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Freud & Fashion

...BECAUSE IT'S STYLISH TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, ESPECIALLY HOW WE MAINTAIN OUR OWN.

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travel

Medicine

Healthcare Lesson On a Plane Ride

written by freudandfashion
Healthcare Lesson On a Plane Ride

{Sacramento International Airport}

On my flight from Austin (where I spoke at the SNMA conference) to Sacramento last week, I sat next to a kind, wise man in his 80s who explained his history of diabetes as he pulled out his glucose meter to check his blood sugar.  “I hope you don’t mind needles, but my blood sugar tends to run high during plane rides,” he said.  I let him know that I was a physician and didn’t mind at all, then told him a story of how I helped a lady who fainted from low blood sugar a few days ago during my flight from Los Angeles to Austin.  He replied, “Oh, when my blood sugar gets low to around 50, my eyes pop out so I know to sip some orange juice to bring my blood sugar back up.”

When the flight attendant came around, I watched him request a glass of water and some peanuts as a snack.  “My blood pressure was running low today and my doc told me I should have a little salt and some water when I get this way,” he said.

Quite impressed by his self-awareness and knowledge of his medical issues, I asked how he became so pro-active in his care.  “I’ve had a great doctor for the last 20 years and he always lets me know when I’m doing something right or wrong when it comes to my health, and I listen because I know he cares.”  I looked at him and smiled with a bit of nostalgia and envy as I said, “You’re lucky to have a wonderful doctor.”

Made me wonder how much more proactive and healthier people could be if so much bureaucracy didn’t get in the way of the doctor-patient relationship.

April 2, 2016 16 comments
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Psychiatrytherapy

Leave It Behind

written by freudandfashion
Leave It Behind

When a patient dwells on a thought to the point of feeling extremely anxious and overwhelmed, I sometimes teach them to approach those thoughts with the following metaphor:  Grab onto [the thought] briefly in your hand, then let it go like a feather.   Perhaps I need to practice more of what I preach.  I have several complex patients who require contant monitoring and found it difficult NOT to think about a few of them during recent trips out of town.  Did I prescribe too high of a dose?   Will my patient be suicidal and land in the ER?  Will my supervisor think I was an idiot for giving that medication?  No doctor is perfect, but I do need to learn how to leave work behind (for the sake of maintaining my own sanity).

September 8, 2010 3 comments
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