I saw a patient the other week who complained of intolerable hot flashes for the last several months.  They were happening day and night, often awakening her from sleep, and after a series of questions, I realized they were significantly interfering with the quality of her life.  So I suggested she begin [...]]]> http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/08/29/most-effects-are-smaller-than-we-think/feed/ 9 http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/08/08/the-importance-of-having-the-right-gear/ http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/08/08/the-importance-of-having-the-right-gear/#comments Sun, 08 Aug 2010 22:00:48 +0000 Alex Lickerman http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/?p=2863 Photo: kevindooley

We humans are often distinguished from other animals by our ability to make and use tools.  We got things rolling with the wheel and haven’t stopped since.  Now we have supercranes to build skyscrapers, cars and airplanes to move us from here to there, and screwdrivers to put things together.  The problem [...]]]> http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/08/08/the-importance-of-having-the-right-gear/feed/ 9 http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/07/25/ten-principles-of-first-aid-you-need-to-know/ http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/07/25/ten-principles-of-first-aid-you-need-to-know/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:00:07 +0000 Alex Lickerman http://happinessinthisworld.com/?p=1313 Photo: Steve Snodgrass

First aid is defined as the immediate care given to an acutely injured or ill person.  It can literally be life-saving so it behooves all of us to know some basic principles.  What follows are some rules that cover common conditions and general practices:

WARNING:  The time required to read this post will violate my five-minute rule—by a wide margin.  This isn’t so much to punish readers for my decision to read all 1,163 pages of the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (HR3590) and all 337 pages of the “Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act [...]]]> http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/07/11/analysis-of-the-health-care-law/feed/ 23 http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/07/04/the-therapeutic-application-of-denial/ http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/07/04/the-therapeutic-application-of-denial/#comments Sun, 04 Jul 2010 22:00:02 +0000 Alex Lickerman http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/?p=5349 Photo: Cl@re Bear

A few years ago, a patient of mine was diagnosed with lung cancer.  A metastatic work up revealed a small mass in his liver that had the radiographic appearance of a benign liver cyst.  But in the setting of a newly diagnosed lung cancer, we couldn’t be sure it wasn’t a [...]]]> http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/07/04/the-therapeutic-application-of-denial/feed/ 21