mementomori

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March 22, 2007
I am up late tonight (several hours ahead of U.S. time), just heard the news that Elizabeth Edwards has been diagnosed with a recurrence of her breast cancer and wanted to let ScienceBlogs readers know what information we medical oncologists look for in this situation. Reading the news reports…
March 21, 2007
[Editor's note: While the narrator is off enjoying spring break in an balmy undisclosed location he asked us to reprint some of his old posts. We had actually planned to lease this space to a more intellectual project in his absence but when he gave us those Bambi eyes we relented. So here he is…
March 19, 2007
I am leaving on a jet plane tomorrow and I do know when I'll be back again - March 27th to be exact. Oh, the agony of having to go on Spring Break (with the family, of course). Whatever will I do to entertain myself? I have scheduled some surprise posts to fill the vacant hours while I'm gone. I…
March 19, 2007
[Editor's Note: The following letter was read at the ceremony yesterday where the C. O.'s nephew was awarded the Eagle Scout badge. The C. O. himself never made it to Eagle, which is no surprise to us here at upper management. Hope he doesn't read this.] "Jacob, we have enjoyed watching you grow…
March 17, 2007
If you're going through hell, keep going. -Sir Winston Churchill What is it like to have to take chemotherapy? I can't say that I know personally. I've never been diagnosed with cancer. Then why do you feel qualified to speak on such a subject? Because of what I do for a living. I've known…
March 15, 2007
Da mihi, Domine Deus, cor pervigil, quod nulla abducat a te curiosa cogitatio: da nobile, quod nulla deorsum trahat indigna affectio; da rectum, quod nulla seorsum obliquet sinistra intentio: da firmum, quod nulla frangat tribulatio: da liberum, quod nulla sibi vindicet violenta affectio. Do…
March 13, 2007
"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." -Matthew 9:37 Entering the working world produces many emotions, such as anxiety over one's performance, quiet resignation when dealing with peculiar co-workers, even that flat feeling one gets when shlepping home after a weary afternoon in the…
March 12, 2007
"Chemical reactions in the brain force teenagers' mood swings" Oh, no...this is the worst possible news I could receive on a sunny Monday afternoon. What's it all about? Hormones have long been blamed for mood swings in teenagers, even though the specific scientific causes have never been…
March 10, 2007
Does This Explain the Disaster That Was my High School Prom? Bad-tempered women 'can blame it on genes' Ever wonder why some women seem to be more ill-tempered than others? University of Pittsburgh researchers have found that behaviors such as anger, hostility and aggression may be genetic, rooted…
March 8, 2007
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. Ecclesiastes 9:10 I had a dream recently where I walked through a shimmering forest, on my way to an unknown destination. After…
March 6, 2007
[Editor's note: Dr. Stemwedel has started this particular meme on ScienceBlogs. In the spirit of merriment if not utter buffoonery the narrator of this site feels compelled to join in - the twerp.] Confiteor, Pater Optime! 1. I can identify automobile makes and models from circa 1965 on…
March 5, 2007
Since 1984 the U. S. Preventative Services Task Force, a panel of 16 academic medical experts, has issued advice regarding preventative treatments. It regards itself as (if I may quote from their own humble self-description) "the leading independent panel of private-sector experts in prevention…
March 4, 2007
Tonight we bring you one of the narrator's favorite poems, of course for your amusement but also (for those who have never read it), as a test of your deductive skills. The poem you see is an allegory, and your job is to decipher what this "Haunted Palace" really represents. The poem is a part of…
March 2, 2007
Cassio. ...O strange! Every inordinate cup is unblessed and the ingredient is a devil. Iago. Come, come; good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used; exclaim no more against it. -Othello, Act II, Scene iii It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it, if for no other reason than…
February 28, 2007
Flash! World-Wide Death-Prevention Treatment Found to be Bogus! Adding to a growing scientific consensus, a large study released Tuesday concluded that vitamin E and other antioxidant supplements provide no health benefits and may even produce a small increase in the risk of death. "A small…
February 26, 2007
