Back to School

I never took the first day of school, especially public school, seriously.  All the students were chatting, the teachers were passing out papers and classroom rules.  It was kind of a wasted day.  Maybe it functioned to ease students back into a regular schedule. 

Talking about summer vacation was one of the highlights for many students.  I always loved summer vacation—who didn’t?  And I had an enjoyable vacation this year.  I truly appreciated a break from the challenge of providing new articles each day, something I didn’t do at all well last summer, and really, throughout much of the year.  I’m grateful you all didn’t abandon the blog and me and continued checking in daily. 

And now, it’s time to hit the books.  (And keyboard.)  The aim this semester is a new article each school day.  Because I also spent much of the summer writing, I’ve already got a good supply of articles lined up--over two full months' worth!, so I’m optimistic about achieving that goal. (I was kinda chagrined to find that I just couldn’t step away from writing.  I guess it’s true what they say about writers—a writer’s gotta write.)

Like with most schools, we’ll begin with a little refresher—but it’s all new writing, just so you know.  I reviewed many of my notes from Dr. Steve’s off-grid classes and found a couple of points I’d never (to my recollection) worked into an article.  Other items are reminders for me as much as for you.

First off, one of the great challenges of medicine lies in the fact that the knowledge base is so broad.  Many doctors specialize because they can’t learn it all.  It’s hard for them; it’s harder for us.  Textbooks are all incomplete.  While we count ourselves lucky that we don’t have to wrangle their tedious references, we also have a lot of off-grid texts to choose from.  And none of those are complete, either.  You’ll want a few to cover your bases.

Secondly, you may be fortunate to already have a designated medical person or team for your group.  This person is not a self-contained hospital; personal items belong to those who gathered them.  The communist/socialist philosophy of what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine is what has gotten us into the current mess.  Don’t be that guy wanting to repeat failed historical lessons again before we’re even through with this test.  What’s mine is mine; what’s yours is yours.  Those who chose to pack light reaped the benefits of a light physical and mental load and low financial strain that allowed them to play like grasshoppers.  They don’t get to change their minds when the weather cools.  (That’s something that really drove Dr. Steve up a wall.  He was his group’s designated doctor.  He provided a detailed list of supplies for every family to provide for themselves.  No one, at that point in time, had followed through.)

Next, experience is the best teacher, hence the "practice" of medicine.  Doctors, well-trained people with nice letters after their names, are already responsible for a high iatrogenic death rate.  (That’s what doctor/hospital-error is called.  Iatrogenic.  Like that’s supposed to make you feel better.)  Your rate may not be much better.  Of course, it may not be much worse, either.  A couple of months ago, one of my dear daughters shared an anecdote of Benjamin Franklin, as recorded by Thomas Jefferson:

 

I will tell you a story. When I was in London, in such a year, there was a weekly club of physicians, of which Sir John Pringle was president … Their rule was to propose a thesis one week and discuss it the next. I happened there when the question to be considered was whether physicians had, on the whole, done most good or harm? The young members, particularly, having discussed it very learnedly and eloquently till the subject was exhausted, one of them observed to Sir John Pringle, that although it was not usual for the President to take part in a debate, yet they were desirous to know his opinion on the question. He said they must first tell him whether, under the appellation of physicians, they meant to include old women; if they did he thought they had done more good than harm, otherwise more harm than good.

And finally, man up.  Each person must carry his own boo-boo or IFAK (individual first aid kit) and know how to use it for basic first aid for themselves and their dependents.  Don’t expect someone else to do the equivalent of wiping your nose, or bottom, for you. 

It’s great to be back!