If you believe we are facing a global climate crisis, increasing threats of war, and endless political conflict no matter who becomes our next President, you are rightly concerned about our future. I recently returned from the library, usually, a place of comfort and calm. I checked out the “new book” shelf and found End Times:...Continue reading
Category: Family
Reversible Azoospermia and the Power of Observation
A couple that had recently emigrated from Myanmar (Burma) was desperate to have a child. However, they had just received terrible news. He was diagnosed with testicular masses on both sides, and it was recommended that he have both testicles removed for fear of cancer. Surgery was planned in 2 days, and a semen sample...Continue reading
What I’ve Learned About Life After Infertility
The couple hailed from Mexico and came to me after all prior attempts to conceive had failed. She was 20 and he was 24 years old and had been told that he was azoospermic, meaning he lacked sperm. He underwent sperm mapping with me and it showed that in fact he did have sperm. They thanked me and...Continue reading
Common Sex Myths About Trying to Conceive
She just “pulled the goalie” and stopped her contraceptive. It’s now time to have that baby you’ve been talking about. You find yourself both excited and a bit scared about what happens next. And hopefully, it will happen. In fact, the odds are in your favor that it will happen, since this is one of...Continue reading
Preparing for Your Visit with an Infertility Specialist
You’ve been trying most of your adult life to not get someone pregnant. But now you really want rug rats…and it isn’t happening. The look on her face when her period comes every month is something you dread as much as she does. It’s time to get your fertility checked. Yes, men have infertility doctors, too....Continue reading
The Skinny on Marijuana and Fertility
In 1996, California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana, sparking a trend that now includes 30 states. Five years ago, Colorado and Washington became the first of 11 states to legalize recreational cannabis. Currently, pot is the most widely consumed semi-legal recreational drug in the western world with an estimated 250 million users, including 1 in 7 Americans who use...Continue reading
Slow Children Playing. Really Slow…
Dear Mr. Dad: The Olympics are just around the corner and I’ve been wondering whether American athletes are going to compete, given the epidemic of childhood obesity that we keep hearing about. If our kids are so out of shape, how will we ever be able to compete? A: Back when I was in the fourth...Continue reading
Why “Good Enough” is “Exctly Enough”
Dear Mr. Dad: My husband and I just divorced, as amicably as possible. We’ve heard a lot a lot about how children in divorced families act out, get bad grades in school, take drugs, have all sorts of mental health problems, and on and on. Frankly, both of us are worried that our children are...Continue reading
Control vs. Influence: They’re Not the Same
Dear Mr. Dad: I have a 14-year-old son and I think it’s high time to start preparing him for the future. We want to ensure that he’s on the right career path, whether than means going to college, trade school, or something else after he graduates high school. Granted, he’s only a freshman, but I’m...Continue reading
Can Tomato Puree Improve Male Fertility?
Tomatoes have had a good year in my field. This tasty little fruit-vegetable (yes, it’s both) has always been a workhorse dietary antioxidant. And when cooked into a sauce or paste, the all-star phytonutrients in tomatoes, including lycopene and Vitamins A and C, become even more concentrated. But could eating tomatoes also improve reproductive health?...Continue reading