Last Sunday I celebrated with… a fasting blood draw. Super fun. Sunday morning. No caffeine. No food. Just me, a nurse who accidentally signed up for Easter duty, and a vein that apparently hadn’t had its morning coffee either. Thankfully, she was a very efficient professional, I survived the stabbing,and my labs came back great (shoutout to my LDL going down and HDL going up 🎉). All of this was for a life insurance policy, (I know, I’m acting like such a grown up!) but it reminded me how we...
28 days ago • 1 min read
Distressed patient: “I don’t know, I can’t really explain it. I just don’t feel like my brain is working as well.” Grumpy, new-doctor me: Internal, too-tired-sure-I-get-it eye roll and a "Hmmm... that sounds really difficult for you." In residency, I had patients describe their brains like they were thinking through molasses. Or like they knew what they wanted to say, but couldn’t quite reach the words. I nodded. I empathized. And after weeks on call with little sleep and too much coffee, I...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
I’ll never forget her. She was so paranoid she didn't even give me her name, just the letter T. T was in her 30s, living alone in a top-floor apartment. She was convinced there were machines living in the attic. Machines that came down at night to inject her with unknown drugs and mess with her stuff; changing her tv channels and filling out her crosswords with the wrong answers. She was terrified. And depressed. And stuck. And very, very psychotic. She wasn’t always like this. Before the...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
I'm panicked. Where's the sunscreen? Are there enough pairs of underwear? What about Benadryl? Do I need to bring bandaids? This must mean I'm stressed about packing for spring break! Which I am, because we have to leave in less than 1 hour but I'm typing this email instead of checking to see that I remembered all of the things I already know I remembered. 🙄 Ahhh.... Traveling with kids..... love the shirt! I can't bring you with me on this spring break adventure but what's the opposite? If...
2 months ago • 1 min read
I was an art ed major in college before I switched to premed. Yes, a room full of kids with paint sounded like fun to me at that point of my life (before I experienced the terror of my own children with art supplies). The summer before I changed majors, I went to study in Paris! I imagined strolling down a cobblestone street, stopping at a charming little boulangerie, and walking out with the most perfect baguette ever created by human hands. Golden. Fluffy. Maybe handed to me by a...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Construction paper hearts... Gooey Elmer’s glue... Glitter! (Remember glitter? And how it got EVERYWHERE? Apparently the environment will be dealing with it a lot longer than I will) Candy!! This is what I remember from my Valentines Days past. In my house we didn’t buy a pack of valentines from Publix. I had to MAKE mine with scissors and markers and sequins (if I was lucky). And they usually involved some of my attempts at cute rhymes. But did you realize we’re sending valentines even...
3 months ago • 1 min read
INT. REGINA'S ROOM - FRIDAY NIGHT REGINA angrily walks on a elliptical. MRS. GEORGE enters. MRS. GEORGE: You still on the elliptical, baby? REGINA: (duh) No, I'm over there. MRS. GEORGE: Honey, I know you're not happy with your body right now but remember, real beauty comes from the face. REGINA: Don't ever talk about my body! Gahhhd! MRS. GEORGE: Okay -okay! (tries a new tactic) Let me make you a low-cal snack! I have some shrimp I can spray with that butter-flavored Pam- REGINA: Mommy, I...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Brrrrrr is the sound that comes out of my mouth when I look at the low for tonight. (and I do that weird arm motion thing too, where they're crossed and my fingers are magically making me feel warm with a reverse version of jazz hands) Still chilly here! In certain parts of the US right now, even my usually warm, sweaty Florida, we’re feeling a whole lot of winter. We’ve been seeing weather warnings for days about freezing temps which is not really a typical thing around here. But it is now....
4 months ago • 2 min read
My heart is with everyone affected by the devastating wildfires in California. It’s impossible to overlook the pain and uncertainty many are experiencing right now. If you or someone you care about has been impacted, please know my thoughts are with you. In times like these, supporting each other matters more than ever. While I can’t change the larger circumstances, I can continue sending useful insights that make navigating mental health just a little easier for you and your clients. And if...
4 months ago • 2 min read