Anonymous My journey with Red Face Syndrome has been tough, especially as I am a high school student. It started with some type of rash, maybe an allergic reaction, under my nose and on my chin. It wouldn’t go away so I went to my doctor. She confirmed my suspicion that it was an allergic reaction and treated me with a pill, hydroxyzine, and triamcinolone ointment. I took the pills until they were gone and used the ointment. My rash cleared up so I stopped the medicines. I was so happy that the rash was gone and I could stop having uncomfortable sleepless nights with ointment covering my face. After … Continue reading
My Struggle
By Lee Thompson Abstract: This is the first-person narrative of a young woman’s pursuit of beauty and how it went awry. Illness narratives come in three types: restitution, quest, and chaos. Although she is still on a quest, there are aspects of chaos in this woman’s story. Shame and humiliation are subtexts in patients’ stories, but physicians rarely hear them. These emotions are not generally inquired about during the truncated medical encounter. All I wanted to have perfect teeth. In America, if you want to be beautiful, you have to have perfect white teeth. As I blindly pursued my goal, no one ever informed me that whitening my teeth could … Continue reading
Corina’s Pride
To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always by James Channing Shaw view PDF: CORINA’S PRIDE My resident, Rishaad, presented the case in the corridor: “This is Corina, a fifty year old woman with itching on her back, chest and abdomen. No other medical problems.” He presented his findings and working diagnosis. We entered the examination room. Corina appeared healthy. I agreed that the hundreds of tiny, rough bumps over her torso were probably benign keratoses. Being the third consultant, we performed a biopsy and prescribed short-term symptomatic treatment, asking her to return in a week or so. Outside the room, I explained that such an eruption of itchy … Continue reading
Chantelle Brown-Young Causes Reflection on the Concepts of Impairment While Changing the Face of Beauty
If you’ve got it, flaunt it. By Boluwaji Ogunyemi, M.D. Dermatology Resident, University of British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia Email: b62baoATmun.ca Conflicts of Interest: None declared Keywords: vitiligo, beauty, disability, pigment disorders, models, impairment Abstract: The ever-increasing availability (and arguably, acceptability) of aesthetic medicine procedures corresponds with the medicalization of the aging process. In this post, Bolu Ogunyemi speaks about the career of a model with vitiligo who accepts, and even embraces her disease. In contrast, many individuals, in regions such as Korea and Brazil, go to great lengths to alter their appearance. This essay also delineates the related concepts of disease, impairment, and disability and how and by whom … Continue reading
Litt’s “Hunk o’ Skin”
By Jerome Z. Litt Reprinted from the Archives of Dermatology May, 1961, Vol. 83, pp. 844-845 Jerry Litt writes: Back in 1961, I wrote an article — a poem — and submitted it to the Archives of Dermatology. The Editor at the time was so taken with it that he published it in the May, 1961 issue.” [ Ed. note: Many of us were just kids then, or not even born! It’s a hard piece to find — so here it is…] Hunk o’ Skin (The meter is from Kipling’s “Gunga Din) You may talk of lungs and liver, Of the twins you did deliver And the kidney stones that … Continue reading
Phil Ochs: Hooray for the A.M.A.
Phil Ochs’ “Hooray for the A.M.A.” By Friedrich A. Bahmer Listen to A.M.A. Song (you will need to skip the ad) The fear of U.S. doctors over socialized medicine as a consequence of major reforms in health care put forward by President Obama is not new. With John F. Kennedy’s inauguration as president in 1960, doctors grew anxious about impending governmental regulations on the health care system. Half a century ago, in that era, Philip (Phil) Ochs (1940 – 1976) released a recording “Hooray for the A.M.A.”, in which he criticized both greedy doctors and the American Medical Association.1 In the last verse of his song, Ochs expressed the fears … Continue reading
Little Green Pill
by Madelyn Kamen He was there every day, Looking at her from the other side of the window, Smiling at her as she handed over his little green pill. He wasn’t that old and she wasn’t that young; Neither had ever married. She was a psychiatric nurse’s aide who understood the inmates Because she had been abused as a child, pulling into herself To avoid punishment. He was there because he had been bullied as a little boy, Making it a habit of staying away from the big guys who could Beat him up. Now, they were adults, albeit imperfect ones, who Occasionally would sit together on her coffee breaks … Continue reading
The Doctor, the Patient and 21st Century Medicine
by Boluwaji Ogunyemi, M.D. Abstract: The public’s perception of the medical profession in Canada has suffered as a result of well-publicized cases of professional malpractice and large-scale healthcare system fiascos. In addition, there appears to be some tension in the regular interactions between physicians and patients. Specific cases of malpractice and healthcare scandals from the provinces of Newfoundland and Manitoba are described. From early in our clinical training, the adoption of a patient-centered paradigm for interactions between clinicians and patients can help to re-establish patient trust in the healthcare system. Medical school curricula and medical school admission requirements are systematically changing in a directional that places value on the appreciation … Continue reading
My Lyme Disease-Heart Disease Story
Having read the Boston Globe December 13th article on linkage between heart disease and possible death from Lyme Disease, I wanted to share my story. Living in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts, I have a regimen of active nature hiking. (1) In an annual check-up in 2011 the nurse found my pulse was very low, so I was given a heart monitor to track my pulse over 24 hours. Upon turning it in, it was reported that my heartbeat was down to 36 beats per minute. As this is a seriously low rate, I was told to immediately check with a cardiologist. When I visited a local cardiologist, I … Continue reading
The Great Imitator
“Know syphilis in all its manifestations and relations, and all other things clinical will be added unto you.” Sir William Osler Henry Foong, a dermatologist from Malaysia and a good friend, recently wrote me about a patient he’d seen with primary syphilis. The disease we used to call “lues” or notate with the Greek letter ∑ (sigma) is becoming more common in Malaysia, in his experience. This reminded me of a memorable case I saw in the late winter or early spring of 1973. At the time, I was a first year of dermatology residency at New York University. I was not a happy camper. I was tired of New … Continue reading
