How I'd save on a glucose monitor
I've been using a glucose monitor. Here are the over-the-counter choices and prescription discounts I'd check before paying full price.
Read note →My Doctor Cares
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High cholesterol, a quick scan, and a little peace of mind
I've known about my high cholesterol since my twenties. Here's why I got a coronary calcium scan, and what my zero score did and didn't tell me.
Read note →There is a source link. I would open it.
A row of references looks reassuring. For my own health, I would choose one claim that could affect a decision and actually check it.
Read note →AI sounds certain. Here is what I would check.
AI can sound settled even when it is guessing. For my health, I would want less certainty in the delivery and more clarity about what it does not know.
Read note →I understand the explanation. What would I do next?
Plenty of saved health articles, but no clear next step. If that were me, I would make the goal smaller: prepare for my next visit.
Read note →Caring for family? I would put my appointment on the calendar, too.
If I managed the rides, prescriptions and appointments for a family member, my own visit could easily slip to “when things settle down.” That could be a very long wait.
Read note →My medicine list would include the supplements.
“Does that count? It is only a supplement.” On my own medicine list, I would include it: occasional herbal tea and vitamins from a friend, too.
Read note →Worried about prostate cancer: where I would put my effort.
If a supplement caught my eye while I was worried about prostate cancer, I would first want to know whether the evidence showed it could prevent cancer and what risks it carried. Then I would decide whether to use it.
Read note →If cancer is found, what happens next?
If a biopsy found cancer, I would be frightened, too. I would want someone to help me understand the report before we filled the room with treatment names.
Read note →Blood sugar matters. So does a meal I enjoy.
If I needed to work on blood sugar, I would start with the rice bowl I actually eat. A lovely plan still has to make it through an ordinary dinner.
Read note →If biopsy is next, I'd bring a few questions.
If a doctor told me I needed a biopsy, I might be nervous enough to miss a few sentences. Medical training would not make me immune to that. I would write my questions down beforehand.
Read note →Different blood pressure readings: what I would record.
If my blood pressure changed with each reading, I might be tempted to keep the nicest number. To understand what was happening, I would need the less appealing ones, too.
Read note →Still tired after sleeping? Here is what I would bring.
If I slept through the night but kept struggling to stay awake during the day, I would want to know why. I would not start by blaming laziness, or assume a new pillow had settled the matter.
Read note →My repeat PSA is still high. What would I check next?
If my repeat PSA were still high, would biopsy automatically come next? I would book a urology visit and work through the reason for a biopsy before assuming the answer.
Read note →How often would I check my PSA?
“Once a year should do it, right?” For my own screening, I would ask one more question: does that interval actually fit me?
Read note →I can speak English. I might still want Mandarin for this.
Some things are easy to say in English. Describing exactly what feels wrong, or what frightens me, might feel easier in Mandarin. I would want the language that lets me finish the thought.
Read note →Several specialists. Here is the page I would bring.
After several specialist visits, I would worry about the loose ends: who is following up on what? I would start with one page.
Read note →Before repeating PSA, give the number some context.
If I need another blood draw, I want it to answer something. Another result without a follow-up plan would give me something to worry about, but very little to work with.
Read note →I asked about one medical word. Now there are five more.
I ask about one medical word and get five unfamiliar ones back. In that situation, I would not memorize the paragraph. I would ask it to try again.
Read note →My tests are normal. I still don't feel well. What would I do?
If I kept feeling unwell while my tests looked normal, I would wonder what I was missing. I would not dismiss the symptoms or immediately repeat every test.
Read note →My PSA is high. Does that mean prostate cancer?
A high PSA is not a cancer diagnosis. I worry about cancer, too. Being a doctor would not make an abnormal result on my own report feel casual. If my PSA came back high, I could imagine my mind getting ahead of the evidence.
Read note →Before my health question, I would ask for plain words.
Medical language can confuse smart people. Many of my patients are well educated and still find a report hard to follow. In someone else's specialty, I would probably need a slower explanation, too.
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Using AI for health (5)
Clear explanations (4)
Questions for your doctor (16)
- I understand the explanation. What would I do next?
- Caring for family? I would put my appointment on the calendar, too.
- My medicine list would include the supplements.
- Worried about prostate cancer: where I would put my effort.
- If cancer is found, what happens next?
- Blood sugar matters. So does a meal I enjoy.
- If biopsy is next, I'd bring a few questions.
- Different blood pressure readings: what I would record.
- Still tired after sleeping? Here is what I would bring.
- My repeat PSA is still high. What would I check next?
- How often would I check my PSA?
- I can speak English. I might still want Mandarin for this.
- Several specialists. Here is the page I would bring.
- Before repeating PSA, give the number some context.
- My tests are normal. I still don't feel well. What would I do?
- My PSA is high. Does that mean prostate cancer?
Checking health information (2)
Sleep and rest (1)
Blood pressure (1)
Food that fits your life (1)
Medicines and supplements (1)
Caring for someone (1)
PSA and prostate health (7)
- Worried about prostate cancer: where I would put my effort.
- If cancer is found, what happens next?
- If biopsy is next, I'd bring a few questions.
- My repeat PSA is still high. What would I check next?
- How often would I check my PSA?
- Before repeating PSA, give the number some context.
- My PSA is high. Does that mean prostate cancer?
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Before You Ask AI About Your Health (5)
A few things worth talking through (8)
- My tests are normal. I still don't feel well. What would I do?
- Several specialists. Here is the page I would bring.
- I can speak English. I might still want Mandarin for this.
- Still tired after sleeping? Here is what I would bring.
- Different blood pressure readings: what I would record.
- Blood sugar matters. So does a meal I enjoy.
- My medicine list would include the supplements.
- Caring for family? I would put my appointment on the calendar, too.
PSA and prostate health: seven conversations (7)
- My PSA is high. Does that mean prostate cancer?
- Before repeating PSA, give the number some context.
- How often would I check my PSA?
- My repeat PSA is still high. What would I check next?
- If biopsy is next, I'd bring a few questions.
- If cancer is found, what happens next?
- Worried about prostate cancer: where I would put my effort.