I feel it is more challenging than ever to carve away the chaos and destruction so that we can focus on what we should be thankful for. Yes, there is beauty in the world which we must seek out and cherish. Yes, there is kindness and generosity in our midst which we must champion and promulgate. Yes, there is dialogue and open mindedness which we must resurrect and cultivate. Skimming national and international current events on any day reinforces the reality that the space to find gratitude is smaller that it used to be. But it is there. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead On this recent Thanksgiving, I hope that all of you had blessings to celebrate. Perhaps the task will be easier for all of us next year.
"Doctor, do you think I have cancer?" In a prior post, I did my best to point out that handling questions from patients and their families in a skillful manner requires a measured and cautious approach. Paradoxically, physicians have not received much training, if any, in this aspect of doctoring, which physicians engage in dozens of times each day. In the unlikely event that you have not yet perused the prior post, here’s the link , which will serve as a brief prep course for this current posting. All of us hope and pray for a salubrious life. Sickness scares us. We fear any worsening of our illnesses, future mental decline, loss of physical function or any unforeseen change in our medical fortunes. The fear of cancer hovers over all of us. And, understandably, patients want to be reassured that their symptoms are benign and transient. There is another genre of questions that are directed at physicians that requires a deft response. Below, I will list