doctor communication
“Invisible Patients” and the COVID Pandemic
With thanks to advocate and guest blogger, Karen Leitson. Find Karen’s advocacy profile here: Personalized Healthcare Advocate Do you or does someone in your family have an unattended medical condition or illness that might be taking a back seat to the coronavirus public health crisis? There is never a “good time” to be sick or…
Read MoreHow To Prepare For A Hospitalization: A Checklist
Heading into the hospital can be scary. But preparation is key. Use this checklist to prepare for a hospitalization.
Read MoreWhen 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 prescribed by her neurologist. She arrived for the session using her walker, barely able to keep her balance. Exhausted, she was finally able to get…
Read MorePreventing 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 two people in the waiting room just hacking away, coughing up a storm, and very likely infecting others. They were together, and there for only…
Read MoreWhen To Trust A Surgical Assembly Line
You may not love the sound of a surgical assembly line. But when can you trust that approach and when should you run the other way?
Read MoreWhy 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 even want to leave the house. “What does your doctor say about it?” I asked her. “I’ve been back to him five times!” she responded.…
Read MoreAc-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 or record player. We all sang along! With lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and sung by Ella Fitzgerald (that’s Ella in the photo above), the song…
Read MoreDid 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 familiar. But – can you trust it? Is this new Medicare card for real? Can you use it with your doctor and other medical needs?…
Read MoreBlack Box Warnings May Save Your Life
This often comes as a major surprise for patients: that when a prescription drug is known to be effective, and is approved by the FDA for some patients, that doesn’t mean it’s effective and safe for all patients. It’s true that some people may be allergic, or the drug might have been prescribed to treat…
Read MoreOK, But What’s the Question?
In my previous life as a speaker and writer on patient empowerment issues, I received email, even postal mail (meaning, yes, someone paid for a stamp!) from patients who were being challenged in some way by the healthcare system. Sometimes I would hear from 8 or 10 people in a week, 25, 30 or more…
Read More