Columns

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…

It’s pretty rare to see sarcoidosis portrayed on a television show that’s not a medical drama. It’s even rarer to see it represented accurately. So when I heard the word on the new Netflix series “No Good Deed,” my ears perked up and I dropped what I was doing…

Oops, I did it again/ I fell on the floor/ I’m in so much pain/ (Oh baby, baby)/ Now my arm’s in a cast/ Let’s hope it’s the la-a-a-ast/ I’m not that confident (sigh).  Kerry is always coordinated, even with her cast. (Courtesy of Kerry Wong) That’s how that…

“What are you trying to do — fun me to death?” I asked my husband when he suggested another road trip this month. We’ve been making the most of our time together since he retired a few months ago, trying to do all the things he rarely had time for…