Making Sense of Medicine
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Disclaimer: I am not providing personal medical advice or establishing a doctor-patient relationship. This site is for informational purposes only.
A Proposal, Given Modestly
December, 2025
(With a Bow of Debt to Jonathan Swift) It is a melancholy thought to remember a needle piercing the skin of one’s child – a mere babe – causing this precious offspring to howl with anguish. And for what? You brought said infant to the doctor in a state of health, and now a needle has penetrated that pristine skin. You want to howl in anguish yourself. The fluid in the syringe attached to that needle is an inoculation – admittedly a clever stratagem – that utilizes the child’s own immune system to keep various infectious agents from causing disease. ...
Lasting Lessons from a Toddler: How I Became a Vaccine Enthusiast
August, 2025
Can you pinpoint the day when your mind became convinced of something? I can think of one. The exact day I became a Vaccine Enthusiast was the morning after a call night during residency. I had stayed at the bedside of a toddler with meningitis due to Hemophilus influenza type B (Hib). I am pretty sure I saved his life multiple times that night. The spinal tap had essentially dripped pus, and it took a lot of effort to keep him from crashing. By the morning I knew he was going to live. This was in 1986, when the vaccine for ...
Like Mother, Like Daughter
March, 2025
by Amy Givler, MD; and Martha Grace Courtright, MD This article first appeared in Christian Medical and Dental Associations‘ magazine, CMDA Today, Spring 2025 edition. Amy Dear Martha Grace, You ask how I came to choose medicine. I guess I’d have to say it chose me. That is, I was 12 years old when I first heard and responded to the good news of salvation through Jesus, and simultaneously, in some mysterious way, I knew I was supposed to be a doctor. I had never considered medicine before I became a Christian, and afterward I never considered anything else. Mom ...
Trusting Vaccines
February, 2025
Every year the ACIP meets three times a year to discuss vaccines. The ACIP is the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. One important task of the ACIP is to help choose the particular components of the flu vaccine that will be given in the fall. This is always a bit of a guess, because the vaccine release date is six months away, and the question is which flu strains will be the biggest threat at that time. The influenza virus is quite sneaky – shifting and changing often. Every year flu experts study which strains are most likely to cause ...
The Conquest of Driskill Mountain: A Worthy New Year’s Resolution
December, 2024
If you are like me, every year January 1st catches me by surprise. That is, Christmas (preparations for which consumed my December) is barely over when I’m asked to make a New Year’s resolution. Could it be that time again? So this year I’m starting to think about it now, mid-December, and hope you do too. If you need ideas, here’s one for you: You could climb all of the “high points” in every state and join a lively community of folks who are doing just that. Did you know that was a thing? Now you know. It is a ...
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Author, Physician, Survivor
Meet Amy
Amy Givler is a family physician and writer in Monroe, Louisiana. She and her fellow-physician husband Don have long cared for the medically underserved both in this country and in others. She wrote her book, Hope in the Face of Cancer: A Survival Guide for the Journey You Did Not Choose, to help cancer patients cope with the new and shocking diagnosis -- so they can move forward and get the help they need.
My Book
Hope in the Face of Cancer
“My aunt is still fighting her battle, and she would recommend this book to anyone who is on the same journey.”
- Amazon review
Amy Givler, M.D., a cancer survivor, shares her experience and the stories of others with the voice of encouragement, faith, and strength she so desperately needed at the point of her diagnosis. With medical knowledge and insight into the path to come, Dr. Givler is able to offer answers and hope as she discusses: looking at cancer through the lens of hope; seeking, evaluating, and making decisions for treatment; drawing closer to God along the journey; and facing family and friends.
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