West along the Mountain Highway toward Polcenigo, there was a little bakery—Panificio Benedet—at the Coltura turnoff, tucked up into the mountain slope. It was one of our favorite places to visit when we were stationed at Aviano Air Base in northern Italy. Every Tuesday was cereali day—the day the fornaia (baker and proprietor) baked herContinue reading “Pane Cereali!”
Author Archives: drsensintaffar
Jet-lagged Judgment: Spooning in Sin City
In March 1999, I traveled from northern Italy to Las Vegas for a family medicine conference. I was stationed in northern Italy at the time, so this meant long flights over several time zones, and the kind of jet lag where your brain is only half-engaged. Being a thrifty military doc, I decided to splitContinue reading “Jet-lagged Judgment: Spooning in Sin City”
A Patton Critique
“I hated the guy.” That was the old man’s opinion of General George Patton. My elderly patient was a World War 2 veteran and former captain in Patton’s Third Army. He fought under Patton during the Battle of the Bulge. ”Why?” I asked. “He just didn’t care too much about the little guy. It wasContinue reading “A Patton Critique”
I May Be Cuter than a Kidney Stone
Mom and Dad were visiting. It was late on a Friday night. I heard the loud thud and Dad crying out, “Diane! Are you OK?” Hopping out of bed, I rushed down the hallway to the bathroom and found my mom passed out on the bathroom floor. A quick assessment . . . things seemedContinue reading “I May Be Cuter than a Kidney Stone”
A Rock from Galilee
There’s a “treasure shelf,” high up and out of reach of little hands. However, it was my moment to shine as Granddad. Maddie (age six) and Levi (age four) were more than happy to help me explore it. Eager hands and wide eyes examined the treasures: trilobite fossils, a mastodon tooth, the jawbone of aContinue reading “A Rock from Galilee”
Not-So-Random Kindness at the Olive Garden
January 28, 2023 My mother-in-law Judith, Diana, her sister Donna, and I left the hospital this evening, having said tearful last good-byes to my father-in-law, David Lyon. We were exhausted and emotionally spent. It didn’t seem right to part ways just yet. Things were too recent–too raw. I asked Judith if she wanted to goContinue reading “Not-So-Random Kindness at the Olive Garden”
Ichi-go, Ichi-e. A Life Lesson from Mom
I visited my mom over the New Year’s weekend. She has advanced dementia and requires round-the-clock care. My dad and I walked into the memory care facility where she lives, and Michelle, her caregiver, greeted me with, “Do you want a job this afternoon?” “Uh, sure. What do you need me to do?” I tentativelyContinue reading “Ichi-go, Ichi-e. A Life Lesson from Mom”
When the Doctor Becomes the Patient
I have trained many family medicine residents and medical students over the past 25 years and every so often, a student or resident would complain to me about the poor conduct or attitude of a patient. There are certainly malevolent patients from time to time but MOST of the time what you simply have isContinue reading “When the Doctor Becomes the Patient”
Delivery #1
In the predawn hours of February 18, 1992, I was jolted awake by a sharp jab to my ribs. Diana, already fully alert and entirely composed, announced that she was having contractions — light, but clockwork-steady, three minutes apart. As a third-year medical student fresh off my OB rotation, I possessed that dangerous combination ofContinue reading “Delivery #1”
Confessions of a Duck
I’ll admit it. I’m a duck. Not a plain farmyard duck. And not one of those flashy wood ducks, either. A mallard fits me better. So picture a mallard in your mind’s eye—peaceful, gliding effortlessly across a lake. Calm. Unhurried. But that apparent serenity can be deceptive. Above the surface, all is still. Below it,Continue reading “Confessions of a Duck”
Dash Stories 