Wrapped in three blankets, beads of sweat on her forehead, she shivered, sat up, laid down, and rolled over in a futile attempt to find comfort. An emesis bag in her shaking hand, she looked up from her sunken eyes and said in a soft voice, “I can’t go on living like this…. I need to do this for my kids.” A year ago this young woman had an operation and was prescribed oxycodone; her postoperative recovery was complicated which resulted in more pain medications. Then she had dental work done- more pain pills. Meanwhile, the oxycodone helped numb difficult feelings from stressful life events. She soon found if she did not take them, she felt terrible. When doctors became reluctant to prescribe the medications, she bought them on the street. The pills were expensive- heroin was cheaper. She never intended to become addicted; she never thought it could happen to her, but it did.

My patient is not alone: America is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. Addiction to prescription opioid drugs (oxycodone and hydrocodone, for example) and heroin is at a record high and continues to increase. There are currently 2 million Americans addicted to pain medications and 500,000 addicted to heroin. Every day 90 to 100 people in our country die from overdose. The number of people addicted to opioids each year continues to rise, and there does not seem to be an end to the epidemic in sight. It is as if there is a dark storm cloud over the country, a cloud we all wish would just go away so we can see the sun again.

To add to this gloomy predicament, the majority of those addicted to opioids are young, typically in their 20s and 30s, and there is often no cure for this disease. Addiction to opioids is a chronic disease, characterized by remissions and relapses over a lifespan.

Just as there is no simple cure for opioid addiction, there is no one solution to reverse the current epidemic. Solutions to our opioid epidemic will take time, persistence, and a variety of interventions over many years. We need the help of the companies who make the medications,  healthcare providers who prescribe them, and you, a potential recipient of pain medications. Here are a few ways in which we can all work towards ending this epidemic:

1. Pharmaceutical companies should stop heavily marketing the symptom of “pain” and their prescription pain pills. Historically the pharmaceutical industry has successfully popularized medical problems through advertising when there is a drug to sell, be it for insomnia, erectile dysfunction, or low testosterone, for example. The stakes are too high to push treatment of pain with opioids.
2.  Doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners have to reduce the number of prescriptions they write for opioid medications. Since 2010, the number of opioid medication prescriptions written in America has steadily declined, which is terrific news. Despite this trend however, healthcare providers in America currently prescribe four times as many opioid medications as doctors in Europe. Having more pain pills in circulation enables more people to become addicted to them.
3.  Patients who receive prescription opioid medications need to be more careful with these powerful medications. Research has shown that 57% of people who become addicted to opioids begin their path of addiction after having first received opioid medications from family or friends. If you are prescribed pain pills by your doctor, do not share them with others. In addition, store unused medications where they cannot be stolen, or better yet, dispose of them.
4.  Communities need to de-stigmatize opioid addiction. Addiction is a disease, not a moral failing. Like the young woman I have described, people who become addicted are our neighbors and our friends’ children. It is important to acknowledge that anyone can become troubled by opioid addiction and that everyone needs our support.
5. If you or someone you know becomes addicted to opioid medications or heroin, there is help in the form of “medication assisted treatment.” Buprenorphine, or “suboxone,” is a medication that doctors can prescribe in an outpatient clinic setting that enables a person to live a normal, addiction free life. These medications help but can be expensive; tell your representatives in government to support policies that fund opioid addiction treatment. In addition, to be allowed by the FDA to prescribe Suboxone, physicians must complete an eight hour trianing course that can be done at a live conference or online. Encourage your healthcare provider to pursue training in order to prescribe this life changing medication.

Ending America’s opioid epidemic will take time and action in a variety of ways. Reversing the epidemic will require efforts from pharmaceutical companies, our government, healthcare professionals, as well as individuals such as you. It will truly take a concerted effort. We are all in this together.

My patient received her first dose of Suboxone that day. An hour later she was no longer shivering, perspiring or vomiting. She looked exhausted, but relaxed. “You look a lot better, I commented.” She looked up at me and wearily replied, “At least I don’t feel like I’m dying anymore.”

The following day she returned to the clinic for follow up. I entered the room to see a happy and extremely grateful young woman; she smiled and said, “I feel normal now.” Her skin had a rosy color and was bright with light. While my patient will need continued treatment with Suboxone for many years, or even her entire life, the dark cloud of addiction had departed in the exam room that afternoon. The sun was shining bright.

