Author: wellthy

In an article published this week on KevinMD, Dr. Kevin Lamb put forth his 10 commandments of a “Servant Leader.”

1. People are your most precious resource; take care of them.

2. “Clothe yourself with humility.”

3. Eat and sleep last. (Your people’s needs come before your needs.)

4. “Open wide your heart.” (Being transparent.)

5. Trust is the foundation of all relationships.

6. Make a difference each day, one life at a time.

7. Encourage, teach, and mentor every chance you can.

8. Every day is a good day, and some days are better than others. (Having a positive attitude.)

9. Listen more and talk less.

10. Learn to follow. (Much about leadership, both good and bad, can be learned in being a follower first.)

I particularly liked number ten.  When leaders forget how to follow, they often lose touch with the people they are leading.  Many of our governmental leaders have been in politics so long it appears they have lost touch with reality. They argue over whether a relief check should be $1,200 or $1,600, while the people who need the money the most starve.

From earliest childhood and throughout life, leaders helped shape my future.  I’ve written on multiple occasions about the teachers and mentors I’ve been blessed to have had, as well as those teachers who were curses.  Dr. Lamb’s ten commandments should be required reading for teachers and mentors.

While I’m on this subject, teachers should be among the highest paid professionals.  Their role in society is critical and, unfortunately, often undervalued.  We trust them with our children’s future.  A good teacher can turn a child’s desire to learn on while a bad teacher can do the opposite, perhaps even stunting a child’s ability to learn.

I’ll end with the sixth commandment, “Make a difference each day, one life at a time.”  Even if you are not a teacher or mentor, work everyday of your life to make positive differences in every interaction you have.

Now for a few jokes:

Homework is the teacher’s way of knowing how smart the parent is.

Giving your kid a recorder and telling him/her to go home and practice is the teacher’s way of getting revenge for society under paying them so much.

Teacher – There is no such thing as a stupid question.

Student – Are sharks just men dolphins?

Teacher – OK, I was wrong.

I had no idea I lived such a privileged life.  Afterall, I only have one life to live; and I lived it well, as did my patients and friends.  Living in Illinois was like being in a giant, plush cocoon.  I worked hard, played hard and enjoyed life to its fullest until I got sick.  Even then, I didn’t fully appreciate how good I had it.

In June, I moved to North Carolina.  My safe, plush cocoon ruptured.  I found myself in a foreign land, devoid of the privileges I had come to expect.  The first cold hard slap across the face was when I entered the medical world as a patient, devoid of my former credentials.

I loved being a doctor.  I hate being a patient.  I have to admit my shift in roles has taught me some very valuable lessons but has come at a cost.  No longer can Dr. Segal get put through to his doctor.  No longer does Dr. Segal get instant appointments.  My left hand is killing me.  I need surgery.  I’ve needed surgery for 2 months and my appointment is in mid-May.

Today, my car needs service.  Renee and I are supposed to go on the road this afternoon to dine with an old friend.  Motorwerks would have told me to come in ASAP.  They would have had a loaner for me. It’s time for a brief story.  One of my first patients was in for a URI.  He asked me if I had seen the new BMWs to which I replied, “No, and I’m not in the market for a new car.”  He handed me the keys and said “just drive it around the block once.  It’s outside.”  It was a slow day so I took a ride with him.  When we got back, he said, “Why don’t you take it home tonight?  Have some fun.”  That started a long love affair with BMWs.  Anyway, after multiple calls to the dealer here, I finally got them to agree to look at the car today.  They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  I squeaked loudly this am. 

Next, the homeowner’s association is responsible for lawn upkeep.  Their gardeners are sloppy, moving whatever they want to wherever they want it and never putting it back.  Complaining falls on deaf ears.  Thank you, Jason and John.

Lastly, I was privileged to be part of the finest families and community I could ever find.  Sure, my new community is great but there is nothing better than knowing and caring for multiple generations of the same families.  My professor at UVa once said, “If you want to be successful at any new venture, find a brand-new McDonalds and open up next door.  In 1984, there was a brand-new McDonalds right across the street from a brand-new Burger King; and Dr Best was right.  Lake Zurich grew into a thriving young community and then aged with me.

My list is a mile long.  There are two important points I want to make in this article.  One, be thankful for the people in your community who make your life easier; and two, thank them profusely!  Thank you everybody who made my Illinois cocoon a safe and comfortable.

I miss all of you!

