Dooley Noted: 3/19/2014 A few days ago, I had a very bad headache – the kind where you aren’t sure you can carry on with your tasks. I had two labs to teach and morning and evening patients to treat. I had to pony up. Since I know that most pain – and thus, headaches – have a component of hypoxia, I focused only on breathing as I trekked the seemingly endless staircase in St. … Read more
Dooley Noted: 3/18/2014 I am not a magician. I’m a catalyst. Some of my patients get better very quickly. Others do not. I give them my full commitment and am constantly improving my skills. But herein lays the truth: I have no idea how long it’s going to take for you to heal. I can only assess and help correct. The healing is on you. How you live outside my presence is your call, and … Read more
Dooley Noted: 3/17/2014 As a high school senior, I had aspirations to be a theater major in college. Always an overachiever, I did my best to excel at both arts and sciences. I loved advance placement chemistry as much as I adored English literature. When I started applying for college scholarships, I was eager to win the $25,000 scholarship offered by my father’s employer. I wanted to make him proud. To this day, that scholarship … Read more
Dooley Noted: 3/16/2014 My dear friend and colleague Dr. Randy Menser had 6 strokes in one year. Defying the odds, he survived all 6. He was told he would never walk or talk like he had. Of course, these crystal ball theories tend to only pan out when you believe them. After one year of rehabilitation and excellent medical and not-so-medical treatment, Randy made remarkable recovery strides. He returned to his doctor. Doctor: “After a … Read more
Dooley Noted: 3/15/2014 While in Australia, I observed some kangaroos at a wildlife preserve. I noticed their eyes rarely fixated on a target, and their bodies darted quickly from unexpected stimuli. My Australian friend and colleague Simon Tydd said this: “Yes, kangaroos are quite skittish. They’re used to bring prey.” This prey mentality made me think of my students and patients. Many of them have moments when their eyes dart as I challenge them with … Read more
Dooley Noted: 3/14/2014 The gall bladder is a small organ on the liver’s inferior surface. It functions to store bile and chop your consumed fats into small pieces to aid their digestion. With the misconception of “healthy” low fat dieting, gall bladder pathology has been on the rise for decades. This causes the gall bladder to become sluggish and create stone formation. People at particular risk are the “4 Fs”: 1. Female (gender) 2. Fat … Read more
Dooley Noted: 3/13/2014 While on our Australian road trip down the Great Ocean Road, the great Jenny Richardson drove on the left side of each street. I was the annoying passenger, marveling constantly that I was in the American driving seat but was sitting shotgun. Dooley: “Jenny, this is tripping me out! How are you doing this?” Jenny: “Kathy, we’ve always driven on this side.” As passenger, I became flabbergasted with the alterations in signage. … Read more
Dooley Noted: 3/12/2014 Jealous mates, jealous friends, jealous family, jealous colleagues, jealous Facebook acquaintances. Jealousy runs rampant, and it is everywhere. Social media seems to make it even more intense, with folks who post all that is rainbow cheery and joyous, purposely leaving out the flip side to every joy coin. I have felt jealousy from both sides, as have my readers. But my understanding of jealousy is starting to become clear as day. Whether … Read more
Dooley Noted: 3/11/2014 In 2005, I literally felt my heart break. A six-year love and commitment fell apart. The love changed form, and I resisted. A friend suggested I run to help me cope. I’d never run more than 2 miles in my life. So desperate to find comfort, I laced up. I remember weeping through my first three-mile run. I looked at my tear-faced reflection after that first run. I looked at her thick, … Read more
Dooley Noted: 3/10/2014 Ten short days ago, I left to lead instruct NeuroKinetic Therapy Level I in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. I visited a different continent in a different hemisphere. I left my New York winter season to experience Australia’s summer. It only took 2 flights – plus years of dedication to clinical anatomy. It was 4 years ago that I was alone in a lab at midnight, singing at the top of my lungs … Read more