Clinical “noise” in medicine: it’s not what you think

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 9 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas   ❤️   Heart Sisters (on Blue Sky)

Noise is getting in the way of good medical practice and better patient outcomes, according to Dr. Kamran Abbasi, Editor-In-Chief of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in a recent column he called What is Clinical Noise? – and How to Silence It. But he wasn’t referring to annoying loud noises in our environment, but to unwanted distractions in medicine.
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 Dr. Abbasi illustrates that noise by picturing a dart board with darts sprayed all around the bullseye, distracting players from focusing on what matters to dart players: hitting the bullseye.  .

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When the nursing staff forget about you. . .

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 20 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas   ❤️   Heart Sisters (on Blue Sky)

I was recently introduced to the new-to-me concept called The Window of Tolerance (originally described by Dr. Dan Siegel at UCLA School of Medicine over 25 years ago). This concept basically describes an optimal zone in which we’re best able to function and thrive in everyday life, while dealing pretty effectively with our day-to-day stress.

Most people, Dr. Siegel believes, deal with the demands of everyday life without too much difficulty. But for some of us – especially those facing a serious diagnosis, undue stress, anxiety, pain or trauma, it can often be difficult to stay in the optimal zone of our own Window of Tolerance.
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Is numbness our new normal?

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 5 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas   ❤️   Heart Sisters (on Blue Sky)

“We don’t need bigger lives – we need to feel more present in the ones we already have.”

That’s how Los Angeles physician and author Dr. Alona Pulde opened her column last month in Psychology Today.

I could immediately relate while reading these words:

“We move through our routines. We do what’s expected. We check the boxes. We keep going. But over time, something inside starts to ache. It’s faint at first. Easy to ignore. We call it ‘normal’.
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Pet ownership vs. our lost nouns

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 1 Comment

by Carolyn Thomas   ❤️   Heart Sisters (on Blue Sky)

We know that cognitive decline as we get older is a major public health concern that’s been linked to diminished quality of life. For example, I’ve been noticing small yet alarming changes in my own brain function – not only because I’m getting older every year, but now my breast cancer chemotherapy treatments have suddenly introduced the scary reality of what’s called chemo brain fog.

It’s real, and it’s awful.

Here’s an example of how an average family conversation might now sound.
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