The average age of the military man is 19 years He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either.
He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.
He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.
He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.
He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.
He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.
He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.
If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.
He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.
He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.
He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all.
He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.
He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.
He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while> at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.
He has asked nothing in return, except> our friendship and understanding.
Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.
And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Reflections of the Past
Yesterday was a great day for me. It wasn't anything terribly special, but I made time to see some old friends and former teachers. I went to my Family Medicine's Programs Graduation for their 10th year of graduates last night and got to see some people that I have truly missed having in my life. These were the teachers of my hot headed youth who along with my husband have helped me to realize that taking time to "think before you act or speak" is a good thing, living up to your commitments is required (even when you don't feel like it), and that being a good doctor is worth everything that I gave up to get here.
In today's modern world, you here a lot about what is wrong with medicine, but last night, I spent it with people - young energetic people - who reminded me what is right with medicine.
Drs. Mody were there - they took the time to bring Ella into this world. Even though I was a practicing resident at the time - she listened to my concerns and alleviated my fears through two miscarriages and finally through the birth of Ella and then was there through the terrible fears of Will (my Nephew's) birth. She showed me compassion and grace in all her actions.
Dr. Wright, Dr. Bale, and of course Dr. Clouse was there too. I have worked under their care and training and learned the why and how of modern medical practices from each, although I admit that if I never get up to round at three in the morning again it will be too soon. Dr. V. Reddy taught me about the human heart and how to be concerned about cardiological concerns. And all my teachers in Glasgow never tired of taking TIME to teach a sometimes hot headed young doctor about life, medicine, and patience.
The other best thing about my visit last night was to see the unsung teachers of my youth and to get to hug and thank them for their patience and friendship. The nurses and staff of the TJ Sampson Family Medicine Residency Program are the finest support staff that I have ever had the privilege to work with. Kim, Faye, Angela, Nancy, Beverly, Leigh Ann, and all the other girls that I had the honor to work with on a daily basis taught me so much about being a practing MD. The nurses taught me what to expect from a nurse and from myself. When to work and when to have fun. They expected the best from me and I tried to not disappoint them. In order to be a good doctor, in my opinion, you need to take the time and patience to learn from your nurses and front office staff. They will make you a better doctor.
The other thing I learned in Glasgow, I learned from John Asriel, MD, a teacher who was not there last night and whom I missed. I know that the program will go on, but I feel for the loss of the other residents to not have know him. I remember as I graduated he ask me what I was going to do to stay current in private practice in my hometown in TN... I would like to think that my work in implementing ICU protocols for our hospital, teaching continuing education for the nurses, being in the TMA Physician Leadership College, being a AAFP Key Contact to Congress, Chairing the Pharmacy/Therapeutics committee, and my working the Agricultural world would make him and my other teachers proud of the life that Brian and I made at home.
You are never who you want to be, you are only who you are... looking back I can see the mistakes that I made in Glasgow and in Medical School for that matter. Some were small and some weren't. I can say that I would not be the person that I am today without all of the support that I received in my residency program, so for those people in medical school who think they would like Family Medicine - GO FOR IT... its a great life. I am still proud of my Residency memories and keep my wooden memento box on my desk at work - I cannot keep up with my keys otherwise (a neat desk is a sign of an ill mind someone once told me - so trust me at least my mind is safe). I remember the joking award that I got for seeing the most patients out of my graduating class - I am still proud of that - cause that is what I do every day, see and care for patients.
The sad facts are less than 2% of the graduating classes from medical school choose family medicine and fewer of those choose rural family medicine. The hours are long, sometimes I have little privacy (i.e. getting ask to look at a boil in the grocery store or calling in a prescription right after church), and my financial burden is high with low compensation when compared to medical specialist. Then to hear even friends say - "Oh, so your not a specialist..." Yes I am!!! And proud of it, I am specialist in knowing my patients and knowing many diseases and when and to whom to reffer my patients, I care about prevention and families, and I care about my community. Some of these cares were born in me growing up in a small rural town in Tennessee with little access to health care and wanting to make it a better place and became a resolve when as I went through my medical training each specialty group tried to break my resolve to be "just a family doctor in a small town".
