Serving all of Eastern Laramie County since 1908
Serving all of Eastern Laramie County since 1908
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Lately I've been reminded of a blockbuster movie from my youth. It contains a scene that even those who never saw the film are likely to recognize. A sleeping family is jolted awake, and from the foot of the bed the young daughter sings "they're here!" One might wonder why I'm thinking so much about Poltergeist. That quote started ringing in my brain during our last monthly clinic meeting, when our lab director reported on the previous day's influenza statistics. Nearly 90% of the tests were...
Lately my teenager has been fascinated by medical dramas. Although my "doctor self" is usually rolling my eyes throughout the program, it's often a good conversation starter. One recent show featured a pregnant woman who experienced one medical crisis after another. Her kidneys, liver, and lungs failed in succession as the team raced to identify the underlying obstetrical problem and find a treatment. At the climax of the episode, her heart stopped. Of course, being television, the correct...
It’s human nature to tell stories about the past, and doctors aren’t immune to that impulse. The second year medical students rotating through my clinic have me reflecting on my own years as a fledgling physician, and the changes I’ve seen in my decades of practice. I remember one late evening spent in the PICU watching over a toddler who had meningitis. At one point I turned and bumped into a bedrail, which came crashing down. Both my preceptor and I jumped, and I probably even shrieked. The child, however, didn’t even blink. That’s when we k...
I confess that occasionally even doctors get squeamish. Or perhaps more honestly, this doctor does. My personal list has gotten pretty short, but one of the things that still makes me squirm is something I nevertheless frequently recommend to my patients. So what is this mysterious and rather ominous medical recommendation? Nasal saline irrigation. The practice of rinsing the nose out with liquid probably originated centuries ago in India, and it remains part of spiritual ritual as well as traditional medicine around the world. However, it...