Kathy Dooley

Dooley Noted: 8/20/2014 Olfaction is better known as your sense of smell. While this sensation in humans is not as well developed as other species, it is highly primitive and important. Olfaction is the only human sense with the ability to bypass the sensory relay center, better known as your thalamus. Think of the thalamus like the bouncer of your most exclusive club: your brain. Olfaction has the ability to bypass this bouncer, sneaking through … Read more

Dooley Noted: 8/19/2014 On Saturday, I returned from visiting another continent in another hemisphere: Australia. When I made this same trek in March, I had jetlag upon my return. I couldn’t sleep for a 36-hour period, and I felt out of it for four days. This trip, I was determined to figure out a system to help me avoid the jetlag experience. I gathered advice from several jet-setting friends, and these tips completely worked! I … Read more

Dooley Noted: 8/17/2014 I flew for 21 total hours yesterday. As I looked out the windows, I viewed the Australian Alps, the vast ocean surrounding Hawaii, the aerial highway views of LA, and the land of everything in between until I landed in New York. On these flights, I finally realized how minute I was. I feel so big, yet I am so small in the vastness that is our universe. Perhaps that is why … Read more

Dooley Noted: 8/16/2014 People can tend to make judgment calls about things they’ve never experienced. From addiction to obesity, I watch people point their fingers at what they feel are “bad choices.” With the recent death of Robin Williams, I’ve read my share of Internet and in-person judgments. Some called him selfish for committing suicide. What about his family? Was he only thinking of himself? I never once thought that. I think those words are … Read more

Dooley Noted: 8/15/14 Your central nervous system is packed with a pharmacy. Some of the most effective agonists of happiness and pain reduction are located right inside your cranial cavity. I used to be addicted to my own pharmacy. I would run through pain and injury to get to mile 12. I thought the pain was the penance I paid to feel euphoria. At that mile 12 mark, my pain would dissipate. I felt as … Read more

Dooley Noted: 8/13/2014 According to most studies, we are largely visual learners. This always disconcerted me as a student, doctor and a teacher. What we see is what we believe. But what we hear may be harder to understand. This became very true in the last few days, when one of my favorite comedians took his own life. All the photos showed a smiling, beaming Robin Williams. But he was so desperately sad that he … Read more

Dooley Noted: 8/12/2014 I have my share of patients that have received predictions of their outcomes, based on nothing but crystal ball theories. These theories read something like these: “It will take 6 months for your back to feel better.” “You’ll never be able to squat again after knee surgery.” “You’ll need muscle relaxers forever for that tight neck you have.” You probably know what I think. If you’re new to reading DN, then I … Read more

Dooley Noted: 8/9/2014 I was late to the airport, cutting it closer than is comfortable. I caught a taxi, and I told the driver I was a bit behind. He said he would get me there on time. As he drove, he took roads unfamiliar to me. I became a tad nervous. At first I thought he was turned around, not knowing what he was doing. Instead of getting lippy, I gave him the benefit … Read more

Dooley Noted: 8/9/2014 I am currently boarded for a flight that experienced 30 total hours of delays. I saw some interesting things in that time. From bloated truths, to exhaustion and frustration, the rainbow of human emotions ran their courses. It was 4 AM in LA when we found we were going nowhere. We were stuck. We had no control. As my co-passengers slept in airport chairs, I took off my shoes and started scooting … Read more