Doc Gurley

Here’s powerful study result showing that breast cancer patients who received psychological counseling had

improved survival, decreased recurrences of their tumors, and, even for those who had a recurrence, longer times until relapse. That’s powerful stuff. Especially considering that these women were not chosen because of mental health problems - instead, they were just given the [...]

Normally, a lot of us brush teeth, then don’t eat for quite a while - especially if we’re heading out the door to work, or going straight to bed. But while we’re enjoying a few days of holiday, you may experience the booby-trap toothpaste phenomenon. You know what I mean, when you brush, then eye [...]

One of the hardest things about thanking people, is that the words can be difficult to find, poorly constructed for the weight they should carry, and prone to warping. Kind

of like a non-code child-built treehouse. But just like that endangered construction species, if you persevere, there is a lot of joy to be had, despite [...]

Are you feeling a wee bit stressed with Thanksgiving looming? Has the economy pinched you hard enough to leave bruises -as well as a desperate wish you could have taken a vacation? Have you narrowly escaped a torrid epidemic of road rage? If so, here’s an Mmm for you. You might be thinking Mmm is [...]

It’s now officially time to retire the phrase “boob tube” and replace it with “blues tube” - right when most of America is planning their Thanksgiving Day (parade/bowl) TV-watching schedule. Researchers have

discovered that people who are depressed watch much more TV…or vice versa. While the results are striking, no one knows if the issue is [...]

As we cruise toward Thanksgiving, one of the best ways to give thanks is to honor someone else - and we

have a great way to do just that during Thanksgiving Day’s Mandatory Digestion Break - you know what I mean, that time-period when everyone is draped like pythons around the room in a swollen daze. [...]

It’s time to talk up the unspeakable without fear of censorship - that’s right, it’s World Toilet Day today. Are you thinking this is all a load of crap? Let’s just bear down on these facts, shall we?:

1) “When Peru had a cholera outbreak in 1991, it cost $1 billion to contain but could have [...]

Feeling just a wee bit stressed these days? Looking for a fresh voice to help you clear your mental air? Head over to Dr. Deb’s today for a wonderful round-up of all things healthcare in the entire, world-wide blogosphere. She’s got a great site of interesting posts and insight into issues large and small. Check [...]

Welcome to our new Well Worth It series. What’s it about? Studies of cheap, effective and simple things that can improve your health sometimes don’t get that much press. Often, there are no PR companies, no pharmaceutical ads, and no pre-packaged press reports when there’s little-to-no profit to be made. So we here at Doc [...]

Scientists this week discovered just exactly how bleach kills germs. You would think we would’ve known for ages, but sometimes what seems the simplest question is actually quite complicated at the molecular level. And, as is often the case in science, the researchers weren’t even looking for the answer to this question when they stumbled [...]

Lost in the drama of our recent election was this little article about more contaminated heparin from China. In a very rare move, U.S. Marshals, under the direction of FDA officials, actually seized the heparin product at a small drug manufacturing company in Cincinnati, Ohio. It’s truly appalling when a company moves so slowly to [...]

In honor of tomorrow’s Veteran’s Day, here’s an uplifting story about an Army Major General who’s putting himself in a potential line of fire for his troops. How? He’s getting mental health counseling and talking openly about it. Fear of being stigmatized and passed over for promotions keeps many of the leaders of our military [...]

This week’s Grand Rounds is a blast. Head over to Musings of A Distractible Mind to read the inimitable Dr. Rob’s take on all thing health in the entire world of healthcare blogging. After you’ve read this week’s round-up, poke around and discover other gems. His site is full of poetry, great insights into health [...]

The furnace kicks on and right afterward your life becomes a misery - dry eyes plague you, dry skin leaves you feeling itchy and grumpy, and seasonal eczema patches blossom over your upper arms and thighs. These are symptoms that can torture you, but usually aren’t a high healthcare priority when you see your doctor, [...]

We here at Doc Gurley are gearing up for the season of simmer - simmering cocoa, simmering turkey gravy,

and simmering emotions. So how do you and yours lay the groundwork to have a Truly Happy Holiday season, despite the air being thick with steaming clouds of (sometimes spontaneously explosive) energy? How do you hang onto [...]

It is a historic election day - and in honor of the occasion, NurseRatched’sPlace has an election themed Grand Rounds. Complete with an enthusiastic get-out-the-vote call and a personal selection of FDR as the physician’s choice for top president. Lots of great medical information about FDR and a lot fo great election day history, plus [...]

Fall is settling in, and November is a good time to assess this year’s health harvest. How are you doing compared to last year? Here are some tips for simple ways to improve your health this month:
1) Vote: You may think that taking the time to vote has nothing to do with your health. Research [...]