Reading The Bluestocking has become a highlight of my Fridays. "Our long national 2020 is over!" and "Medicine is sometimes a lot more jazz-handsy than it can seem" are both great turns of phrase (and thank goodness for the former!)
I wouldn't discount a diverse array of neurological symptoms stemming from a similar cause.
We recently went for a second opinion on a celiac endoscopy for a kid whose ADHD/autism symptoms were relieved by avoiding wheat products. The GI said he had one kid whose sole celiac symptom was "falling over a lot" but it was a neurological symptom, as are ADHD/autism symptoms, and celiac causes neurological symptoms.
The GI suggested we do a blood test first and it turned out our kid had a wheat allergy... who knew that allergies could also cause neurological symptoms? Not me. Now I'm convinced that if my brother would just get allergy shots he could stop taking Aderall. :-D
That Palmer Luckey piece is astonishing (who the hell watches Iron Man and thinks "I want to found Stark Industries"? They're meant to be the bad guys...). I'm surprised Luckey gave the journalist the necessary level of access given his experience with the media when he was fired from Meta.
“But this reporting does show how difficult it is to convert symptoms into a diagnosis, in the absence of a clinical test. Medicine is sometimes a lot more jazz-handsy than it can seem, given all the amazing technological advances we’ve made.’ As someone who was diagnosed with one of those conditions, that are very difficult to diagnose because there are no straightforward diagnostic tests - fibromyalgia- I can attest to the truth of that statement. Kirsty Young (who suffers from both arthritis and fibromyalgia) has spoken eloquently about it. And yes, we do, as a culture, overestimate what medical science can achieve, especially certain surgical procedures.
independent journalists -like Glenn Greenwald on Substack-Pulitzer Prize winner -not able to attend DNC"convention.
From Greenwalds Media Coverage Restricted as DNC Kicks Off:
"The Democrats’ convention, unsurprisingly, perfectly reflects this strategy of substancelessness. While our program received press credentials with ease to attend the Republican National Convention, we were unable to obtain credentials to enter the Democratic convention hall. That was true of so many journalists in independent media who had failed to demonstrate complete fealty to the Democratic Party and or to Kamala. It was almost impossible for people who had been critical of the party to get into the hall with credentials.
In lieu of actual journalists, they have handed out their credentials instead to hundreds of painfully vapid, empty-headed partisan TikTok youth who have chosen to spend their early 20s not involved in any radical political or subversive and transgressive cultural projects – sort of the point of being young – but instead, they have formed their identity based on blind but very excited loyalty to the Democratic Party and its leaders, to the establishment dogma that party represents and to do so in the most brainless and embarrassing establishment revering ethos possible. "
That final sentence is just a wonderful description of modern medicine and will stay with me for a very long time. There is often a stunning disconnect between people's expectations of medicine and what it can deliver. Negotiating that uncertainty is normal doctor-work but can be, understandably, an absolute gutpunch for some folk.
Reading The Bluestocking has become a highlight of my Fridays. "Our long national 2020 is over!" and "Medicine is sometimes a lot more jazz-handsy than it can seem" are both great turns of phrase (and thank goodness for the former!)
Thank you for the Larkin! I think some people put the best of themselves in their art.
I should have known that if anyone was going to be a Larkinist it would be Helen. I am not alone after all.
You are not alone! Have you seen DEVS? It has a great use of Aubade.
Another Friday another fabulous end to the week! Thanks, Helen!
Such good stuff Helen, thank you
I wouldn't discount a diverse array of neurological symptoms stemming from a similar cause.
We recently went for a second opinion on a celiac endoscopy for a kid whose ADHD/autism symptoms were relieved by avoiding wheat products. The GI said he had one kid whose sole celiac symptom was "falling over a lot" but it was a neurological symptom, as are ADHD/autism symptoms, and celiac causes neurological symptoms.
The GI suggested we do a blood test first and it turned out our kid had a wheat allergy... who knew that allergies could also cause neurological symptoms? Not me. Now I'm convinced that if my brother would just get allergy shots he could stop taking Aderall. :-D
That Palmer Luckey piece is astonishing (who the hell watches Iron Man and thinks "I want to found Stark Industries"? They're meant to be the bad guys...). I'm surprised Luckey gave the journalist the necessary level of access given his experience with the media when he was fired from Meta.
Helen Lewis, can I try to make you laugh?
“But this reporting does show how difficult it is to convert symptoms into a diagnosis, in the absence of a clinical test. Medicine is sometimes a lot more jazz-handsy than it can seem, given all the amazing technological advances we’ve made.’ As someone who was diagnosed with one of those conditions, that are very difficult to diagnose because there are no straightforward diagnostic tests - fibromyalgia- I can attest to the truth of that statement. Kirsty Young (who suffers from both arthritis and fibromyalgia) has spoken eloquently about it. And yes, we do, as a culture, overestimate what medical science can achieve, especially certain surgical procedures.
independent journalists -like Glenn Greenwald on Substack-Pulitzer Prize winner -not able to attend DNC"convention.
From Greenwalds Media Coverage Restricted as DNC Kicks Off:
"The Democrats’ convention, unsurprisingly, perfectly reflects this strategy of substancelessness. While our program received press credentials with ease to attend the Republican National Convention, we were unable to obtain credentials to enter the Democratic convention hall. That was true of so many journalists in independent media who had failed to demonstrate complete fealty to the Democratic Party and or to Kamala. It was almost impossible for people who had been critical of the party to get into the hall with credentials.
In lieu of actual journalists, they have handed out their credentials instead to hundreds of painfully vapid, empty-headed partisan TikTok youth who have chosen to spend their early 20s not involved in any radical political or subversive and transgressive cultural projects – sort of the point of being young – but instead, they have formed their identity based on blind but very excited loyalty to the Democratic Party and its leaders, to the establishment dogma that party represents and to do so in the most brainless and embarrassing establishment revering ethos possible. "
That final sentence is just a wonderful description of modern medicine and will stay with me for a very long time. There is often a stunning disconnect between people's expectations of medicine and what it can deliver. Negotiating that uncertainty is normal doctor-work but can be, understandably, an absolute gutpunch for some folk.
Routing. Ugh. That's why I'm self employed.
OMG I love that library piece!