Here’s your joke for the day:

A thief breaks into a house and finds a man and a woman home.  After tying them up, he demands that the man give him all his money and valuables.  The man starts to cry and pleads with the burglar, “Please, just untie her and let her go; and I’ll give you anything you want.  The thief was moved by the man’s pleas and says, “Wow, you must really love your wife.”  The man answers, “Not particularly, but she’ll be home any minute now!”

In a recent internet article, Dr. Lydia Segal starts by stating, “What I write today is true today. New information is rapidly emerging and updates are forthcoming when relevant.”  No, I don’t think Lydia is related to me but, after reading her article, I would gladly claim her as a relative if I could.

Dr. Segal’s article is about “long Covid or long haulers,” a poorly understood entity wherein people who have recovered from Covid have persistent symptoms greater than 28 days post infection.  Their symptoms last 4-6 months on average and may be improved with the administration of mRNA vaccines.

Despite over 550,000 deaths from Covid, despite the existence of long haulers, despite post Covid depression and PTSD, there exists a large group of individuals who continue to believe that Covid is a governmental hoax perpetrated on the worlds’ population for some nebulous reason.  Some of these individuals are my friends. The only thing I know for sure is that Covid is real.

Covid is unlike any virus I’ve ever seen and is extremely dangerous.  Being vaccinated against Covid is critical and the doubters who spew their garbage theories on the internet could be labeled as bioterrorists.  My fear is that negative publicity surrounding the J&J vaccine will be used by the doubters to dissuade individuals from getting vaccinated.

Those of you who got their yearly influenza vaccine in my office will remember reading and signing an informed consent form prior to being vaccinated.   If you were one of the few who read the form, you will remember that 1 in 1,000,000 patients receiving the vaccine would get Guillian Barre Syndrome and that GBS was fatal in a number of cases.  I never had a patient refuse the flu shot because of the 1 in 1,000,000 life threatening risk.  The risk of the J&J vaccine is miniscule; and taking the J&J vaccine, if it is your only choice, is certainly acceptably according to NIH.

I wish Covid was an elaborate farce. It is not. Covid is a nasty adversary.  Please don’t let your guard down.  Get vaccinated!  The life you save may be your own.

Here’s today’s joke:

A woman told her friend, “I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor’s permission to join a fitness club and start exercising.” She said, “So, I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down and perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the

My neighbors are working around their houses: planting, painting and prepping for summer.  After all, their houses shelter their bodies, providing comfort, safety and sustenance.  While houses are built to last a lifetime, they need maintenance and, if you use my neighbors as examples, tender, loving care!

Your body is built to last a lifetime, as well.  Your body shelters your soul!  It, too, needs tender loving care!  The following article is one of my favorites.  Short and sweet.

WHAT’S EASIER?

What’s easier: caulking and painting your house’s exterior or letting it rot and eventually replacing it? The answer is simple, isn’t it?

What’s easier: checking and replacing the brakes on your car when they are worn or dealing with the carnage when the brakes fail? Again, the answer is obvious!

So, what makes sense: taking care of your body by eating the right foods, exercising and seeing your doc for yearly physicals and routine maintenance or letting your body go to fat, your belly sag over your belt and your muscles atrophy from disuse. The answer should be obvious, shouldn’t it? Unfortunately, it’s not!

Many of my patients take their health for granted! They feel well! They’ve never been sick a day in their lives. They work hard at making a living but invest little in staying healthy. Then catastrophe hits and they are sick! Their blood pressure is elevated. They are diabetic or worse; they have a heart attack or stroke. Recovery is a bitch!

It’s no secret. It’s easier to maintain your health than to restore it once you’ve lost it. So, this year, work hard at maintaining your health. Make sure your spring-cleaning list entails cleaning up your diet, tightening up your waistline and exercising. The life you save may be your own.

Here’s your joke for today:

A teacher asks the students the following questions:

“Who created the universe?”

Johnny, who’s sitting behind Jenny, pokes her with a pencil.

Jenny exclaims, “Oh, God!!”

Teacher says, “Excellent, Jenny”.

The teacher then asks again, “Who was the son of God?”

Johnny pokes Jenny again and she shrieks, “Oh, Jesus!”

