Lack of guarantees or a crystal ball promotes circular thinking — Making lists of pros and cons. Talking to loved ones. Journaling about possible outcomes. Emailing questions to my doctors at all hours. When faced with choices about medical treatment, how do you know which option is the best for you? Our bodies do not come with user manuals, and that…

When he told me I was a hot mess, I looked inward and decided to change — It was a typical Monday morning when I was part of an example of boundary setting. I was on the other side of the line in the sand. Colleagues and I were discussing our weekends when a friend approached. Because I had only been working there for a few months…

Keep these tips in mind to ensure your sex doesn’t result in unwanted pregnancy — The bed was soft and supportive, my husband’s hands hot on my back, and cool air flowed perfectly through our bedroom, but my mind was elsewhere despite the perfect conditions. “Don’t think about it,” I say to myself. “Turn your brain off.” Unfortunately, I was thinking about Chief Justice John…

When cancer comes back, you’re in for a lot of waiting — “I guess I thought people with cancer either beat it, or they died,” my husband said quietly after we received the news. Cancer comes back. Intellectually, I knew this was a possibility, especially considering the aggressive nature of the variant I have. But I wasn’t expecting such a quick turnaround…

On why I want to learn embroidery, and tactics to ease medical anxiety — The time comes when you know you’ll be waiting for hours. The minutes feel interminable, stretching into the horizon of a weekend like a hellscape mirage. When the gauze is removed, the wounds bruise and you sit staring at the phone, boring a hole in your email app, your hands…

Learn what not to do from my doctor’s mistakes — My weary eyes flicked over to a painting on a wall, then back to the door. More specifically, I focused on the light under the door, checking to see if footsteps were visible in the shadows in the hallway. …

Empathy and listening are two skills strikingly absent in medical professionals — I had a virtual visit with a doctor today in which we had a truly uncomfortable conversation about medication. In October of last year I went to see him for the first time because I was having a deep muscle pain which felt like it was in my ear, way…

Providing time off for periods would enable people to track the cycles of their colleagues — Headlines ripped across news feeds to announce Spain is considering legislation offering so-called “menstrual leave” to workers. To qualify for the time off, employees must be diagnosed by a doctor with severe period pain. The minister of equality in Spain hailed the legislation as a win for women’s health.

He knew me well enough to see clearly the kind of partner I needed — We weren’t together anymore, but we weren’t exactly split up, either. My ex and sometimes on-again hookup partner seethed with palpable jealousy when he found out I had gone on an impromptu trip with friends to Boston for the weekend. My friends and I departed from Philly and spent a…