The Sully Movie: Three Physician Lessons Learned

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"I've had 40 years in the air, but in the end, I'm going to be judged by 208 seconds." This is a line spoken by Tom Hanks, who played the title role of Captain Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger. 

I remember being on twitter on Thursday, January 15, 2009, when I started seeing pictures of a plane in the water and people standing on the wings. I learned that it was US Airways Flight 1549. This was probably one of the first live events I witnessed with cable tv on one screen and my twitter feed on another screen. As we learned that all the passengers and crew were saved, it was fascinating to watch social media celebrate this.

The movie "Sully" markets itself as contrasting the positive press coverage of Captain Sully with the behind closed doors investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The Tom Hanks character did a great job depicting the roller coaster emotions going from confidence in his actions, to self doubt, and everything in between. 

There are three things that I learned about myself and my profession as a physician when I saw this movie. I learned it through three popular lines from "Sully" (these lines in the video trailer below)...

No One Ever Trained For An Incident Like That: I've been practicing medicine for 15 years and it would be naive for me to think that I have seen everything in medicine. Professionally, the best that I can do is to continue learning new information, to continue learning from my mistakes, and continue to try to keep current on the rapidly changing work of medicine.

I Did The Best I Could: In a profession that demands perfection, it would be naive for me to think that I will do everything perfect all of the time. Utilizing my knowledge, my experience, and my colleagues, I will do the best we can for our patients and their families.

I'm Going To Be Judged By 208 Seconds: No matter what has happened in the past, however positive past actions were, sometimes you will only be judged by the decisions made in the here and now. We live in a "what have you done for me lately" society, where blame is easily given. As a constant reality check for physicians, medicine has humbling axioms like, "It's not if you get sued, but when you get sued." Medicine does not have time for bad decisions, much like being a pilot.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the movie. And obviously, the movie had a happy ending. But in my own frame of mind, I tried to align the crises and decisions that a pilot makes, with the crises and decisions a physician makes. Thank you Captain Sully not only for saving all those people, but also for recharging my passion and my drive in the decisions that I make on a daily basis as a physician.

Random Thoughts During A Wedding

I went to a wedding today and it's going to sound weird, but it made me think of a lot of things. First, as I have discussed in a previous blog post, I was raised Roman Catholic, but I admit that calling myself a "practicing Catholic" would not be that accurate. But, being in this church brought back a lot of memories back to my 12 years of Catholic school. Today's wedding ceremony, and going to mass on holidays like Christmas and Easter, these really make me think about going back to church on a regular basis. Will I actually do it this time? We'll see.

Also, this ceremony made me think about my own wedding. Has it been almost 20 years since my own wedding? Where did time go? Going to a wedding ceremony in your 40s is a lot different than in your 20s. Hearing the priest talk about this couple's future really gave me a reality check. Where am I at compared to my wedding day? Have I fulfilled some of my goals and dreams that I had on my wedding day? What goals and dreams have changed since my wedding day almost 20 years ago? It's weird how a wedding really made me in a pensive mood. Maybe, I should just stop going to weddings. Ha!

Ohio's Photos Of The Heroin Epidemic

Not only has the state of Ohio been the epicenter of the US presidential political universe, but also, Ohio, unfortunately, has been in the news in the past few months, exhibiting the tragedy of America's Heroin Epidemic.

This week, the city of East Liverpool, Ohio, shared their story by sharing the photos below of a couple passed out, while their 4 year old child is in the back seat. There has been huge media reaction to these photos including this article from NBC News. In addition to this southeastern Ohio city, there has been articles from Cincinnati in southwest Ohio and Akron in northeast Ohio.

The social media reaction has been shocking. According to the local newspaper, about 24 hours after the facebook post was first made on the city of East Liverpool page, the story was viewed more than 1.2 million times. In addition, the post garnered over 20,000 shares, almost 3000 comments, and over 7000 "reactions." 