Teacher, happy with Jenny, asks her another question, “What did Eve say to Adam after the birth of their 17th child?” Johnny pokes Jenny again, but this time Jenny outrageously shouts, “If you poke me with that thing again, I’ll break it in two a

Once again, I find myself looking through my old blogs searching for inspiration and wisdom.  This morning, I found an article from 2014 that was inspired by Mr. Wonderful.  My old readers will remember Mr. Wonderful (W).  Let me take a minute to introduce Mr. W to my new readers.

Mr. W is an older gentleman who has turned his life and health around using a vast assortment of tools he keeps in a notebook.  He has hundreds of positive quotes and inspirational axioms that he uses to bolster his will power and keep him moving in the right direction.

I continue to feel lousy and uninspired.  I force myself to exercise in the morning but do not enjoy it.  I force myself to sleep with my CPAP and my night guard but really see very little benefit. The only things that come naturally and create joy are being with my family, writing this blog, Rock Steady and eating.

I’ve been warned by my neurologist that Parkinsonian meds can cause compulsive behaviors.  Eating has become a compulsion!  I’ve treated patients with compulsive eating disorders in the past.  It’s not easy (I’d gladly trade compulsive eating with compulsive sex but I’m afraid it would kill Renee.)

A great deal of my problem is my weight.  I am approaching the size of a blimp.  I need to shop in the “Big and Tall” section, only I’m not tall.  My shirt could serve as a tent and house a family of four.  My buddy, Will Power, still hasn’t shown up.  Hopefully, the article published on April 23, 2014 will help me find the will to get my weight down to a more respectable level and help me find the path back to health and Wellth.

I’m definitely on the back nine and I want to play every hole I can.  So, what can I do?  One thing Mr. W used to say is, “If you fall down five times, get up six times.” I didn’t fall down, I got knocked down by Parkinson’s, my back surgery and the loss of my profession/calling.  I keep trying to get up but, so far, have been unsuccessful. Every morning I tell myself I will get up!  Today’s the day!  Today I’ll eat healthy salads, grilled skinless chicken breast and have Renee for dessert.  That’s a good start!

I called Mr. W yesterday. I wish I could go to lunch with him.  Hopefully, he’ll send me another copy of his book.  He’s been a patient, mentor and friend for years.  I’m sure talking to him will help me get up and move on.

I hope this blog will find its way to others, like me, who need a bit of inspiration and wisdom to get them back on their feet.  If writing about the transition from doc to patient and the insights a patient/doc helps one person, then I’ve done my job.

Here’s today’s jokes:

I’m so fat I could provide shade.

There are more calories in my stomach than the local grocery store.

I’ve been told that inside every fat person, there’s someone beautiful… I’m just wondering who the hell I ate?

The following document speaks for itself.  Hopefully, you have already covered items 1-27.  If not, it is time to become a responsible patient so, sign up and get started.

I AM A RESPONSIBLE PATIENT

I, ______________, am a responsible patient.  As such, I take full responsibility for my health and my healthcare.  My responsibilities include but are not limited to:

1. Learning how to promote my own health and wellness.
2. Learning how to deal with illness, both acute and chronic.
3. Actively working to eliminate those unhealthy habits I have acquired over my lifetime.
4. Eating properly, exercising, and striving to eliminate those stressors within my control.
5. Seeking medical advice when appropriate.
6. Understanding the medical advice I receive.
7. Asking questions when I do not understand the advice offered.
8. Following the medical advice when mutually agreed upon by my doctor and me.
9. Taking my medications as prescribed.
10. Notifying my doctor prior to stopping my medication.
11. Notifying my doctor should I have any adverse reaction from my prescribed treatments.
12. Keeping a list of all medications, both prescription and non-prescription (including herbals, homeopathic, and nutraceuticals), that I take and who prescribed them.
13. Bringing my medication list to the office at every visit.
14. Knowing when I will need refills and not running out of pills.
15. Completing diagnostic tests (lab, x-ray, EKG, etc.) in a timely fashion.
16. Keeping my follow up appointments.
17. Seeing consultants when necessary.
18. Understanding my diagnosis, learning about its effects on my body and how I can help manage it.
19. Studying and learning about my diagnosis.
20. Being an active partner in my medical care.
21. Notifying my doctor when I have added other professionals to my healthcare team.
22. Being honest about what I am doing, taking, and who I am seeing.
23. Paying the bill on time.
24. Setting up a payment schedule when I cannot pay the bill and following that schedule.
25. Know the rules of my insurance policy, what benefits are covered and what are not.
26. Notifying the office if any contact information changes occur.
27. Having an emergency contact listed should critical information need to be relayed to me.

