Diabetes, like so many diseases, is a complex disorder. When it comes to what we usually call type 1, or insulin dependent diabetes, we really aren’t sure how it begins. Some researchers believe it is genetic, others believe it begins with an infection that attacks the pancreas, thus causing insulin-producing cells to cease to function. […]
Wholly Healthy: What Should You Check Every Day?
I just saw a patient who had elevated blood pressure. He had a history of this and took appropriate medication. He had no symptoms or complaints, except that the number was up more than normal. His wife informed me, with a smile and a shake of her head, that he checked his blood pressure all […]
Wholly Healthy: Minor Wounds Can Be Big Problems
I’ve seen a lot of wounds over the course of my medical career — some of them from car crashes, others from assaults. Many of them have been work-related injuries or resulted from the use of tools around the home. Still others have been due to animal bites or stings. The injuries I listed above […]
Wholly Healthy: What Is an Ectopic Pregnancy?
I just saw a post on social media that proclaimed, “An ectopic pregnancy is not a real pregnancy.” This was, of course, in response to legal questions in the wake of Roe v. Wade. It was also wrong and confusing. As Christians, it is incumbent on us not to simply be people who scream slogans […]
Wholly Healthy: Becoming a Doctor
July is upon us, and it’s a big month in the world of medicine. July 1 is traditionally the day that medical school graduates start their residency training. It’s a time of anxiety for those physicians and also can be a time of confusion for people being seen and treated by them in hospitals and […]
Wholly Healthy: Drive Someone to the Doctor
The practice of medicine is complicated and requires very specific knowledge and skills. However, no matter how much we doctors know, there are things that limit the health and access of patients. The problem is, these things are inglorious and easily overlooked by an already overstressed and understaffed healthcare system. I’ve learned over the years […]
Wholly Healthy: Update Tetanus Immunization
Spring is upon us, and there’s work to be done. I’ve already been cutting back the overgrown Mountain Laurel on our drive, and my wife has taken her beloved riding lawnmower for its inaugural spin. Both activities, and many more typical of summer life, have the potential for creating cuts, scrapes and holes in the […]
Wholly Healthy: Taking Blood Thinners
Some of the most challenging medical problems we face have to do with the formation of blood clots. For instance, clots can create heart attacks and can cause lack of blood flow to the extremities, resulting in loss of fingers, toes, arms or legs. Clots — when lodged in large blood vessels in the lungs […]
Wholly Healthy: Hospital Limitations
These are complicated times in medicine. One of the most tangible and frustrating outcomes of the COVID era has been that large hospitals are full to capacity. This is partly because of those infected with coronavirus. However, it’s a complex problem, which is also the result of lack of staff and because we didn’t really […]
Wholly Healthy: Treating Addiction
We’re seeing a significant increase in substance abuse these days. There are the usual suspects — marijuana, pain pills and sedatives. But heroin is up, and so, sadly, is the use of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Physicians are routinely prescribing the antidote, naloxone (Narcan), to those who overdose and are discharged home. While the reasons […]