I want you read my blog and live my life and see my world and still say that I am nothing but a Family Doctor. I advocate for medicine and for agriculture, I am a full time working Mom, and I care about my patients and my community.
Think about how proud I am to thank these people that have shaped who I am and think about what you want from your life. America is in a time of change and maybe agriculture and medicine aren't your cup of tea, but I encourage each of you to know who to be thankful too, to know what is worth fighting for, and to be proud about your beliefs...
In today's modern world, you here a lot about what is wrong with medicine, but last night, I spent it with people - young energetic people - who reminded me what is right with medicine.
Drs. Mody were there - they took the time to bring Ella into this world. Even though I was a practicing resident at the time - she listened to my concerns and alleviated my fears through two miscarriages and finally through the birth of Ella and then was there through the terrible fears of Will (my Nephew's) birth. She showed me compassion and grace in all her actions.
Dr. Wright, Dr. Bale, and of course Dr. Clouse was there too. I have worked under their care and training and learned the why and how of modern medical practices from each, although I admit that if I never get up to round at three in the morning again it will be too soon. Dr. V. Reddy taught me about the human heart and how to be concerned about cardiological concerns. And all my teachers in Glasgow never tired of taking TIME to teach a sometimes hot headed young doctor about life, medicine, and patience.
The other best thing about my visit last night was to see the unsung teachers of my youth and to get to hug and thank them for their patience and friendship. The nurses and staff of the TJ Sampson Family Medicine Residency Program are the finest support staff that I have ever had the privilege to work with. Kim, Faye, Angela, Nancy, Beverly, Leigh Ann, and all the other girls that I had the honor to work with on a daily basis taught me so much about being a practing MD. The nurses taught me what to expect from a nurse and from myself. When to work and when to have fun. They expected the best from me and I tried to not disappoint them. In order to be a good doctor, in my opinion, you need to take the time and patience to learn from your nurses and front office staff. They will make you a better doctor.
The other thing I learned in Glasgow, I learned from John Asriel, MD, a teacher who was not there last night and whom I missed. I know that the program will go on, but I feel for the loss of the other residents to not have know him. I remember as I graduated he ask me what I was going to do to stay current in private practice in my hometown in TN... I would like to think that my work in implementing ICU protocols for our hospital, teaching continuing education for the nurses, being in the TMA Physician Leadership College, being a AAFP Key Contact to Congress, Chairing the Pharmacy/Therapeutics committee, and my working the Agricultural world would make him and my other teachers proud of the life that Brian and I made at home.
You are never who you want to be, you are only who you are... looking back I can see the mistakes that I made in Glasgow and in Medical School for that matter. Some were small and some weren't. I can say that I would not be the person that I am today without all of the support that I received in my residency program, so for those people in medical school who think they would like Family Medicine - GO FOR IT... its a great life. I am still proud of my Residency memories and keep my wooden memento box on my desk at work - I cannot keep up with my keys otherwise (a neat desk is a sign of an ill mind someone once told me - so trust me at least my mind is safe). I remember the joking award that I got for seeing the most patients out of my graduating class - I am still proud of that - cause that is what I do every day, see and care for patients.
The sad facts are less than 2% of the graduating classes from medical school choose family medicine and fewer of those choose rural family medicine. The hours are long, sometimes I have little privacy (i.e. getting ask to look at a boil in the grocery store or calling in a prescription right after church), and my financial burden is high with low compensation when compared to medical specialist. Then to hear even friends say - "Oh, so your not a specialist..." Yes I am!!! And proud of it, I am specialist in knowing my patients and knowing many diseases and when and to whom to reffer my patients, I care about prevention and families, and I care about my community. Some of these cares were born in me growing up in a small rural town in Tennessee with little access to health care and wanting to make it a better place and became a resolve when as I went through my medical training each specialty group tried to break my resolve to be "just a family doctor in a small town".
I want you read my blog and live my life and see my world and still say that I am nothing but a Family Doctor. I advocate for medicine and for agriculture, I am a full time working Mom, and I care about my patients and my community.
Think about how proud I am to thank these people that have shaped who I am and think about what you want from your life. America is in a time of change and maybe agriculture and medicine aren't your cup of tea, but I encourage each of you to know who to be thankful too, to know what is worth fighting for, and to be proud about your beliefs...
