Category Archives: Health

“Doctor-assisted suicide for the chronically mentally ill is currently legal in the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, despite being one of the most contentious points in the ongoing right-to-die debate. Letting You Go follows one such Dutch patient, 27-year-old Sanne, who, … Continue reading →

How can this happen? Well for one, Medicare is forbidden by law to negotiate with big pharma! Thanks to the lobbyists and big pharma. Click here for Bernie Sanders Takes on Big Pharma as California Eyes Drug Price Limits

There is increasing public discourse and debate about the ethics of ending one’s life “in a dignified manner” when entering its terminal phase. But what if one is not terminal, yet finds themselves in an intolerable condition and wants to … Continue reading →

     There are a wide variety of bracelets and necklaces which can help make your medical information immediately available in an emergency. For example one resident wishes to never have cardiopulmonary resuscitation, so she is listed “DNR” on the … Continue reading →

Don’t try this on your own! Check with our pros in the workout room. But for your interest you may want to check out this intriguing article in the NYT. Just 7 minutes and you’re done? Too good to be … Continue reading →

We all love the 911 responders as we should. They do save lives. But their roll may be evolving as pointed out (from Alice M) in the September 26th WSJ (click here to read the article). It states, “There’s a revolution taking place in … Continue reading →

A six week small group experience for people living with early stage memory loss Mondays, 1—2:30 pm Oct 17—Nov 21 Harborview Medical Center, Seattle Come together to explore inner strengths and emotions, hopes and fears, and strategies for living with memory … Continue reading →

It seems to be true. Doctors focus on the obesity and often forgo an opportunity to treat the patient’s other problems. My sister went to a prominent clinic in Cleveland for breathing issues and basically was told that she was … Continue reading →

From the NYT: “Meditation has long been used to induce calm and physical relaxation. But research on its potential uses for treating medical problems “is still in its very early stages,” and designing trials can be challenging, said Richard J. … Continue reading →

Some folks have asked if there was a video of today’s end-of-live choices discussion. A video wasn’t done but this is a presentation done recently at Town Hall. Talk at Seattle’s Town Hall about planning for the end of our … Continue reading →

At the end-of-life choices discussion this afternoon, the subject of VSED was raised. Stopping eating and drinking as a means of exiting this world is probably as old as mankind itself and may occur much more often in nursing homes … Continue reading →

Pneumonia is defined as an inflammation of lung tissue which is most commonly caused by an infectious agent. Not at all uncommon, it’s often just a nuisance. Take a Z-pack and all’s well when we have so-called walking pneumonia. We … Continue reading →

by David Arterburn, MD, MPH, senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute and affiliate professor in the University of Washington School of Medicine “In a large study of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients around the country, we found that those who … Continue reading →

From Dick Dion and the Puget Sound Business Journal: “Washington state hospitals and care facilities are known for providing some of the best care in the nation — when it comes to treating patients. But a new report actually ranks … Continue reading →

This rather mysterious condition is well presented in this NIH document. Here’s a brief excerpt: “Several large studies have shown that eye pressure is a major risk factor for optic nerve damage. In the front of the eye is a … Continue reading →

“Change can come slowly in medicine, but it does come. In 2013, the American Geriatrics Society updated its recommendations against feeding tubes for older patients with advanced dementia. The Choosing Wisely campaign, which publishes lists of procedures and tests that … Continue reading →