Patienthood
Listen to conversations about Patienthood:
Getting Reliable Information
Information from others is often not as relevant as you first thought. Search engines have debates with both proven and unproven information. Friends and the Internet are not a substitute for nurses and physicians.
Smoking
Smoking harms almost every organ and accounts for nearly 20% of all deaths in the USA. Smoking is often associated with chronic illness before death with severe symptoms that diminish activity.
Before You Leave the Hospital
You, family members or friends need to understand what should be done after the hospital. Know about the activities desired, foods, wound care, medicines, when to see the doctor next and when to call him or her.
Surgery for Epilepsy
Surgery for epilepsy is a good option for the right people. The risks are small and the benefits can be large. Surgery should be considered in the 10% of people with epilepsy who have seizures after two different medicines.
Navigating the System
Know your insurance. Keep your primary care physician involved. Befriend nurses or office personnel. Have friends at meetings. Get professional help from other health care professionals. If needed, ask for a second opinion.
Head & Neck Melanoma
Head and neck melanomas can start as pigmented skin lesions, in the sinuses of the head or in the mouth. Biopsies need to be done by someone experienced with melanoma and that the slides need to be seen by an experienced pathologist.
Action Plan for Deep Medicine - 17 minutes 9 seconds
“Deep Medicine” is about awakening our internal healer. Dr Stewart’s suggested plan helps create these experiences to optimize health.
Deep Medicine
Everything we do is either health-supporting or health-negating, down to each of our activities of daily living. Change can be maintained best by using our own self-directed plan.
Guided Imagery - 11 minutes
Guided imagery is a way to enable you to psychologically relax so you can understand your feelings and beliefs more completely. The goal is to have less emotional and physical symptoms.
Weight Management
Sustained significant weight loss requires medical, exercise, behavioral, and nutritional care. Chronic commitment is essential to change foods consumed, increase exercise and understand how obesity occurred in you.
Loss of Appetite
The most common cause of loss of appetite in cancer patients is chemotherapy. There is also liver disease and sores in your mouth referred to as ulcers from chemotherapy. Medicines are available to increase the appetite.
Nausea
Nausea in people with cancer occurs but not in everyone, even when they get chemotherapy. Causes include chemotherapy, pain and cancers, especially in the liver, GI tract or brain. Treatments are usually very effective.
Diarrhea in the Cancer Patient
Diarrhea in the setting of cancer may not be self-limited and can be dangerous to the patient. The cause of diarrhea in the setting of cancer needs to be identified, especially those caused by these unusual infections.
Pain Management and Coumadin
Pain meds can change your sensitivity to Coumadin and lead to an increased risk to bleed or clot. For mild or moderate pain, Tylenol with or without codeine is safe. Avoid drugs like persistent Advil (Motrin) and aspirin.
Starting Coumadin
Coumadin is given to people who have an established thrombus or clot or who at risk to have a clot. An INR and history to include other meds, other illnesses and diet will determine how you get Coumadin.