GLP-1s have taken the medical world by storm — and for good reason. They have transformed the care of patients with diabetes, and have helped curb appetite for patients with obesity. Here I am interviewed by Dr. Mike Chupp for his Faith in Healthcare podcast — below see the description and link for the Apple Podcast episode, and then for …
(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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
(If the images do not come through on the newsletter, please go to my website www.amygivler.com to view them.) Stigma, anyone? I remember when I was diagnosed with cancer (Hodgkin’s lymphoma) in 1993 that I felt a tad of reluctance to tell people about it. It’s not that I could have kept it a complete secret, by any means, because …
My brother John Middendorf died suddenly on June 21, 2024. It has been three months, which seems unreal to me. Hasn’t it been an eternity? Then again, it feels like yesterday—or that it never happened at all. How could someone so alive now be dead? Losing him has felt like a ripping out of something central in my core. Until …
[One of the defining moments of my brother John’s life was nearly dying on a multi-day climb of Half Dome, in Yosemite Valley. I wrote his story (from his perspective) and it was published in Guideposts Magazine in May, 2000. I greatly appreciate Guideposts giving me permission to make it available to my readers. John died on June 21, 2024, and I miss him …
Lord willing, our generation will never go through another pandemic. Lord willing, those living with Long Covid will be restored to full health. Lord willing, we will all heal from the emotional trauma of these past four years. How I do pray that the Lord is willing! Hearing “Lord willing” makes me think of Madge Huff, who helped raise our …