I meet with patients all the time, at different points of their diagnosis and treatment. From the minute they are diagnosed, people have to make endless decisions about their cancer treatment. They are becoming experts in everything they never wanted to be experts in and at the speed of light. They are learning about their diagnosis, the disease and its variations as well as treatment options, all while trying to make sense of the changes that will come to their lives as a result. They are using their resources–friends, doctors, nurses, support groups, and the internet–to fill in the blanks and to understand what is happening. Continue Reading
Lead With Your Heart
On a recent rainy weekend, I found myself bundled in blankets, surrounded by pets, and watching Mulan II. Who knew there was a Mulan II, right? But there it was. In this sequel, Mulan is a bit less of a bad ass than in the first one, but still she is a warrior. She and a general are in a position to escort three princesses to the site of their arranged marriages in order to prevent war. Problematically, along the way, the three princesses fall in love with the three soldiers sent along for security in transport.
Strong as…Bamboo?
There are a number of objective measures of physical strength. Quite often, when someone is making a comparison or thinking of what it means for an object to be “strong as steel” they are referring to tensile, compression, or yield strength. Though slightly different in their meaning, these are all measures of a point at which a substance is compromised (broken or bent or squashed) by an exertion Continue Reading
The Myth of Protection
There is this thing that happens, that one might have to experience to fully understand. Let me give you a scenario: I walk into the exam room of a patient who is accompanied by their loved person. A son, daughter, sister or husband.
We start a polite conversation, me inquiring regarding their well-being and current needs. Everything is portrayed as being fantastic. Great. “We’re optimistic!”. At some point the loved one’s phone rings and they excuse themselves. Immediately, upon the door closing, leaving us two alone, the Continue Reading
Tattoos — Memory, Meaning, and Connection
When I moved to New York City in the early ’90’s, tattooing was illegal. I remember feeling really curious about the second story parlors, the neon signs and flash art propped in the windows. Tattoos then had not quite hit the mainstream. There was still the air of subversiveness to them, helped no doubt, by the fact that just getting one in the five boroughs, regardless of size, subject matter or location, was an illicit act. Continue Reading