The bucket list is a collection of things that you would like to accomplish within your lifetime. Frankly, I never thought of a bucket list until the death of my youngest daughter, Tonisha Bell Alston. She decided to take matters into her own hands and...
Perhaps, you have never given much thought to this clinical challenge, but getting older can be a major cause of depression for some people. I am witnessing this type of depression frequently. You should be aware of life changes that occurred in your parents...
Several weeks ago, a friend asked me to talk with a friend of hers about dying. I have received some strange requests, but none comparable to this request. The person was not my patient and even though I am skilled at dealing with this type situation, it is not...
It is often a challenge when the physician receives two versions of the medical history of a patient’s illness. The male version, in my experience, is often not as accurate as the version of the significant other. Recently, one of my patients was experiencing...
Our community has witnessed unspeakable tragedies that have devastated the surviving, broken-hearted family members and friends. A few of my patients have been impacted by these tragedies. It has taken all of my humanity and medical...
We are now recognizing that everybody can’t handle bad health news. New studies suggest a diagnosis of any kind of cancer is a certain signal for suicide in some patients. When patients lack poor supports, get bad information from...
I have been a student of science and health care professional for the majority of my life. One phenomenon that perplexes me and continues to be obvious among African Americans is the unwillingness, and maybe, the inability to change...
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, in one of his speeches in 1968, that the greatest civil rights issue of the 21st century would be major disparities in health care for African Americans and the underserved. His prophecy is alive...
Recently, a 42 year old African American male traveled to a family reunion by car after deciding not to fly. He arrived after a three day drive, collapsed, and died. His family learned that he was on dialysis and never knew that he...