Dec 8, 2009

The Snow as a Complementary Feature of the Culture of Immobility and Fear which Permeates the Retirement Communities of an Aging Society. by Howard Sachs, MD, PhD

I’m 83 years old, a retired neurologist, living in a retirement facility in Easthampton, Massachusetts, where most of the residents are widows between the ages of 68 to 98. The two major activities here are engaging in eating and sitting immobile near the fire, engaging in gossip.

The first snowflakes serve as reinforcement to the above activities since the beautiful site of the snow outdoors is terrifying to the residents who regard stepping outdoors, regardless of the amount of snow as unthinkable. I personally love walking in the snow as long as pushing my walker through it is manageable and not treacherous.

I do have a great pair of cleated boots, but admittedly, it would be a lot easier if I didn’t have to push a wheeled walker. I do recall the ease of walking with ski poles along the desert of snow in Antarctica, or on the trail in the Nepali Himalayas. Nevertheless, I feel grateful to Ram Das, who in his book, “Still Here” reminds us not to dwell in the past.  For certain, I will never revisit those places again.

But certainly, the ploughed parking lot outside of this “Inn” is hardly comparable, and simply provides a little exercise and lovely cold fresh air. Nevertheless, it’s understandable why the elderly women with their osteoporotic bones fear walking in the snow and falling. However, I do resent it when the staff places me in the same category as these decaying souls. Although no longer a college football player, the years of hitting the ground and training did build a sturdy bone structure, not easily perturbed by a fall in the snow.

December 6th,  by Howard Sachs, MD, PhD

The Pretense of our lives in retirement:  In this case, wrapping ourselves in a shroud of generosity and philanthropy. On Friday mornings, following the meditation session, the group discusses the deep thoughts in their souls. One woman apprised us of the plight of the homeless women veterans, sleeping on the streets, cold, wet and hungry.

As a solution, one woman suggested organizing an Art show in which we could sell the trivial pieces of art junk flooding our apts. And turning over the proceeds of this sale to these impoverished women on the streets of Easthampton. I then asked a question. “ If you found a dog on the streets, shivering wet in filth, would you organize – advertise an art show to earn some money, or take the dog home to cleanse, keep sheltered and feed? Doesn’t this community have empty apartments with carpeted floors upon which these women could sleep, with bathrooms and showers they could use to cleanse themselves?

I recalled “What a heavenly delight that shower was after living for weeks in mud and filth in those foxholes on Okinawa during World War II. Therefore, I would gladly share my apartment, to sleep 3 -4 women on my living room couch and floor, and have the use of my shower.

Furthermore, why don’t we extend to these women who served our country in time of need, all the rights and privileges of being human, such as inviting them to breakfast in the café, or dinner in the dining room? After talking to them, it might become apparent that they too, are patriotic Americans, perhaps from Alaska or Wyoming, caught homeless after discharge from the service. But, of course, donating a piece of paper – a small check, or using this opportunity to rid your apartment its junk, without seeing or coming close to the misery is much less painful and you can still regard yourself as a “Do –Gooder.”

October 22nd

By Howard Sachs, MD, PhD

Last week, CNN news was evaluating the economic recession throughout the United States. and announced that Alaska was less affected than most states, and also with more job opportunities. Simultaneously, they showed images of the breathtaking beauty of the Alaskan countryside. Those images were inspirational and made me recall the spectacular sites that I experienced on my travels through the Himalayas and Antarctica where I could engage in the magnificence of nature, a rare experience, which inspired me to dream,” Why not live in such a place?

I therefore Googled availability of retirement facilities in Alaska and received much encouraging information, even about the possibility of a job as a neurologist. When I mentioned my thoughts to the people at the retirement community where I live, most were terror stricken at the thought of moving to the last frontier for whatever reason, possibly away from the creature comforts so precious to them.

A childhood friend in NYC warned that I was really a slum city boy and belonged there amongst the poisonous atmosphere of the city, where the thought of living in a mile of people and environment that are part of nature is inconceivable. As poisonous as the city air is the atmosphere here is far worse where the living corpses are fed enormous quantities to give the impression of at least dying in luxury. I would prefer to have my ashes spread about some snow capped mountain peaks. I’m still calling for information and hope to make an exploratory visit before moving, — wish me luck or join me.

Gutless Politicians

by Howard SAchs, MD, PhD

Returned from the pure, fresh air and again mistakenly clicked on CNN news, — the Senate debate over healthcare and Afghanistan. The broadcaster asked one senator if he would vote “Yes for the Healthcare Bill with a government option?” His reply was that “Yes, he favors more jobs and full employment for all Americans.” The reporter then asked another senator “if she favored more troops for Afghanistan?” Her reply was that, “her concept of marriage was between a man and a woman.” Another senator from his safe, warm seat said “that we should think carefully before endangering the lives of our young men and women.”

Never having been raised on a cattle farm, I regrettably didn’t understand   a word of the debate in the senate language of “pure bullshit.”

Why Must They Die?

By Howard, MD, PhD. howardsachs@rocketmail.com

The enemy is not the standard set of armor, holding a position to be blown away and overcome. Who and where is the enemy? It amazes me to observe those Senators who have been to Afghanistan, advocating “Sending more troops to this vast Islamic land to exterminate the most fanatical segments, The Taliban, or Al Qaeda, hidden in an endless system of caves and mountains in a terrain resembling “the face of the moon,” as well as being sheltered by much of the Islamic population. Must we then destroy the population of Afghanistan, and then go on to Iran, which at least owns WMD and the means of delivery? And what about the North Korea nation with ownership of the above?

