I came across these lines in Kathleen Watt’s engrossing 2023 memoir, Rearranged “Doctor Thomas sat over his dinner, Though his wife was waiting to ring, Rolling his bread into pellets; Said, “Cancer’s a funny thing. “Nobody knows what the cause is, Though some pretend they do; It’s like some hidden assassin Waiting to strike at you. “Childless women get it. And men when they retire; It’s as if there had to be some outlet For their foiled creative fire.” His wife she rang for the servant, Said, “Don’t be so morbid, dear”; They are from the poem, Miss. Gee. The link has a fine audio-recording.Note: W.H. Auden’s father was a … Continue reading
Spirituality in Teledermatology
When it comes to eradicating pain, I turn to medicine. When it comes to dealing with pain. I look to the saintsImani Perry 2023 Spirituality in Teledermatology by Timothy Klufas BA,*New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY tklufas@student.nymc.edu Abstract: The psychosocial burden of cutaneous disease has been documented across a variety of dermatologic conditions. There are a number of methods to manage the non-physical impacts of dermatologic disease, with a notable one being spirituality. Spiritual care, often provided by chaplains, is more readily available in inpatient environments. In the context of the wide-scale uptake of teledermatology as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to incorporate holistic elements of … Continue reading
The Skin I’m In
Dr. James Foong from Ipoh, Malaysia alerted us to this well-done video addressing how some patients view their psoriasis. Digging deeper, the consultant dermatologist listed in the credits, Dr. Sandy McBride, has lots of conflict of interests. This is taken from a recent article of McBride’s. Still, this is a fine video that will help some patients. It was ssupported by a grant from AbbVie (the company that makes Humira). Putting all if this into perspective, the video is still very worth watching,
Close Encounters Of The HS Kind
By Krista Elizabeth Hammaker* Encounter #1: An emaciated 30-year-old Black man, Cracks “Is this assisted living, or jail?” Post wide gluteal excision, anemic. A nursing home crisis, a pandemic. Diagnosis: Hidradenitis suppurativa. En route to doctor, he asks for sativa. Pain found in hell’s conditions and terms. He said, “At least I’m finally headed to Derm.” His facility – the biggest dump in town. Government funded. No justice around. He’s all clean and ready for big medicine’s foolishness. No option for comfort but right lateral decubitus. Reason for visit: Humira and wound inspection Care delivered: None (and little affection) “No Humira insurance, after a 7 month wait?” Care delivered: … Continue reading
“and I only have escaped alone to tell thee!” Book of Job
These lines from Job came to mind as I listened to a recent segment of The Daily. The interviewee was a young man named ohYdriss who found himself at Ground Zero in Lahaina, Maui on August 8, 2023. For those of you who have the time and interest, here is the link: The Daily, How a Paradise Became a Death Trap.
Delusional Parasitosis: The Interplay of Mind and Skin
By Sara Malik* Key words: delusional parasitosis, psychodermatology, psychiatry, dermatology, mind, skin, insects, infestation, antipsychotics Delusional parasitosis, also known as Ekbom syndrome, is a delusional disorder of the somatic type in which individuals believe that they are infested by insects. Delusional parasitosis was formally recognized as a psychiatric condition by Karl-Axel Ekbom, for whom the condition was eponymously named. Ekbom was a Swedish neurologist who had previously also described restless leg syndrome.1 Patients with delusional parasitosis are not afraid of the insects but are rather convinced that they are infested.2 Individuals will sometimes present with damage to the skin from attempting to remove the perceived insects.2 The incidence of delusional … Continue reading
The Neurologist
by Richard Macht Light must come from the inside. Sogyal Rinpoche The last time I wanted to settle in Israel was in 1971 when I was 33 years old. I had made up my mind that I would take a sabbatical from Dartmouth College where I had been teaching as a Jew with great difficulty for three years, and go alone to Eretz Israel, the land of Israel. I left my wife and my three children behind. I went to a kibbutz in the north, up near the Lebanese border and worked for three weeks waiting to be called to Jerusalem. There I would study Hebrew in an Ulpan at … Continue reading
Skin, a health reflection
Skin, a health reflectionby Iman Salem, M.D.* Dermatology is like no other medicineHails from papyrus of the Ancient Egyptian Covering all ages from peds to geriatricIn every tone across pages of Fitzpatrick Assessing an art of color, and descriptionTo treat by surgery or surface prescription It reveals more than just a complexionThe derm(is) an inner light, a health reflection All our systems talk to the skinInterdependent, their closest Kin Without the need for incisionDerm docs have beyond-the-skin vision Finding grouped vesicles on the knee?Maybe it’s celiac you should see Or the purple papules of LP?A life-saved connection to hep C And with the plaques of silvery scaleDon’t forget to check … Continue reading
I Am A Nurse
by Caroline Neal, R.N.* In 1983, I was 23 years old, a college graduate, and had worked as a registered nurse for a year. I moved with my new husband from Georgia to Cooperstown, New York where he began a medical internship. I accepted a job as a home health nurse with the Otsego County Public Health Department. Each day, I drove over 100 miles on back roads in central New York’s Appalachian Mountains visiting patients whose diagnoses and ages varied widely. Prior to this year, I had rarely traveled out of the South and had seen snow only a couple of times. Everything was different; everything was the same … Continue reading
Canvas
by Lina Alhanshali* You are standing in front of your mirror again Two minutes turned to five turned to ten You study and memorize the size and location Of each new bald patch Until one day it becomes easier to count the hairsYour scalp like a forest once full of lifeSlowly turned into an empty desert That to you was a landscape with potential You viewed your scalp like a canvas That some days you left blank Other days you adorned itWith wigs, bonnets, even henna tattoos Maybe this is where beauty and self-love meetMaybe the most beautiful parts of ourselves are the onesWe learned to embrace We in our … Continue reading
