"Some of your intestine has gone bad, and we have to cut out the bad part and sew the two good ends together, " the physician explained.

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In a recent post on the influential kevinmd.com website, a physician comfortable with the web and blogging explained why he had become disillusioned with email communication with patients except under certain circumstances.

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The significance or possible cause of any abnormal or "out-of-range" result is explained in the notebook, and the client can also discuss any questions with the physician who walks them through the report.

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