Many complained that they were offended that the city posted these picture, especially with the little boy's face not blurred out. "If I'd blurred out the face, you'd lose the effect of the picture," Police Chief John Lane said (East Liverpool Review newspaper), "When you see that little kid's face, that's the way he looked the entire time," Lane continued, "The officers that were there (said) the kid was completely emotionless the entire time. That tells you that the kid is seeing that on a daily basis, them passed out like that, it didn't even phase him. So you got to imagine what the poor little guy has to go through."

More quotes from Chief Lane: "This is exactly the point of putting that picture out there: it shakes the tree enough that we're going to get people to notice and start talking about this as a major issue. We need to stop trying to hide it. Some people were upset that this was put in the paper, or put online like that, but they can pull their head out of the sand. This is reality. This is what officers are dealing with daily, and they need the tools to fix the issue, not keep putting band-aids on it."

 I agree and I support the City of East Liverpool (close to where I live) for posting these pics. The only way that we will change this, is to know the real impact of The Heroin Epidemic.

September 11, 2001: Fifteen Years Later

September 11, 2001 has had a strong effect on my life. It is now 15 years later, and, in some ways, it still feels like yesterday. One of the very interesting things about my 10 year blogging life, is the opportunity to review, re-examine, and re-visit what I was thinking at each of these points. I share these throwback blog posts, podcasts, and videos with you. Some of these are very different, yet so the same.

September 8, 2006: Here is quote from a blog post entitled "National Anthem" -  "The crowd goes from a roar to absolute silence as all of us look to the farthest point of the stadium where the flag is seen in the night sky. And, for a moment, all of us forget about sport, and focus on what is really important"

September 11, 2008: This is my first podcast where I share thoughts about 9/11/2001. It's about a 20 minute program, but these are thoughts really speaking from my heart, and thoughts that I never ever thought I would have a chance to share with an audience. This was originally from Doctor Anonymous Podcast episode 48 from 2008.

September 11, 2010: This is a podcast where I did record the video part as well. Our pal Kat was part of this particular program as well, and I shared my thoughts at the time nine years following 9/11. This was from Doctor Anonymous Podcast episode 182, and I share video from the podcast as well.

September 9, 2013: In this podcast, I share my experience at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. The video and audio podcasts are below, but I also invite you to check out the corresponding blog post, which includes an accumulation of my tweets while I was at the site. This was from Mike Sevilla Podcast episode 315.

Ohio's Medical Marijuana: Four Reasons I Won't Prescribe It

Ohio's medical marijuana law begins today. And, I'm telling you right now, I will not prescribe it. Why? Well, the short answer is that that the regulations in Ohio haven't been figured out yet. So, don't even think about it in Ohio until approximately September 2018. Plus, the Ohio statue does NOT permit Smoking of medical marijuana, only "edibles, patches, oils, tinctures, and plant material." (Columbus Dispatch)

Setting that aside, my long answer to this question begins with me saying that I believe that I'm part of a large group of physicians in Ohio who are uncomfortable prescribing medical marijuana. I know that physicians are trying to be influenced by "famous" doctors like Sanjay Gupta in essays like "Why I Changed My Mind On Weed." Pressure is also coming from "famous" politicians and "famous" celebrities (influenced by pro-medical marijuana advocates) who are trying to put pressure on physicians to write for medical marijuana. I still have my doubts. Here are Four Reasons I am hesitant to prescribe medical marijuana in Ohio:

1. Ohio's Pill Mill Past: This state has been down this path before. In the past, it bowed to the political desires of the people in forcing physicians to act compassionate about patient's pain. Remember "Pain as the 5th Vital Sign?" Where did that get us? The state government having to crack down on "Ohio's Pill Mills" (meaning pain pill facilities), and now nationally, the US Surgeon General addressing the patient's Opioid Epidemic. Will Ohio have a "Pot Mill" future?

