Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh. George Bernard Shaw My article “Joy, Suffering and the Goals of Medicine” was not easy to publish. It was rejected by several other journals before being accepted by JAMA-Neurology. I never got a reason … Continue reading Fart Jokes, Medical Aid In Dying, and the Battle to Bring Joy into Medicine
The Medical Bullshit Detector Part II: Unreliable Experts
While it’s true that you can’t judge a book by its cover, you can often learn a lot by looking at its author. In the case of medical bullshit—whether that be a best-selling book, a “miracle supplement” or a “revolutionary new theory on health”—a careful glance at the real accomplishments and actions of the person … Continue reading The Medical Bullshit Detector Part II: Unreliable Experts
Joy, Suffering, and the Goals of Medicine
As medicine strives to provide person-centered care, it is essential that clinicians support the subjective well-being of people living with serious illness. Toward this end, addressing the subjective suffering of an individual is now recognized as complementary to medicine’s goals of treating disease. Joy, on the other hand, has generally fallen outside the purview of … Continue reading Joy, Suffering, and the Goals of Medicine
Covid-19 Vaccine: What You Should Know
There has been much excitement and some confusion about the new Covid-19 vaccines. For the record, I plan to get a Covid-19 vaccine as soon as it is offered to me, which may be in the next few months, as a healthcare provider who works with some vulnerable populations. Regarding the Pfizer vaccine, which we are … Continue reading Covid-19 Vaccine: What You Should Know
The Medical Bullshit Detector Part I: Untrustworthy Products and Unbelievable Ideas
People who care about reality—including scientists, philosophers, doctors, teachers, and other concerned citizens—have long been bothered by bullshit. On the one hand, it is morally and philosophically reprehensible to purposefully undermine truth and to proclaim ignorance as a virtue. But more importantly, bullshit is harmful to people who live in the real world. Bullshit can … Continue reading The Medical Bullshit Detector Part I: Untrustworthy Products and Unbelievable Ideas
Ask Dr. Benzi, an Introduction
If you are reading this, you are most likely a human being --the proud (or not-so-proud) owner of a body and a brain. You probably also know other human beings with bodies and brains whom you care greatly about. This means that the quality and length of your life, and the lives of those you … Continue reading Ask Dr. Benzi, an Introduction
Expert Briefings: Marijuana and Parkinson’s Disease – What Do We Really Know?
https://youtu.be/3TKMcoKJzO8 There is increasing interest in the Parkinson's patient and research community about the potential for cannabis-based products to treat PD. In this webinar I review what cannabis is, how it works in the brain and why there is so much excitement about its potential in PD. We then review animal and basic science studies … Continue reading Expert Briefings: Marijuana and Parkinson’s Disease – What Do We Really Know?
The Head Leads to the Heart
This essay, published in 2018, describes my spiritual journey into neuropalliative care. I feel that the heart and spirit of palliative care is every bit as essential as the medical side of this care. Read the Essay
Dangerous and Expensive Bullshit: Seeking an Agent
I completed a book proposal for Dangerous and Expensive Bullshit this spring and am actively looking for an agent with my publicist, Erin Barnes. Once we have an agent, we'll work with them to find a publisher and then I'll really dive into the writing. I've shared the overview below; if you're a literary agent … Continue reading Dangerous and Expensive Bullshit: Seeking an Agent
Neuropalliative Care During COVID-19—Addressing Isolation, Fear, and Terminal Illness
COVID-19 has had an immense impact on multiple populations. In this brief news article, I am one of several experts interviewed discussing the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 and social distancing on people living with advanced neurologic disease and their family care partners. It also shows how important neuropalliative care is in dealing with these additional … Continue reading Neuropalliative Care During COVID-19—Addressing Isolation, Fear, and Terminal Illness
