Musings of a Distractible Mind
Thoughts of an odd, but not harmful primary care physician.
I saw a gentleman in my office for his sciatica. He was having severe pain radiating from his lower back, down to his calf. I was about to describe my plan to him when he interrupted me saying, “I know, Doc, I am overweight. I know that this would just get better if I lost [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
This material, written by me, is free to re-post and share under the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, use it all you want; just give me credit.The following is an actual fictional conversation that took place in the doctor’s lounge at a local hospital. Internist – Dang, these Medicare cuts are coming and I doubt that congress has the wits to avoid them. I am not sure I can go on practicing if they cut them any more. Family Physician – [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
This material, written by me, is free to re-post and share under the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, use it all you want; just give me credit.A patient left me a message earlier this week: “I was reading the information on the drug that Dr. Rob prescribed, and I am really worried about it.” He went on to say he was faxing me the prescribing information, just in case I didn’t realize the risk of the medication. I hate it when [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
This material, written by me, is free to re-post and share under the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, use it all you want; just give me credit.There once was a wonderful daughterWho was sweeter than anyone oughterShe’s always been fineBut now she is nineAnd craving the presents we boughter Hey, little PikminWalking down the laneJust how I’m feelin’Should be pretty plainJust bat those lashesAnd my heart is slainThough you’re still littleYou’re my biggest gainHey, little PikminI’m so glad you came. [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
This material, written by me, is free to re-post and share under the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, use it all you want; just give me credit.I got a message last week: Patient’s mother requests a note so she can bring his lunch to daycare. They say it is federal law that he eat a healthy diet. OK. So I have to write a note saying, “Please allow Jonnie to bring his lunch to school?” It takes MD after your name [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
This material, written by me, is free to re-post and share under the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, use it all you want; just give me credit.An elderly man told me this joke yesterday. These things help get you through the day. There was a man whose father gave him some advice: “Just put gunpowder in your oatmeal and eat it every day and you will live to be a ripe old age.” So the man did what his father said, [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
This material, written by me, is free to re-post and share under the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, use it all you want; just give me credit.They’ve been doing it since I was a medical student. Drug companies’ patents run out, so they make a new formulation of it and extend the patent. It is a shell game, and the FDA has played along up to now. I call it the XP version of the drug – for eXtend Patent. These [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
This material, written by me, is free to re-post and share under the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, use it all you want; just give me credit.I am not sure if you are absolutely clueless or have a mean-streak, but your “friend,” and my patient came into my office in tears. She feels betrayed and abandoned in her terribly difficult situation. Perhaps you have forgotten what it is like to have kids. Do you think it is easy to see your [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
This material, written by me, is free to re-post and share under the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, use it all you want; just give me credit.Risk. In some ways this one word defines what it is to be a doctor. We practice applied science. We look at a patient and take general scientific concepts and personal experience to decide what needs to be done. We make the decision. We take the risk. We put ourselves on the line. Sometimes it [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
This material, written by me, is free to re-post and share under the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, use it all you want; just give me credit.The following post appeared in my blog two years ago. My father is still doing well at eighty one years of age. He told me recently that people sometimes tell him to "act retired." I told him, "Dad, don’t you dare act retired. The minute you start acting retired, you are no longer Dad." He [...]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
This material, written by me, is free to re-post and share under the Creative Commons agreement. In other words, use it all you want; just give me credit.
Llamaricks