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Getting tired of being jerked around...
Have you ever gone to work to be told that guess what we decided that your work is no longer that valuable anymore so we are cutting your pay by 21.3%? That is what has happened to physicians this year three times in the current administration and Congress. While they sit in their thousand dollar suits, I am scratching my head trying to figure out you to keep our clinic viable for the people of the upper Cumberland. The President spent a lot of time talking about health care but now when there is an issue that actually is affecting millions of seniors, disabled Americans, and military families, he is remaining too quiet. While Nancy Pelosi has actually mad comments like - it doesn't matter if Medicare patients can find access to care. Well, i hope she never ends up dependant on the system that she so loves and begging for a doctor to take her in.
Friday, June 11, 2010
History, no better make that Physics
Having been serious in most of these posts, I thought that once again I would share some of the funnier aspects of my life here in rural Tennessee. I love where I love and love the people that I share my life wife, but even here in the 2010 there is a big difference in the mind sets of people.
I grew up as a third generation college student and knew since I was three that I was going to be a Doctor cause as I told my Mom and her nursing friends the Doctors give the orders and you take them, but I married my college love a first generation college student right after graduation. My parents got divorced after we married and his are still together. My parents were not into going to church, his family never misses. When my grandfather died in 1986, he stayed at the funeral home. When my husband's grandmother died in 1986, the family stayed with her at the funeral home.
So given these background differences you might imagine that there can be some tension, but we balance each other very well. So, I'll tell you how he and I decided to date... there is a story here - I promise.
We were in Physics 121 at Tennessee Tech together in the Spring of 1996, he was very cute in Wranglers and a cowboy hat and I knew he would never notice me, but I kept hearing his friends call him Fred... and I just could not, would not date a Fred. So, time passed, he stared at me. I stared at him, but nothing much else happened. Then we had our first quiz and Glory be the professor was old fashioned and called out names to pick up the quiz, and the tall drink of water that looked so cute in those jeans was not "Fred" but "Brian" and believe me I could date a Brian. Now, how to get ask out... I heard the group of Ag guys talking about their grades and I had gone to high school with one, so I offered to help them by tutoring to get to know Brian better, and the first night I wen to help him - I lost my keys. (I really had them in my bag but it sounded like a great way to get him outside and away from his friends...) But wouldn't you know, he actually brought a mag light outside and helped me look for the D&%^ keys till I had to give up and "find" them or he was going to drive me home. We kept on talking as a quasi group, and then one of the other guys mentioned that dancing was prohibited in the Bible. Well, here I went. I got home that night, pulled out the good book and went to looking up dancing scripture references for him. (I did not know at the time that both this guy and Brian liked me and Brian was trying to let him see where he got with me first) The next day in a college physics class, I walk in with the Bible in tow, and a list of scriptures regarding dancing - the other guy decided he did not like me so much and Brian and I have been together almost ever day since.
We may fight - but he keeps me sane when I really don't feel that way for anyone else.
I grew up as a third generation college student and knew since I was three that I was going to be a Doctor cause as I told my Mom and her nursing friends the Doctors give the orders and you take them, but I married my college love a first generation college student right after graduation. My parents got divorced after we married and his are still together. My parents were not into going to church, his family never misses. When my grandfather died in 1986, he stayed at the funeral home. When my husband's grandmother died in 1986, the family stayed with her at the funeral home.
So given these background differences you might imagine that there can be some tension, but we balance each other very well. So, I'll tell you how he and I decided to date... there is a story here - I promise.
We were in Physics 121 at Tennessee Tech together in the Spring of 1996, he was very cute in Wranglers and a cowboy hat and I knew he would never notice me, but I kept hearing his friends call him Fred... and I just could not, would not date a Fred. So, time passed, he stared at me. I stared at him, but nothing much else happened. Then we had our first quiz and Glory be the professor was old fashioned and called out names to pick up the quiz, and the tall drink of water that looked so cute in those jeans was not "Fred" but "Brian" and believe me I could date a Brian. Now, how to get ask out... I heard the group of Ag guys talking about their grades and I had gone to high school with one, so I offered to help them by tutoring to get to know Brian better, and the first night I wen to help him - I lost my keys. (I really had them in my bag but it sounded like a great way to get him outside and away from his friends...) But wouldn't you know, he actually brought a mag light outside and helped me look for the D&%^ keys till I had to give up and "find" them or he was going to drive me home. We kept on talking as a quasi group, and then one of the other guys mentioned that dancing was prohibited in the Bible. Well, here I went. I got home that night, pulled out the good book and went to looking up dancing scripture references for him. (I did not know at the time that both this guy and Brian liked me and Brian was trying to let him see where he got with me first) The next day in a college physics class, I walk in with the Bible in tow, and a list of scriptures regarding dancing - the other guy decided he did not like me so much and Brian and I have been together almost ever day since.
