Robert and I tried out for the high school baseball team. He didn’t make it. He then tried out as a pole vaulter on the track team, telling me he would not give up, even though he was going over the bar sideways! The next year, he broke the school record, and in our senior year he set a national record...

My medical colleagues on the East Coast will tell you the nightmare of their recent experience with COVID-19. It is engrained in their psyche forever, and some will suffer unceasing PTSD. There are some citizens who are convinced that politics underlies this illness and not a virus. With reopening taking...

When you donate blood, part of the ritual is to “make a fist.” In case you haven’t heard, the American Red Cross now analyzes all donations for COVID-19 antibodies. Why is this important? There are two ways and reasons to test for COVID-19. One is to take a swab sample from your nose or throat,...

It was over 50 years ago. Brad was a surfer, so we went to Santa Monica where, at that time, they had a surfing-only area. I didn’t surf, but he was talented in his sport. He was also African-American. Two bikini-clad girls swam into the surf lanes, causing several to bail out including Brad, with...

Over the next century, historians will study this pandemic for decision-making lessons applied to future generations. Mistakes have been made. From a physician viewpoint, two egregious and inhumane errors have markedly impacted older adults: 1. Not recognizing “hotspots” in nursing homes, resulting...

Growing up, I was an athlete going to the Olympics! Never happened. I read enough to get by, but mostly magazines and newspapers, and I was mesmerized by O. Henry, the short story guru. Picking up a novel was never my cup of tea and still isn’t. Now, though, I read voraciously. Every morning, I get...

Most people don’t know I was born in Harlem. We left New York in 1954 because my parents told us the weather in California would be better for my brother’s asthma. In reality, we were political exiles escaping the civil rights battles of the big city. Racism. I never knew of it, as we were protected...

Your loved one is ill. They have COVID-19, but they are hospitalized with minimal communication. Yet you want to ask questions, know their condition, and be at their bedside. Six months into this pandemic, we have utilized cell phones, FaceTime, Skype and other modalities successfully. But when a patient...

In life, most of us have a brush with death. Had I not survived, I would not have provided medical care to thousands of patients, nor been a father to my daughter. Reggie Brass saved my life. He ran a support group for African-American men in south Los Angeles called “My Child Says Daddy” that provided...

Once your doctor makes a diagnosis, a treatment plan is made. Will it be surgery, medication, or another evidence-based guideline promoting longevity or diminishing suffering? For example, over the past 50 years, control of hypertension has increased life expectancy while diminishing heart attacks, strokes...