My health is important to me, my family, and loved ones.  I will work hard to care for myself.  I understand that my doctor cannot help me if I will not help myself.  I expect my doctor to offer me his/her best advice based on his/her medical training.  I understand that, without my active participation, my doctor’s ability to help me is limited.  I understand that my doctor is the consulting partner, I am the working partner.  Working together, we can accomplish great things.

Signature____________________       Date___________

Here’s your joke for the day:

Arthur Davidson, of the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Corporation, died and went to heaven.

At the gates, St. Peter told Arthur, “Since you’ve been such a good man and your motorcycles have changed the world, your reward is, you can hang out with anyone you want in Heaven.”

Arthur thought about it for a minute and then said, “I want to hang out with God.”

St. Peter took Arthur to the Throne and introduced him to God.

Arthur then asked God, “Hey, aren’t you the inventor of women?”

God said, “Ah, yes.”

“Well,” said Arthur, “professional to professional, you have some major design flaws in your invention.”

   1. There’s too much inconsistency in the front-end protrusions.

   2. It chatters constantly at high speeds.

   3. Most of the rear ends are too soft and wobble too much.

   4. The intake is placed way too close to the exhaust.

and finally,

   5. Maintenance costs are outrageous.

“Hmmmm, you may have some good points there,” replied God, “hold on.”

God went to his Celestial supercomputer, typed in a few words and waited for the results.  The computer printed out a slip of paper and God read it.

“Well, it may be true that my invention is flawed,” God said to Arthur, “but according to these numbers, more men are riding my invention than yours.”

OMG!  “Oh my God” used to be what you would say when something dramatic happened in life.  Now OMG is loosely used, on a daily basis, in response to a myriad of subjects, some good and some bad.  In the last few weeks, I’ve had two OMG events and I would like to share them with you.

First, a little background information.  In building and furnishing my new home, I’ve come to expect mediocrity as a standard of American craftmanship.  Yes, the builders who mass produced the houses on my block showed very little care/pride in the work they did.  They literally cut corners so poorly that they applied puddy to the gaps rather than properly miter the joints.  Like many companies, their mission statement sounds great but, in reality, is meaningless.

As to the furniture I purchased, almost every piece arrived defective and had to be replaced.  Some of the furniture was built in America, some overseas.  Regardless, name brand furniture was again built by individuals who obviously took no pride in their work.  I live in North Carolina, the furniture capital of America, and I can’t find a quality manufacturer.

I was taught to do my best at whatever I did.  I took pride in my work effort and the results of my care.  Seeing the lack of pride the builders of my house and furniture put forth was disheartening.  Lucky for me, my neighbors sent me two very talented and proud individuals.

I’ve had two OMG interactions in the last few weeks that have restored my faith in American workers.  Recently, I’ve written about sex in an attempt to increase my readership (and address topics most readers are hesitant to discuss).  Both my garden consultant and painter talked about their services in loving terms that were almost orgasmic in intensity.

My garden consultant loves growing food.  She designed and built elevated gardens for me.  When the gardens were finished and filled with dirt and mulch, she ran her fingers through the soil and, had I filmed the look on her face and her body language, you might believe you were watching a sex act in progress.  Seeing someone who truly loves her work was fantastic.  Being the recipient of a job well done is marvelous.  She is teaching me about growing food in NC and I’m currently growing all sorts of greens, carrots, onions and parsnip.  Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers for gazpacho and salads galore.

Last night, the painter stopped in to discuss cost and colors.  It was the first time we had met him and it was the most amazing OMG experience.  His energy was evident.  He looked at our house through the eyes of a young artist (even though he is in his 60s) and was excited at the potential he saw in the walls.  At one point, his excitement was such that I was sure he was going to have the big “O”.  Again, meeting a true craftsman who loves his trade and loves sharing it with others was excitement. 

These two individuals share a common sense of pride in what they do.  Being proud of your work and lot in life should be routine, not rare/infrequent.  Loving what you do is important but being able to share that love with others is amazing.

Certainly, my builder and furniture manufacturers could learn much from these seemingly unique individuals.  I was not looking forward to living through the hassles of painting a house. Now, Renee and I are excited about painting the house. Working with our painter and garden consultant is going to be fun.  I can’t wait.

Here’s your jokes:

What do a penis and a Rubik’s Cubes have in common?

