medicine: Philadelphia Metropolis

A Managerie of Men

By Leslie Cottle» This weekend my girlfriends were approached by a 20-something man claiming that Philadelphia girls just weren't making the cut compared to the usual "Southern Belles" he was used to. He even defined Southern Belle for my friends. Southern Belle (noun)- A girl born and raised in the South. Southern cooking, Southern accent, and Southern "old money". The kind of girl everyone dreams to be or meet. Proper, educated, has etiquette, says, "Yes, sir" and "Yes, mam" and means it. Since I grew up in Virginia and moved to Philadelphia as a teen -- with my "Southern Belle" roots intact - I understand the guy's point of view. But, here is my question: Does he know what kind of men roam around Philadelphia? (Comments)

Creating the New City: Part Four

By Ada Kulesza» We continue our series on young Philadelphians who are making a difference with three profiles -- an eco-activist who has floated down the Susquehanna River on a homemade raft; two refugees from the move industry working with the homeless to make films; a hypnotherapist spreading the gospel of how going into a trance can help heal. (Comments)

Doctors Behaving Badly

By Tracy R. Franklin» The physical exam went much as I thought it would. I'd been this route before, after all, and I knew that no matter how painful it was to walk or how clumsy I was at home, I could manage five steps across a doctor's office just fine. I was perfectly able to tell hot from cold, sharp from dull, and my reflexes always fell within acceptable ranges. I looked completely normal on the outside; aside from a limp I'd developed in the past year; there was no visual evidence of muscle spasticity. I knew, however, that my muscles were constantly continuing to tighten and would not relax. I felt as if an invisible and ever-tightening drawstring was running through all the muscle groups of my body (Comments)

Zen Master of Peacock Watching

By Lisa Z. Meritz» I got the call at night. My 86-year-old father Morry, a man so full of energy and life that he worked full-time until he was 76 years old, had overdosed on pain medicine. They pumped his stomach, but they couldn't tell yet whether he would live. My heart sank. How could I have missed seeing just how desperate he had become? For months, my sister and I took turns taking him from doctor to doctor for his intractable pain. He was ornery, not at all himself, but we never realized just how bad things were. Was he trying to kill himself? Quiet the unbearable pain? I think it was a call for help, but I will never be sure. (Comments)

The Case for Clemency

By William DiMascio It was, indeed, a thing of beauty -- though not for all the obvious reasons - a clash between a nuanced and compassionate public and the absolutist titans of justice who almost never view punishment as excessive.... (Comments)