Category Archives: Health

Time Flies

Posted on by
Reply

A glance at the clock
as I finish the dishes
tells me it’s 7:13

So that’s it I think;
A few bedtime stories and
The sun is gone
The day is done

Just a few hours with you

Feels like a second ago
that a glance at the clock
as we ran out the door
told me it was 7:13

The hours in between:
Fast, fulfilling
Slow, missing you

The push-pull
The balance ever teetering
Until I think,

Instead of having it all
I’d settle for having it together

For just a few more hours with you

And sure it’s cliche
It’s all been said before
But not by me
At least not here

And so I’ll say it:
Time flies.

All I can do
Is hope I’m passing it well

One Word for 2015: Gratitude

Posted on by
1

Screen Shot 2015-01-17 at 8.47.30 PMAt the start of each of the last few years I’ve focused on words instead of specific resolutions and have found it much more meaningful and effective. In 2013 it was Decide, Attend, and Play. Last year I added Focus, Accept, and Sleep. This year I’m going to try something a little different. I’m going to continue to think about the good words I’ve already got and add only one more: Gratitude.

2014 brought its share of challenges and I frankly wasn’t all that sad to see it go. But, as I reflect on the year that was, I realize that I was also blessed with many great memories shared with wonderful people, and that the “bad” stuff wasn’t really as hard as it might have felt in the moment. I see now that things started to look up when I began to shift my focus and think about all that I was grateful for.

I also know that I want to raise a kind and generous son who is able to cultivate gratitude (more on this in a future post). And, I know that if I want to do this, I must model it myself.

So 2015 will be a year of daily reflection on gratitude in both abstract and more concrete ways:

  • Last November we started a bedtime routine of sharing one thing we were grateful for during the day. It has been revealing, wonderful, and at times very humorous (my son has, on more than occasion, mentioned his gratitude for lunch). We’re continuing this practice in 2015 and I’ve started a gratitude journal to keep track.
  • This year I’ll be more mindful of the amazing people in my life and more vocal in my appreciation for all they do and are. I’ll share more compliments. I’ll be better about staying in touch. I’ll do all I can to be with loved ones.
  • I’ll spend time outdoors each and every day. Wow, writing that down it sounds pretty audacious, but it’s gonna happen. Even if it’s cold (or hot) and even if it’s only 10 minutes. The beauty of the world around us never fails to improve my mood and inspire gratitude for the profound gift of life itself.

I’ll leave you with this lovely 6 minute video which pairs beautiful images with a message of gratitude and mindfulness including, “You think this is just another day in your life. It’s not just another day. It’s the one day that is given to you. Today. It is given to you. It’s a gift.”

Sleep, Mama, Sleep

Posted on by
3

IMG_1658When my son was an infant (and not the greatest sleeper), we’d rock and listen to lullabies. We listened to one CD so many times that many of the songs are seared into my brain. I remember one song in particular. “Sleep, baby, sleep. It is time to close your eyes.” I’d sing along, willing the words to come true. Continue reading →

A Doctor’s Heart

Posted on by
4

photo (1)In just a few days I’ll be leaving the clinic where I’ve practiced pediatrics for the past six years. The last months have been a flurry of last visits with families, paperwork, and tying up loose ends. There have been many, many goodbyes. I’ve been deeply moved by the expressions of gratitude and affection that many families have shared with me. It seems it is always in these times of change and endings that we are most open with each other. Continue reading →

Copy and Paste Medicine

Posted on by
2

I’ve been working with the latest electronic medical record (EMR) for almost a year now. You know the one. There are many positive changes, to be sure. It has helped me more than a few times with calculating doses for kids’ medications. I can now easily check in on my patients’ progress when they are admitted to the hospital. And, of course, the notes are far more legible.

But what do the notes actually tell me? Sadly, sometimes, not much. Continue reading →

3 Words for 2014. Focus. Accept. Sleep.

Posted on by
4

IMG_1401Over the past few years, in leiu of goal-oriented New Year’s resolutions, I’ve chosen words to serve as a guide for my year. Inspired by a few writers I admire, I’ve found this practice to be very meaningful for me. And setting it in writing here on the blog last year was quite powerful. I found that the words Decide, Attend, and Play stayed in the fore throughout the year. I went back to the post a number of times to gauge how I was doing. And, although I can’t say I always succeeded in meeting my own expectations, I do think that setting these intentions did affect the flow of my year. So, here are my words for 2014. Continue reading →

Medicines for Fever: When and How to Use Them

Posted on by
3

This is the second post in a two-part series on fever in children. Last week Dr. Cara Barone provided excellent information regarding why children get fevers, how to measure your child’s temperature, and whether to worry or discuss with your physician. This week I’m back to review when and how to treat fever in kids. Continue reading →