Where Have all the Flowers Gone? Growing up in the ‘50s, a child with a “chronic disease”, I was blessed with the gift of a physician. Not a doctor, not a god, but a physician: one who participates in the physical, emotional and spiritual health of living beings. How quickly we forget, in the face…
Read MoreEvery time I prick my finger to check my blood sugar, I hold my breath. My worthiness is on the line. Have I failed again today, or do I pass? Every high sugar brings a wave of shame. In fact, anything that the diabetes does to my body brings a flood of disgrace, followed immediately…
Read More“He’s dying and we don’t know why.” Huddled outside a closed door in University Hospital, our voices float in whispers. The Chief Resident motions us together in a tight circle, his shoulders hunched over an open hospital chart. “He’s 26 years old, every lab test and xray are normal, yet he’s dying before our very…
Read MoreFear has been my constant companion since the cradle. You see, I am one of those “Harlow Monkey” babies. I have a mother who is averse to touch. No hugs. No cuddles. No kisses. Not ever. Both my brother and I have no recollection of being spontaneously caressed by our mom. Don’t get me wrong. She is a…
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