Opening Book presentation!! Sept 10 in NYC!

At 7pm on 59th street and 9th avenue in manhattan will be the opening launch of my attempt to inject the idea of a triumphal optimism into our national healthcare reform debate.

I will be Co-Presenting with Father John Collins, the Paulist priest with whom ‘Routine Miracles” was conceived!

Please come by, and bring your friends. The patients from the book will be there to speak with and share their stories and answer your questions.

Take a look and scroll down to see the  announcement

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Meet the Author and the Priest

Routine Miracles.

Sept.10 7-9 PM

Conrad Fischer, MD and Father John Collins, CSP.

Routine Miracles: Restoring Faith and Hope in  Medicine &

Exploring the Effect of Divine Presence in the Ordinary Events of Life.

” The book was based, for me, on the 10th Chapter of Matthew and chats with John Collins.”

Last night’s Townhall meeting in NYC

In the Brooklyn Jewish Children’s Museum last night a Caribbean American Congresswoman was hosted to speak to an audience that was Orthodox, Hasidic Rabbis, retired Back Panthers, Muslim and non-aligned types.

The discussion was a reading of the bill, HR 3200. So, straight from the legislation we see there are:

1.NO death panels.

2. NO mandate to drop your private insurance

3. NO mandatory public option

4. FULL freedom to choose your own healthcare plan and options

What was wonderful to see, was that the audience came ready to defend their vision of a united America based on compassion and “Whatsoever you do unto the least of these my brethren, you do unto me”

When one or two people tried to shout down the speaker, who was reasonable and decent, the audience cut it off to insist on a presentation of intelligence and lucidity. When Yvette Clark ran for the office, I did NOT support her and I contributed and campaigned vigorously for her opponent.

Last night changed my mind.

This was a fantastic example of the American Ideal civilization. Every race, gender and religion united to hear the actual truth and support the vision of a compassionate civilization.

“But medicare isn’t run by the government” Said the Doctor

A woman walks up to me on the break in class a few minutes ago. “I know you want healthcare reform, but you don’t want a system run by the government AND a private system do you?”

“That’t what we have now” I respond.

“No we don’t”

“Yes, it’s called medicare. It works pretty well and so do the veteran’s hospitals”

“But medicare isn’t run by the government” says the doctor.

Wow!! The next time you go crazy because the general public does not understand things, now you realized how widespread the ignorance is.

Again, we will not have a Great Civilization unless we take care of EVERYONE as a right, not a privilege.

Using End-of-Life Counseling to scare people

When I want to make myself crazy, I watch Fox-news to absorb the distortions.

Asking people what THEY want to do with their life if they lose consciousness is a GOOD thing.

I witnessed the most extreme distortion of the excellent plan to ask seniors about their plans.

Here are the choices for the motivation for this misrepresentation of a VERY good idea

1. They are purposely manipulating events to look like the Veteran’s hospital wants to kick people out of care.

2. They truly are stupid and they do NOT understand

The previous election left a lot of angry people. Remember that in the United States over 30% of people thought the Iraq war was a GOOD idea even after it was proven that there were no weapons of mass destruction.

Now we see a very good plan to ask people what THEY want for themselves. The excellent title ‘YOUR life, YOUR choice” has been misrepresented as some evil plot to throw Grandpa into a microwave oven.

Write in to you elected representative and tell them it okay to ask about end of life care.

Boycott the sponsors of Fox news.

Do NOT spare yourself at this time! Keep working!

Many many of you are finishing your preparations for step 2. I know you are tired,but NOW is not the time to spare yourself!

You will retain what you study, you will get what you desire.

Most of all, our way is a way of sacrifice and baring pain in order to relieve the pain of others. When you study now, when you want to stop and rest, do NOT rest! Each moment of pain you experience is consciously undertaken in an attempt to improve yourself so you are skilled to take care of others.

When you take on this pain, you are helping to dispel the suffering of the world.

Fred Fischer Memorial for my father tonight at 7pm at the Nippon Club

In “Routine Miracles” I write about the day I told my father I wanted to go to Medical School.  “What do you want to do that for? A Doctor is nothing but a specialized mechanic”.

My father was a very complex man. Strongly intellectual. I never saw my father flustered about anything. Never.

Much of what I have learned has been by learning to overcome this man. A 37 year New York City policeman. Violent, turbulent, generous and with an analytical mind that was able to perceive reality free of illusion.

My father was always concerned about ‘confirmation bias” / He wrote extensively on the subject. His idea was that people decided on a position then selected facts to support a pre-determined position. His greatest counseling was to purposely seek out opposing viewpoints and to test your ideas.

My father’s beliefs were completely NON altruistic. He would understand the lack of universal coverage as ‘The Small guy always takes a beating.” but he would think me foolish to go to war on this. to fight.

He was more skilled at revenge. “THere is NEVER enough revenge’ he would quote from the Merchant of Venice. Yet, despite his rhetoric, his actions were immensely supportive of myself, and my children. Unfailingly generous, and wise…no ….. insightful and analytical. A master tactician.

In the gospels it is said… two lines AFTER the bliblical basis of Routine Miracles (Chapter 10 mathew)  “Be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves’. If we are to protect this world, we will need the cold, analytical intelligence of Fred Fischer to guide us in how to protect a suffering people from the callous disregard of those unwilling to take 10% from the military budget to solve this issue.
I am not like my father in goals. I have learned much on how to achieve goals he would not have felt obtainable or important.  But, he would have helped me understand evil.

In this world, the forces of mercy and compassion must have a piece of a man like my father, Fred Fischer, to guide us in not being defeated.

My father, a lifelong atheist will have a ceremony I have arranged with the President of the Atheists association, a Zen monk and a catholic priest, the  one “Routine Miracles” is dedicated too.

