Good things from bad. Twice in one day.
A golden crown on a back molar fell off last week; today, I went to the dentist to have it fixed. There was decay under the crown that will require taking out the old cement, then drilling out the decay, filling the cavity, then putting on a temporary crown until the permanent one is ready… read more →
One person at a time.
I dream of doing something big to rid the world of racism, to rid my country of racism, to rid myself of racism. “A vision of us getting along” is the title of a presentation I have started to give to audiences, in order to live my dream. I feel called on to step up,.. read more →
Roots of bias about obesity.
My basic nursing education was in collegiate program from 1968 to 1972. I will always remember several patients assigned to me. One was Mrs. L, who was admitted in 1970 to the medical ICU for what was then called Pickwickian Syndrome. Today it is called: obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, and consists of the triad of obesity, sleep.. read more →
What’s happened to birth control options?
When I was growing up, birth control meant a variety of things: vaginal cream, diaphragms, condoms, the rhythm method, and the Pill. Today, when someone says “I’m on birth control”, everyone knows they mean hormonal stuff. How did birth control come to mean only hormonal methods? After watching a terrific movie last night with my.. read more →
Keep your lungs healthy.
In 10th grade, we high school students had to watch a scary video in our health/gym class about smoking. We were exhorted never to smoke, and saw ghoulish photographs of blackened shrunken lungs contrasted with juicy pink healthy ones. Later, when we got on the bus to go home, a flock of students rushed to.. read more →
What I learned growing up white.
I have loved working with breastfeeding and human lactation for 45 years, and look forward to many more. As part of my work at a health department, I have given many educational sessions about cultural humility to healthcare professionals. As part of preparing for these sessions, I gathered information about breastfeeding practices from around the.. read more →
