I’m sweaty, crampy and I’ve got the shakes. Did I eat too much snow? (see the Doc Gurley post on yellow snow) Or am I suffering from withdrawal symptoms because the Dave Barry Forum is (gasp) gone? The site claims that Dave Barry is changing the forum’s technology, so it will be down for “4 to 5 days.” Today is Day 4, Hour 6, Minute 32 and 5…6…7…oh what the heck, eight Seconds. I’ll never make it.
For those who believe that something more sinister may be afoot (or aweb), I have some information that might support your belief. My last encounters with His Comic Genius, I had posed the question that perhaps room temperature ketchup (one of his presidential policies) might not be such a good idea–public-health-wise. Moments (mere moments, I tell you) before the forum ceased to exist for oh these interminable hours, this is what happened: Continue reading Dave Barry Forum Withdrawal
 Amazing story in the news today from the prestigious journal, Science. Researchers have discovered that up to 85% of snow flakes form in the atmosphere because ice crystalizes around (wait, wait, you’ll never guess it) airborne bacteria. And not just any bacteria–Pseudomonas. Doctors know Pseudomonas as a wicked, killer germ (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) with unbelievable [...]
It’s a busy Tuesday, so I grab a chart and speedwalk to the next patient at the homeless clinic. On the table sits a woman with this huge stiff tent of hair and a bad case of body lice. She’s rocking with her arms across her chest. She’s hearing voices. She hasn’t bathed in three months, she’s got a cough, and there’s a lot of ground to cover here, so I’m asking questions, things are clipping along. It’s like a groove you get into, a kind of tango where the doctor takes the lead and the patient’s job is to spin and turn when they’re supposed to. But then, like a hard heel on my instep, this patient suddenly blurts out, “So, where did you go to medical school?”
There’s a silence and then I say, “Harvard. I went to Harvard Medical School.” Which is pretty rare, here on the Left Coast.
She stares at me, dumbstruck, and then she says, “Aw Jesus, couldn’t you get a better job than this? What’s wrong with you?” Continue reading What It Feels Like…To Put Your Doc On The Spot
There’s a nasty kind of email floating around that sounds oh so wonderfully positive and hopeful. It’s titled “The Latest News From Johns Hopkins” (but there are probably other versions, using different prestigious health-institute names). The email takes the reader through a point-by-point, logical-sounding set of “facts” which inevitably lead to the conclusion that cancer should be treated with dietary changes. It’s well-written enough to have reasonable, well-educated people wondering, “could this be true?” Here’s why it’s not true, and why it’s dangerous to unknowingly forward this message along to your friends… Continue reading Warning! Chain Email Health Hoax!
In our on-going coverage of Black Future Month news, we here at Doc Gurley have discovered the perfect present (as we head into June, the month of weddings) for a new Bride! Imagine, if you would, that you could hand someone you love–a beaming, happy young woman–a little gift (under $20!) that could save her years of heartache and stress? Months of hospitalization? Grief beyond measure? Even better, what if giving this gift meant that her future children would also benefit–even more than she does? What if your one little gift could impact a family for years to come–maybe even save a life, all with no side effects? Are you interested? Lean close while I whisper it in your ear… Continue reading BFM Gift Guide! The Perfect Bridal Present…
OMG! I feel faint! As many (both) of you readers may be aware, I, Doc Gurley, have stalked written into the on-line Dave Barry for President Forum to ask a question or two, and His Barryness has, on occasion, gotten a restraining order replied. The situation has escalated into a [...]
 Looking for a round-up of some great health blogs? Check out this week’s Grand Rounds here! Hosted by DailyInterview.net, it’s a clear, concise grouping of health blogs and topics, nested inside one interesting blog. Cruise over and give it a look.
For all of us who’ve had the sad experience of losing sight of our pubes at some point, there is wonderful news in the health research world. Study after study (including a new one today) has shown that getting that paunch over a belt (oh, heavens, just thinking about it makes me want to undo the top button on my jeans) can be blamed directly on just about everything white–white bread, white rice, white flour, white pasta. And here’s the real kick in the teeth–the people most severely affected by our generation’s nutritional outbreak of whiteness are…African Americans. That’s right. Study after study–dating back to at least 1999–shows that insulin resistance, increasing belly size, total weight gain, and precursors to the dreaded metabolic syndrome are most closely associated with low-fiber, non-whole grain meals (even more than how much total fat you eat, and more than how much total carbohydrate you eat). The greatest measurable effect is among African Americans. Just serving one dish a week of something wonderfully brown can make a difference. So how do you make the change? Continue reading BFM News! Looking for Your Washboard Abs? They’re in the Whole-Grain Bins!
Grim news for those people continuing to suffer from Hurricane Katrina–tests show that the FEMA trailers have high levels of formaldehyde, with the CDC urging FEMA to move families out of the trailers as soon as possible. This Newsweek article is a review of the issue. Unfortunately, no one seems to be rushing to answer the question of “what now?” to all the families affected. One reason is because the risks of exposure to formaldehyde aren’t completely known. People who smoke, for example, are inhaling formaldehyde from their cigarettes, but the independent risks of formaldehyde aren’t clear. Most of the studies of formaldehyde exposure are in people exposed to it through their jobs. A nice review is here at the National Cancer Institute. Reading this kind of thing can be unnecessarily alarming, though, when you can’t do anything to change the past. But I, for one, think it’s only wise to give people at risk a “heads up” about what kind of weird symptoms you might want to pay attention to if you’ve had a significant formaldehyde exposure. So here’s a Doc Gurley Major Symptom List and Tip Sheet to know and pass along to anyone that might be affected by toxic FEMAldehyde fumes. Continue reading Toxic FEMAldehyde. What now?
 Was the esteemed urban laureate prescient when he wrote the words “Beef u dont want none so dont start none” (50 cent: life’s on the line)? Seems like the answer can only be, dude, of course he was. Today’s announcement of the recall of 143 million pounds of beef (let’s take a moment and [...]
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About The Author  Doc Gurley is a Board-certified Internist physician and the only Harvard Medical School graduate to have been awarded a Shoney’s Ten-Step Pin for documented excellence in waitressing. Find out more.Doc Gurley Library of Medeos
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