tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-896055157414544792024-02-07T00:52:30.545-05:00Women Neurosurgeons: Heart and HandsFor all whose lives are touched by these amazing, pioneering womenBrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-80227045265663199962011-11-22T13:39:00.000-05:002011-11-22T13:47:59.419-05:00AANS Neurosurgeon – Neurosurgery Cold Case Post-Mortem Identification
This is a fascinating interesection of science, art, forensics and neurosurgery. You have got to click on this link and read this fabulous piece!
AANS Neurosurgeon – Neurosurgery Cold Case Post-Mortem IdentificationBrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-31870897297765714952011-11-22T13:36:00.000-05:002011-11-22T13:36:25.860-05:00AANS Neurosurgeon – The CSNS: Serving a Vital Function for all NeurosurgeonsAANS Neurosurgeon – The CSNS: Serving a Vital Function for all NeurosurgeonsBrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-76910152292498244992011-06-21T21:26:00.000-04:002011-06-21T21:26:20.671-04:00EMC2
No, I have not forgotten the = sign in my EMC2
is an emerging syndrome that will soon reach epidemic proportions,
will be the AIDS of the 2010-30 decades,
may consume massive health care dollars.
I suspect many of the physicians out there have encountered this syndrome but may not have fully recognized what they were seeing. further, this new medical challenge may prove even moreBrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-29258507380203185612011-06-10T09:00:00.001-04:002011-06-10T09:00:01.795-04:00The Economy and HealthcareMuch is said about the economy these days-is it rebounding? Is unemployment down? Who is responsible for the massive debt? How can we save Medicare? Into this setting, a little reality slips in to my office on a frequent basis. Today I saw a middle aged man who has a significant lumbar (lower) spine problem. He has a ruptured (herniated) disc with nerve compression causingBrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-22666323061207792232011-06-06T09:00:00.001-04:002011-06-06T09:00:02.430-04:00Call From ER
Sunday morning the call came from the service-the Emergency Room is looking for you. OK, so I was on my way out to walk the dogs along the Hudson River on a glorious late spring morning but...I was hoping it would be quick and painless.
"Emergency Room," she answered.
"Hi. This is Dr. Benzil, I am returning the call to Dr. W." I replied.
"Is HE available?" she volleyed back.
PAUSE-I BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-35831291704089477252011-06-03T09:00:00.002-04:002011-06-03T09:00:04.261-04:00The Passing
Gill Scott Heron
I learned early Saturday morningAnd I weptHis music and wordsHad touched my soulHad lifted me upMany late nights andEarly mornings
When much youngerI had a first dateAnd he sang to the roomBut it seemed like he sangJust to usAnd we stayed onFor a second show
That date soon becameMy lifelong mateAnd still you would Croon and remind usOf what was rightAnd how to live,Think,BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-27472346862316509792011-05-30T09:00:00.001-04:002011-05-30T09:00:01.785-04:00Blogging Again
Returning Home
Leslie K. Price
It has been nearly a month since I last blogged and for the month prior to that, had found myself with less time to devote to this pursuit than I would like. In the ebb and flow of life-between the challenges of work, family, and personal needs-somethings rise up and others fall to the back by necessity. Once the pause happened, I felt that I would BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-69751065459202366432011-05-05T09:00:00.001-04:002011-05-05T09:00:11.243-04:00Homecoming-Parenting Again
Zanzibar!
October 14, 2011 my son departed for the African continent. More than 6 months later, he will soon return and my life will be changed, in ways I cannot yet predict. Like many young adults, my son needed time to figure out where he wanted to take his life. Together, we opted for time volunteering in Africa as a way for him to "get away" while giving back something. &BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-5211418433714770882011-05-03T21:32:00.000-04:002011-05-03T21:32:52.292-04:00And Finally Spring
Madison Square Park
May 1, 2011
(Taken by author)
Spring has been slow in coming to NY but last weekend, we had the spectacular combination of warm (but not hot) and sunny to highlight the fast ripening beauty of spring all over NY. As we approached Madison Square Park, these candy-colored tulips just leapt into our visual pathways and exploded upon retina and occipital lobes. BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-7238478220802044202011-04-18T09:00:00.004-04:002011-04-18T09:00:16.239-04:00Fingernails and Insurance
She came into my office with the usual complaints-neck and arm pain, back and leg pain. All started after the car accident more than 10 years ago. As the story unfolded I took my notes but my attention was drawn to her fingernails. What struck me was how perfect they looked-luciously long, groomed, and painted. These were obviously well tended nails-the kind that take anBrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-82295269182128986932011-04-16T16:16:00.000-04:002011-04-16T16:16:10.718-04:00Black and White and Yellow
It is like they took a black and white photoAnd someone had just one paintbrushAnd began to touch it all up withThe color yellow.
As I drive along the roadMy eye is invariably drawnTo these audacious highlightsSignaling spring.
The wind still howls on many daysThe rain can lash cold against the faceBut nights draw longer inexorablySeasons change.
Why yellow in all that is touched?Whether BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-84061364071298732842011-04-07T08:58:00.001-04:002011-04-07T08:59:33.534-04:00Just Two
Brilliant purple they stand aloneTwo welcome beacons ofWarmth, light and colorThat will soon infuse the day
Saffron threads peek outFrom beneath regal robesHuddled close to groundBeneath still barren trunk
Oh, how just twoCan raise my smileCause heart to swellLift shackles of winter.BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-47397121315891644192011-03-28T09:00:00.002-04:002011-03-27T21:36:54.576-04:00The Apple Doesn't Fall...
