The Blizzard
February 12, 2010
The massive snow storm that has inundated the Northeast, including Washington D.C. has shut down government. The press had to tell us that, else how would we know? And, of course, the usual suspects are railing that the record snowfall and the accompanying cold are symptomatic of…wait for it…YES! Global WARMING! (snicker) Excuse me, “climate change,” a suitably elastic phrase for the increasingly desperate believers.
It does look beautiful from a distance, though. And it reminds me of the first time I met my mentor and teacher, Rod Turner, back in 1978. I had been selected as one of only two candidates chosen to be an Otto E. Aufranc Fellow in Constructive Surgery at the New England Baptist Hospital, in Boston.
This was a very big deal, as that is arguably the most prestigious fellowship available in adult joint reconstruction. This was in the winter, well before my fellowship was due to start the following July.
I was summoned to come watch Dr. Turner perform a major total hip revision surgery in Provdence Hospital in Rhode Island. He was using a new, high speed drill, that would become legendary in orthopaedic surgery, The Midas Rex. And he wanted me to see it in action, so I would be able to hit the ground running, when my fellowship actually started. He also wanted me to see it, as he knew I was an artist and he wanted me to be able to draw the technique for publication.
So, I flew into Providence, Rhode Island–right smack in the middle of a literal blizzard. We were lucky the plane was able to land. I had been given instructions where to go and how to get there. So, buttoned up against the wind driven snow and dressed to impress beneath my coat, I got into a cab and gave the driver the instructions that were given to me, to get to the hospital, where I would meet my mentor, for the first time.
After a dicey trip to the hospital, through a winter wasteland, with knee high snow, we finally arrived. I reached for my wallet, to pay the driver…and suddenly realized that I had NO MONEY and NO WALLET.
Crap.
Must have left them on my dresser at home, when I got up in the black of early morning, to shower and dress for this important trip. So, here I was, in a “foreign” state, in the middle of a blizzard, about to meet my professor for the very first time. And I was broke. Worse, I was in debt–the taxi driver needed to get paid.
Crap.
Well, I did a bit of fast talking to the driver, who agreed to wait (really, what else could he do? But still…). And I went into the O.R., where my first act, upon meeting the famous Dr. Turner, was to ask him if I could borrow five bucks to pay the driver (money went a lot further then).
Everyone in the O.R. was very amused by my predicament. Of course, I felt like a complete fool. But I didn’t see as I had any other choice, given the circumstances.
He was very good humored about it and gave me the money, which I dutifully paid to the patient driver. Only then could I come back to the O.R., get undressed, get into scrubs and watch the surgery, which I must say was fascinating. I had never seen anything like it. I was hooked from that moment.
The rest of that day was a blur. I don’t even remember how I got back to the airport, to go home. Though Dr. Turner must have driven me, as I had zero resources of my own. He turned out to be a terrific guy–very friendly, very down to earth and scary brilliant. He was the guy you want at your side, when it all hits the fan.
And over the next year, he taught me plenty, perhaps more than anyone else, about revision surgery and general excellence in Medicine and Orthopaedics. Really a one of a kind man, to whom I owe more than I can ever repay (plus five bucks).
Some years after I had left the fellowship for private practice and after several books, on which I was fortunate to be asked to participate (as both an author and an artist) with Dr. Turner and my other teachers, he was injured and fractured his arm.
He needed surgery, which naturally got some complications (this is called the V.I.P. curse–any complication that can occur, will… if the patient is a doctor) and left him disabled and unable to operate. I’ve lost track of him over the years, but truly, he was one in a million.
And now, whenever I see a massive snowstorm, like the blizzard we have now, I think of my first meeting with Rod, with great fondness and gratitude, not only for what he taught me, or his great technical knowledge and skill, but for his easy humor and his
great humanity.
Nowadays, snow looks nice, but I hate being in it. Like rain, it causes any aches and pains you have to act up. Fortunately, there are things you can do to eliminate the pain. And I outline a lot of them in my healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY
http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
And of course, any arthritic pain or other inflammations can be reduced by consistent use of my ultra pure, enteric coated pharmaceutical grade, POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA
http://www.favoriteformulas.com
And if you’re NOT in great shape DO NOT shovel your driveway, yourself. Spend a few bucks and get the kid next door to do it. Otherwise, you’re likely to wrench your back, or get yourself a heart attack.
So, use common sense. Stay warm. Be well. And enjoy your weekend. As I told you, Monday should be the start of a new server for these emails. If you want to continue getting them, please go here, now, and resubscribe:
http://www.drbillsclinic.com/three-simple-secrets.html
for my email newsletter. The link will give you access to a special report on effective tips for fat loss, my gift to you, for signing up again. If you don’t, you may not get another. See you then, my friend.
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow and your optimal health,
Dr. Bill
“The Wellness Warrior” TM
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
Copyright, 2010 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
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