logo

English
                 

General A STORY

2009.10.13 01:41

이한중*65 Views:3888


A STORY



     
    Bruce and Emily have been married over 65 years.
    Bruce was an intern, and Emily a student nurse when they married.
    Bruce is 89 years old, and Emily 86.
    They have 6 children, 18 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
    Bruce was my mentor, a friend, a golf partner and my patient.
    Emily had the perfect golf swing and played golf with Bruce on Sundays.
    Emily also became my patient.
    I've known them over forty years and their children many years.
    I remember like yesterday, one late evening in 1966
    when I was one of the first year medical residents, and
    he handed to me a textbook of electrocardiography to read.
    He let me, the first year resident, read the EKGs he was assigned to read,
    and corrected them later.
    We struck a lasting friendship that lasted almost half a century.
     
    Some ten years ago Emily began to show early signs of Alzheimer's disease.
    I watched the unrelenting progression of the disease.
    It has taken every imagination, intelligence and common sense
    of Bruce, his children and me as a treating physician to deal with
    the ups, downs, and the unexpected of the terrible disease.
    Finally, Emily settled down in a group home in the last year.
    Through all these trials and tribulations,
    Bruce who used to play golf with such a devotion over 60 some years
    stopped playing and would say, "I played golf enough in my life."
    He would devote himself one hundred percent to the care of Emily.
    He would start the day by going to the church to pray every morning.
    Once Emily settled at a group home some 20 miles away,
    he would go there every day, sat next to Emily holding her hands,
    and every now and then reminiscing the past whether Emily hears it or not.
    When Emily doesn't respond, he would say the words she would've said.
     
    Then one day I received a phone call from his oldest son, Bob.
    Bruce got lost a number of times when he was driving to the place
    Emily is staying.
    Bruce all of sudden started writing hundreds of checks to every charity that
    is asking for donation.
    This is the most unusal behavior according to the son.
    In short, Bruce is showing the clear signs of Alzheimer's disease.
    To make a long story short,
    the family and I are preparing Bruce to enter the group home where
    Emily has been staying.
     
    Bruce has been a mentor for my medical profession,
    and more importantly a mentor for my life journey.
    I watched him eating and digesting faithfully every word of marriage vows.
    He showed me what the marriage is all about and
    what the family is all about and
    finally what the life is all about in his own way.
    His accomplishments in his life are too many to list here.
    He was the wittiest man, always ready with intelligent jokes.
    He was the oldest, active golfer and the most popular guy at our club.
    Of course, he was one of the past presidents of our golf club.
    Some twenty years ago he and four others invited me to apply to join the club.
    So I applied but got rejected because two of the ten board directors voted no.
    Bruce wrote a most scathing letter to the board indicating the fact that
    they voted me down because I was an asiatic.
    Not only that but also he called every one of ten board directors to make sure
    to tell them how shameful it is that we have two racists on the board.
    Because of his letter, the board held a special meeting and
    passed my application unanimously.
    I still have the copy of his letter, which was signed by all five sponsors.
    It was one of those eye-opening life experiences for me.
     
    I am forever indebted to Bruce, who will be in my prayer for the rest of my life.
I want to
Update Delete List
List
No. Subject Date Author Last Update Views
Notice How to write your comments onto a webpage [2] 2016.07.06 운영자 2016.11.20 18193
Notice How to Upload Pictures in webpages 2016.07.06 운영자 2018.10.19 32348
Notice How to use Rich Text Editor [3] 2016.06.28 운영자 2018.10.19 5925
Notice How to Write a Webpage 2016.06.28 운영자 2020.12.23 43840
403 네팔 트레킹(3) [2] 2009.10.18 유석희*72 2009.10.18 9231
402 Yu-Na Kim wins by a world record [4] 2009.10.17 운영자 2009.10.17 8294
401 한라산 등산 [3] 2009.10.17 유석희*72 2009.10.17 8315
400 수필 * 내 식의 귀향 - 박완서 [5] 2009.10.17 운영자 2009.10.17 6895
399 어느 어머니의 말씀 [6] 2009.10.17 황규정*65 2009.10.17 7294
398 Forer Effect - 나는 그대의 성격을 정확하게 알고 있다 [3] 2009.10.16 이상봉*69문리대 2009.10.16 7963
397 Bern and vicinity, Switzerland [6] 2009.10.16 YonnieC#65 2009.10.16 7679
396 Yu-Na Kim opens huge lead in ISU in Paris [6] 2009.10.16 운영자 2009.10.16 8293
395 네팔 트레킹(2) [2] 2009.10.15 유석희*72 2009.10.15 7711
394 ♫ 소리꾼, 장사익/찔레꽃 [4] 2009.10.15 김명순*70음대 2009.10.15 7855
393 80년 만에 귀향한 '謙齋 鄭敾 畵帖(겸재 정선 화첩)' [2] 2009.10.15 심영보*61 2009.10.15 8048
392 네팔 트레킹( I ) [3] 2009.10.14 유석희*72 2009.10.14 9593
391 포도주는 어떻게 만들어지나 2009.10.14 이종구*57 2009.10.14 9989
390 제주도 최신정보-맛집과 관광을 중심으로 [2] 2009.10.13 유석희*72 2009.10.13 8913
» A STORY [3] 2009.10.13 이한중*65 2009.10.13 3888
388 "中國 하남성(河南省) 여행" [3] 2009.10.12 심영보*61 2009.10.12 6962
387 ♥ 악성, 양성 콜레스테롤, 중성지방, 대사증후군-1 2009.10.12 이종구*57 2009.10.12 10663
386 London에서 하루 [3] 2009.10.11 유석희*72 2009.10.11 8391
385 송이버섯 얘기가 나온김에... [8] 2009.10.10 운영자 2009.10.10 7728
384 A Holy Space [2] 2009.10.10 이한중*65 2009.10.10 5692
Write
Tag

Copyright 2016, All rights Reserved. WWW.SNUMA.net (SNUMA) Seoul National University Medical Alumni Website Worldwide
For more information, contact us by E-Mail to snumaweb@gmail.com * June 25, 2016 * Website by sstevenkim * Powered by XE