The image of Ellensburg as a heart in the middle of Washington is captured beautifully at Dick and Jane’s Spot near downtown Ellensburg. I love the notion that we- collectively and as a community- are a heart.  Amazing, courageous, inspirational individuals.

There are heroes all around us. Every community is full of amazing individuals who show great courage in the face of adversity as they live their lives from day to day. Ellensburg is no exception.

On a recent lazy summer afternoon during a backyard party, I had the privilege to connect with a friend who has been battling cancer for several years. This past year has been perhaps one of the most difficult for her- the cancer has spread, and a cure is not possible. Intelligent, articulate and accustomed to contributing to her community, she is no longer able to work but instead is immersed in the intense world of cancer treatment.

“I don’t feel very amazing,” she said in response to my statement that she was. “Oh but you are very amazing,” I replied. “ You have approached a difficult situation with grace, courage, a sense of humor and determination. You are very amazing.” She looked at me almost as if I was describing someone else.

“These amazing people don’t see it- they don’t realize they are heroes,” I thought to myself.

A hero is one who “shows great courage.” In my experience, the heroes I see in healthcare are numerous, and are the last to see they are exceptional. A privilege that comes with my work as a physician is that I come face to face with heroes everyday.

Recently, for example, I saw a man with multiple sclerosis who was struggling to maintain his independence in the face of worsening muscle weakness. He had worked hard all his life performing manual labor. Despite his body failing him, he has pushed on and continued to work, because in working, he feels whole. At a recent visit with his neurologist, my patient was told he may not be able to drive any longer- a necessity to his work. “What happens now?” he said as he stared at the ground, determined to find some way forward.

On that same day I met with a woman, who in the midst of grieving the sudden loss of her husband, experienced a stroke. Her passion in life is playing her musical instrument, and the stroke weakened her arm and impaired her coordination. “Our symphony has to play Beethoven’s 9th soon which is very difficult. I’m going to play it, but it won’t be pretty.” Although she lost her husband and then was knocked back by a stroke, she rose to her new challenges and strove to live her life fully.

And to finish the afternoon, I met with a young man and his mother. This well-loved man in his early 20’s had his life in front of him, but was now in the throws of heroin addiction. He was unable to take the steps he needed to regain his life. His mother was doing her best to support him despite seemingly endless painful setbacks. She was sad, discouraged and heartbroken, but each day did what she could to help him and mustered hope that her son may someday regain his life.

These are my heroes: people with cancer, multiple sclerosis, strokes, drug addiction. These are people right here in our community, individuals who draw from their inner strength to manage disease and disability.

And a remarkable quality common to these unique individuals is that, as a general rule-of-thumb, they all do not see that they are amazing. They take one day at a time and do their best to make the best of profound and difficult health circumstances. One step in front of the other- that’s what is on their minds.

These are American heroes, right here in Ellensburg. They don’t see that they are all remarkable, but of course they are. Next time you see one of them, help them look up from their daily struggles to see the sun and see the reality that they are our heroes.

Tell them they are amazing.

On Earth Day this year, “The March For Science” was a organized as an effort to show support for science. People gathered and walked in cities and towns across America as well as around the world.

Walking alongside thousands of other people in Seattle, I felt almost as though I was part of a meandering river of people flowing through downtown, filling the banks of a two way street. There were children and adults of all ages carrying a diverse array of placards that highlighted the importance of science in our lives. Be it biology, chemistry, ecology, physics, or medicine, science was the unifying theme. I carried two cardboard signs to illustrate gifts of science near and dear to my heart: “Science cures cancer, ” and “Vaccines save lives.” As I walked I reflected on the role science plays in our society, and how it supports each of us everyday, in a multitude of ways. I also reflected upon the support we in return, give to science.

As a physician, nearly everything I do is because of science. Whether it is the stethoscope I use, the medications I prescribe, the diagnostic tests I order, or even how I make medical decisions, it is the result of science. Science encourages a manner of thinking that is invaluable: the scientific process is a method of thinking that utilizes objective evidence, and helps separate the useful from the useless. We live in an era where information is in excess, and the way scientists evaluate information helps illuminate the truth, and provides me with the tools I need to practice medicine. As I walked not far from the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, through the busy downtown and beneath the Space Needle, I wondered if our relationship with science has become a one way street. In other words, while science supports us every day in most everything we do, do we as a society in return fully support science? I wondered if we take science for granted- if we have begun to pick and choose what to support depending on how it fits into our existing belief systems, or how it aligns with our lifestyle.

