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World Peace

April 25, 2012 in Becoming a $marter Phy$ician, Practical Medical Advice with 0 Comments

Los Angeles Lakers’ Metta World Peace, as the former Ron Artest likes to be called, once again demonstrates man’s inability to change himself let alone change the world he lives in through self-improvement.

Metta World Peace didn’t bring peace but conflict to the world and to the basketball court when he threw the proverbial, and literal, elbow at the head of James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This shouldn’t be news to anybody who has spent more than a few years of life on the earth watching one flash-in-the-pan celebrity after another or most “television evangelists” who preach “another Jesus.”

As the Bible confirms, man cannot change himself. Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Metta World peace can only be changed from the inside out and that change only comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit.

 

Pinecones, Many Parts Are Edible

April 19, 2012 in Humor, Practical Medical Advice with 0 Comments

Those of us that are a little older than some of you might remember Euell Gibbons. He was the naturalist (I couldn’t think of a nicer word) that challenged us to eat a pinecone, “Ever eat a pinecone? Many parts are edible.”

Not necessarily so.

Cailin was sent to daycare yesterday, just like her usual schedule, while her mom and dad went to work. Suddenly, she was noticed to be developing a rash. She hadn’t been ill recently and she was not on any antibiotics at the time.

The rash quickly spread from her face to her torso and even down her right arm. Although she seemed fine otherwise, a trip to the emergency room seemed warranted.

Careful examination showed that Cailin had apparently eaten a small part of one of the arborvitae trees that line the yard of the daycare she attends. A small piece had lodged in her right tonsil and she was having an allergic reaction to it.

A quick retrieval made a world of difference and she is recovering just fine. So much for being a vegan.

Hey Guys, There’s Hope

April 13, 2012 in Becoming a $marter Phy$ician, Humor, Practical Medical Advice with 2 Comments

Almost every day in my practice, I have a patient or two ask me about male impotence. They don’t use those words exactly but they are obviously struggling to be the virile male they once were or still want to be.

They have often heard too much misinformation about “Low T” and assume they have a low testosterone level. They come to me wanting whatever pill it takes to help the situation.

Just to set the record straight, no pun intended, few men lack the testosterone levels needed to be the man they desire. I would say that most impotence issues are due to a low F, not T. That means lack of flirting, foreplay, and a flourishing relationship with their partner.

If you desire sexual intimacy, you have enough testosterone.  If you just can’t do much about it due to faulty equipment, then come see me. I may be able to help physically, or as hinted above, psychologically.

Mr. Jones came to see me yesterday because he too had heard the television ads and was sure he had Low T. He wasn’t able to sustain the powerful erection that he once had and especially over the last year, he was struggling to please his girl friend. She was coming to town this weekend and he wanted to do all he could do to remedy the situation before hand.

I had to suppress a laugh as I talked to him about whether he would get some mileage from one of the big three: Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis. His girl friend is 89 and he is 93. I had to check the chart to make sure I wasn’t talking to Abraham.

Hey guys, there’s hope.

Anonymous

February 16, 2012 in Becoming a $marter Phy$ician, MedicoPolitical Issues, Practical Medical Advice with 0 Comments

When I was a younger man I watched a movie called Captain Blood. It was a pretty good pirate flick starring Errol Flynn, among others, if my recollection is correct.

What I remember especially was a scene where one of the ship’s crew members approached the Admiral to register a complaint (gossip) about Captain Blood himself. (You don’t complain about the star of the movie by the way.) Rather than giving even one second of attention to the complaint, they called immediately for Captain Blood to be brought to the Admiral’s cabin to confront the charges face to face.

Wow!!! You mean the Bill of Rights was upheld and a man had the right to face his accuser? That is a novel idea in today’s society isn’t it?

How much less chaos, havok, and pettiness would there be today if that same article of the Bill of Rights was enforced today. Is there really any need to protect those who want to bring frivolous complaints under the guise of protecting ones personal privacy?

I don’t believe there is. I think there is far more harm done when people are allowed to make anonymous charges without the need to provide a burden of proof.

On the personal level, let you and me be the first to start reinforcing the principle emphasized in the movie Captain Blood. When someone wants to make a complaint before us, let it be done face to face. Those issues that are important will still be voiced and those that are just petty gossip will not.

Same Sex Marriages

January 28, 2012 in MedicoPolitical Issues, Practical Medical Advice with 0 Comments

Washington State apparently will be biting the dust soon, as a few other decadent states have done, and follow suit in approving marriages for same sex couples. Pathetic.

So what’s the big deal? It is not just about two people living together. It is about the destruction of the institution of marriage. Destroy the definition of marriage and you then destroy the institution itself.

Why can’t two lesbians or two gay men just live together in the privacy of their own home? Why are they so hell bent on calling it marriage?  They want us to accept their decadent lifestyle so that they will feel justified living in sin. This will help placate their guilty conscience.

Let’s play out redefining marriage together a bit. Redefining the institution of marriage will have horrible consequences to society as we know it. Look at what the destruction of marriage has already done in our society.

How much stability can there be in a home where dad isn’t even committed enough to enter into a marriage covenant with mom?  There is no unity in purpose, direction, or accomplishments. One argument and he’s gone.

And how much stability can there be in a family where every child in a home has a different father, different last names, and different grandparents? How many of these short-term relationships support themselves without the assistance of state or federally funded programs? I see the messes every day in my office and adding same sex marriages to the mess will only make it worse.

Home for Christmas

December 27, 2011 in Becoming a $marter Phy$ician, Practical Medical Advice with 0 Comments

We were home for Christmas this year. And I mean home,     alone. We had the stomach virus hit our family like a ton of bricks. We had to cancel any family gatherings we had planned for the protection of all others. And although we did our best to limit contact, only two of nine escaped.