Although he described Religious people as deluded “So kid, do you REALLY think the whole world is based on a woman who took some bad advice from a talking snake?”

On the other hand. he would have liked me to invite the opposing viewpoint as well.

Why is Ted Kennedy ‘Great”? ‘Americans with Disabilities’ act

5. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

I cannot think of a better example of a Great Civilization, than one that DEMANDS that all public spaces accomodate those with blindness and wheelchairs. It is NOT that far in the past that someone was ‘A cripple’  a “gimp” and now it is ‘Disabled’ or ‘challenged’ This is far more than just demanding a door wide enough to accomodate a wheelchair in a theatre or a bus that can ‘kneel down’ to accomodate a person with decreased mobility.

The Americans with Disabilities Acti changed our cultural norms to include ALL people even those who will NOT play in sports or set physical records, as having their part in our civilization

You notice the country did not go bankrupt, yet at the time, MANY people said it would be ridiculously costly.

Now, you don’t even notice it. You can’t get a certificate of occupancy for a public building WITHOUT ADA accomodations.
Why is Ted Kennedy great? Because he helped, through legislation, change our societal norms to include the contributions of ALL members of our civilization.

We admire the ancient Greeks, and rightly so. Yet, they had a categorical disdain for those with physical weakness and deformity and over half the population was slaves.

Our culture is great because we look for the unique contributions of ALL our people, even those with physical or mental disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, showed us, that with little drama and minor cost, we can easily help the most vulnerable, and the entire society ascends.

Compassion in action is strength. An OPPORTUNITY for those with disabilities is NOT a handout, or even ‘Charity’. It is smart. In a great civilization, you provide the basics like healthcare and access for the most physically vulnerable.
The rest is up to them.  Univeral health coverage and the ADA are NOT a hand OUT, they are a hand UP

More to follow, stay tuned over the weekend.

Who said Ted Kennedy is great? For what?

Over these few days, you will hear the phrase “Lion of the Senate’ about the ‘Greatness” of Ted Kennedy.

I say: “Show me PROOF! not catchphrases”

Warm, touchy feely artsy types who weep in their seats about the loss of the ‘Great’ Kennedy leave me bored and irritated. They can’t name a single law he passed. How pathetic!

He did NOT achieve his greatest political agenda of universal healthcare coverage.

He did NOT get elected president and in 1980 fumbled on articulating WHY he should be elected president.

What EXACTLY DID this guy do?

1. He used a tax on Tobacco  to expand insurance for poor children. Hard to believe, but the SAME people screaming about ‘socialized medicine’ as evil were AGAINST the State Children’s Health Insurance Program which uses taxes to protect poor kids

oooooo!!!!!! Evil liberals! Tasxing Tobacco in vaccinate kids~!

2. Direct loan program: Enormous expansion of DIRECT loans for students from Federal Govt, instead of predatory lenders.

3. Pregnancy discrimination act (`978): Prior to this, did you know it was NOT illegal to fire a woman from her job because of pregnancy?

4. COBRA: Kennedy was THE author of the law that makes it so you don’t lose your health insurance when you change jobs.

How to stay Motivated for studying for step 2

QUESTION:

“I have my step 2 exam next month.  My friends & I study together and many times we fail to motivate each other. After reading just a couple of chapters we lose interest & struggle to keep up with the schedule. We know that there is no quick fix for this problem. But would like to know how to stay motivated most of the time. We have tried studying alone, studying in groups, watching videos & much more.Nothing seems to work well. Vast number of subjects & chapters seem overwhelming.With exams coming one after the other could you kindly suggest something through your blog? ”

RESPONSE

FEAR!!! Your life is going to be ruined unless you get a good grade!

TIME: Studying for step 2 is TEMPORARY!!! Just gut it out, it does not last forever

GOODNESS: The things you are going to learn for step 2 really matter. People are going to live and die based on what you know! If you cut a corner now, someone is going to get hurt. Don’t let people down.

METHOD: Change locations. Set small goals ‘we will cover 20 questions in ONE hour” then STICK TO IT!!!!
SMall goals!!!!

Good luck!

Chest tube placed: Entering Sacred space

The man relaxes after a few more milligrams of Dilaudid on top of the Versed. His muscles and face  visibly unclench. Two pairs of hands are dissecting through the soft tissue and muscle that hold his ribs together  and forceps are a finger’s depth into the man’s chest.

It seems savage and caring at the same time, placing a chest tube. Empathy has to be selective in the Deli sandwich of sensitivity and disregard that comes with needing to burrow a hole in a man’s armpit betweet the 4th and 5th rib.

This is my first day in the emergency department in 17 years. All the pain and smell of the world’s suffering and compassion tweet into my presence in a dense emergency department that thankfully will be demolished and rebuilt over the next few months.

I find the man I am trailing today, Faiz Khan, to be “Routinely Heroic”. The kind of ‘day to day’ in some people that does the right thing, and compulsively is thorough.  Divine presence influencing the world of ordinary events.

The patient wants to know why he has a spontaneous pneumothorax. “It can happen from any type of lung disease, or from trauma, none of which you have.  We don’t know, that’s why we call it ‘spontaneous’.”

It’s VERY important to tell the patient ‘we Don’t know’ when we don’t. Otherwise his mind will ascribe blame to something he did wrong, or bad luck, or being cursed. 

Sometimes, we just don’t know.

A man with a spontaneous pneumothorax is rescued from his breathless existence. The chest tube is in and his pain is relieved.

Two doctors, an attending and a trainee have to switch off enough sensitivity to dig into the sacred space of the man’s chest cavity. “Slice, not stab” is the instruction. He is right

Just enough sensitivity to relief pain.

Our unique heart. Receptive and immune.