“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” ― Anne Frank
August, and everything after
August should feel relaxed, lush and lazy, heavy with heat and humidity, the dog days of summer as they say. The local farmer’s markets and neighborhood gardens start to bring forth their bounty; ripe juicy tomatoes, plump and shining bell peppers, fragrant basil. The area lakes turn green with algae; a chartreuse slick of foamContinue reading “August, and everything after”
To B or Not to B
Last fall, I was invited to give a talk to a group of breast cancer survivors known as the Firefly Sisterhood. Prior to the presentation I met with a very nice woman who was organizing it, also a survivor herself; of course, we got to talking about all things breast cancer related, including the currentContinue reading “To B or Not to B”
Things I’ll Miss About the Pandemic
Most mental health experts will tell you that generating a list of positives can help reframe your response to a situation and lift your mood. “Count your blessings” is a popular saying, song lyric, and commonly held belief. The other day, I started to contemplate a few positive things that came about during the pandemic;Continue reading “Things I’ll Miss About the Pandemic”
We Are Winning
In light of the alarming numbers and news reports regarding the omicron variant, I just had to share highlights of a group conversation in my clinic this morning that I felt would be a welcome note of positivity. In short: we are winning. While cases have spiked to as high as >10,000 per day inContinue reading “We Are Winning”
Oktoberfest
The month of October used to be associated with many positive things, at least for me; sunny and cool autumn weather, the turning of the leaves, seeing beautiful fall colors at their peak, and football, lots of football. I also appreciate the transition to different menu items this time of year; at last week’s farmer’sContinue reading “Oktoberfest”
The Swear Jar
Back in 2019–which seems like decades ago now!–the months leading up to the release of my first book were actually a bit of a blur. Here I thought that the actual writing of the book would be the most challenging, time consuming part; later, I found the arduous journey of finding a willing publisher wasContinue reading “The Swear Jar”
Finding the Time
Recently I was involved in teaching a workshop to Internal Medicine residents, presenting a topic somewhat unique, a bit different than our usual educational offerings. I was talking about therapeutic aspects of creative writing–this was a coping mechanism for me after my cancer diagnosis in 2016. But residents in training have also used writing inContinue reading “Finding the Time”
Breaking Bad
In medical school, I learned a five step model on how to deliver bad news to a patient. I still fall back on this method, time and again, in my primary care clinic; I’ve even used it when giving really tough feedback to a learner who is struggling in some aspect of their performance. ButContinue reading “Breaking Bad”
The New Laws of the House of God
On a family vacation road trip last month, I read “Man’s Fourth Best Hospital” by Samuel Shem, the sequel to “The House of God.” Most physicians have read The House of God, including me back in college, which chronicles the grueling nature of residency training, with equal parts satire, dark humor, and poignant humanity. ItContinue reading “The New Laws of the House of God”
The Next Covid “Surge”
As a primary care physician, I have observed a record number of cases flooding into our clinic system in the past month, and they have nothing to do with the virus. Well, I guess indirectly, they do. It’s a phenomenon I see time and again and it plays out something like this: A 53 yearContinue reading “The Next Covid “Surge””
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Welcome to Doctor Heather 