Columns

“When did the pain start?” That’s a fairly straightforward question with an uncomplicated answer for most people: “I fell last Thursday and hurt my knee.” “I was helping a friend move over the weekend and tweaked my back.” “I ate something funky last night, and my stomach’s been hurting ever…

Last week, my husband and I took a road trip to see the Yankees play the Reds in Cincinnati, checking another stadium off our bucket list. We went out for brunch before the game and had a nice chat with our waitress, mostly admiring each other’s tattoos. The food, our…

This month, I watched the 78th annual Tony Awards, looking forward to performances from the year’s top shows. I’m always hoping to see my new favorites recognized and get ideas for what to attend next. This year’s awards show was extra special, featuring a reunion and medley from the original…

Writer’s block: when you want (or have) to write something but the words just won’t come to you. It could be for a school paper, a business report, a personal story, a speech, or a simple social media post, but it happens to all of us. We think. We…

Dearly beloved, Earlier this month, my husband and I attended our niece’s wedding. Later this month, we’ll renew our vows to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. It’s no surprise that in between the two events, I’ve been reflecting on love, marriage, and what we mean when we say “I do.”…

On any given day, at any given moment, we can see signs of conflict all around us. Wars, protests, he said/she said disputes. Personally, I vacillate between watching the news every waking moment (the “Breaking News” chyron has been permanently burned into the bottom of my television screen) and avoiding…

Last week, I attended a friend’s fundraiser with my husband, our moms, and my sister. Throughout the evening, we talked about the latest shows we’d been watching, noting which series were absolutely must-see. My sister and I continued the conversation through the weekend, texting each other so many recommendations that…

Note: This column discusses an upcoming FDA-NIH Rare Disease Day event, which planned to bring together members of the rare disease community with healthcare providers, researchers, lawmakers, and more at the NIH main campus in Bethesda, Maryland. That event has since been postponed. Stay tuned for further announcements. There’s a…

I recently came across a blog post on MedPage Today titled “A Letter to Patients with Chronic Illness.” Although it was written nearly 15 years ago, it’s as relevant today as it was then, revealing oft-obscured insight into the frame of mind of our doctors. Its author, “Dr. Rob,” shares…

Along with so many others around the world, I’ve spent the past two months utterly obsessed with the movie version of “Wicked.” I saw it on the big screen (twice), read the book (again), and bought the digital version just minutes after it became available. I’ve watched it…