The most obvious example that came to mind is “Climate Change.” Scientific research consistently supports the notion that because of fossil fuels – and the subsequent accumulation of greenhouse gases- Earth’s climate is warming. However, these findings have often been met with skepticism, because supporting climate change frequently is at odds with a lifestyle and economy that relies heavily on cars and a society founded upon energy consumption.

Another common scenario – one I encounter every fall- is beliefs regarding the influenza vaccine. It is not uncommon for patients to readily accept every vaccine I offer, except the influenza vaccine. Research has clearly shown that receiving the flu shot significantly reduces the chance of hospitalization or death from influenza. Despite this knowledge, the reasons I hear from patients for not receiving the vaccine are diverse and not based on logic: “I don’t believe in the flu shot,” “I never get the flu shot and never get the flu, so I don’t need it,” or simply, “I don’t do the flu shot”, end of discussion.

The common theme between these examples is the tendency to selectively choose what scientific data to believe depending on how the information aligns with lifestyle or preexisting beliefs . It is almost as if science has become a buffet, and individuals take the data they want and skip that which is undesirable or inconvenient.

As a society we cannot afford to have a buffet style, inconsistent perspective when it comes to science. Science may reveal concepts that challenge- or be at odds with- existing belief systems, but that’s how science is and always has been. Facts are facts. To pick and choose facts depending on what may be convenient to believe is dangerous. As a cancer survivor, I am alive because of science, and without the benefit of science to aid me in my work as a physician, many more of my patients would experience suffering and premature death.

Science truly supports each and every one of us, every day. The time has come for all of us to acknowledge this truth, and the time has come to consistently support the scientific process and to be open minded to the conclusions it reveals. A supportive relationship should be a two way street.

This is an open letter to everyone everywhere, especially people who live in small communities such as mine:

If you drive to work, you are missing out.   If someone offered you an opportunity to improve your health, enhance your happiness and creativity, boost your self esteem, and even make you richer, what would you say?  Many might think it would be an offer that was too good to be true– a scam; what’s the catch? There is no catch; I want to share how commuting to work on foot or by bicycle can do all these things. It can be a bit addicting, but this addiction is a good thing.

First the obvious: a self-propelled commute is exercise, and regular exercise has tremendous benefits for health. Physicians typically recommend exercise in the range of 30 minutes five days per week because research supports the notion that this amount of exercise reduces the chance of developing chronic diseases (heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, as well as many cancers, for example). For many people who live in small communities, work is within range of a 30 minute walk or bicycle ride.

Another clear benefit of walking or biking to work has to do with money; everything costs much less than driving. Compare a new pair of shoes or a bicycle with the cost of maintaining a car and paying for fuel, and there is no contest. Cars as a means of getting to and from work in America have become an expensive habit, and sometimes a good way to break a habit is to realize how expensive it is.

The hidden gems with a non-motorized commute, however, have to do with creativity, self esteem, and happiness. While exercise in itself has been shown to boost these qualities, I believe exercising while going to and from work increases these traits much more.

Whether it is preparing for a busy day, solving a problem, or finding solutions to conflicts, the time on a bike or walking allows the brain to wander, to consider out-of-the-box solutions, to be creative. Personally, some of my most creative thoughts occur before or after work while I am pedaling away. It is the exercise combined with the time of day combined with being disconnected from computers and smart phones. Just as some of the best vacations are when one is in a remote location and “unplugged,” some of the best parts of the day are when one is alone, in that transition between work and home. It may sound crazy, but it is a mini mind and body vacation, a time to figure things out.

But, one might say, “exercise is hard, I’m tired after work, it’s windy, and no matter which direction I am going, it’s up hill!” There is no argument from me– I agree entirely. However, in these sentiments lies exactly the reward, and why I have come to enjoy my commute more and more over time. There have been many times when I have walked out the clinic door, tired from a busy day, and thought about getting a ride home. And there have been times, half way home, when I have wondered where my strength had gone. By mustering the strength, though, I almost always get on my bike, and I always get home just fine. I have gradually realized what this has done for me. My body and brain have become stronger and stronger, and I have faith in my ability to succeed. Self esteem, inner confidence, resilience, whatever you want to call it– I’ve got more of it now, and my commute has helped me get it.

Meanwhile, I have come realize over time that getting to work on bike or foot has made me a happier person. We all want to be happy, and it is well known through research that exercise improves mood and decreases the chances of becoming depressed. This mood-enhancing effect of exercise occurs right after an exercise session, as well as over the long term with regular exercise. In other words, biking or walking to work is a handy tool to improve the chances of having a good day at work. And what is really remarkable is if one adds up all those good days at work, the result is an improved chance of being happy at work in general. Everyone spends a lot of time — most of our adult life, actually– at work, why not improve the odds that we will be happy during that time, that we will like our job? I think this is in a sense an important foundation of job satisfaction.

