Exploring the Jungle - a Column by Mary Lott

Learning the labyrinthine lexicon of cold agglutinin disease

“Can we read ‘Go, Go, Go’ again?” My student was eager to revisit this story, one she’d successfully read the previous week. “Go, Go, Go” is one of the “Dick and Jane” emerging reader series by William S. Gray, which was popular in the 1950s. My student’s new skills opened…

I find solace in the benefits of gardening and warm weather

Summer is my all-time favorite season and always has been. I’ve been a dreamer all my life, and my favorite pastime when I was younger was to take a book outside, find a place in the woods or beneath a bush and read. I’d watch fluffy, cumulus clouds meander through…

The ‘rule of 3’ can apply to useful medical metrics, as well

Note: This column was updated July 25, 2025, to correct the term coagulate to agglutinate.  Three points make a plane. I learned this rule back in eighth-grade geometry class. At the time it was a bit of pointless trivia I filed away, but it was my introduction to the significance…

How weekend fatigue turned me into a homebody

A friend of mine asked me, “You’re always staying home. Have you always been a homebody?” I got mad. This comment was many years ago, and it still irritates. But I didn’t express my irritation to my friend. They couldn’t have known that their words were insulting to me; plus,…

My CAD symptoms were hidden, but I knew something was wrong

I haven’t felt well since early February. Many days I haven’t wanted to get out of bed. Even pushing the covers off or pulling them over me takes a gargantuan effort. Healthcare providers have told me I don’t look anemic, that I seem fine, but I knew my blood work…

How I’m using kintsugi to repair a coffeepot and heal with CAD

I was heartbroken when I unpacked my luggage a couple weeks ago and found my beautiful coffeepot smashed into 22 pieces with accompanying shards and small chips. In my tiredness, a moment of good decision-making pressed through: I didn’t throw it away, as is my current habit. I knew I…