treatments, time toxicity is the newest kid on the block. This refers to
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