By Dr. Jim Ferguson I’m not a beach person like the Johnson side of my family. I identify more with the Psalmist who said, “I look unto the mountains, from whence cometh my strength.” Yet, I find myself at the beach again this year with our extended family and count my blessings. Though I might […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson I used to like liver and onions; at least until I worked at an inner city hospital during my internal medicine training. I’ve seen some bad livers in my day, and I can no longer stomach this traditional English dish. That being said, the English eat some strange things and aren’t […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson “What kind of dog is that?” asked Mrs. S as I greeted her at my front door. She was seeing me for a concierge medical visit and was obviously puzzled by my dog, Jack. I explained to her that Jack is a Mountain Feist, but he is actually a “rescue.” In […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson I’m getting tired of writing, “Here we go again.” However, another scandal has surfaced in the Obama Administration, this time in the Veterans Administration (VA). I know something about medical care in the VA system, because I once worked as a doctor in a VA hospital. It was my observation that […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson In a way I’m envious of my other grandson, Noah. He’s ten years old and is counting the days until school is over for the summer. He makes me think of those long ago halcyon days which seemed to last forever in the mind of a ten year old boy. A […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson I admire the prose of Rick Bragg, the southern writer and author of several books and a monthly column in Southern Living. Perhaps if I had followed a different timeline I might have had a writing vocation rather than a mid-life avocation. But who knows, if my destiny had been different […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson I’m reading the Bible again this year, but this time as part of a group. The last time I read this compendium of wisdom by myself. I much prefer reading the Bible with other pilgrims, and then discussing our weekly reading assignments. Last fall I found a schedule that organized the […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson Summer will soon be here and you may think it’s strange, but I have been thinking about ticks. Perhaps it’s because I found one on my pant leg this week and, serendipitously(?), an article on these pests appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, as I started this essay, […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson Some days it’s easier to write than others. Today it’s tough because I have lots of things to do on this gorgeous spring afternoon. Murphey’s Law states that the job at hand expands to fill the time allotted. My corollary to this law is that a job not only fills, but […]
By Dr. Jim Ferguson It’s hard to be objective about yourself. This is why doctors and patients are advised to seek medical help rather than treat themselves. However, let’s be honest: we all prescribe for ourselves for minor issues. If my memory serves me correctly, I once wrote a story about the scientific method and […]
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