2. Failure From Other States: Some other states have been through this before, and we have a lot to learn. Pro-marijuana advocates point to the successes, but I point to an article entitled, "Why Montana Is Going Backward on Medical Marijuana." Are other states having similar experiences?

3. How Can I Get Sued? Medical liability is always a huge question on policy changes like this. Physicians are traditionally hesitant to prescribe any new medication, even when it has been tested and has received FDA approval. As we all know, medical marijuana has not had a lot of testing, and many physicians are skeptical because of the lack of current science and research that is presently out there. "But Mike, it has to be legal to do research," many will e-mail and tweet me. I understand this argument. But, physicians are not the only ones worried about medical marijuana liability. Ohio's Trumbull County, and Ohio cities like Parma & Avon Lake are so worried about liability that they are among a group of Ohio's municipalities who are putting a temporary moratorium on Ohio's medical marijuana law. How will employers in Ohio deal with the medical marijuana law?

4. Unintended Consequences: I invite you to check out the essay entitled, "The Unintended Consequences of Medical Marijuana," by Emily Gibson, MD. Her words sum it up better than I can: "[Medical Marijuana] just makes people so much less alive and engaged with the world. They are anesthetized to all the opportunities and challenges of life. You can see it in their eyes and hear it in their voices." What are other unintended consequences of medical marijuana?

So, over the next year or so, the press in Ohio will be covering this story in its usual sensational style, and writing stories about patients who could potentially benefit from medical marijuana. They will also say that, these potential patients will not be able to get medical marijuana yet, because the legislature is too slow, and the physicians are dragging their feet. Ohio's Medical Marijuana is really "be careful what you wish for." If not regulated correctly, and expectations are set too high, who will be harmed? It will be The Patient, and Ohio just can not let that happen...

Addendum: Thanks to WFMJ-TV in Youngstown, Ohio for interviewing me on September 15, 2016 for the story: "Salem Doctor Uncomfortable Prescribing Medical Marijuana"

The Innate Design

On Mike Sevilla Podcast Episode 360, I was honored to interview Melissa Aguirre and Kyle Hoedebecke about their new book entitled, "The Innate Design: Implementing Self-Healing Techniques For The Modern Patient." This book was released about a month ago! Melissa is a nationally registered yoga therapist specializing in scientifically based holistic health practices and education. Kyle is a board certified Family Physician, and is currently stationed in Seoul, Korea.

At the beginning of the podcast interview, they introduce themselves, and talk about how some in the general public are thirsting for knowledge about the mind/body connection, and seeking other solutions rather than traditional Western medicine treatments - namely, the treatments that I have been trained on, like medication treatments.

Because of time constraints, we were not able to do into a deep conversation about the book, but I hope to bring them back for an future podcast to have a more in depth discussion. But, the one take away point that Kyle wanted to point out is that pain control has been a hot button issue in the news lately, especially with the US Surgeon General really trying to address narcotic abuse. Kyle is hoping that health care professionals read the book to try to discuss yoga techniques with patients. Melissa really wanted to build a book for the general public to empower them to look elsewhere than "pill therapy," not only for pain and discomfort, but also mental health issues as well.

"The Innate Design" looks like a great book, and as I really a little bit in more depth, I hope to bring the co-authors back to have a deeper discussion. You can listen to the podcast in the player above, or you can download Mike Sevilla Podcast Episode 360 right here. In the mean time, I encourage you to check out the amazon like right here, and think about purchasing the book either in hardback, paperback, or kindle. Interesting stuff!

DoYoLive 2016 Digital Marketing Conference

I'm honored to be speaking at the First Ever DoYoLive Digital Marketing Conference in Youngstown, Ohio on the campus of Youngstown State University. The title of my talk is "Building A Brand In Digital Medicine." It will be a variation of my "Social Media and Medicine" talks that I have given in the past, as it will be tailored to a non-physician and non-medical audience. This has been the biggest challenge for me in preparation for this presentation.

