Much of medical intervention is presented in military terms. We talk of “fighting” malaria or AIDS, “arms races” between pathogens and the drugs to hold them in check, and the conquest of various pathogens. While there are instances in which battle metaphors are useful in medicine such as when we explain HIV to patients with […]
An End of Life Discussion
When working in the hospital, there comes a time for many of your patients where the transition to palliative care is possible or even necessary. While on the wards, I have been part of the care of several patients that were in the process of being transferred to hospice care. It isn’t easy making these […]
Palliative Care: When There is No Cure
It was a regular exam room. In the corner, there was a bed with a stepping stool at the side. Next to the bed was a hand washing station. There was a desk dividing the room, where the doctor’s comfortable office chair was behind the computer monitor. However, the seat was empty. The doctor was […]
