How are you feeling?
Surprisingly well. My appetite is
in tact and I am maintaining my weight. I am able to walk the golf course and
the dog, both distances of 5 miles. My energy level in the office is fine.
What will happen to your practice?
There are 3 main things that I do
professionally. First, there is the consulting practice in endocrinology. This
represents 30 years of work. I have a very capable colleague, Dr. Monika
Pawlowska, who will be taking over on July 1 st. I have reserved one day a week
to keep my options open. I had intended to retire in 2017, so the dates have
been moved up.
Another part of what I do is the
Western Canadian Insulin Pump Center. This operates under ERS Endocrine
Research Society. This will continue to function, and Dr. Adam White has agreed
to take over my duties as secretary.
Another activity is clinical
research and this will continue. Dr. White and Dr. Pawlowska will be taking
over this operation.
All of these developments have
been finalized over the last week, and I am greatly relieved that there will be
an orderly transition.
How long have you got?
I really do not know, most
estimates are in months not years. I will be choosing a therapy that maximizes
quality of life not longevity.
Why don’t you phone me back?
Nothing personal, I have been
really busy keeping up with reading about my options, tests, appointments etc.
Also, the kids have rallied and
quality time has been spent as a family. I cannot tell you how comforting this
has been for me.
Are you on EI?
No, just my pension, tag day to be
announced.
Do the animals know?
 |
| Rhea |
 |
| Avril |
The cats wouldn’t listen. Ginn is imprinted on Deborah and is showing
me affection as much as she is able.
 |
| Ginn: The Russian Judge gave her 9.5 for foot position |
What are the kids up to?
 |
| Catherine, Donovan and Hamish |
Donovan is nicely settled into his
new apartment and his insurance career is thriving.
Hamish has about a month to go to
complete his Screenwriting masters at UCLA, he is doing very well. He will
commute north for long weekend visits every couple of weeks.
Catherine had been selected to
participate in a legal internship in Namibia, but withdrew from the program in
favour of spending the summer in Vancouver.She is a great help at many levels.
What makes you laugh?
 |
| The Phone |
Well, just yesterday I was at the cancer agency, waiting
for the elevator. You guessed it; I glanced over towards “ the
phone”.
There was a lady staring at the thing the way a cat stares down a canary. She
never moved, 45 seconds later, the elevator came, she was motionless. I was not
sure whether to call the ER.
Hugh,
ReplyDeleteIt was with great sadness that I learned today that you have to travel this difficult road. I am sorry that I did not hear earlier or I would have called you - and - by the sound of it, you would not have returned the call :)
I wanted to thank you specifically for a few things that you have done for me that will help you understand why I will miss your presence in the department with your stepping down from practice.
Thank you for having confidence in me. I always appreciated your encouragement to be the best that I could be in delivering laboratory services to the Endocrinology group. I always felt that you believed in me. Despite my apparent overconfidence, I didn’t always feel that I was able to get where I needed to get to.
Thank you for teaching me – when I was a resident and when I was staff.
Thank you for inviting me to speak at ERS events and for the positive feedback you always provided.
Thank you for your ever candid opinions which I always appreciated – and the humor that came with them.
Hugh, I will miss you at department functions. I wish that your retirement came in less challenging circumstances. Today I was fussing and complaining about laboratory politics in the lower mainland and grousing about this and that. Then I found out about your situation and everything seems, well, so trivial. It doesn’t matter, does it? – all the stuff we worry about so much. Any day could be my day for bad news and we need to live in the constant knowledge that such a day might come sooner than later.
I want you to know that we love you Hugh. And I would be remiss not to mention that God loves you too. Stuart is getting ready to remind me that God does not exist and that hell is actually for people who have cotinine in their blood.
But seriously Hugh – God loves you. He wants to know you better and be your Good Shepherd. Jesus said, “ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” and he also authored these words, mind you, 700 years before his own birth:
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.