Catchy Title, Lots of Wisdom from a Saint, a Surfer, and a CEO.

I found this book moving, insightful, pat, a little repetitive, confusing, etc.  There are insights that I really like and other insights that I question.  Some have proven true in my own life, and others feel like too much positive and not enough:  "Some things just suck." 

I'll give you an example.  The surfer lives alone on the beach.  He loves everything, but you have the distinct impression that his ongoing joy is in part because he really limits his exposure to other people.  Most of us live in a world of people, and it would be nice to have him discuss a bit more how to deal with difficult people while in complete joy. 

Our saint is a member of the church.  He himself is saintly, but his employer...well, let's just say there are issues. 

The CEO is a Wall Street banker, and one wonders if she would have been featured now that we've gone thorugh the "Great Recession." 

But that does not detract from the many, many insights in the book about how we should all be living our lives.  If we spend all our time judging the messengers we'll never get the message. 

Desiderata: Correcting the Errata.

I first came across the Desiderata as a poster that gave the date of production as sometime in the 17th century.  But the wording was always far too modern.  It was nicked from Max Ehrmann, a poet who lived at the beginning of the 20th century.  The story I like is that Max wrote the Desiderata as a personal set of notes for himself, and then decided to publish it.  It is different from much of his other work.  I'm reposting the poem here, for personal reference.  You can read more about Max on Wikipedia.  Or maybe even buy his book (the Multnomah county library copy had the Desiderata torn out when I went looking for it years ago).

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,


and remember what peace there may be in silence.



As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

they are vexatious to the spirit.



If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain and bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.



Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.



Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

it is as perennial as the grass.



Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.



Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.



Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.



With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

Positive Spirituality: A Handbook of Practical Guidance.

I listened to a CME (continuing ed.) on "soul sickness" yesterday.  Dr. Craigie's book came up.  I've always had the greatest respect for Dr. Craigie as a deeply committed doctor and human being.  Just looking through the sample chapter of his book, I learned new contexts for some of the things I've already been doing.  He gives such detail that a relatively new clinician could use this book to effectively increase competence in the critical area of patient compliance.  But it also gives experienced clinicians new thoughts and frameworks for how to deal with ongoing issues. 

Does My Child Need This Textbook?

I’ve only looked at one or two videos, but I love that Salmon Khan is getting out to the world.  Gates is behind him, so you know he’ll be going places.  Everything is broken down into twelve minute lectures. 

http://www.khanacademy.org

Cough, Cough, Go Away, and Come Again...Never!

The cough I’ve seen lately can get completely out of hand. People get a sinus drip, which leads to a productive cough. Then they cough too hard and tear up their throats, leading to what I call “tickle throat,” where a patch of your esophagus gets too tender and you just can’t stop.


I’ve had patients tell me what the ER staff is handing out, and it appears to be primarily strong cough suppressants and occasionally antibiotics. Neither one appears to be doing the trick. (But do check in with your regular doc. Everything below is for you to discuss with them. Never rely on any medical advice you receive via the internet because we’re all individuals. And some of us take really strong medications that can seriously react to even the mildest compounds.)

Here are some things that patients have passed on to me: Spongia Tosta (Boiron blue tube 30c). I saw it stop the cough in the office. The patient was taking five at a time.

I didn’t get the same result from Rumex Crispus (boiron 30c) although it sounded like a tickle cough.

Personally, I’ve already been exposed to this five different times. Hot tea with honey helps with the initial cough, menthol and menthol cough drops seem to slow things, and I use “toxic sludge” (only had to resort to it once) if I can’t beat it otherwise. “Toxic sludge” is my name for Wise Woman Herbals’ H.E.M.P. + Throatease compound, which is not available for direct order by consumers. They do have a Respiguard glycerite which isn’t as powerful but does seem to available directly (RESP9 at Emerson Ecologics’ website).

The cough loves sugar, late nights, and holiday food. So take care of yourself long before you start ordering things.

If things aren’t improving, give me a call. Usually I’ve learned new things the hard way. Why should you?  You could also sit in bed and read the CDC's flu preparation handbook.  A little late, but maybe it's got some tidbits in there about exactly where on the inside of your elbow you should sneeze.  I'm an above the crease man myself, but I have no serious differences with the "forearm blowers."

Allergies: The Time to Start Treating Is Now

From Allergies Update, at Maloney Medical (all abstracts available there):

Deep winter is the perfect time to start treating for allergies in the spring.  We have a range of different plans that will down regulate the histamine response, but don't wait to start sneezing.  That's like waiting for a flat tire before you go out and get a spare. 

Currently the standard program to desensitize patients involves injections. But the state of the art is now drops under the tongue. “Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has been proved to be effective in allergic rhinitis and asthma…New sensitizations appeared in 34.8% of controls and in 3.1% of SLIT patients.  ” But, you ask, is it as effective as the injections? “The mean peak expiratory flow result (how much air you can exhale) was significantly higher in the active group than in the control group after 10 years.

But can I go off my inhaler? Unfortunately, we don’t know, because: “when mild-moderate asthmatic children are optimally controlled by pharmacologic treatment and HDM (human dust mite) avoidance, SLIT does not provide additional benefit, despite a significant reduction in allergic response to HDM. Under such conditions, only a complete, but ethically unfeasible, discontinuation of inhaled corticosteroid would have demonstrated a possible benefit of SLIT.”  It could be dangerous to remove the inhalers, so we’ll keep people on them for life. Of course, the long term effects of steroids…

Gandhi: One of the Few Untouchables.

I mean untouchable in terms of personal integrity, not a reference to the caste system.

It is truly an extraordinary story, how a man went from being an English lawyer to the de facto leader of a non-violent revolution.  It was his mother who would fast if things displeased her, and his English law degree helped him understand what would push the English out.  But it is the moment when Gandhi was shoved off the train and fought back that I think is his most courageous moment.  He was no one.  To start a mad group willing to burn their registration papers, and to allow himself to be beaten senseless in trying to do so, without fighting back.

All the rest is history, but it is his time as a nobody fighting an impossible fight and winning that really inspires me.