It takes longer to get to work in the morning and there are errands and tasks to complete that require a car…. the list goes on and on. Changing or creating new habits is difficult, and it is common at first to see numerous seemingly insurmountable barriers. In reality though, there are creative solutions to almost every barrier, and meanwhile it is rewarding in itself to plan for and achieve new healthy behaviors. And of course it can be done; I witness patients changing behaviors every day in the clinic. I never cease to be amazed at the strength and determination of the human spirit.

My advice is to treat yourself and leave your car at home. Whether your commute is by bike or by foot, I guarantee (how often do doctors guarantee anything?) that with time you will be healthier, happier, richer, more creative, and have greater confidence in yourself.

“I’ve got to use the right tool,” I thought to myself as I attempted to pound a nail into the wall with the bottom of my coffee cup. Kneeling on the exam room table, I was attempting to hang a picture on the wall before the clinic day began. I have all sorts of useful tools in my clinic – scalpels, special scissors and a multitude of precision instruments for surgical procedures and other medical care. But on that day I did not have a hammer for pounding in a nail to hang a picture. I smiled, and reflected on how comical I must look, awkwardly perched on the exam room table trying to put a nail in the wall with a coffee cup. I had opted for what was convenient but not what was appropriate. Without the right tool, I was not successful in getting my job done and was wasting valuable time. Hoping I was now a little wiser, I climbed off the exam table with the picture, walked back to my office, picked up my stethoscope, and began the clinic day seeing patients.

Using the right tool is critical. I was immediately reminded of this as my first patient – a 65 year old man – came in for a physical. As is the case for many Americans, the biggest threat to his health was the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke. He had several important risk factors for heart disease: he was overweight, had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He needed to lose weight, but weight loss was difficult for him. During the course of the visit we discussed his weight, and he shared with me that he was trying the “Ketosis Diet” to help him lose weight. He had read about this diet on the internet and purchased a book. He explained the diet was rich in cheese, bacon, and other meats. Apparently by avoiding all carbohydrates and eating mostly fat, one loses weight. The diet fit in nicely with his existing eating habits. After considering his diet, I cautioned that the types of foods he was eating were exactly the type of foods medical research recommends avoiding to prevent heart disease. I attempted to steer him towards the right tools – heart healthy foods and physical activity – for his job, the job of preventing a heart attack.

When it comes to preventing disease, individuals need to stop pounding nails with coffee cups. Pounding a nail requires the right tool: a hammer. When it comes to medicine, the hammer is science. Evidence based research – the scientific process – is the perfect tool for promoting health and has an excellent track record. Modern medicine has been successful at preventing and treating disease because of the scientific process. To make health decisions based on the latest internet popular opinion is using a coffee cup instead of a hammer to pound a nail.

Healthcare providers need the truth of science to guide them in making sound recommendations for both individual patients and for the population as a whole. Vaccines are a perfect example. Vaccine medicine is medical science at its best, in that it offers a clear example of scientific research that originates in the laboratory, and that is later applied to people and populations to prevent deadly infections. Every day, vaccines prevent diseases that could have been; every day, vaccines save lives. Thanks to science, Polio is almost eradicated from the globe and the Americas have been declared free of Measles. Meanwhile, looking forward into the future, Zika – a more recent threat – may well prove to be a short chapter in history books, as a number of promising Zika vaccines are currently undergoing clinical trials. Vaccine science is the right tool to prevent infectious disease.

The scientific process is critical not only for advancing medical care and vaccine science, but is vital to all realms of scientific research. Whether it is medicine, public health, or climate change, science is the best tool to understand our world. Science has a proven track record; it works. The alternative to using science is nothing more than a popularity contest of opinion. If we as a society choose to value proclamations devoid of facts over scientific research, we might as well equip all the carpenters in America with coffee cups. We need to choose the hammer and get the job done; science is the right tool to improve health, prevent disease, and has the potential to make the world a better place.

It was a typical January night in Kittitas Valley: a chilly twenty degrees, scattered snow flurries, and plenty of snow on the ground. Fortunately the roads were mostly bare however, and I was able to be on my bike commuting to work.

