Medical

“Obesity is a topic that literally hits home for me.  For the past two years, the website WalletHub has voted the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission TX metroplex as the ‘fattest city in America.’  As a health care provider, this is deeply disturbing because it puts my community at high risk for a wide variety of health problems, including but…

Antibody testing, also called serological testing, can be used to determine whether an individual is currently infected with COVID-19 or has previously been infected with COVID-19 and recovered. Unlike the molecular testing (PCR tests), which detects the presence of genetic material from the virus from a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab, these antibody tests identify exposure…

Without a doubt, life has been peculiar since the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic. The social, political, financial, and emotional tolls have been staggering; however, most recently, I’ve been interested in the sensory deficits it seems to be unmasking. Despite being back out in society, at work, or venturing into my children’s school, I have…

“We are in the midst of a crisis in humanity. While we are still dealing with COVID pandemic and its deleterious health, economic and societal consequences, our troubling past of racism and inequality is rearing its ugly head. The senseless killings at the hands of police, the shameful subjugation of persons of color, the systemic…

“With my passion for writing and connecting digitally with others in health care and the general public, this ‘downtime’ has allowed for an expansion of these interests. I’ve begun recording on my podcast, a multidisciplinary conversation between women who thrive in fields that traditionally they haven’t thought to be able to (or shouldn’t). I’ve spent…

I stirred awake when my husband’s cell phone rang.  It was early, and we had gone to bed late, and slept little.  My father-in-law was in the ICU in a hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  He was now intubated, hooked up to a ventilator, victim to COVID-19.  We would eagerly await phone calls from the…

I just want a few berries. This was my comment that started the earthy discussion. We were visiting with friends who have a thriving garden producing more than they can consume. As we talked about the types of lettuce and greens in the neatly organized rows, I heard mention of strawberries. No offense to the…

Debby Ann has a pit bull, and I remembered that when she called me recently.  It had belonged to her son, who is now deceased.  He was murdered.  She wants to meet me for lunch. Debby Ann is a pretty lady, at least she was the last time I saw her. We worked together for…