Sugar & Lemons
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Got a call last night from a guy I've known for over forty years, but rarely talk with. That happens when you live half of the country away from each other and don't see each other but once a decade. But we have some mutual friends that kind of keep us up to date.
Jerry (not his real name) was one of five children in a family of overachievers. One sister is a clinical psychologist, the other is a NP working in a cardiology practice. The oldest brother is a lawyer, his younger brother is a CPA who owns a factory and a few shoe stores. Jerry is an ophthalmologist. Jerry's dad was a physician. His mother was head of the education department at a college.
He was raised in a quiet, but deeply Christian family, with an emphasis on service. That's why he called me last night. He's trying to get some stuff together for a group of docs doing some medical mission work in Peru. Jerry can't go. He's just doing some of the leg work.
A little digression... I talked a bit about Jerry's family. Coming from a big family, he wanted a big family of his own. Boy, did he marry the right girl... She loved children and was good at having them. With her first, she went into labor and had her baby in just a few hours. Subsequent pregnancies resulted in even easier births. Jerry delivered his last two of five children at home.
Things were really good. He had a good practice in Virginia, with good partners. They had a strong church family and he participated in a lot of medical mission work, mostly in South America. The kids grew up, as kids tend to do. The oldest girl got married and the house became a wee bit quieter, with two kids in college and two still at home.
And then Jerry got Parkinson's.
Not a disease you want, if your hands need to do exacting work. Sadly, work that took many years of training to do. No more OR for Jerry. He continued to work in the practice, doing routine exams and pre-op screenings, etc. Always having to balance meds and eventually an implant. Still helping out with the mission work, until it was impractical to travel. Nowadays, I think he mostly does some contract work with the help of his wife, reviewing medical charts and some other things.
And then Jerry had a MI last year.
He'd had a little angina and was scheduled for a cath. His doc had told him to get some nitro, just as a precaution. Turns out, he needed it. But between his regular aspirin regimen, some nitro and a quick trip to a very nearby hospital, Jerry picked up a couple of stents and not much else. His damage was very minimal and does not impact heart function much at all. Just another health problem to monitor, treat and keep in your mind.
Especially as you get older or become ill, a man has to accept his limitations. Jerry has, but he was very upbeat last night. As I understand it, that's his normal, everyday outlook on life. Sure, he's never going to wield a laser again, do a nice cataract stitch or even work in the office, but he can still do some work. He still has his strong faith. He's able to help a little bit with the medical mission work.
And loving family as he does, he now has eight grandchildren. I'm sure they'll be more. We spent more time talking about grandkids, than the entire rest of the call.
Jerry is a happy man.
There's an old saw about when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. Sadly, that's a tough thing to do for a lot of people. But I think Jerry has done it. Smart guy with a M.D., good practice good career...Now mostly in ashes, caused by a serious medical problem that will only get worse. Lemons, indeed.
Jerry has managed to squeeze those lemons and added in some sugar...The sugar of deep faith, a great wife, five children and the laughter of eight grandchildren.
Lemons, sugar and some water. Jerry knows how to make lemonade.
And enjoy it.
“Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”
Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton
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Got a call last night from a guy I've known for over forty years, but rarely talk with. That happens when you live half of the country away from each other and don't see each other but once a decade. But we have some mutual friends that kind of keep us up to date.
Jerry (not his real name) was one of five children in a family of overachievers. One sister is a clinical psychologist, the other is a NP working in a cardiology practice. The oldest brother is a lawyer, his younger brother is a CPA who owns a factory and a few shoe stores. Jerry is an ophthalmologist. Jerry's dad was a physician. His mother was head of the education department at a college.
He was raised in a quiet, but deeply Christian family, with an emphasis on service. That's why he called me last night. He's trying to get some stuff together for a group of docs doing some medical mission work in Peru. Jerry can't go. He's just doing some of the leg work.
A little digression... I talked a bit about Jerry's family. Coming from a big family, he wanted a big family of his own. Boy, did he marry the right girl... She loved children and was good at having them. With her first, she went into labor and had her baby in just a few hours. Subsequent pregnancies resulted in even easier births. Jerry delivered his last two of five children at home.
Things were really good. He had a good practice in Virginia, with good partners. They had a strong church family and he participated in a lot of medical mission work, mostly in South America. The kids grew up, as kids tend to do. The oldest girl got married and the house became a wee bit quieter, with two kids in college and two still at home.
And then Jerry got Parkinson's.
Not a disease you want, if your hands need to do exacting work. Sadly, work that took many years of training to do. No more OR for Jerry. He continued to work in the practice, doing routine exams and pre-op screenings, etc. Always having to balance meds and eventually an implant. Still helping out with the mission work, until it was impractical to travel. Nowadays, I think he mostly does some contract work with the help of his wife, reviewing medical charts and some other things.
And then Jerry had a MI last year.
He'd had a little angina and was scheduled for a cath. His doc had told him to get some nitro, just as a precaution. Turns out, he needed it. But between his regular aspirin regimen, some nitro and a quick trip to a very nearby hospital, Jerry picked up a couple of stents and not much else. His damage was very minimal and does not impact heart function much at all. Just another health problem to monitor, treat and keep in your mind.
Especially as you get older or become ill, a man has to accept his limitations. Jerry has, but he was very upbeat last night. As I understand it, that's his normal, everyday outlook on life. Sure, he's never going to wield a laser again, do a nice cataract stitch or even work in the office, but he can still do some work. He still has his strong faith. He's able to help a little bit with the medical mission work.
And loving family as he does, he now has eight grandchildren. I'm sure they'll be more. We spent more time talking about grandkids, than the entire rest of the call.
Jerry is a happy man.
There's an old saw about when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. Sadly, that's a tough thing to do for a lot of people. But I think Jerry has done it. Smart guy with a M.D., good practice good career...Now mostly in ashes, caused by a serious medical problem that will only get worse. Lemons, indeed.
Jerry has managed to squeeze those lemons and added in some sugar...The sugar of deep faith, a great wife, five children and the laughter of eight grandchildren.
Lemons, sugar and some water. Jerry knows how to make lemonade.
And enjoy it.
@Jolly Great story about a good man.
@Mik said in Sugar & Lemons:
You can choose to be grateful for what you have, or to be miserable for what you don't.
Exactly!
