Val Jones

Have you ever wondered why a person needs to be on a ventilator? Ok, so maybe you haven’t. Now that you think about it, though, do you know why? Well, it’s usually one of two reasons – either their lungs are damaged and they need help getting air in and…

When I think about the liver, I’m often reminded of a comedy sketch from a Monty Python movie. In the sketch, organ donor nurses arrive at a patient’s home, requesting her liver before she is deceased. When the patient complains that she “hasn’t finished with it yet” the nurses launch…

One of the funniest “vanity” license plates I’ve seen was owned by a urologist (doctor who specializes in bladder, prostate, and kidney issues). It read, “NOPCME.” In other words, “No pee? See me!” I’ll never forget that blue sports car (though in retrospect, it probably should have been yellow!) Urinary…

In medical school I learned the first rule of surgery: “Eat when you can, sleep when you can, and don’t mess with the pancreas.” It may seem funny that the pancreas, of all organs, is held in such high regard by surgeons. What would make it as notable to them…

The spleen has been the target of much ridicule, made fun of by medical students and dismissed as nothing more than a “graveyard for red blood cells.” In the Middle Ages, the spleen was associated with melancholy, and in more modern times, anger (perhaps you’ve heard the expression “vent your…

Do you remember the scene in Finding Nemo where the fish jam up their aquarium filter to get their dentist owner to clean the tank? That scene always makes me think of kidneys – because without them, our bodies would become rapidly overloaded with waste products, just like that dirty…

Greetings, Health Tips readers! I’m sure you were all very sad to see Dr. D complete his final tip last week. After 12 years, and over 600 tips, he’s probably become like a little medical voice in your head. Well, that voice may be slightly higher in pitch now that…