The people who changed the world may surprise you

Patients are cool.   I did a colonoscopy on a hospitalized man who was saddled with the ravages of obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea and respiratory disease.  My partner had performed the initial consultation, and it was my task to bring light into a dark place by performing a colonoscopy.  I engaged in some conversation prior to the procedure, not simply to acquire relevant medical facts, but also to establish some rapport with a man I hadn’t met before, who I was poised to violate.  I learned that he was a Navy SEAL decades ago during the Vietnam war, and enjoyed some leisure time in Cambodia then.  He mentioned that he was waterboarded during his training repeatedly and described it as a routine exercise.  Yikes.  When I was his age, I was dissecting a cadaver in medical school.  The most risk I faced was crossing a New York City street. Fast food workers are cool.  I often stop in the morning at a McDonalds near one of the community hospitals we serve.   This is where I can spread out a few newspapers and sip a carbonated beverage that has zero nutritive value.  I love the older music that is piped in there from the 50s and 60s.  Denny serves me up when I arrive with courtesy and a smile.  He’s entered the senior phase of life, similar to many other workers at fast food establishments. Although the food may be fast, Denny isn’t.  He has one speed that is between neutral and first gear.  He’s the kind of guy who just can’t be rushed, despite whateve...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Physician GI Source Type: blogs