Andrew Griffith's Blog, page 16

Irrational factors may drive end of life access to radiation | Reuters

Further to earlier articles on too much chemo being prescribed for terminally-ill patients (here), a MD Anderson study on radiation use suggesting similar patterns. Quote: Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said that while radiation therapy for palliative care is reasonable, 10 or more treatments for patients during the last [...]

Shirley Williams: What Patients Aren’t Telling Their Doctors

While this piece raises some valid issues (e.g., the patient perspective may not be fully appreciated by doctors), it does not jive with my experience with my medical team who have been open to my questions on treatment options and decisions. The first part notes that patients do not share their blogging activities with their [...]

The futile attempt to provide cheaper care to poor people

A strong opinion piece on the limits of patient engagement for the less fortunate. A bit complex to wade through as not as well organized as could be, but the fundamental points are valid. Quote: What does this have to do with patient engagement? Well, for starters when you are “(expletive deleted) starving”, it is [...]

Why Gratitude Isn’t Just for Thanksgiving | TIME.com

Nice piece on gratitude, and how remembering the things to be thankful for, rather than only focussing on the negative, makes a difference for physical and mental health. This is distinct from blind positive thinking; one of my coping mechanisms has been to be thankful what I have (warm, supportive family, good medical team, strong [...]

Living With Cancer: Offering Thanks for Caregivers – NYTimes.com

Nice piece on caregivers, those who come to help us, and our partners who also perform caregiving services while giving us the support and love we need. Living With Cancer: Offering Thanks for Caregivers – NYTimes.com. Filed under: Cancer, Lymphoma Tagged: caregivers, caregiving services, living with cancer, nytimes, Susan Gubar

Cancer makes you realize the gift of time

A touching family story with lessons for all of us. My mother’s cancer gave us that opportunity, my father’s heart attack did not. Quote: If there is anything that oncology makes us realize, it is the gift of time. Although cancer cuts life short for the majority, it usually will provide for time at the [...]

Updating the Message to Get Americans Moving – NYTimes.com

Some of the challenges in getting people to exercise, with simple messaging not as effective as finding an activity that ‘makes them feel good.’ Particularly appropriate for post-Thanksgiving recovery! Of course, finding an activity, and sticking to it, remains the challenge for many people. Quote: Simply giving people an exercise prescription, like walking for 20 [...]

Forget Sustainability. It’s About Resilience. – NYTimes.com

A good piece, reminding us of the dynamic nature of the world, and proposing an alternative approach to the equilibrium implied by sustainability (but doesn’t excuse poor environmental and other practices). Resilience, of course, also applies in the personal sphere, although not the focus of this article. Quote: Unfortunately, the sustainability movement’s politics, not to [...]

The Power Of Negative Thinking – The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan – The Daily Beast

A nice contrarian view to positive thinking, Oliver Burkeman’s The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. A nice short (under 3 minute video), good quote below: There’s a wonderful Stoic technique called “the premeditation of evils”, which involves deliberately visualising the worst-case scenario, instead of the best one. One benefit of that [...]

From ‘trust us, we’re doctors’ to the rise of evidence-based medicine

For those interested in the history of medicine, nice piece on the transition from anecdote to evidence-based random clinical trials. Readable and short (think of it as the transition from political punditry to Nate Silver!). From ‘trust us, we’re doctors’ to the rise of evidence-based medicine. Filed under: Cancer, Lymphoma Tagged: Health, health care, Medicine, [...]