While riding my bike home from a day at work, I like to notice my surroundings as I roll by, while at the same time think about the day’s events. It sometimes seems to be a little bit of a balancing act between paying attention to the here and now as well as thinking creatively about work or home.

I think I was in the midst of the later thoughts – creative daydreaming as I like to think of it, when a large pickup truck slowed down, pulled alongside me, and rolled down its passenger side window. In general, while riding my bike and a vehicle – especially a big one – slows down alongside me, I get a little nervous. A truck is big and a bike is little; meanwhile, the notion that this was at night as well as it was a large truck heightened my senses, and made me feel a bit uneasy.

“I appreciate your interest in safety, young man,” a man’s deep voice came clear and loud through the window. Looking into the cab, all I could see was darkness.

Somewhat surprised and not sure what to say, I said, “alright!”

Just as clear and deep, he replied, “thank you.”

“Sure!” I said, still struggling somewhat as to how to respond.

He accelerated and drove off into the night.

Over the past few months I had upgraded my rear light system to improve my visibility, and my lights must have been be working!

I rode on, following my familiar route home. The interaction made me feel really good. It is always nice to be appreciated. The driver didn’t need to slow town and interact with me, but he did. He took that extra step to be friendly, put out some good energy, and appreciate something I was doing.

I rode a couple more miles, thinking about the interaction more, and it occurred to me that there was an additional aspect of the interaction I liked. He said, ” young man.” I am not exactly a young man, but he couldn’t tell.  It was dark and I was wearing multiple layers of clothes and a bike helmet. He assumed I was young because I was commuting home on my bike.

I rode a few more miles, thinking all the while about the interaction. He thought I was young because I was doing what many consider to be a young person activity – riding a bike rather than driving. Meanwhile, riding my bike – exercising – was in fact likely helping to keep my body young. Hmm. I was perceived as young because of the activity I was doing. Chronologically I am not young; but, by doing the activity, I was promoting physiologic youth. I liked the full circle of these thoughts.

That January night I was reminded how good it feels to receive an appreciation, and how important it is to give appreciations. I also received an affirmation of how exercise, regardless of age, promotes a “youthful” state of health for the body and mind. I received these gifts because an individual made the effort to notice, slow down and say thanks.

Resilience:

1. The power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.
2. Ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.

As anyone who has experienced a serious illness or injury can attest, a health crisis creates a sense of being bent, compressed, or stretched, coupled with an intense longing to return to one’s original state. Resilience is elasticity: it is bending but not breaking, being compressed but not flattened, and stretched but not torn. Cancer, injury, or any serious illness, can drag one down– often abruptly– into the murky depths of illness. Resilience is buoyancy: the ability to rise up, resurface and emerge into sunlight and fresh air again.

Having resilience during a health crisis is adapting well in the face of adversity; it is “bouncing back” from difficult experiences. Resilience requires the ability to enlist one’s own emotional, mental and spiritual strengths, and implies a sense of activation and internal motivation. For example, resilience is not closing and bolting the door and waiting out the storm. The sense of bracing or shielding from adversity is more typical of “perseverance.” Perseverance is important and can be helpful, but it is not the same as resilience.

It is this sense of action from within that conveys there is something we can do to create resilience in our lives. Resilience is not inherited; in fact, research has shown that behaviors and decisions are much more powerful than genetics in developing resilience.

Early on in my journey with cancer I was introduced to CaringBridge, which helped nurture resilience within me. CaringBridge is a nonprofit organization that enables a person or family experiencing a health crisis to create a free website. This personal website facilitates connection to loved ones. When I had cancer, I was able to communicate with my family, friends, and larger community, and they in turn could communicate with and support me. In addition, one can keep an online journal to share the logistics as well as the emotional experience of a medical journey.

The diagnosis of a tumor in my muscle was an abrupt detour on the road of life, and like many others who experience similar news, my initial response was fear and worry about the future, as well as a sense of isolation from the “normal” world most people seemed to be living in. Having resilience is associated with social connections. Individuals who feel a sense of connection and support from others are more likely to adapt well to an illness, and are more likely to recover more quickly. CaringBridge is an online medium that easily connects individuals with a support group.

Research has also shown that expressive writing and a concept called “mindfulness” help promote resilience. Initially, I had no idea that keeping a journal on CaringBridge about my treatments, experiences and struggles would have such a profound effect on my ability to cope with my illness. Writing about a difficult experience helps one gain new insights and perspectives, reflect, as well as see and articulate the positive aspects of a difficult experience. As a story is shared, someone in the midst of a health crisis not only communicates what is happening, but also may see the opportunity to influence the direction of their own narrative. Over time this expressive writing can subtly encourage the creation of a new, more hopeful reality. My personal CaringBridge journal began as an avenue for communicating information, and gradually evolved into a journal that shared a variety of emotions I experienced, and expressed gratitude for the multitude of people in my life who provided immeasurable support. Writing helped me reflect and better understand my journey; writing gave me strength.