Must we cleanse the world militarily with marines to forestall any further “9/11?  Or are there alternative approaches to achieving a peaceful world? Don’t there exist moderate forces within the Islamic world with which we can co – exist in a harmonious way of life?

Sept 8^th -  By Howard Sachs, MD, PhD

In 1964, I spent a sabbatical leave year in Rome, teaching at the Italian higher institute of health.  Usually, I would take my lunch with the maintenance men at the Institute, because they knew where the best trattorias were located at the best prices and for other reasons that I will describe.  Usually, after a great Italian lunch (which was their man meal of the day) and always included red wine, since a sacred tenet of the land “ is that no dinner food may pass into the stomach without at least a spoonful of red wine.” Furthermore, after the dinner and a cup of Espresso, they would spontaneously burst into song, songs of life and love, well known to all. The streets of Rome would ring with their joyous songs, and we’d return to the Institute satiated with life. At the retirement community where I now live, we return from a holiday picnic  satiated with food and stumble into our beds for a post picnic snooze. The lesson is obvious, with the ice cream dessert sandwich, passed out the song sheets of moving songs, including “ God Bless America,” for the most fervently patriotic.

By Howard Sachs, MD, PhD

During our last Tuesday a. m. discussion group, Ester B. happened to mention that her granddaughters were planning on going to medical school, and thereafter, joining “Doctors Without Borders.” (DWB). This evoked many exclamations of “Ooh, how fine and admirable.” The DWB sounds very glamorous and has had a good press, but there are many hard questions to ask before embarking on such a career and being dropped in some third world country with a group from DWB.

I  began medical school at age 47 with the ambition to eventually work in third world medicine. I have worked in about 8 third world countries, which I located on my own, and who invited me to come and help out in my areas of expertise. In these countries I taught clinical neurology, Biochemistry and engaged in general medicine. But if I had to do over again, I most certainly, would have gone about it differently. My advice then to these girls would be: find out where the DWB is planning on sending them, what are there principal needs? If it’s infectious disease, then take your residency in Infectious Disease, if it’s trauma or wounds, get to do lots of surgery, what do these people think causes disease, do Shamans treat them currently, learn something of their religion and culture, language. What are their real needs at the moment? Perhaps your weight in a suitcase of antibiotics, or sterile supplies would be more useful then your presence, although not as self satisfying. Also, many of these places are near the most exotic and wondrous parts of the world. Therefore bring a backpack, canteen and only what you can carry. Plan your trip for when your work is up, will you be near the Himalayas, the Taj Mahal, Machu Pichu, or Antarctica? – Good Luck

P. S.  Keep a daily diary

By Howard Sachs, MD, PhD. Sept 4, 2009

It’s become an accepted belief that only the wealthy have the right to life. This became apparent with the recent news coverage of the access to kidney organs for those with $50,000.00.  Enterprising organ brokers and unscrupulous surgeons accommodate their needs. Often, the brokers seek donors in impoverished third world countries, and money hungry surgeons are easy to find, who sometimes perform the transplantation under non sterile or unacceptable conditions leading unsurpsingly to death. Will the AMA step in and declare the immorality of this situation and take steps to prevent such further practice?

August 23rd, 2009

By Howard Sachs, MD, PhD.

Throughout medical school, we learned of the exquisite body devices for controlling body temperature. The human brain puts into action sweating and pulmonary devices to lower the body temperature, but hardly in the face of the madness of nature, bringing the ambient temperatures to over 100 degrees. On the other hand, when the atmospheric temperature falls, the brain activates metabolic pathways in muscle that are heat producing, a good reason why women, without as much muscle as men and with more body fat are usually complaining of the cold. But, obviously, body control of temperature was insufficient in the face of the power of nature. And so mankind had to devise technical devices such as air conditioning and central heating to create a   livable environment. But have we overdone it? I say this when I meet the cold blasts of air conditioning on entering the Inn from the brutal outdoor humid heat, or from the icy winds in December to an overheated lobby? Or is it because the staff entrusted with regulating the temperature, stem from climates ranging from the equatorial Philippines to the Arctic circle? Hence, I observe women seated wrapped in sweaters with the outdoor temperature of 105.

August 19, 2009, by Howard Sachs, MD, PhD

Again, I foolishly clicked on CNN upon returning from my walk and listened to the nauseating account of the bickering over President Obama’s Healthcare reform proposals.  Proposed reform  has been torn to shreds by falsehoods and an absurd republican ideology unsuitable for the world’s wealthiest country in the world.

Next came the news of the Afghanistan elections with the threats to voters of having body parts chopped off if they voted. I thought of the application of such threats to our own elections, and felt grateful for living where I do. But, then thought that the above contained the most cogent arguments for not believing in a God who would create a human race like ours, driven by greed and quest for power.

But, I tried asking the question, “What are the alternatives?” Maybe, I’m just tired at the moment and kept returning to the prospect of finding a suitable mate and a livable desert island or Sherpa –type hut in the Himalayas. – Any takers?