Friday Favorites 12/6/2013

When I was forty, I had a primary physician, Dr. Campagna, who was close to the perfect doctor for me.  He was my doctor.   My only doctor.  Oh, occasionally, I’d have to see a specialist for something … say, a tennis elbow operation or a torn meniscus … but they were one-malady-stands, not my doctors.  Between forty and sixty-nine, I have accumulated a few more medical companions.  There is my cardiologist who looked after me after several panic attacks posing as heart attacks and did a thorough workup when I passed out on my bicycle then crashed into a parked car.  I have my gastroenterologist who probes my insides every five years with a garden hose to make sure nothing unwanted has taken root there.  I acquired my urologist because … well, because an old(er) man needs a urologist.  I’ve heard older people complain about having to see doctors more often … and about the quality of medical care in the United States. I’m not one of those people.  My first sponsor … who is ten years older than I and traveled this path before me … always said, We’re lucky to live in a time when doctors can save us from ailments that would have been fatal only fifty years ago.  And my personal experience with doctors has been almost universally good.   That may be partly my attitude … I don’t expect them to be perfect and I’m rarely intimidated by them, even when they are arrogant.  They do work for me, after all, even if they don’t know it.

Monday Smiles – 10/25/2010

Over ten years ago, my wife noticed a small lump in her breast.   It turned out to be malignant and it took several surgeries to remove it to the surgeon’s satisfaction.   Through the surgery and subsequent radiation treatment, her grace was an inspiration to those around her and being by her side made me a better person.   Her recovery is a testament to the importance of early detection … including regular self-examinations and regular mammograms.   The likelihood of survival is excellent if the cancer is caught early.   If you’ve had breast cancer, it’s also very important to follow up with regular examinations, since recurrence does occur, although it becomes less likely as the years pass.