Recently, I encouraged a dear great aunt to go into a hospice program. Like so many seniors, she lives alone, is adamant that she wants to do so, and has caregivers who come to help. Her will is strong, her mind sharp but her body is frail. Simple activities like moving around a room are […]
Wholly Healthy: Shocking Truth — The World is Not Overpopulated
Here’s a shocking tidbit that doesn’t get much news coverage: The world is not overpopulated. In fact, it is steadily and rapidly becoming underpopulated. In fact, the U.S. population is just barely at maintenance (that is, each adult replaces himself or herself). And this is mainly due to immigration. People just aren’t having many children. […]
Wholly Healthy: Avoiding Violence
Over the years, I have treated many individuals who had been involved in violence. Most had violence inflicted upon them. But it was not uncommon for me to meet the alleged perpetrators, who sat on the ER stretcher in handcuffs. Unfortunately, in these contentious times violence is not rare. It’s probably good to think about […]
Wholly Healthy: Healthcare Prayer List
Our church has initiated a new plan for prayer. We will have an unofficial schedule during which we are advised to pray wherever we are three times daily. I like this idea. It seems an appropriate discipline in a time when the idea of spiritual discipline is often viewed as too rigid or antiquated. While […]
Wholly Healthy: Diabetes Treatment
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: 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 […]