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“Defining Hope”
A documentary that tells the story of patients with life-threatening illnesses and the nurses who care for them“Defining Hope,” a 2017 documentary from director Carolyn Jones, explores the ways that hospice and palliative care can empower patients with terminal illnesses. The film follows patients with life-threatening illnesses and the nurses who care for them as they make choices about how they want to manage their healthcare, how much medical intervention they want to…
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Generic Drug Makers in Legal Trouble
A new lawsuit filed by 44 states alleges a conspiracy to fix prices and illegally allocate marketsHealthcare in the United States is expensive, and it’s getting more expensive all the time. Overall, the cost of healthcare has jumped almost 25 percent since 2007, and much of this increase is due to the rising cost of prescription drugs. Generic drugs, widely viewed as beneficial to our healthcare system because of their high…
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The Exploitation Of Workers In Board-and-Care Homes
Oftentimes caregivers in these facilities are immigrants, paid far less than the federal minimum wage and face hostile work environmentsBoard-and-care homes are facilities for elderly people that tend to be cheaper than the average nursing home. These lodgings are former privately owned residences that have been refurbished as care facilities. Oftentimes the staff at these board-and-care homes are comprised of immigrants working for as little as $2 to $3 an hour, according to an…
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“Why Walk When You Can Fly?”
A song that urges living life to the fullest“In this world there’s a whole lot of trouble, baby,In this world, there’s a whole lot of pain. . .” Anyone grieving the death of a loved one, reeling from a terminal diagnosis, or struggling after a tragedy can relate to the idea that in this world there’s a whole lot of trouble and pain.…
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“The Wound-Dresser”
This poem reminds us that as flags wave and parades commence this Memorial Day, the reality of the battlefield is a far from glorious sightIn 1862 Walt Whitman found his younger brother George’s name listed among the wounded in the New York Tribune’s account of the 51st New York Regiment’s casualties at Fredericksburg. Whitman hastened south to the battlefield and — after an arduous journey — found his younger sibling. George had been wounded, but not badly. The poet, however, helped medics…
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Decorated Radiation Masks Turn Suffering into Art
Head and neck cancer patients wore the masks during radiation therapyFor the uninitiated, the very idea of radiation therapy is frightening enough. The implications of the treatment for the human body are obvious. Radiation powers nuclear weapons — it’s counterintuitive to think it could possibly be good for you. But when you have cancer, you do a lot of things that your logical brain says…
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Can I Get Buried On My Private Property In California? (Interview)
An interview with attorney Barry Vogel, Part TwoBarry Vogel is an attorney who had his own practice in Ukiah, California, for over 40 years. He mainly worked to protect clients’ personal rights and social justice rights. He’s worked on cases regarding the constitutional right to be buried on your own private property, a.k.a. home burials. Vogel also hosts a radio program called Radio…
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The Other Opioid Crisis
Limited access to opioid pain relievers in the global south leaves millions sufferingWe’re all well aware of the opioid crisis in the Western world. Any quick search will yield fresh news of overdoses and communities hobbled by addiction, and it’s getting worse all the time. It’s reached epidemic proportions, becoming a priority for public health officials. Scan those same search results, however, and you’ll find little mention…
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“The Unwinding of the Miracle”
A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes AfterLearning to Die Means Learning to Live “Dying has taught me a great deal about living,” says Julie Yip-Williams in her book, “The Unwinding of the Miracle: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After.” Hers is the story of a 37-year-old woman being pulled toward death by metastatic colon cancer. Julie Yip-Williams…
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