Adventures of an Allergist Mommy

10 things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving: 1. Increasing awareness of allergies and asthma among family and friends. 2. Schools that recognize the importance of not using food as a reward in the classroom. 3. The availability of novel, high-quality allergy and asthma-friendly products and foods. 4. Laws that protect the public from the dangers of environmental tobacco smoke. 5. The availability of life-saving epinephrine in Illinois schools (and hopefully soon, schools throughout the nation!) 6. A robust community of asthma and allergy parents and physicians sharing their experiences via the magic of social media. 7. Treasured patients who have put their trust in my expertise and care. 8. A steadily growing medical practice which is the beneficiary of kind word-of-mouth referrals (scheduled my 100th patient this month!) 9. The flexibility to set my own schedule, which allows me to a more involved mother. 10. My awesome family (and inspiration)... Wishing you and you...

As we approach Thanksgiving in the midst of a raging healthcare reform debate, I'd like to share what I think is good about healthcare in America these days... I'm thankful that I practice medicine in a country where I have access to the most helpful and novel innovations with which to heal my patients. I'm thankful for compassionate nurses and assistants who put the patient first. I'm thankful for experienced and competent managers who keep small medical practices running during difficult economic times. I'm thankful for front desk staff who are always friendly and helpful, even though they have numerous stressors. I'm thankful for intelligent, thoughtful colleagues with whom I can discuss complex medical questions. I'm thankful for sane, grounded colleagues with whom I can share my frustrations. I'm thankful for the social media networks which allow physicians from all over the nation to interact as though we were neighbors. I'm thankful for inform...