"Honey, what's for dinner?" "You know, I just ran out of time today and didn't get a chance to cook anything. I could make you a salad, or there might be some of that leftover soup from Sunday..." "Nah...let's go out for a quick bite. How 'bout I meet you at [name deleted on advice from T. C. O.…
February 23, 2007
As anyone who has ever received chemotherapy knows, oncologists are required to explain the possible risks and side-effects of all recommended medications before giving them. This is called informed consent and is a crucial part of the process of destroying cancer cells, both seen and unseen. As…
February 20, 2007
Message to all those who are thinking of smoking their first cigarette today: Message to all those who know someone who has recently taking up cigarette smoking: Message to all those who have quit smoking but are having difficulty fighting the craving for nicotine: People who smoke cigarettes for a…
February 19, 2007
My eyes long for your promise; I ask, "When will you comfort me?" -Psalm 119:82 Sometimes I hear patients recite the following: "I don't care what kind of bedside manner my doctor has as long as he knows what to do for me," a rather barefaced rejection of the concept of the kindly physician.…
February 16, 2007
Things you don't want to hear during a physical examination:(Key: P = patient; D = doctor) "Here, let me take it out and show you." (P) "Wait a sec while I get a tissue." (D) "We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?" (P) "Just out of curiosity, do you shave your forehead?" (D) "My last…
February 15, 2007
Watercress Diet 'Can Cut The Risk Of Cancer' Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a semi-aquatic perennial herb grown for thousands of years not only as a foodstuff but also for its medicinal properties. In Victorian times it was used by the working class as a bread substitute (hey, wait a minute…
February 13, 2007
After years of hoping and praying, my fondest wish has finally come true. I can hardly contain myself: New research on napping provides the perfect excuse for office slackers, finding that a little midday snooze seems to reduce risks for fatal heart problems, especially among men. This is like…
February 12, 2007
Have five minutes to spare? Then read on: If you are interested in the reform of health care funding I recommend this article by the economist Arnold Kling. I don't agree with all of his ideas, such as citizens petitioning a "compensation fund" (run by government workers, I assume - yikes!) for…
February 11, 2007
This year the world celebrates the 800th anniversary of the birth of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, considered by millions around the world to be one of the greatest poets who ever lived, yet until recently little read in America. English translations of Rumi's poems have sold over half a million…
February 7, 2007
[Editor's Note: this is the first of an occasional series. Budding comedians are welcome to add to the list via the comment section.] Things You Don't Want to Hear During Hospital Rounds: 1. "Anyone seen that specimen I left in the fridge yesterday?" 2. "We didn't have any Haldol on the floor…
February 5, 2007
Ever wonder what happens when you live in a parsimonious country that isn't willing to spend any money on new treatments against cancer? "Cancer patients having to dig deep for new drugs" TORONTO -- Whether patients survive cancer increasingly depends on where they live and how much of their own…
February 4, 2007
ennui: a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest Burnout has many characteristics, including fatigue, exhaustion, inability to concentrate, depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and sometimes increased use of alcohol or drugs. Probably the most…
February 1, 2007
[Editor's Note: After extensive review by our attorneys, upper management at T. C. O. Enterprises, Inc. has determined that the copy provided by the narrator for today's subject is too controversial to print. In accordance with this opinion we have changed the milieu from the medical arts to the…
January 29, 2007
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing. -George Bernard Shaw Pessimism never won any battle. -Dwight D. Eisenhower nihilism: an extreme form of skepticism; nothingness; nonexistence; an approach to philosophy that holds that human…
January 28, 2007
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge." -Daniel J. Boorstin myopia: lack of foresight or discernment; obtuseness; narrow-mindedness; intolerance To be a doctor is to be constantly on guard against a sea of troubles, always keeping an eye out for…