Finally, five days later, it appears that no one will die. Although for a couple of days we were really not sure. But now the presents are opened and we had a good time actually, although it was the immediate family by themselves.

I have patients that would have called this epidemic the flu. In the medical field, the “flu” actually refers to the annual viral influenza that is a respiratory infection causing lots of cough, muscle aches, and general malaise.

If you want to read an excellent book, read The Great Influenza of 1918 by John M. Barry. It covers the influenza where approximately one third of the world’s population died. ONE THIRD! Can you imagine that?

Our family hopes your family had a wonderful Christmas too, remembering Him who came to save the world by not only being born a baby in the manger, but growing up to be a man who would die for the sins of the world.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only son that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

It’s Not About Mike Leach, It’s About His WIfe

December 14, 2011 in MedicoPolitical Issues, Practical Medical Advice with 0 Comments

There has been an enormous amount of media attention directed toward Washington State University and its hiring of Mike Leach as the new football coach. Will he be successful recruiting to the town of Pullman? Will he be able to tolerate the cold winters? Will he be successful at WSU only to pull out and jump at the first offer for a better job like those that I remember from the early 7os when I attended the university–names like Jackie Sherrill and Dennis Erickson.

Before I became a physician, I used to recruit them.  Let me shed some light on the subject of recruitment. It is not about Mike Leach. It is more about his wife!

Case in point, where is Tony Bennett and why did he leave WSU after successful trips to the NCAA playoffs and the Sweet Sixteen? Because his wife was not from around this small town tucked near the Idaho border in Eastern Washington. There isn’t a Nordstroms in Pullman just yet. In fact, there isn’t even a Costco.  I know, I’ve been there.

While physicians are building their practices, saving lives, and stamping out disease, their wives (spouses) are bored to death at home unless there is something more for them to do than a quick trip to the general store or saddle and tack shop. And for a successful football coach who will spend 100 hours a week in the office or on the road, the same story will play out for his wife.

Check out her needs, wants, and family life and you’ll have the answer to Mike Leach’s longevity in the Palouse.

We’re All In This Together

November 18, 2011 in MedicoPolitical Issues, Practical Medical Advice with 0 Comments

Mr. Jones presented to the office today complaining that “I can hear the men but not the women.” No problem. A simple examination revealed that he had totally occluded his external ear canals with wax (cerumen).

Cerumenosis, as it is termed medically, is a problem we see quite often. It causes decreased hearing, dizziness, ear pain, and a few other symptoms. Its cause is multifactoral but often assoociated with allergies. In an effort to rid itself against allergens, the canal produces excessive wax.

The cure is relatively easy as it takes a flushing of the ears or worse, actual spooning the external ear canal–and this really hurts. I have had two men actually pass out during this procedure.

But guess what. Some insurances and Medicare DO NOT PAY for this procedure. I ask, WHY NOT?

Who has determined that ear pain from cerumenosis is insignificant and unworthy of care, whereas pain from an ear infection is? Who has determined that dizziness from heart failure or an infection in the labyrinth of the middle ear is significant and worthy of treatment but cerumenosis isn’t?

It is time for you as patients to join the fight for your own healthcare dollar. Switch insurances if possible. Seek out these issues from your physician’s office before signing up with individual or group plans. We as physicians often know which insurance carriers are good and which ones will take your money but leave you uncovered.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

November 3, 2011 in Becoming a $marter Phy$ician, Practical Medical Advice with 0 Comments

In Psalm 139:14, David gives praise to our God because “…I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

I remember appreciating this Psalm particularly when I was in medical school and had the privilege of studying the human body and the amazing engineering that God used to design the cardiac, pulmonary, reproductive, and other organ systems. And amazingly more, was how these systems are designed to adapt to disease and stress.

I was reminded of this again recently when I had a young patient come to my office after having stepped on a sewing needle while running around barefoot at home. Been there, done that. Unfortunately, a piece of the needle had broken off and lay embedded deep, somewhere  in the bottom of her foot.

Under duress, I did some exploring but encouraged the parents to be patient instead. The body’s immune system is designed to rid the body of foreign matter. I prescribed an antibiotic to help rid off any horrible infection but recommended soaking the foot in hot water with Epsom salts.

Three days later, the parents and patient returned. There was some pus present but no sign of the needle yet. They were discouraged, I was encouraged. But, they insisted on a surgical consult so I obliged. Surgery was scheduled for three days later. I suggested continuing the soaking plan as prescribed earlier.

Guess what happened one day later and before a surgeon had the opportunity to interfere. The body pushed the needle out just as I had predicted. Praise the Lord!

If you only knew how many times a day your body’s immune system warded off diseases like polio, diphtheria, tuberculosis, and other devastating diseases, you would never get to sleep. As with David, I agree. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

 

Seeing Red Not Pink

October 11, 2011 in Becoming a $marter Phy$ician, MedicoPolitical Issues, Practical Medical Advice with 0 Comments

Have you noticed that everything is pink this month? Every football player’s gloves, shoes, and socks? Every baseball player’s batting gloves, bat, and shoes?   It is for a purpose, of course. It is breast cancer awareness month.

What many people don’t know is that there is something far more threatening to a woman’s health than breast cancer. It is heart disease. That’s right, many more women die of heart disease per year than of breast cancer. Six times more !!!

So I am encouraging all women 4o years young and less young  to go to their physician and get their heart disease risk-assessment. This is easily done and will include the need to have your blood drawn in a fasting state. Little else.

Walk, don’t run, but walk all the same.

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