Aunt Geri’s heart stopped on May 20th and never restarted. She couldn’t be declared dead until May 23rd, however, because she kept breathing. The medical staff at her memory care facility, her hospice nurse, and her children still can’t understand how or why she was able to live for three days without a heartbeat. The…
Category: Health
Upshots of Quarantine
The future looks ever bleaker. The minimum projected death toll is around 100,000. To put that in perspective, it’s more than 33 times the number of deaths on 9/11/01. Why do I use that as a bench mark? Because it’s an image of collective death a majority of the population can recall and understand. And…
You’re Killing Your Mother
There are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in my area, but I’ve been under quarantine since Sunday evening anyway. In just a few short days, hospitals will be totally overwhelmed, and I’m determined not to be among the ER visits contributing to the death toll. People who would have been fine with a little…
My Dad is Cooler Than Yours
Here’s why I’ve been MIA for a bit: In addition to my gallery show, I’ve been focused on my 78-year-old father’s comfort because someone recently sawed his sternum in half. He’s back home now, chilling on the couch watching golf with a bowl of ice cream. He still has a lot of follow-ups and rehab…
Kombucha for a Healthy Brain
Ninety-percent of serotonin, the neurotransmitter commonly associated with joy (and which also aids in learning and cognition), is produced in the body’s digestive system. This biological fact is crucial. For you. Right fucking now. February and March are notoriously gray seasons, with little sun and lots of wet. Every year at around this time, my…
Update on Jessica
This is hard to write. Mother Rona sent a message to supporters from Jessica’s GoFundMe page last night. Jessica’s doctors have told her there is no cure for her gastroparesis, and there is nothing more they can do. They have not officially given up. It sounds like they’re still running whatever tests they can think…
Jessica is Literally Starving to Death
I almost titled this post: “The Scariest Disease You’ve Never Heard Of…”
Ode to a Hemorrhoid: What Happens When You Get One
This title is a bit misleading because it turns out we all have hemorrhoids all the time. You have one right now. Multiple, actually. They’re little nubs inside your bum that keep poo from flying out of your ass like a bird’s. What most of us call “a hemorrhoid” is an infection or inflammation of…
Squatters and Supplementary Farming
People generally think of squatters as those who live in the basements of dilapidated urban buildings. Detroit and parts of Chicago come to mind. But Iowa has its share of squatters, and my guess is that number is about to rise drastically. After all, real estate is expensive, and the state’s economy is about to…
On Mental Health and Common Decency
Anthony Bourdain’s death last week garnered publicity not seen since the world lost Robin Williams almost four years ago. Posted quotes and photographs of a smiling Bourdain illustrate how meaningful his work was and how much of a personal impact he had on people. The outpouring is understandable. Most of us probably had a rough…
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