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- diagnosis and misdiagnosis
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An “Advance” New Year’s Resolution
Happy 2020 to you, my "patient" readers. I wish you much good health and happiness and importantly, peace-of-mind in this new year. OK - yes - it's mid-January, so it...
When Your Provider Says, “It’s All in Your Head”
In a recent conversation with Annette, a young woman who has MS (multiple sclerosis), she described to me the first time she went for a drug infusion which had been...
Preventing a Deadly Outcome from a Visit to the Doctor
Today I'm sharing an experience with you in hopes of preventing something we do but don't think about; something which can be dangerous. At a recent doctor appointment, I found...
When To Trust A Surgical Assembly Line
A surgical assembly line isn't the first thing I think of when I think of an assembly line. The images that pop into my head first include: The I Love...
Why It’s Important To Treat Your Body As Well As You Treat Your Car
My friend Janet had a bad wound on her leg. It had been there for two months, and just looked worse and worse. Finally, it got so bad she doesn't...
Busting the Cure Balloon and Finding a Workable Solution
“The cure cannot come soon enough.” As someone who works in healthcare, and who speaks to patients and their loved ones every day, this is a statement I hear frequently....
Ac-cen-tu-ate – the Negative?
It's time to take a trip with the Way-Back Machine to a song many of us heard when we were kids - because our parents played it on the radio...
“When I’m Sixty-Four” and If I’m Alone….
Back in 2004, I was between husbands, and in my early 50s. As silly as that may sound ("between husbands"), the truth was, I spent 18 years with that status,...
So What Are You S’Posed to Do With Those Hospital Prices?
In the category of "be careful what you wish for..." Well-meaning policy people have now created a monster. We can name this monster "Good Start," but it's not a very...
The Folly of Driving to the ER
Hugh, a gentleman of about 68 years, lived alone. Hugh wasn't feeling well. It was just a general feeling that something - who knows what? - just wasn't right. After...
What Are Board-Certified Patient Advocates And When Do You Need One?
If you've ever had to navigate the healthcare system on your own, did you wish for an expert by your side? What if you could hire an expert to help...
Did You Get Something That Looks Like a Medicare Card in the Mail?
The envelope says its from Medicare. The card inside looks very official. It's got your name on it, and a bunch of numbers and letters that don't look at all...