I have made by slides available below via my slideshare account. I hope to be live video streaming the remarks via my Facebook account. In addition, I will be recording the session, and hopefully will be able to post up on my youtube channel in the future.

To follow the conference on twitter, check out the #DoYoLive hashtag. Also check out the DoYoLive Facebook page, the DoYoLive twitter account, and the DoYoLive instagram account. We hope to share this Youngstown, Ohio digital marketing conference with all of you out there on the internet.

Build A Brand In Digital Medicine: DoYoLive 2016 from Mike Sevilla

Live From The Republican National Convention in Cleveland

What's it like to be a delegate at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland? Well, I had the opportunity to record an interview via phone with my friend Dean Brandon who is a Dentist in Alabama. He was my guest on The Dr. Mike Sevilla Podcast - Episode 359.

As we recorded this interview, it is the morning following the speech by Vice Presidential candidate Mike Pence. But, the news highlighted the speech by Senator Ted Cruz, and the endorsement that didn't happen. We talked about that and the expectations for Trump's speech tonight.

At the end of this short interview, we talked about Dean experimenting with Facebook Live from the convention floor. One video is below and recorded before the Monday night session of the convention. We also talk about what the delegates do during the daytime in preparation for the evening convention sessions. Thanks again to Dean for taking some time out of a busy delegate's schedule. Maybe I'll do a follow-up interview with him to share some of the things he wasn't allowed to share while on site at the Q Arena...

Desperately Seeking Spirituality by Meredith Gould

"Desperately Seeking Spirituality" is about why and when traditional spiritual practices stop working. These are the words of Meredith Gould, the author of "Desperately Seeking Spirituality: A Field Guide To Practice." Meredith is my guest on The Mike Sevilla Podcast - Episode 358.

For the past few years, Meredith and I have been talking about the intersection of faith, spirituality, religion, medicine, and healthcare. I was raised Roman Catholic, and as a part of our discussions, I shared with her my frustrations with organized religion. She outlines some of this in the first section of her book.

In the second section of her book, Meredith outlines the five spiritual practices of being: Willingness, Curiosity, Empathy, Generosity, and Delight. I discuss in the interview, that not only does she outlines these practices in the book, she challenges the reader to examine themselves on each one of these practices. I know I was pretty arrogant to believe that I was exhibiting these practices all the time. But, when I put the spiritual mirror up to myself, there were times that I did not like what I saw. But, definitely a growing experience for me.

In the third and final section of the book. Meredith says now that you have these five spiritual practices of being, be careful and don't exhibit "Spiritual Practice Burnout," meaning going "all-in" on all of these practices, and eventually burnout and end up in the same place you were when you started the book. She also talks about "Relaxation and Rest," not "rest and relaxation," in chapter 12.

For me, I really enjoyed the book. As I've gotten to know Meredith through the past few years, I've come to appreciate her knowledge, her wisdom, and her wit. Not only does she make me laugh, she really makes me think about my life's journey, and she really makes me think about life's existential questions: "Who Am I?" and "Why am I here?"

At some point in the past, organized religion answered those questions for me. But, as many people, like me, describe themselves as spiritual but not religious, I'm looking to try to answer those questions looking away from organized religion, and looking in other directions. This book helps you find your own way, and where you end up, is up to you...

Drunkorexia Trend At College

You've heard of "Anorexia," right? Anorexia is an eating disorder where people have this excessive fear of gaining weight so that they severely restrict their food intake, and sometimes exhibit the tendency to purge their food.

Well, new research just released outlines a variation of that behavior called "Drunkorexia," espeically in college students. The main point of drunkorexia is to cut down on calories and instead save them for drinking. Its intent is also to increase a buzz while drinking. Some also deliberately purge during or afterward (daily mail).

This research was just released by the University of Houston which suggests that the behavior is more common that previously thought. Eight in ten students who had at least one heavy night of drinking in the month engaged in drunkorexia behavior. Scary....