Freelance Photographer, Ilona Berzups, had been spending time at Tent City 3, one of three Seattle area homeless encampments. Ilona said, “I’m a photographer and my storytelling tool is my camera. I have a deep interest in humanizing those who are beaten down and marginalized in society, a deep interest in re-sensitizing people to their less […]
“I can’t do this anymore.” “What?? You have to keep going. You can’t quit. You’re needed. You’re fantastic at what you do.” “No, it’s too hard. I’m exhausted. There’s too much to do and never enough time. I’m fighting on every front and I have no more fight left. I’m tired of being responsible, tired […]
February 13, 1985 was a day that changed my life forever. I was a freshman attending Ft Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. On that day, I spent the day rock climbing with 2 friends, a sport I had taken up 9 months prior. Later in the afternoon, I had reached the summit; it was an […]
“Maybe I’m an exception to the ‘rolling stone gathers no moss’ adage.” I’m feeling pretty darn moss-covered myself some days, especially when work and life seem to be rolling downhill. It’s overwhelming at times. It happens far more often than I’d like. Needless to say, I’m a mite suspicious of the proverb about a rolling […]
“You’re such a non-compliant patient.” Words I heard again at yet another medical appointment. I really should be fired sometimes. The words were said with affection, from a nurse who has become a friend. Nonetheless, though, she’s right. I am non-compliant. I comply when it suits me, and so often it doesn’t. I recently saw […]
One of the most difficult mountains I’ve faced in my life are those that deal with my health. The reason is because many of these challenges have been things that I have had little to no control over. I can try to mitigate some of the symptoms with medication, healthy eating and good lifestyle choices; […]
In the last two years I have lost four people I cared for very much. They both were about my age, 45. Losing these friends forced me to face a mountain of loss that I was not familiar with. Standing at the bottom of this mountain, I had no idea what to do next. There […]
“Perseverance is a long word followed by a short attention span.” While I wrote that quote for a recent weekly business column, it applies universally, especially so for patients. If you’ve been in nursing for awhile, maybe you’ve observed what I’ve experienced firsthand – a decrease in the time patients, myself included, are willing to be […]
It takes time to appreciate the value of climbing a mountain. You do not know if you will be able to make it to the top, get stuck half way, or be so frightened you stand at the bottom, afraid to take the first step. Choices in real life are the same. Some things we […]
Morven Da Fomo of Ullapool, discusses summer challenges for parents of children with Autism and Asperger’s. Morven says they want the children to have fun, but there are always concerns with the break in routine. Many parents of children with other developmental differences may also relate to the challenges. Morven said, “Parents of a child […]
Heather Saunders, mother of 12 year old Alice, was told her daughter could not fly on her own due to having Down’s Syndrome. Heather said: ‘When I asked why she said: ‘‘Because we’ve had problems in the past.’’ ‘They ask you to let them know of any additional needs. I asked: ‘‘What if I hadn’t […]
“A what scan?” A scanner connoisseur, I added a new scan to my appointment this week. The oral surgeon’s office has a newfangled scanner called a CBCT: Cone Beam Computed Tomography. I’ve had MRIs, CTs, tomography (um, regular??) and now CBCT. It rocks. The CBCT scanner is quick, easy and tunnel-free. It provides standing room […]
“Tick tick tick.” I take it for granted. My ticker, that is. It’s one part of me that, as far as I know, still works as it was designed. Four decades of arthritis has not affected my heart. I’m fortunate. At age seven, four decades ago, attempts were made to figure out what the heck […]
“What are you – a comedian?” Nope, these professionals aren’t – aren’t comedians, that is. They operate on a different spectrum. They sometimes share similarities with comedians, but their humor is often more subtle, more cerebral. Who are they? They’re humorists. There’s even one month a year dedicated to them. March is always ‘Humorists are […]
“Well, hello there, stranger.” You’d think that after living with the same body for four decades, there wouldn’t be any surprises left. That is, other than the usual age-related changes. I’m getting all too used to them. You, too? My sympathies. Much in the same way, I’ve gotten all too used to the weirdities accompanying […]
In Recognition of National Autism Awarness Month – April What is Autism? According to the Autism Society, “Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is […]
“Please pass the attitude.” We routinely recognize the genes that pass from one generation to the next. After all, we see evidence of hand-me-down genes looking back at us each morning in the mirror. (“When did I become my mother??”) While we recognize genes that are passed along, what we don’t often recognize are the […]
“Who, me?” Patient? I ain’t no stinkin’ patient. Denial is a wonderful thing. After being a patient with a chronic illness for more than three decades, I became a wee bit tired of playing the role. No offense to anyone in the medical community, but it was a too-close connection that I didn’t want anything […]
According to the Migraine Research Foundation, an estimated 10% of the population suffers from migraines and women are 3 times more likely to have them than men. KCBS reporter, Serene Branson, found out the hard way how quickly a migraine can come on and how incapacitating it can be. When Serene was covering the Grammy Awards on 2/13/11, she believed […]
“What a wimp.” It must be bad when you recognize it in yourself. Why is it the older I get, the wimpier I am when it comes to – of all things – needles? Sitting in the lab technician’s chair recently, I found I was distracting myself from her preparations. The rubbery tourniquet thingy, the […]