Mifepristone, the FDA, and Abortion Activism
by Carol A Westbrook The Supreme Court is poised to make another landmark decision this year, when it determines if it will uphold a Texas Federal court’s ruling that invalidates the FDA’s (U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s) updated labeling of the abortion pill mifepristone (pronounced mi-ˈfe-pri’-stōn) , brand name Mifeprex (Fig 1). Not only will…
Why we Celebrate Christmas on December 25th
by Carol A Westbrook It all began about 4.5 billion years ago, give or take a few millennia. The earth was still young, having been formed by the accretion of material that orbited around the sun. It was a young, moderate-sized planet, and, like the other planets in the solar system, it spun like a…
The Many Faces of Dementia
by Carol A Westbrook Dementia refers to progressive, irreversible cognitive impairment usually seen in the elderly. The clinical findings of dementia almost always include some degree of memory impairment. We didn’t know much about how memories were formed in the brain until 1953, when the now-famous patient named Henry Molaison, HM, had removal of an…
Tales from Timber Trails
When Were You in Chicago? A Tale of a Convention, Anti-War and Women’s Liberation Protests
The Future of Medicine: When Doctors Unionize
by Carol A Westbrook It was the last straw. “We’re transferring you, Dr. Westbrook,” my Medical Director said to me. “One of our offices in another town is desperately in need of a Hematologist, ever since Dr. Paul died,” he continued, “and you are the best hematologist on our staff,” he said, trying to cajole…
What Time is Breakfast?
Family
by Carol A Westbrook “Describe your family” was the assignment in my high school sociology class. A straightforward exercise, it was meant to show us how families are the basis on which all the other social institutions are modeled. It was 1966. I lived in a tidy little bungalow with Mom and Dad, my sister…
The Mysterious Origin of Corn
Acorn Season
by Carol A Westbrook The intermittent taps on the roof roused me from a deep sleep, and then I remembered the acorns. The acorns had begun dropping. It was the first week of September, the days were still warm, and the leaves were still green. The leaves wouldn’t turn colors and start falling for several…
Who Burnt Sienna?
by Carol A Westbrook We live in an artificially-colored world, filled with added color in our homes, our clothing, our toys, our hair and even our food! We take this plethora of colors for granted. By comparison, the natural world is bland and almost monotone, except for small patches of brightly colored flowers or birds.…
Summer Tomatoes
by Carol A Westbrook Summer is finally here, and nothing says “summer” more than biting into a sweet, ripe freshly-picked tomato, still warm from the sun, eaten with a pinch of salt. The variety of tomatoes is incredible; from sweet 1-pound beefsteaks, delicious eaten raw, to plum tomatoes for canning and sauces, to colorful cheery…
Post-pandemic Predictions
From Analog to Digital
by Carol A Westbrook I gave my husband an Ember mug for Christmas. The Ember mug is artfully crafted, with its embossed monogram and satiny, comfortable finish. The magic of this mug is not its beauty, but the fact that it holds coffee or tea at a constant, pre-set temperature for over 2 hours. It’s…
A Tale of Christmas Magic
Fly Me to the Moon: A Guide for the Space Tourist
Chocolate
by Carol A Westbrook Chocolate. The very word makes your mouth water; it conjures up images of childhood, of ice cream sundaes, of Valentine’s Day, of love. A small piece in your mouth makes you happy and improves your outlook—and makes you want more. chocolate is a stimulant, a mood elevator. And so many people…