Psalm 139:13-14 (NASB): For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. Trouble in mind, I'm blue But I won't be blue always 'Cause I know the sun's gonna shine in my back door someday (composed by Richard M. Jones and first recorded in 1924) … [Read more...] about Trouble in Mind: Attending to the Interplay of Mind and Body in Treating Depression
healthcare
Failing Faithfully: Created, Fallen, and Waiting
In the first post of this series, I was ruminating about a patient who had a rapid decline in health and social circumstances, culminating in a recent scan that showed the possibility of cancer even while he was struggling with homelessness. It was a bleak situation that caught me off guard because I was not expecting it and was grieved to think of what it would be like for him to die alone. He has since died. There is a picture and a story making rounds on the internet about the grief of physicians. An EMT … [Read more...] about Failing Faithfully: Created, Fallen, and Waiting
Science Corner: Where the Viruses Have No Name
With all respect to the bard, there is power in a name -- why else would Juliet consider changing hers? That's why the WHO proposed new practices for naming a newly emerged disease. Diseases are often named after the place they were found, a significant animal vector, or some other notable feature connected to its discovery. Name choice can have negative consequences for the original owner of the name. The residents of Hendra, Queensland aren't thrilled that their town has a namesake virus. The pigs couldn't complain … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Where the Viruses Have No Name
Academic Justice? (Scholar’s Compass)
Memory Verse Seek justice, protect the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Isaiah 1:17 Reflection My wife said it was not going to be easy. I knew she was right. She was referring to my current research. I am interviewing persons with disabilities in Uganda. My wife and I have lived in Uganda since 2008 so we are aware of the challenges people face here. We also know that challenges are especially intense among Ugandans with disabilities. … [Read more...] about Academic Justice? (Scholar’s Compass)
Failing Faithfully: The Futility of Medicine (Scholar’s Compass)
It was stunning news. I listened with disbelief as my colleague described how a patient of ours, in whom we had uncovered a host of serious diseases over a few years, was now newly diagnosed with cancer after an incidental scan. In addition, his social supports had been eroded and I thought about what it would be like for him to die from a vicious terminal disease while alone and homeless. He would not be the first patient for me to watch die in such a way. To be a physician is, in many ways, an exercise in … [Read more...] about Failing Faithfully: The Futility of Medicine (Scholar’s Compass)