“My doctor doesn’t listen”. Miscommunication between patients and their healthcare team can have a tremendous impact on patient trust AND their health. With 20 years of practice, Dr. Christine...

When a patient comes to me with complicated symptoms, I typically order a series of tests to arrive at a diagnosis. But what happens if those tests all come back normal? There are conditions that...

For many years, Keri suffered from debilitating gastrointestinal issues, fatigue, weight fluctuation, and depression before she was finally diagnosed with hypothyroidism. And she has had more than...

Danielle doesn’t feel like a medical miracle. But after experiencing a stroke at the age of 33, being misdiagnosed for several months and enduring complications from brain surgery, her health...

A lot of us feel a little blue during the holiday season. But for some, that blueness is much more significant. It can be a medical diagnosis of clinical depression or anxiety that disrupts their...

11 years ago, Kim woke up with a headache that refused to go away. After five days of suffering, she went to her primary care doctor and was diagnosed with adult-onset migraines. But four months and...

Molly endured the life-or-death experience of an ectopic pregnancy. Then, when her obstetrician said it was safe, she got pregnant again and delivered a healthy baby boy. Today, she has two children...

When I was growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, ADD wasn’t a thing. Kids with attention deficit disorder struggled to succeed and often developed anxiety and depression as a result. This is exactly...

As the drummer in a popular band, Jeff has been playing music and performing for audiences of thousands for many years. But at the end of 2020, he started experiencing symptoms of dizziness and a...

For most of my adult life, I had no relationship with alcohol whatsoever. And then, in 2016, I discovered a love of bourbon and started enjoying an old fashioned when I was out with family and...

Kathy’s problems began in 2011 with a cold that wouldn’t go away. She was initially diagnosed with bronchiectasis, and after seeing a local specialist, Kathy discovered she had mycobacterium...

What makes for a good doctor-patient relationship? Yes, we want a doctor who has excellent control of our disease. Someone who diagnoses us correctly and gets us to a point where we’re...

When Leslie was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, her oncologist said, “This is the best cancer you can get.” And while she understands in hindsight that he meant to put her at ease, in the moment,...

A few weeks ago, I sent in a prescription for an opioid medication for a longtime patient of mine. And when the pharmacist called and left a message, I immediately got angry.   Why was he...

Emily was married at 22 and went off birth control. And while she wasn’t actively trying to get pregnant, she was not NOT trying. But after three years, nothing had happened. She brought it up with...

When Pam’s dad was diagnosed with tongue cancer 13 years ago, she made it her mission to find him the best possible care. So, after a consult with a local surgeon, Pam made appointments for a...

Doctors trained in the West often resist nontraditional treatment modalities and focus on prescribing pharmaceuticals, citing data to back up our decisions. But medication is not the answer for every...

When people are struggling with their mental health, they tend to bring it up with their primary care doctor first. And while I love that my patients feel comfortable bringing these issues to me, I...

The patients I send to a pain management doctor are some of the most challenging cases in our practice. Typically, these patients have been to physical therapy, they’ve had imaging and been...

Kermit Farmer’s wife, Linda, enjoyed a successful career as an oncologist until she was diagnosed with stomach cancer herself. She faced complications throughout the treatment process and was...