Power to the Patient!
Latest in my coronavirus series on facts and strategies for coping safely with COVID-19.
Check this out: a do-it-yourself air filter that I made myself for $100, vs the $300+ for commercial ones. People are making these “Corsi-Rosenthal boxes” and donating them to schoolrooms, churches, anyplace where people want to gather and you want the air as clean as is practical.
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Preface: if any of this is wrong, great – please tell me!
“Bewilder” is such a great word. It means to lead astray, to disorient … and, fittingly, the origin of the word is unknown!
And bewildered is how I feel after 17 months of using prescription eye drops (following cataract surgery and then glaucoma). My condition is stable – no increase in vision problems, everything’s under control – but it’s likely that I’ll be using eye drops forever, and there’s no good science about how to use them right. I’m settling in to this new reality, doing the best I can, but I think we can do better – so I have complaints. :-)
[Read more…]As I’ve blogged before, ventilation is one of the most important defenses against air that might be contaminated with coronavirus or anything else, and a CO₂ monitor is a good way to check it, wherever you are. I’ve bought several models and have taken them with me into stores, restaurants, gyms, doctors’ offices. (Yes, doctors; all the ophthalmologists I’ve visited have bad ventilation, except at Lahey Health. Pharmacies, and doctors’ offices in hospitals, have all been decent, I’m happy to say!)
I’m getting tired of people, governments, and news stories being alarmed every time a new variant arises. This is exactly what smart people have been predicting. It’s what viruses do, especially this one. Expect more of it, adjust your thinking, and take sensible actions!
I don’t know everything but I’ve studied this enough that no recent virus news surprises me, so it appears things have become predictable enough to be manageable if you’re willing to think. If you’re not, then move along … there’s nothing for you here. :-)
Here’s a dump of everything actionable I’ve learned in recent months, for people who want to understand what actions makes sense.
[Read more…]I have a new diagnosis. This post starts with a little history for context.
Ten years ago, three years into evangelizing patient engagement based on my kidney cancer story, I posted Time to practice what I preach: I have skin cancer again. Noting the pattern that highly engaged patients everywhere follow, I blogged that it was time to …
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The BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) continues to lead the world in patient & public partnership with clinicians, including more coverage of patient empowerment topics than anyone else I know in medical publishing. Some of the issues are unique to Britain but many are global cultural issues – not least being the balance of power between clinicians and the patients they serve.
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