As a woman neurosurgeon, I wear the simultaneous hats of surgeon, mother and wife (along with chef, businessperson, volunteer, leader...) so I am thrilled to announce that my daughter has started her own blog called College Kitchen. Even if you are well beyond college, she has a great insight into cooking healthy, fast and inexpensive meals-just what every college kids needs but also what BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-56350827497897531112011-03-14T09:00:00.002-04:002011-03-14T09:00:03.334-04:00A Blogger Reunion
Nearly a year ago, my mother and I traveled to Poland on a roots trip and after we returned, I decided to write about our adventures (Poland-Germany Travelogue). This blog event has had some remarkable ripples I would like to share-the power of the Blogosphere.
Several months after our trip, my mother's first cousin read the blog before he made his own trip back to Poland and was able to BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-56415464516935917652011-03-11T09:00:00.009-05:002011-03-11T09:00:00.884-05:00What are we Scared of?
Listen carefully-I have an important secret to reveal (we as physicians often hold our medical wizardly very close to the chest so this may be a rare opportunity). One inescapable fact of life is that ultimately we all die. It is the final outcome for us and for all our patients. Of course, neither I nor other physicians need be fatalistic-there is much we can do to help our BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-31135608892378750982011-03-07T09:00:00.001-05:002011-03-07T09:00:01.159-05:00Birthday Mom
Once a year, I have a week in which I celebrate the birth of both of my children. They had the same due date, just one year apart and ultimately just a year and four days separate my oldest and youngest. So when the last week of February nears, I am taken back to those challenging days-the end of pregnancy when the anticipation and anxiety of childbirth (especially the first time) BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-7866651675019183792011-02-18T09:00:00.002-05:002011-02-18T09:00:04.327-05:00Age Before Beauty
There was shocking and disturbing news at the recent American Stroke Association conference-strokes rates have risen dramatically between 1994-5 and 2006-7 but only in the younger populations! While there are many explanations for the data (51% rise in 15-34 year old males, for example) but certainly in part, this is related to the obesity crisis coming home to haunt. Strokes are sadBrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-81201274742971048082011-02-14T20:41:00.000-05:002011-02-14T20:41:13.372-05:00All my Lovin'
To all my family and dear friends,
While Hallmark and Hershey's have tried to drag Valentine's Day over the edge (I won't even mention Victoria's Secret), I still think of today as a day to smile and give thanks for all those I love. Today, I send out special love to one dear friend in particular-Glenda, this is for you.
Forgive me, I should have called soonerThere is no excuse, no BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-59765377634935574742011-02-11T08:21:00.000-05:002011-02-11T08:21:13.443-05:00Exciting ProgressThis week there was exciting news published in the New England Journal of Medicine about the potential benefits of intrauterine surgery on a fetus with spina bifida (see also Spina Bifida Association). In the past, similar approaches have resulted in unacceptable risks to the mother and complications of the pregnancy. With advances in technology and technique, these risks have BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-40369515620142025692011-02-07T09:00:00.014-05:002011-02-07T14:39:36.361-05:00The Social History
A 49 year old woman came to my office last week with 5 years of debilitating headaches. Her neurological evaluation included an MRI which revealed a pineal region cyst. After several years getting interval MRIs focusing on this benign cyst until she took her care into her hands and sought the opinion of a neurosurgeon. I looked through her extensive catalogue of BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-14343330830767220762011-02-04T09:00:00.006-05:002011-02-04T09:00:14.559-05:00Sport Related Head Injury
This has got to hurt!
Super Bowl is just days away and I am as big a fan an ANYONE (see my blog sidebar for evidence!) but I do admit that as a neurosurgeon, I find it increasingly difficult to watch the players heads bounce off the ground with resultant concussions or worse. I recently presented an educational radio program for my community that I thought I would share. BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-71578621960817355182011-01-31T09:00:00.001-05:002011-01-31T09:00:06.796-05:00Quagmire: To Laugh or Cry
Jacob wrestling the angel (from which he acquired back pain)
During the last two years I have treated a young woman who personifies my perception of the challenges of America (and our health care system). She has limited educational and economical opportunities, landed in a threatening marriage, was injured in a car accident, and is overweight and unhealthy, now with severe pain and a BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-15555765483899027302011-01-28T17:25:00.000-05:002011-01-28T17:25:23.856-05:00Edgar Tafel and Me
Edgar Tafel 1912-2011
I learned this week of the death of Edgar Tafel-a noted architect and also Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW) Fellow and Historian. I am connected to Edgar because I live in the first house he ever designed and built (after he left the FLW Fellowship). After we moved in to this unique and special home, we contacted Edgar who graciously came to visit us-beginning a BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-62841894312502195402011-01-17T09:00:00.000-05:002011-01-17T09:00:08.791-05:00Patient Wisdom
Sometimes my patients utter wisdom that I feel blessed to share with others. Here is a recent representation from just one day in the office:
As to my children, I don't worry about the first 10 years (of their lives), it is the second 10 I lose sleep over.
Parental wisdom comes in waves. At first children think their parents the wisest humans in the world. Then there comes a BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89605515741454479.post-52426408769228512002011-01-14T09:00:00.005-05:002011-01-14T09:00:04.424-05:00Health Insurance News
California seems determined to lead the country in health insurance reform. This week, they announced emergency measures that would require that health insurance companies spend at least 80% of their premium dollars on direct patient care. While this same provision is part of the recent health reform bill, somehow these headline stories really struck a note with me and crystalized BrainDamehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05938749719805630693noreply@blogger.com3