Category: Health
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My Husband Has Cancer: Does It Matter What Kind?
When I tell people my husband has been receiving treatment for cancer, many ask—almost reflexively—“What kind?” After thoughtful consideration, much of it conducted in waiting rooms, doctors’ offices, and pharmacy lines, I’ve decided this is not the most appropriate, or helpful, response. At fifty-seven, I am sometimes fixated on causes of death for folks my…
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And Then a Crow Ate a Goldfinch. {Every patient has a story.}
I lose it about 4 a.m. on Wednesday. I think I scare the nurse a bit, for it must be like seeing his mother break down. That’s how young he is. And he is great at his job. Also, a doll. “I need to draw more blood,” he says. “Another culture.” This means taking a…
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“This Could Be Serious” {Every patient has a story.”}
I don’t have to wait long to be seen—maybe because I’m so sick or maybe because the doctor from the walk-in clinic alerted the ER, as she said she would—but I am in the waiting room long enough to be reminded what a microcosm of the human condition the hospital is: All walks of life…
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An Otherwise Ordinary Day {Every patient has a story.}
The next several posts will be about my recent hospital stay for what has been deemed “an acute infection of unknown origin.” I’m writing about my experience in order to process what happened—and is happening—to me. …
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Show Me Your Scars and I’ll Show You Mine
I didn’t realize I was sick back then—just miserable. I knew I didn’t belong in law school, though everyone around me said I did. Problem is, you don’t drop out in my family. Wilsons persevere. “I think something’s wrong with your thyroid.” This from my mother at the Thanksgiving table after my dismal semester. Turns…
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MayBelle Gets Labeled {On Being Called “Obese”}
MayBelle was proud of herself for figuring out how to sign up for her doctor’s web-based information system, so that she could schedule appointments online, request prescription refills, and access all sorts of other helpful materials, like maybe how to get rid of night sweats and hot flashes you’re still having some three years after…
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