Frequently, my patients will come to a visit and bring up a major concern: “Doc, I think I might have dementia; my memory seems to be slipping.” They might give examples of having difficulty finding words, forgetting people’s names, or just feeling like their thinking is slower. Many of them know a family member who had dementia, and they are worried.

Perhaps this is typical in most households, but maybe not. Whenever my wife has to leave town, she gets a bit uneasy about me being home with the kids by myself. I don’t think it’s necessarily a trust issue, but maybe an attention issue. You know, “take your eyes off the ball game every once in a while and check on the kids.”

When I was a young physician, we talked with almost religious zeal about the “Golden Hour.” Early on, this principally focused on the idea that within the first hour after an injury, a patient needed to receive definitive treatment in order to maximize the chances of survival, and recovery. We usually interpreted this to mean that the patient needed to be in the hands of the trauma surgeon before this hour was up. We took ATLS classes so we could make sure that the patient in our emergency room got the best treatment we non-surgeons could provide, until the surgeon could take over.

The first few weeks of the 2023 Nebraska legislative session are complete. The early session is shaping up to be one of the most promising we’ve had on a number of issues.

Nebraska has a rich heritage of military service. Over the years, thousands of Nebraskans have answered the call and served our country heroically.

I had the opportunity this week to appoint Nebraska’s next U.S. Senator, former Governor Pete Ricketts.

Every week is a crazy one one in our house, but last week we decided to extend the craziness to our staff here at the newspaper and to our extended family. When I found out my cousin was getting married last January, I told my wife that it doesn’t matter what we have going on - we’re dropping it and going.

When people talk about skin cancer the type that most people think about is melanoma. This skin cancer follows the ABCDE rules for diagnosis. A – Asymmetry, B – irregular Border, C – more than 1 Color, D – Diameter more than 6 mm, and E – expanding in size. However, these rules will not help find the most common type of skin cancer called a basal cell carcinoma.

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen announced his team has reached a breakthrough agreement with the State Law Enforcement Bargaining Council (SLEBC) that will take effect July 1, 2023. The agreement shows Governor-elect Pillen’s commitment to law and order and includes the largest pay increase for State Troopers in the past two decades.

This Monday is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day — an opportunity to thank the men and women who keep Nebraskans safe. It’s particularly important that we use this special day to celebrate our law enforcement officers because in some parts of the country their life-saving work is undervalued and even demonized.