We may fight - but he keeps me sane when I really don't feel that way for anyone else.
Drip Drop...
I took a few days off from writing on my blog because I was not sure what I was accomplishing. I have talked about issues near and dear to my heart, gave up sleep I'd really rather be getting, and I keep wondering why... what does this change?
Our country is in crisis. People are loosing their jobs still, boys are being sent off to fight in wars while our President make friends with the Muslim insurgents (that's right its not PC to call a terrorist a terrorist anymore), and now we are 50 days into the worst ecological disaster that this country has ever seen. Has our President even talked to the CEO of BP? This administration has again made tough talk in the news but little action. He is talking about passing CAP and TRADE bills to tax Americans on energy while letting the oil flow.
This year has been difficult in me with medicine too. See, I went into medicine to help people. I wanted to do CPR, fix illness, and make a difference. Congress's inability to fix the SGR and my growing frustration with elected officials had led me to believe that Congress cares nothing about the average working class American. If you are not a special interest member, kiss you agenda good by. What is killing me about this is that by there inaction, people are dying and loosing access to care. How many business models could survive a 1/4 pay cut without a cut in overhead. That is what doctors have had to do three times this year over Congress's inability to fix a broken formula for physician payment. They have no problem in bailing out Fannie Mae, but let the Doctors deal with it and the patients are the ones who suffer.
I keep hoping for a change, then while sitting at a funeral last night I thought about what a dearly respected cousin of mine (well, she is a cousin of Brian's buy I have had her for 13+ years) said to her son, you should read her blogs - its worth the time.
So back to my title for tonight, Drip Drop... you know where I go that. Water is one of the most powerful forces in nature. Ask any of my fellow Tennesseans who are still dealing with our own economic losses from the floods of May. Mountains move and and Canyons form from simple drip drops, so my goals is to keep on drip dropping at the issues I feel strongly about, because if people don't speak out for Lady Liberty I am not sure the amount of abuses she can continue to take.
Our country is in crisis. People are loosing their jobs still, boys are being sent off to fight in wars while our President make friends with the Muslim insurgents (that's right its not PC to call a terrorist a terrorist anymore), and now we are 50 days into the worst ecological disaster that this country has ever seen. Has our President even talked to the CEO of BP? This administration has again made tough talk in the news but little action. He is talking about passing CAP and TRADE bills to tax Americans on energy while letting the oil flow.
This year has been difficult in me with medicine too. See, I went into medicine to help people. I wanted to do CPR, fix illness, and make a difference. Congress's inability to fix the SGR and my growing frustration with elected officials had led me to believe that Congress cares nothing about the average working class American. If you are not a special interest member, kiss you agenda good by. What is killing me about this is that by there inaction, people are dying and loosing access to care. How many business models could survive a 1/4 pay cut without a cut in overhead. That is what doctors have had to do three times this year over Congress's inability to fix a broken formula for physician payment. They have no problem in bailing out Fannie Mae, but let the Doctors deal with it and the patients are the ones who suffer.
I keep hoping for a change, then while sitting at a funeral last night I thought about what a dearly respected cousin of mine (well, she is a cousin of Brian's buy I have had her for 13+ years) said to her son, you should read her blogs - its worth the time.
So back to my title for tonight, Drip Drop... you know where I go that. Water is one of the most powerful forces in nature. Ask any of my fellow Tennesseans who are still dealing with our own economic losses from the floods of May. Mountains move and and Canyons form from simple drip drops, so my goals is to keep on drip dropping at the issues I feel strongly about, because if people don't speak out for Lady Liberty I am not sure the amount of abuses she can continue to take.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)