Carol Westbrook MD, PhD is a Medical Oncologist with over 20 years of faculty experience and research at the University of Chicago, University of Illinois, and Boston University. She is a licensed medical oncologist, formerly at Geisinger Health Systems in Wilkes-Barre, PA. She has served on numerous federal advisory panels for cancer and genomics, and has authored over 100 scholarly articles, and three books , including Ask an Oncologist: Honest Answers to Difficult Questions about Cancer; To Your Health! The Beer Doctor on Good Beer, Good Times, and the Finer Things in Life; and Miss Victory, 1942. Now retired from clinical practice, she consults on medical-legal affairs, and is an author of the blog, Ask-an-Oncologist.com. Her email: dr.carol@ask-an-oncologist; twitter @Carolwestbrook1.
by Carol A Westbrook In what has become an overwhelming social movement, women are coming forward to tell their stories of sexual assault. "Me too," they say. #MeToo, they tweet. Though I also want to express my solidarity, I cannot say "Me too," as I don't have a story to share. I was never the…
by Carol A Westbrook Did you give any Christmas presents this year? Or Hanukkah or birthday presents? Did the lucky recipients send you note by post, email, text, or at least a phone call? No? Well where, then, are their manners! Yes, where, actually, are their manners? It is true that our lifestyles have changed…
by Carol A Westbrook Apples… colorful foliage…Halloween….pumpkin spice latte…There are a lot of things we love about fall, but setting our clocks back is not one of them. Every year in early November, 300 million of us, in every state except Hawaii and Arizona, "fall back" an hour from daylight saving time (DST) to standard…
On Labor Day we celebrate the contributions of the hard-working people who helped build our nation. Many of them were immigrants who fled war, religious persecution, and poverty. As a matter of fact, most of us have immigrant root; ironically, this this is one of the most defining aspects of being American.
The smart phone and its partner, social media, have changed how we share and enjoy photos with friends, and even how we document history. What happens to these images? Where do they go? Is there enough digital storage for all of them to be saved forever?
We have yet to come to terms with the recognition that we all pay for everyone else’s health care in some way or another. We might as well own up to this and make health care a reality for all. I propose that we re-think the entire concept of how we provide health care in this country.
It’s Lent. For many people, that means you have to deprive yourself of food that you like to eat, and instead punish yourself by eating fish.
You can’t afford to have cancer without insurance. What is the outlook for the cancer patient if Obamacare is repealed? The answer may surprise you.
The story of three crosses in Beverly Shores, Indiana, Lithuanian folk monuments by master woodcarver Jurgis Daugvilla (1923-2008).
It’s different for college grads today than it was when I went to school. Life after graduation is not at all certain, and college grads may not be settled in a career until they are close to forty! King’s College plans to offer an engineering baccalaureate. Will it make a difference to the job prospects, and to the community?
Here is my list of products that chemistry has improved that we didn’t need but now can’t live without, such as Super Glue and Post-It-Notes. These are examples of how chemistry has fulfilled its promise to create better things for better living!
I have 23 first cousins, and we were not particularly interested in our genealogy, until a DNA test revealed a mysterious stranger in our past.
Most people believe that filling out a survey to rate their doctor will improve their health care. However, current data shows that the opposite is true.
It is a sad fact of American life today that people don’t walk. Perhaps they are out of the habit, or they never got into the habit. Most, though, will tell you that there is no place to go.Come along with me and I’ll show you things you wouldn’t otherwise notice in a car. There is poetry in every neighborhood if you look for it. For me, that is the wonder of walking.
I was a book addict, and I had reached gridlock. My bookshelves were stacked two and three deep, with no more room for new books. It was time to get rid of some of these books, and in the process go through some old memories , because each book that you embrace fits into a specific time in your life.
I love my Apple Watch…or I used to love it. Now, I’m not so sure. Yes, it is a beautifully-engineered instrument representing a quantum leap in the world of small, personal electronics, in much the same way that the iPod changed our music habits, and the iPhone our cellular phone habits. It is paradigm shift in how we use wristwatches. Yes, I love my Apple Watch… but do I really like it?
I’m a big fan of stand-up comedy, and I especially enjoy live performances. There is nothing funny about cancer. What is funny, though, is how awkward it is for most people to talk about death. The author recounts an experience at a stand-up comedy show where the subject came up, and how the comedian turned it into a laughing matter.
Back and shoulder pain are among the most common problems we see here in the Care and Concern Free Medical Clinic, where I have been a volunteer physician for the last two years. Many of our patients have lost their health care insurance and that is why they seek free medical care. Our patient numbers have sharply declined this year, and this is attributed to improving economy and more jobs in the area, as well as increased access to healthcare insurance.
Like many post-war mothers of the 1950s, Mom was a terrible cook. She cooked “American style” relying on canned foods and processed food ingredients. Ethnic cuisine was considered unpatriotic. But my mother was an excellent Polish cook, and she learned from my grandmother. Two recipes are included.
The story of television broadcasting is a fascinating one about technology development, entrepreneurship, engineering, and even space exploration. It is an American story, and it is a story worth telling