Dave and I got our first COVID vaccination yesterday, took us nearly half the day because we drove to another town an hour away. Those were the first appointments we could register for online. We were also waiting thirty minutes after our shots by their request to be very sure I had no adverse reaction. Felt fine. Took a long nap when I got back ( Read more... )

I have to get right on finding a new doc because I was going to mention some serious abdominal pain I'm having now and then, for hours at a time, but the argument over weight loss surgery drove it from my mind (and we went overtime). Plus I wanted an eye check up referral because I'm at risk for glaucoma ( Read more... )

A Brief History of Fat
Fat is a complex organ, as essential to human life as the heart or liver. Why do we hate it?

I found out shortly after the new year that I have been awarded disability by the Social Security Administration. (SSDI) I wanted to sit with my feelings about that before announcing it. It's been a struggle to get through the process and the appeals. It's been humiliating documenting how impaired I am and in how many ways. It's insulting to be ( Read more... )

Well done: http://www.theweeklings.com/sdasgupta/2014/03/20/a-doctors-fat-fantasy/

Excerpt:

THE OTHER DAY, a colleague brought to my attention an essay from The Washington Post called “A morbidly obese patient tests the limits of a doctor’s ( Read more... )

I am hoping the fact that researchers have found a physical cause means it's ok to come out of the Fibro closet now. See this: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/ ( Read more... )

I remember this stage. http://theferrett.livejournal.com/1860381.html Excerpt:

I go to the supermarket, and see all the foods I can no longer eat, and feel the tremendous swell of guilt at all the foods I should be eating but am not, and I remember that I am a patient ( Read more... )

New study--a robust long term study with twins even--has found an undeniable link between PTSD and increased rates of heart disease:

http://htl.li/2xShxU

Excerpt:

An unusual study released today underscores these fears. During 13 years of research, scientists followed twins who were Vietnam-era ( Read more... )

Trigger Warning: domestic violence ( Read more... )

I suffer from chronic illnesses and the system really doesn't know how to handle us. This was genius. Often we hesitate to bring up new symptoms, afraid of being seen as malingerers or hypochondriacs but if someone asks, we'll tell them. This would likely result in catching things before they become emergent and thus saving health care dollars. ( Read more... )