Most of us have a narrow view of trauma. We think of trauma as an extreme, eruptive and dramatic experience. It comes to mind when we hear about acts of violence, natural disasters or loss of loved ones. Yes, this is trauma. No doubt. But trauma has also an unfamiliar face. One that is subtler, less ostensible, and often unrecognized even by those who are … Continue reading Cancer and the Experience of Trauma.
A new book by neuroscientist and philosopher, Sam Harris: “Making Sense. Conversations on Consciousness, Morality and the Future of Humanity.” You may know him from his popular podcast under the same name. Best known in the US for her Neapolitan Quartet novels (you can also see the TV adaption by HBO), Ellena Ferrante’s new novel, “The Lying Life of Adults” is coming out on Sept. … Continue reading Friday Assorted Links #5 (all books)
Advanced metastatic cancer is a serious, life-threatening illness. No one doubts that. Severe addiction is also often lethal (in 2017, more than 70K people died from drug overdoses, 2/3rds involving opioids1), but it clearly does not get the same attention as cancer care does, for a lot of diverse reasons ranging from stigma and lack of appropriate funding, to systemic issues related to how care, … Continue reading Treating Addiction as a life threatening Illness:
A new book: “Transcend” by Scott Barry Kauffman. I just started reading it and it is fabulous. Kauffman takes Maslow’s humanistic psychology and his most known – and turns out often misunderstood – concept of “hierarchy of needs” and elevates it with the latest scientific findings from a wide range of fields. “My research has convinced me that we all have extraordinary creative, humanitarian, and … Continue reading Friday Assorted Links #4
While in his late 50s, my dad was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). His course of illness was rocky. He spent a few tough years in and out of hospitals. He died suddenly, at 62, because of an intracranial bleed when MDS transformed itself into acute leukemia – a common pathway (I wrote about it here). During his illness he was under the care of … Continue reading Dr. Azra Raza: is this time to change the way we fight cancer?
1. Kevin Kelly and 68 bits of unsolicited advice. Three of my favorites:Don’t take it personally when someone turns you down. Assume they are like you: busy, occupied, distracted. Try again later. It’s amazing how often a second try works. Rule of 3 in conversation. To get to the real reason, ask a person to go deeper than what they just said. Then again, and … Continue reading Friday Assorted Links #3
The iconic and longtime host of “Jeopardy!” announced in March 2019 that he was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. His course has been rocky; interspersed with some periods when the disease was under control and he felt optimistic, and some when he did not feel well and suffered bouts of depression and severe pain. But he never stopped working. Even during the pandemic, when … Continue reading Today is Alex Trebek’s 80th birthday.
Janna Levin, PhD – a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University – was a guest on Tim Ferris show. A fantastic conversation that is funny, informative and truly wide ranging: from physics through writing to Life on Mobious Strip! “Unfollow the rules.” A recent album by Rufus Wainwright that goes back to his earlier work. Wonderful! A return to sumptuous … Continue reading Friday Assorted Links #2
“What is especially sobering is to see that all three pillars that support intrinsic motivation (below) – the primary driver of physicians’ behaviour – have been reconfigured and altered by the healthcare system changes of the last few decades” Continue reading Physician Burnout and the Pandemic
The potential benefits of #telemedicine are many and easy to appreciate during normal times; but as our experience grew in the first weeks of the #COVID19 #pandemic, it became clear that telemedicine is not for everyone. Continue reading Are You Wearing Your White Coat?
Marcin Chwistek, MD 