Wow Nick thank you for the poetic gratefulness for all the medical pioneers. I have often felt that but without the specific knowledge of the actual stories. It was beautiful and inspiring to read.
As a very similar professional, I know that feeling of solidarity. For eight years overseas I always used local medical clinics and wouldn’t have found myself by any means in the fancy rich expat hospital. But then I got cancer in Cambodia. They happen to be far behind in oncology. I also happen to be one of those dummies who doesn’t attend to my own health enough and I was stuck there during Covid for a while but eventually I could have gotten out with a medical leave but I didn’t. I waited too long, nobody there could really warn me properly. It spread. I finally realized I just had to go back the USA and they caught it in time so that after the typical difficult six months of surgery, radiation and chemo I survived. But it was close. I’m also permanently disfigured with facial palsy. I’m handsome on the left and a little scary from the right. But for some strange reason I’m cool with it, that’s a gift.
As for the solidarity, I’ve changed my mind. Here’s how I would ask a thought experiment question; If you had the ability to put one of the people in the hallway on a plane to guaranteed survival in a rich country and death was probably looming if not, would you do it?
The reality in this painful world is we can’t fix it all today (you can’t charter a plane and empty the hallway), but most of us would save the person we could. If that person happened to be you or a family member because of the luck of the draw, you should do it. It’s sad we can’t do it for everyone but we should for anyone we can, is how I answer the question.
You got lucky with your child, I got unlucky with my face but lucky with my life.
Wow Nick thank you for the poetic gratefulness for all the medical pioneers. I have often felt that but without the specific knowledge of the actual stories. It was beautiful and inspiring to read.
As a very similar professional, I know that feeling of solidarity. For eight years overseas I always used local medical clinics and wouldn’t have found myself by any means in the fancy rich expat hospital. But then I got cancer in Cambodia. They happen to be far behind in oncology. I also happen to be one of those dummies who doesn’t attend to my own health enough and I was stuck there during Covid for a while but eventually I could have gotten out with a medical leave but I didn’t. I waited too long, nobody there could really warn me properly. It spread. I finally realized I just had to go back the USA and they caught it in time so that after the typical difficult six months of surgery, radiation and chemo I survived. But it was close. I’m also permanently disfigured with facial palsy. I’m handsome on the left and a little scary from the right. But for some strange reason I’m cool with it, that’s a gift.
As for the solidarity, I’ve changed my mind. Here’s how I would ask a thought experiment question; If you had the ability to put one of the people in the hallway on a plane to guaranteed survival in a rich country and death was probably looming if not, would you do it?
The reality in this painful world is we can’t fix it all today (you can’t charter a plane and empty the hallway), but most of us would save the person we could. If that person happened to be you or a family member because of the luck of the draw, you should do it. It’s sad we can’t do it for everyone but we should for anyone we can, is how I answer the question.
You got lucky with your child, I got unlucky with my face but lucky with my life.