The more you play with it, the harder it gets.

What does one saggy boob say to the other saggy boob?

If we don’t get some support, people will think we’re nuts.

What’s the best part about gardening?

Getting down and dirty with your hoes.

How is a girlfriend like a laxative?

They both irritate the shit out of you.

What’s up?  Renee and I have spent the morning looking for things to do.  We’ve had Covid and we’ve had the first vaccine.  We continue to wear masks in public.  While we are no longer scared of dying from Covid, we are being extra careful about the venues we frequent.

Eating is a large part of our lives.  We look for restaurants that are essentially empty or that have open air facilities.  Having had Covid once is enough to convince me I never want it again.  We do, however, want to go back to living.

We want to learn about our new home state.  It’s time to take a few road trips.  I’ve heard Ashville is gorgeous.  We want to see the mountains and the coast.  We get our second shot next week.  Two weeks after that, still wearing our masks, we should be good to go.

We will have taken every precaution possible.  If God calls, we’ll go no matter what we do.  If he does call us home, I hope he has a good sense of humor.  I have a host of new jokes.  Sitting around doing nothing but getting fat is a joke all by itself.

I very much want to travel back to Lake Zurich this summer.  I want to spend a week seeing all my old friends.  I hope to eat lunch at the Score-board Bar and Grill in LZ.  I’ll publish the date and hope many of you will come to lunch with Renee and me.

If I found a genie in a bottle, I would wish to restore my health and open a treatment center at 504 S Rand Rd.  I miss LZFTC.  I’m not waiting until I find the genie.  I’m exercising more and working on my diet.  I’m laughing out loud daily as I work on being better. I’m enjoying my neighbors.

Of course, everything depends on how I do with DBS.  Oh yes, everything depends on what Covid does as well. In the meantime, don’t let your guard down.  Get vaccinated and wear a mask.  Most of all, be happy with what you have.  And don’t forget to laugh.

Here’s a joke:

I once saw a one-handed man in a second-hand store. I told him, “I don’t think they have what you’re looking for, sir.”

Published on KevinMD on April 16, 2021, “Difficult” patients: Is it them or is it us?” by Laila Kind should be mandatory reading for medical personnel and patients alike.  Dr. Kind is studying a new field of medicine called Narrative Medicine.

What I used to call “taking a good history” is now referred to as Narrative Medicine.  A primary tenant of Narrative Medicine is listening to the patient and recording the history of why they are in the office in their own words, letting the story unfold on its own.

The author states, “Patients’ feelings of dismissal by providers is a rapidly growing problem. A 2019 study found that patients were interrupted after a median of 11 seconds, about as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday, once.”  Despite the fact that this information is not new, the behavior is almost impossible to extinct.  I have witnessed it myself since becoming a patient and have been guilty of it as a physician.

My profession has ruined itself with the insertion of the EMR (electronic medical record) into every facet of medicine.  The EMR has a workflow that demands patient and physician input in a fixed way.  Patients, who tell their stories in highly personalized and often random ways, create havoc in an EMR atmosphere.  One of the reasons physician interrupt us so early into our conversations is to force us into divulging what the EMR wants in the order the computer program wants it.

Another reason why it takes only 11 seconds for a physician or his staff to interrupt our story has to do with time management.  As physicians sold to large corporations, their role changed from doctor to provider.  The MD’s time was always limited by patients in the waiting room who needed to be seen.  The provider’s time is managed by an employer who pressures the provider to see large numbers of customers efficiently and expeditiously.

In the last paragraph of this excellent paper, Dr Kind suggests a solution to today’s problems that, unfortunately, I think are unachievable.  As patients, we need to take control of the narrative in our physicians’ offices.  My suggestion is that, in advance of your visit, you should outline what information you want to relay. The whys, hows, whats, whens and wheres of your ailment so that you can succinctly deliver the information your physician will need to understand what you are experiencing and how to help you.

While you are writing out your summary, also make a list of the medications you are taking and how you are taking them.  A list of allergies and a family history will be helpful as well.  Take copies of everything to give to the doctor.

I have written about the art of listening in the past.  If you notice that your physician is not listening, you must point that out to him or her!  I know that is difficult but two-way communication with your MD is critical.

Now for a couple of jokes:

They say sex is a killer…

Do you want to die happy?

 A judge was interviewing a woman regarding her pending divorce and asked, “What are the grounds for your divorce?”

She replied, “About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the

property with a stream running by.”

