Editors Choice

Clinic Notes: What My Patients Said This Week

Not everything I learn comes from a chart.

Sometimes it’s a look.

A line.

A moment that lands deeper than diagnosis.

This brief essay is a collection of those moments.

Brief.

Unexpected.

And always real.

“The Healing Power of Touch: A Patient’s Insight”

Image by CartoonCollections.com

This week, a patient shared a poignant realization that emerged after years of emotional distance from his wife.

They had grown apart, but recently discovered a shared need: the simple, profound act of touch.

He reflected on how a gentle hug or a reassuring hand on the shoulder seemed to bridge the emotional gap between them.

“I think we’re wired for this,” he mused, referencing hormones like oxytocin that respond to physical affection.

His insight aligns with scientific findings.

Oxytocin, often referred to as the “love hormone,” plays a crucial role in social bonding and emotional connection.

Studies have shown that affectionate touch can increase oxytocin levels, reduce stress, and foster feelings of trust and closeness.

In fact, research indicates that even brief moments of affectionate touch can lead to measurable increases in oxytocin, a hormone that contributes to an improved mood and reduced anxiety.

This finding underscores the biological underpinnings of our need for physical connection.

My patient’s experience serves as a reminder that sometimes, healing in relationships doesn’t require grand gestures — just a touch of understanding, quite literally.

For more reflections on connection at the edge of life, read my essay: What Dying Men Confessed When No One Was Listening.

“The Prostitute’s Pasta”

In oncology, gratitude comes in many forms — thank-you notes, quiet nods, even tears.

But sometimes, it arrives as a steaming pan of pasta.

One of our patients, an older Italian gentleman with a twinkle in his eye and impeccable taste, has taken to feeding the staff.

Not metaphorically — literally.

Lasagna, tiramisu, and even delicate cannoli are dusted with sugar like freshly fallen snow.

Today, he arrived bearing a new dish. “Pasta Puttanesca!” he announced proudly. “You know — the prostitute’s pasta.

A pause.

Then laughter. Nurses chuckled. My medical assistant nearly dropped her stethoscope.

He winked. “They say it was made quickly, between clients.”

Pasta Puttanesca,” he said with a wink. “The prostitute’s pasta.” We laughed — and ate every bite. ChatGPT created this image.

I’ll leave the etymology to linguists.

But I can tell you this: the olives were briny, the sauce was bold, and the gratitude was unmistakable.

This event was something else entirely in a world often defined by scans and side effects.

A recipe for connection.

Served al dente.

Note: For patient privacy, I have modified some details.

Here are my previous Clinic Notes essays:

  1. Clinic Notes 5/18/2025
  2. Clinic Notes 6/26/2025

Want more stories like these — plus the science behind living longer and better? I’ve distilled the most powerful lessons from oncology, aging research, and patient wisdom into my new ebook: Extending Life and Healthspan.

Practical, evidence-based, and full of humanity.

Michael Hunter, MD

I received an undergraduate degree from Harvard, a medical degree from Yale, and trained in radiation oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. I practice radiation oncology in the Seattle area.

Recent Posts

Ukraine: Worn Hearts, Steeled Resolve

I have traveled to Ukraine nearly 20 times. Each visit deepens my respect for how…

7 days ago

Medicaid at a Crossroads: Safe AI, Shifting Policy and the Stakes for People’s Health

Medicaid is one of America’s most complex and essential Federal health programs, serving more than…

3 weeks ago

Global childhood vaccination remains resilient, but equity cracks are widening

In 2024, immunisation data from WHO and UNICEF show that while 115 million infants (89%) received at…

3 weeks ago

Restrictive practices in medicine are holding high-income countries back

A paper in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is part of a…

3 weeks ago

The Trauma of Witnessing Charlie Kirk’s Murder and PTSD

The psychological effects of public space shootings extend beyond physical harm because they create a…

3 weeks ago

Guns, Race, and Profit: The Pain of America’s Other Epidemic

BOGALUSA, La. — Less than a mile from a century-old mill that sustained generations in…

1 month ago

This website uses cookies. Your continued use of the site is subject to the acceptance of these cookies. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more information.

Read More