Since expressive writing is an in-the-moment process, it can also encourage staying in the present. The present is the best place to be during a serious illness. Thinking about the future when one is scared is often fraught with the worry and anxieties of “what-if’s,” which can then lead to more and darker “what-if” scenarios. Meanwhile, lingering in the past can foster a sense of loss about a life that is lost, or lead to the “should-have” and “could-have” thoughts that impede adapting in healthy ways. Staying in the present is the essence of “mindfulness,” and has been shown to promote resilience.

I learned that the antidote to the fear and isolation that can occur with a serious health event is connecting with others, opening up rather than hiding, sharing, and staying in the present. Through writing and social connection, CaringBridge gave me tools that promoted resilience when my world turned upside down.

If you know of someone experiencing a serious health crisis, introduce them to CaringBridge. In doing so, you will help equip them with valuable tools that foster internal elasticity and buoyancy. You will increase the chances the person you care about will respond to their illness in adaptive ways that promote healing. In sharing the gift of connection, the seeds of resilience are sown, nurtured, and are given opportunity to flourish.

Listen to Dr. Merrill-Steskal’s interview with CaringBridge Founder Sona Mehring.

How can we know when seemingly insignificant events in our life will impact our lives in ways we do not foresee? We can never know; it is only years later, when we look back and gain perspective do we gain appreciation.  The experience I would like to share was not earth-shaking or what one might describe as particularly profound; rather, it was merely one of those light, amusing life experiences.  Nonetheless, it was an experience that I recall with a smile, and an experience that has helped my vision in naming this blog.

It was 2006. My wife, son and I stepped forth from our rented apartment on the first day of a long awaited trip to Italy. Gabe had been studying the Renaissance in his elementary school “challenge class” and Anne and I had, in the distant past, both had formative experiences in childhood or college while in Europe. It had been many years since we had been in Europe, and it was Gabe’s first time.

It was a bright beautiful morning in May. We walked down a bustling street in Rome, and looking for a place for breakfast, we spied a busy cafe and entered to sights of wonderful looking pastries and the rich smell of espresso. We pointed, smiled and attempted a word or two of very rudimentary Italian to indicate which pastries we were interested in. And then I ordered my coffee.

Anyone who knows me knows I like coffee. I drink a fair amount of coffee, but it is not as though I drink pots and pots of it.  I like it strong, I like it black,  and I like it in those tiny little espresso cups so I can savor it, nice and hot.  Upon first glance at the small espresso coffee cups in the Italian cafe that day in 2006, it was quickly apparent to me that even a “double” espresso was not going to be adequate; so I ordered a “triple.”

“Tre?! Tre?! No, doppio. ”  The Italian man said, shaking his head emphatically.

I learned right away that a “triple espresso” was not allowed. Judging by the look of surprise in his eyes, it was as if I had asked the impossible. It was single or double. I attempted to explain that I really did want a triple espresso; but no, sorry, a triple was just not an option.  I ordered a double (doppio) espresso, enjoyed it immensely, and  then went on to order another double espresso.

This experience was one of those funny little events that happen while traveling. I’ll never forget the look of surprise in the Italian man’s face as I asked for that triple espresso. I didn’t know it at the time, but the stage had been set for “Triple Espresso MD” to be born. Not long ago,  Anne and I were bouncing different names for the blog off each other, and perhaps because we were once again traveling in Europe, in a moment of inspiration she exclaimed, “Triple Espresso MD!”  It was instantly clear she had hit upon the perfect name for my blog.

I think it is safe to say that proposing a “triple” espresso that day in Rome was not exactly a brilliant insight or a think-outside-the-box new idea. I merely wanted what I thought was an adequate amount of coffee. Still, “triple espresso” symbolizes to me an attempt to look at issues a little differently, from a fresh and creative perspective. In addition, the name is imbued with a sense of humor and makes me smile. And of course, lets not forget that espressos are packed with energy; it is my hope that this blog energizes readers to live a healthy life.

“Triple Espresso MD” is a place for creative and fresh perspectives on health and medicine. I you enjoy it as much as I enjoy my espresso!