The Podcast by KevinMD

"Grandma Lilly is 87-years-old and in the ICU. She’s on a ventilator with her wrists restrained to the side of the bed. Grandma can barely see because her eyes are puffy: scleral edema. And her heart races: 140 beats per minute. Her blood pressure is low and Levophed and vasopressin drips are ordered. Her family can’t talk to her as she phases in and out of existence. For her, end-stage renal disease means dialysis. And respiratory failure equals ventilator. She’s a brittle diabetic with uncontrolled fluctuating blood sugars. Grandma Lilly can’t eat, and we feed her by a tube that goes into her nose and to her stomach. Tomorrow, she gets a PEG tube surgically inserted to feed her. She’s been on the ventilator too long. Next comes the ICU package: ventilator, dialysis, pressers, restraints, trach, PEG tube. Any second of clarity or awareness is pure brutality. There’s no pretty ending to this torture except through death. Poor Grandma Lilly." Debbie Moore-Black is a nurse who blogs at Do Not Resuscitate. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Go quiet into the night." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2019/01/go-quiet-into-the-night.html)

"Lifestyle medicine equips practitioners with the tools to affect change. One of the biggest job satisfiers for physicians is positively impacting the trajectory of their patients’ lives. Having a parent tell you that their child is 'a different person' because of the time you spent with them is priceless. This is why I believe if more physicians studied and applied the principles of lifestyle medicine to their lives and their practices, we could put a dent into the burnout many of us face. We can build up resilience to the rigors of our work and experience higher levels of job satisfaction as we see our patients get better. In essence, lifestyle medicine is a prescription for physician burnout. In many ways, I feel that my journey into lifestyle medicine is the legacy my mom gave to me. Arising from the emptiness of my early motherhood, I landed on a path leading me to flourish personally and professionally. I will be forever grateful to her not just for the life that she gave me, but for the life she is giving me." Cherie Chu is a pediatrician who blogs at Wellness Pediatrician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Lifestyle medicine is a prescription to treat physician burnout." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/07/lifestyle-medicine-is-a-prescription-for-physician-burnout.html)

"As an oncologist, perhaps the hardest part I play is as witness. I am there to give a diagnosis that, more often than not, will alter someone’s life forever. For some, I see resignation—a sense that they’ve known something was wrong and that it’s what they thought they had. For others, I see an almost immediate acceptance and, with it, perseverance; they are prepared to fight, to win. But for those where cancer comes without much warning, I see terror. Cancer is a threat to who they are, how they live, and yes—how long they have. It’s hard to see someone struggle this way, knowing that no matter how much time I spend with them, holding their hand, crafting a way forward, they leave my office with cancer." Don S. Dizon is an oncologist. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "As an oncologist, this is the hardest role I play." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/07/as-an-oncologist-this-is-the-hardest-role-i-play.html)

"Grocery shopping is not optional; it’s necessary. But if you go every day and to multiple stores, you are increasing the chance you will be exposed. From my informal survey, this practice is extremely common. Yet, experts advise to consolidate shopping. In fact, in my experience, there is always at least one person (shoppers AND workers) in every store I have visited who is either not masked or masked incorrectly. Many people report that they are going stir-crazy without seeing friends and family members or being among others. So the trade-off is clear: maintaining sanity is prioritized. Everyone wants things to return to normal, so they are doing normal things, albeit with precautions. In reality, there is still so much that is unknown about coronavirus transmission, so it is too soon to attempt 'normalcy.'" Sara L. Merwin is an epidemiologist and co-author of The Informed Patient: A Complete Guide to a Hospital Stay. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Incremental risk amid COVID-19 re-openings: What do we value most?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/08/incremental-risk-amid-covid-19-re-openings-what-do-we-value-most.html)

"Advocacy by moms is not new, but advocacy by physicians has been less common. Moms have been fierce advocates on a variety of causes ranging from Mothers Against Drunk Driving to Moms Demand Action, the anti-gun violence mom activist group led by Shannon Watts that has now helped launch moms into public office. As physician moms navigating a global pandemic, we are invested in ensuring that our patients, communities, and our children are safe. So, when misinformation threatens basic and effective public health measures, subsequently risking the health and safety of the public and of children, expect a wall of physician moms." Shikha Jain is a hematology-oncology physician who blogs at her self-titled site, Dr. Shikha Jain.  She can be reached on Twitter @ShikhaJainMD. She shares her story and discusses the KevinMD article that she co-wrote, "Physician-moms fight back against anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/08/physician-moms-fight-back-against-anti-maskers-and-anti-vaxxers.html)

Why should we reform the health care system to a physician-led approach? How will that look like? Would a Medicare for all system cure what ails the system? What are some obstacles to implementation? Ken Terry is a journalist. He shares his story and discusses his book, Physician-Led Health Care Reform: A New Approach to Medicare for All. (https://amzn.to/2ZxhqtE)