For those of us who take the blood thinner warfarin (brand name Coumadin) or similar drugs to prevent prevent clots, one of the scariest of life’s scenarios is an accident or fall. It’s especially scary for patients like me who, because of an acute tendency to clot, must keep their blood extra thin to prevent [...]

As  stroke survivor with impaired dexterity in my hand, typing on the computer is one of my greatest frustrations. Emails and web posts are measured in hours, not minutes. So I’m always looking for ways to save time. I think of myself as decently tech-savy, but I learned several new time-saving tricks today from New [...]

What better place than a bookstore to start your holiday shopping? If you’re in San Francisco, join us tomorrow night (Monday, Dec. 10) at 6 pm at the Left Coast Writers Book Party at the Book Passage store at the Ferry Building. There’ll be books, readings, and lots of holiday cheer. I’ll read a story [...]

New research suggests that statins, traditionally used for cholesterol lowering, could be used in the management of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), a blood clotting disorder that causes miscarriages, deep vein thromboses, and strokes. The new research shows that the statin fluvastatin could reduce the inflammatory proteins that are elevated in patients with APS. The [...]

Professor Anisur Rahman of University College, London, discusses the latest thinking on Antiphospholipid Syndrome, its causes and treatments in a 35-minute lecture delivered October 10, 2012, at the Royal Society of Medicine. The easy-to-understand video presentation, with slides, is available here.  (http://bit.ly/VORFdC) It’s a great resources to help educate physicians, patients, and their families. Antiphospholipid [...]

I never thought much about my brain until it went haywire on me. I’d ignored a few months of irksome forgetfulness–just approaching menopause, I thought; nothing serious. And, with perfect blood pressure, low cholesterol, regular exercise, and a healthy weight, I had no idea I could be at risk for stroke. I was home alone [...]

Packing for Paris is not just clothes. What about all the electronic “gear” we’ll need for a working trip? Packing is always hard for me. With memory loss and attention deficit from my stroke, it sometimes feels as though I’m running around the house for days trying to determine what I’ll need. Making lists helps. [...]

My French friend, Antoinette, has been advising me on what it takes to be stylish in Paris, where she and I will be traveling this fall with a group of friends. Jungle Pants are out, out, out! As are waist packs, fanny packs, and­–mon Dieu!–tennis shoes. Instead, we’re to put on bright lipstick, stash all [...]

My office is awash in yellow stickies this week … Don’t forget! Underlinings, stars and exclamation points decorate every page. It’s clear there’s more  to remember than my brain can handle. Here are just a few of the admonitions swirling in my damaged  brain … I must pause and pull this together into an at [...]

The proliferation of medical information on the web makes it easier than ever for patients to be informed about their health. It’s also easy to be misinformed and confused by page after page of Google results that are often confusing and contradictory. Last week I posted on Ten Reliable Sources of Health Information on the [...]