By Rachael Maciasz, MD I wasn’t really sure what I was getting into when I decided to be a doctor. My impression of medical students was that they were driven people who love to learn and want a satisfying and rewarding career. Sounded like me! Everything was going great until I got to my third year of medical school and…
The first of two essays about my journey into consciousness and action – by Tom Courl I’m not supposed to get a heart attack! That was my reaction when I found out that I failed my stress test. I was 55 years old. It was February of this past year. At the time, I was mostly dwelling on the possibility…
By Adam Rindfleisch, M.D. In the past year, the Veterans Administration (VA) has been receiving a fair amount of negative press. It is tough to work in the VA right now. Morale is pretty low. And it is always challenging to be a Veteran – Veterans are one of the groups most in need of support of their health needs. …
By Kathryn Hayward, MD My daughter called me on the phone after taking her 15-month old baby to the doctor. Her voice was filled with the concern of a first-time mother whose first child had her first upper respiratory infection. “Mom, the doctor says that giving guaifenesin to Bianca is both dangerous and useless!” Growing up with a primary care…
By Kathryn Hayward, MD and Jack Temple MS IV My heart quickened with excitement as I read Jack Temple’s last blog post. Dr. Edwards’ response to their conversation during Jack ́s residency interview filled me with hope. I thought, “In an actual residency interview, an MD showed interest in Jack’s experiences with Integrative Health. Wow.” I hadn’t spoken directly with…
By: Zoë Hack Keller I am passionate about the connection between food and health. I can’t say I’ve always been a foodie, or paid attention to its connection to the body, but as I have opened my eyes to the healing potential of food, my world has shifted. This shift started in my childhood where I was raised on a…
By Adam Rindfleisch, MD Last month, I described a few of the many aspects of shamanism. People always want to know what to expect during a journeying experience. Truly, each one is unique. That said, hearing about others’ experiences can be helpful, and I sometimes am asked to give an example. I would like to share with you a…
By David L. Thomas, Jr. When my mother was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer 23 years ago, she could not believe it and neither could I. She had felt a lump under her arm for a while but did not really think that someone as “healthy” as she could contract that dread disease. After all, she ate healthful meals of…
by Annie Robinson, M.S. Narrative Medicine They carried steaming cups of deli coffee, worn shoulder bags stuffed with papers and snacks and sweaters, bright yellow Metrocards, and buzzing cell phones. They carried worry lines on their foreheads. They carried stress and fatigue from work. They carried regret about how little time they were able to spend with their families this week….
By Adam Rindfleisch, MD If they don’t take time to explore, people passing through my old stomping grounds in southeastern Idaho might not fully grasp the beauty of the Lost River Valley. The Rocky Mountains rise straight up from the high sagebrush desert and the lava flows. There are countless places to explore. In fact, mountains are so numerous and…