staying power

We are in the middle of reforming healthcare in our own little way, we are starting a cash pay service for medicine consults. 

I cannot wait to see how it evolves, whether is flounders or flourishes. At the end of the day, I hope the message is clear, that medicine belongs to everyone. Our ability to heal one another with 1000 year old traditions or through a smile or through the latest innovations is not sustainable unless we empower one another or remind people of all they can learn from the generations before them...

I'm not good with anecdotes or story telling but I would like to share a brief story and how to this day, I wish I had asked...

It was well over 20 years ago, by then my grandfather had probably been in this country for about 15 years or so. I don't know much about his story except for he was a police officer in southern Vietnam and a photographer if not by trade, than certainly a passionate pursuit. Early on after their move to the US, from the wreckage left by the Vietnam War, they were in a crash that left my grandmother paralyzed from the neck down. 

Fast forward to my 12 year old body learning how to ride a bike down the hill, I collided with a rock. I vaguely remembered being carried onto our couch but with detail remember the astuteness in which my grandfather examined my ankle and popped all the pain out of it and had me walking again. 

I was in awe then as I am today. Though perhaps even more so now. Where did he learn that? In my now 6 years out of medical school...well, I would have no idea how to yank on such a foot to reset it. 

All this to say, our world and its inhabitants are better served by regarding the generations of knowledge before it and to elevate the learning from our elders and parents to its rightful place.  We must re empower our parents to share their knowledge and equip everyone to care for those around them as we may innately already know how.