October 30th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Announcements
No Comments »
Attention science fiction buffs… it’s time to put pen to paper (er… keys to keyboard) and create a fictional account of some aspect of the future of medicine. This is Medgadget’s third annual science fiction writing contest. You could win a Palm Tungsten E2 handheld with Epocrates loaded on it – and the glory that only this honor can bring. Please go to the Medgadget blog for contest rules. You have only 2 weeks to submit your entries. Good luck… I’m one of the judges this year!
October 30th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Humor, Medical Art
No Comments »
Thanks to Book of Joe for highlighting this whimsical diagram (and yes, it reminded me of my Rock Star experience in LA that I just blogged about).
October 30th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Announcements
1 Comment »
Alright, well a little melodrama never hurt anyone did it? I’m trying really hard to listen to my readers and adjust my blogging themes/topics/approach accordingly. I actually have no idea what you like to read – health policy, touching stories, humor, research explained, expert interviews, celebrity health initiatives, health tips… etc. So I’m asking. What would you like me to blog about? Please vote in my poll on the right hand side of this page. (Or if you’re viewing this message in a reader, well please come on over to my blog and vote.)
So far (my poll has a N=11, not a very high statistical power) you readers seem to be saying that you like personal stories about the blogger (I guess that means you want me to tell you about my cat – well there she is, featured in the top left-hand corner. Her name is “Ona” and she has an insatiable appetite for grilled asparagus.)
But I have this sneaking suspicion that you don’t really want to hear about ME, you’d like to hear about healthcare and medicine from a fresh perspective. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe this should be a cat blog? Please do vote in my poll so you can water down the voices of those crazy people who are asking for more personal blogging. If you don’t… my only choice is to give the people what they want… and you may be doomed to read about kitties, etc. forever!
***
Bizarre event of the day: I was voted as one the top 20 most influential health voices on Twitter. So go ahead and follow me there. My Twitter name is drval.
October 30th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Humor, True Stories
4 Comments »
True story: As a fourth-year medical student I spent a summer working with a dermatologist in Los Angeles. In addition to all the skin cancer removal, sun damage, and Mohs surgery patients, my preceptor had a thriving laser tattoo removal business.
One day a rock band electric guitarist came into the office requesting help for an incident he’d had the night before. Apparently he’d gotten terribly drunk (+/- stoned) and made an impulsive tattoo decision that he regretted deeply in the light of morning.
The gaunt, long-haired gentleman entered the dermatology suite with his head hung low. He sat down in the exam chair and explained that he was there for a tattoo removal consultation. “Man, I can’t believe I did this to myself,” he muttered as he unbuttoned his shirt.
I wondered what on earth could be so terrible…
And then I saw it.
It was an 8 inch by 4 inch, bright yellow and black tattoo…
On the left side of his neck…
An exact replica of…
The periodic table of the elements.
October 29th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Health Tips, Medblogger Shout Outs
No Comments »
My friend and fellow blogger Kerri Morrone Sparling (at the Six Until Me blog) was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was in second grade. The diagnosis came a few short weeks before Halloween, and back then she didn’t realize the risks of sneaking candy bars behind her mom’s back.
Now that Kerri’s grown up, she has some excellent tips for parents of children with type 1 diabetes (or frankly, for anyone who wants to enjoy Halloween and manage their diabetes). You should check out her video blog on the subject here.
Some tips include:
1. Focus on the costume part of the holiday, not the candy part.
2. Make some “candy” corn with Splenda, Equal or a sugar substitute. Enjoy the salty-sweet treat instead of a Snicker’s bar (for example).
3. Work in a small amount of candy into your diet plan. Eat a half a candy bar during a period of high activity, for example, and the sugar spike will not be so bad.
Please check out Kerri’s post for more tips!
***
And for a good laugh about candy, check out The Onion’s headline here.
Attention science fiction buffs… it’s time to put pen to paper (er… keys to keyboard) and create a fictional account of some aspect of the future of medicine. This is Medgadget’s third annual science fiction writing contest. You could win a Palm Tungsten E2 handheld with Epocrates loaded on it – and the glory that only this honor can bring. Please go to the Medgadget blog for contest rules. You have only 2 weeks to submit your entries. Good luck… I’m one of the judges this year!
