7 - Uncertainty in Medicine: A Matter of Time

<p dir="ltr">This week, we explore how time and uncertainty are intertwined in the practice of medicine. A toxicologist faces a split-second decision in the ER that could mean life or death for a young patient. A woman with chronic ankle pain spends years searching for answers as dozens of doctors offer snap diagnoses and failed treatments. A rheumatologist navigates the slow, murky waters of autoimmune disease, where diagnosis and treatment often unfold over months or years. And a couple reckons with the long-term implications of a rare and unpredictable heart condition. Through these stories, we see how uncertainty can stretch time out endlessly or collapse it into a single moment and how, in medicine, working with time rather than fighting against it is often the only way forward.</p> <p dir="ltr">Find show notes, transcripts, and more at <a href="https://thenocturnists.org/">thenocturnists.org</a>, and subscribe to <a href= "https://thenocturnists.substack.com/">our substack</a>.</...