“No,” he said, “I mean, what is the foundation of this case?”

“It is made of concrete, brick and mortar,” she responded.

“I mean,” he continued, “What are your relations like?”

The woman replied, “I have an aunt and uncle living here in town, and so does my husband’s parents.”

He said, “Do you have a real grudge?”

“No,” she replied, “We have a two-car carport and have never really needed one.”

“Please,” he tried again, “Is there any infidelity in your marriage?”

“Yes, both my son and daughter have stereo sets. We don’t necessarily like the music, but the answer to your questions is yes.”

The judge tries again, “Ma’am, does your husband ever beat you up?”

“Yes,” she responded, “About twice a week he gets up earlier than I do.”

Finally, in frustration, the judge asked, “Lady, why do you want a divorce?”

“Oh, I don’t want a divorce,” she replied. “I’ve never wanted a divorce. My

husband does. He said he can’t communicate with me.”

Life is getting scary.  It’s Parkinson’s Awareness Month and we are trying our best to make the general public aware of how prevalent and devastating Parkinson’s can be.  We are also trying to show that there are things patients with Parkinson’s can do to improve their lives. Rock Steady is a program developed to improve Parkinson’s patients’ balance, endurance and outlook.  Channel 3’s report in which I am shown punching the crap out of a dummy got rave reviews.  The fund-raising event I’m participating in, Move It Walk 2021-Charlotte, is not doing as well as I had hoped.  If you click on the underlined words above you should find the donation page.  Under the amount donated is a box where you can type my name.  Thanks in advance.

Now, back to today’s topic.  I’m on the same medications my father was on 30 years ago.  Advances in treatment are around the corner but I can’t wait for them.  I’m taking the next step and, frankly, I’m scared.  I’m being evaluated for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).  In other words, a neurosurgeon will bore holes in my skull and implant electrical wires into the part of my brain that is misbehaving.  DBS was just starting to become recognized as a safe and effective treatment for Parkinson’s at the time of my father’s death.  While it has come a long way since then, it’s still scary as hell.  The risk of intraoperative stroke is low but still significant.

It’s really strange, but I can’t remember a single patient ever talking to me about fear.  I saw the whole gamut of illnesses, yet I don’t recall anyone using the words scary or fear.  I remember patients discussing doubts about surgery and procedures.  I remember treating anxiety associated with treatments but never FEAR!  Was I that good that my care allayed all fear? I seriously doubt it.  Conversely, was I that bad that people were afraid to share their fears with me?  I don’t think so either.  Maybe it’s just a case of CRS.

Maybe, it’s a case of selective memory.  Maybe my brain is trying to protect me by remembering only the good outcomes.  My most vivid memories are of the miracles I witnessed.  I vividly remember my first miracle patient.  He came into the ER with a massive brain bleed.  The neurosurgeon took him to the OR and worked for hours trying to save him but failed.  He returned to the ICU in a vegetative state.  The family was told he was essentially brain dead.  Two days later his right toe started to move.  The next day, he was found on the floor.  No one knew how it happened, but it did.  The next day, he was found on the floor again.  Again, it seemed impossible; but, some way, he rolled out of bed.  The next day, he woke up and started talking.  One week later, he went to rehab.  Eventually, he went back to work.

He was not the only “brain dead” patient of mine to be discharged home and return to a normal life.  Miracles do happen!  So, why am I scared?  I don’t need a miracle.  All I need is to be one of the many successes.  Perhaps I’m worried because I’ve always looked at statistics from a different frame of mind.

If the odds of something bad happening are 1%, is it really only one in one hundred or is it really 50/50?  I’ve always told my patients that, in the individual, it’s 50/50.  Either it is going to happen to you or not.  In the early years of my practice, I assisted the neurosurgeon several times.  Boring holes in a person’s skull was always freaky.  Having them bored in my skull is scary!

If you are scared about your health/a procedure/a loved one, share your fears with your doc.  He/she may not be able to fully allay them but knowing they exist will help your doc understand you better.

Here’s your joke for the day:

A man is sitting at the bar, his head in his hands.

“Bartender: What’s the matter, buddy?

Man: It’s the worst thing ever. I caught my wife in bed with my best friend.

Bartender: Oh man, that really sucks! What did you do?

Man: I told her to pack her shit and get the hell out!

Bartender: What about your best friend?

Man: I looked him straight in the eyes and said BAD DOG!”