The Well blog has generated nearly 10,000 comments from readers in the 99 days since its launch this year.
Since my first post called DNA Isn’t Destiny on Sept. 24, a surprising 9,980 readers (at last count) have shared their stories, started heated debates and added much wisdom to every topic. There have been practical tips on insomnia and garlic breath, numerous tales about medical mistakes and patient travails, and inspirational and moving stories about the loss of loved ones. Readers from around the world, including Britain, France, Korea, China, India and Dubai, among other places, have dropped by to share their thoughts. And we’ve even had visits from Dracula and Santa Claus.
My favorite post of the year was A Military Doctor in Iraq, and Baby Blue, a story about a baby boy delivered by Dr. Frank Coppola, a Texas pediatric surgeon who regularly blogs about his experiences treating patients in Iraq for the United States military.
Here’s what you’ve been talking about:
10. The End of Childbirth 101? 228 readers weighed in to talk about why fewer women are taking birthing classes.
9. The Unwanted Bounce of Exercise 289 women, and a few men, shared their stories of bouncing breasts and body parts and the best jog bras to contain moving flesh.
8. A Wake-Up Call for Coffee Drinkers 313 coffee lovers brewed a heated debate about the merits of caffeine vs. decaf.
7. A High Price for Healthy Food 314 readers, many of them apparently lentil-eaters, generated a spirited discussion about whether it really costs more to eat healthfully.
6. A Doctor’s Disdain for Medical ‘Googlers’ 336 doctors and patients discussed New York surgeon Dr. Scott Haig’s contempt for a patient who “Googled” him.
5. Drug-Resistant Staph: What You Need to Know 355 germ carriers fretted about antibiotic use in humans and animals and other contributors to the superbug scare.
4. Five Easy Ways to Go Organic 461 people debated the merits of my list of strategic organic choices.
3. The Rights of Baby Boys 548 readers got personal, with stories about circumcision, the penis and their sex lives.
2. Curing Insomnia Without the Pills 599 insomniacs shared stories of sleep deprivation and tips to battle insomnia.
And the No. 1 most talked about Well blog post for 2007 was…
1. Unlocking the Benefits of Garlic 601 lovers and haters of garlic, plus a few vampires, addressed the pros and cons of the odoriferous bulb.