Well-Be Wisdom: Wellness in Verse
By John I. Kennedy Jr, MD
May is Mental Health Month. It offers us a reminder to take stock of this vital component of our overall well-being. Virtually everyone on the planet has experienced a significant increase in mental stress during the past two years, so we all can benefit from pausing to address our personal mental health status. As I mentioned in my essay last week, an important component of healthy adjustment to our lived experience involves processing our emotional responses to the events of our lives. Many times this processing is best accomplished with the help of another person.
Well-Be Wisdom: When Loss is “Comparatively” Small
By John I. Kennedy Jr, MD
Dr. Anezi Uzendu’s Medical Grand Rounds presentation on May 20 was a tour de force. As a cardiac arrest survivor, he combined his personal story with a careful analysis of the current state of the science regarding management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Well-Be Wisdom: Be Curious, Not Judgmental
By John I. Kennedy, MD
Earlier this month, Dr. Anand Iyer spoke to the students, faculty and guests of the UAB Honors Program about his experience as a critical care specialist providing care to COVID patients during the pandemic. As I wrote in my essay last week, his lecture provoked a lot of reflection. The students’ reflections on their own pandemic experiences prompted them to pose many questions. Several of the students had been involved with patient care in different ways over the last two years. A unifying thread of their collective inquiry was the experience of participating in the care of people whose perspective on the pandemic differed from their own. In particular, one student described feelings of anger toward an unvaccinated person with COVID and asked Dr. Iyer how he dealt with such patients.
Well-Be Wisdom: Reflections on Reflecting
By John I. Kennedy, MD
Last week, my friend Dr. Anand Iyer was invited to deliver an alumni lecture for the UAB Honors Program. As a pulmonary and critical care specialist who has worked tirelessly in the MICU during the pandemic, it was no great surprise that he selected the topic, “COVID-19: Reflections from Two Years on the Frontlines.” In addition to his work in the MICU, Anand has testified before a U.S. Senate committee and has written a Perspective piece for The Washington Post on the impact of the pandemic. He has obviously devoted a significant amount of time to reflecting on the experiences of the past two years.
Well-Be Wisdom: Everything Old is New Again
By John I. Kennedy, MD
Last Saturday, I noticed that clusters of leaves are sprouting from the gingko tree we planted last fall. The days are getting longer, trees and flowers are blooming, and in the evening the hoots of our old friends, the barred owls, announce their return to our neighborhood. It’s official; spring has sprung!