Michele Luckenbaugh is a patient advocate.
Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain, and we all have sorrow.
But if we are wise, we know that there’s always a tomorrow.
Lean on me when you’re not strong, and I’ll be your friend; I’ll help you carry on,
for it won’t be long ’till I’m going to need somebody to lean on.
Some might recall these lyrics from the song Lean on Me, written in 1972 by American singer-songwriter Bill …
“To serve the art of medicine as it should be served, one must love his fellow man.”
– William Osler
There is sadness in my heart and my mind. With so many advances in the treatment of illnesses of the mind and body, why have we let our diseased health care system go untreated?
Hospitals in rural areas are being closed down and deemed non-profitable, forcing their patients to seek alternatives; those alternatives …
As winter approaches and life slows down, it’s a time to pause and reflect on all everyone has had to endure these past few years. To those involved in health care, it has been an especially difficult time… a test of both resolution and inner strength. With my hope that all will see brighter days ahead, I offer the following as my means of giving thanks to all of you …
We traverse parallel paths, you and I. Paths that intersect during times of stress, loss, and illness. Each of us searching for truth, understanding, and resolution.
Our stories need to be heard, but in these trying times, we are but mere specks in the immensity of the corporate orb of health care which rolls and overpowers all in its path. Its hunger seems not to be satiated, its grasp ever stretching.
The …
You and I are different from who we were yesterday, last year, three years ago. We have been impacted by the pandemic, loss, and stress. We are struggling to bring some semblance of normality back into our lives. War, climate change, racial discontent, political division, and economic upheaval have affected our psyche and health.
We long to tell our stories, first to ourselves and then to those whom we trust to …
As Americans, we live in one of the most affluent countries in the world. Outwardly, many of our citizens seem to possess the necessities of life: shelter, food, job employment, and world-class health care. But what happens when we take a closer look? Do we see cracks in the foundation?
If we are honest, the answer is a resounding yes. When one looks at the area of health care, there is …
“Where does it hurt?”
As a child, I can remember this ubiquitous question being frequently asked of me. Having grown up on a farm, there was always some trouble for me to get into. A common hazard was my older sister’s 26-inch bicycle, which had no training wheels.
At age 5, if I was to be a “big kid,” I had to master the art of riding the “big” bike on our …
The passage through life is, at times, exciting, stressful, and confusing. Like being on a roller coaster ride: strapped in, climbing up to the high peaks, and surging down to the valleys. It’s a ride where I hang on for dear life with the hope I can endure the trip until it ends. Don’t get me wrong, I do utter intermittent screams of joy here and there, but I’m happy …
I awake each day, looking for the sunlight to brighten my life, just as you may do.
I wonder who I will meet today who might have an impact on my life, just as it may be for you.
I organize in my mind my “to do” list for the day … all the things that I will try to accomplish, promising my best effort, just like you.
I whisper a prayer that …
I want to scream out loud: “Wake up people, we’re circling the drain!”
Does anyone notice the state of our country, the state of the world that we are living in? The world is torn apart by something we cannot even see. Millions of lives have been lost; others who survive the COVID attack are frequently left with long-term side effects, most of which are not yet remedied by medical science. …
I wake up feeling exhausted. This seemingly never-ending nightmare of mutating coronavirus keeps sucking the life out of me. During this past summer, we were receiving some signs of hope that COVID was in decline; this hope was ripped out from under us when the delta variant stood its ground and went rogue. Now, a new and upcoming challenger to the title “most transmissible coronavirus,” Omicron, is usurping a good …
Lurking in the shadows, it creeps in.
Spreading itself across the world.
Creeping into all recesses of human civilization,
like a slug oozing slime as it moves slowly and surely.A microscopic, spikey ball of evil engineered for killing.
Attacking its prey without warning.
Attaching itself, drawing lifeblood for its existence.
A parasite of sorts, devoid of a conscience.It matters not if victims are young, old, healthy, infirmed, rich, poor.
Existence is at risk and all are fair …
On August 25, 2021, the United States achieved two world records: approximately a total of 39 million cases of COVID-19 among our citizenry and approximately 648,000 deaths due to succumbing to COVID. Young, old; male, female; rich, poor — it doesn’t matter. We are all potential victims of this deadly disease.
Our numbers have surpassed the data of countries such as India, Brazil, and China. Haven’t we learned anything in almost …
I’m confused and disillusioned. When we were in the throes of the COVID pandemic at the beginning of this year, the talk revolved around when life-saving vaccines would become available for the general public. Thankfully, beginning during the first quarter of this year and continuing through present times, the COVID vaccine is being administered to all who wish to secure it. But unfortunately, in many states across our country, some …
For those working in the health care profession, life has been a nightmarish existence for the past 18 months. COVID-19, originally billed as an illness no more severe than the flu, has devastated America and most other world countries. Loss of life due to the virus has been astounding, often attacking the most vulnerable of our population. Now, more than 1 1/2 years later, the virus is still in our …
I believe in the power and sanctity of the relationship between nurses, patients, and physicians. A feeling that one is part of a team, part of a triad, whose sole purpose is centered on enhancing the patient’s health. This security empowers a patient to move forward on his journey of health. In recent years, this strong bond has been tested and shaken. Why?
We live in a nation blessed with such …
Days morphed into weeks, into months. It’s now been over a year, and the world is still living in the shadow of COVID. The world has changed; I have changed.
There is a sense of vulnerability now, more so than any time in recent years. Well, maybe the exception would be on September 11, 2001, when two small planes purposefully crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The …
Maggie sits in the rocker by the window, peering out at the street and its passersby. So much hustle and bustle; it seems no one has a moment to spare. Even the squirrels seem to be in a hurry, scurrying about on the sidewalk below. What’s the big rush about?
The rocker was Bill’s favorite spot, Bill who was the love of her life. He would sit there reading the Sunday …
It’s been a rough and difficult year for us. Separation, desperation, depression, illness, and death are scattered among the months that have passed by. Hope, for the longest time, seemed non-existent. The COVID virus gave the world a “sucker punch,” leveling us all to the ground. Positivity test rates sky-rocketed, death rates at unacceptable levels. The days have been dark.
Faulty political power plays brought havoc upon our country when we …
I listen to the wind howling outside on this night that’s stranded between the departing season of winter and the coming of spring. I await the arrival of longer days filled with sunshine, days that welcome new growth, new life.
During the year that has passed into the recesses of my mind, new life and new growth concepts seem foreign to me. As citizens of the world, we have been placed …
Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.
