It has come to my attention that the artist mentioned as painting the Mona Lisa in my tribute to Dad on Father's Day was not Mr. Rembrandt at all, but was, in fact, Leonardo DaVinci! One of my patients today pointed this out to me, and I was as shocked as anyone can be!
It's true!! True!! Leonardo it was. Not Rembrandt. OMG.
So shocked was I, that my patient would consider me as the uneducated artistic hack in this "uh-oh" moment.
I knew Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa. You knew I knew that! Wrongly accused in this gaff, but let the record show
It was Bewley! Damned Bewley wrote that piece, not me. He is the uneducated artistic hack in this.....
(Thank goodness I pointed Bewley and his ilk out to you all early on in this blog-a-boo thingy? Elsewise, how easily it would be for you as well to jump to conclusions such as this. To Err is So Human).
Friday, August 10, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Cheyenne? Papa? Pawpaw? Nahh! Just Dad
Mona Lisa's smile. That's got to be it! That little smirk that has drawn so many comments over the centuries. What does it mean? Why did the artist give this lady that little upturn of her lip? Of course nobody knows except Rembrandt and she, but that smile belies an understanding of something she knows and Mr. Rembrandt knows, but all who look upon it now don't know, but nontheless are quite opinioned about it. Maybe a private little joke between her and the artist. A romantic undertone? Bell's palsy?
Now look at my Dad. Is that little smirk there or am I imagining? If it is, it's the same look that hints of "I know something that you don't" and it captures the essence of his private demeanor. And when I say private demeanor, don't for one second consider him to have ever been a wilting lilly as to his personality. No sir! That would grossly misinterpret his inner mental workings. And may I say that his inner mental workings were cranking at full capacity up until the day they played the soft music. Being reserved was his nature, but his reservations lasted only for as long as it took to capture the "moment" in a room full of conversations. Thereafter, a party's host could never have requested a more engaging party strutter than he! Not a lampshade on his head kind of guy. No. His contribution would be good, relavant conversation with you complete with the facial expressions that subtitle his words so carefully offered.
Look at that face. Is it only me who thinks that mischief is lying just beneath? As I write this piece, I find that I am subliminally coughing up hauty, unfamiliar words and visual literations in a limp mimic of his ability to do just that! My Dad was a self-educated, passionate WORDSMITH! He loved words. He engineered their arrangement. He abhored their misuse. He loved the subtlties surrounding their meanings. Oh so many meanings, all of which change with inflection or patter within the context of a sentence or conversation. And don't you know that this wordsmith ability is as genetic as brown hair and big feet, and I see it in my two daughters each time I'm with them or read what they write. (Let me get out of this quickly...................... Neither of them have big feet!) OMG, I couldn't let that dangle out there too long!
Isn't it just amazing how dear someone becomes once they are gone from your life. Dad passed away in 2004 and it's just the oddest thing for him not to be here. I have often thought I would like to meet him now at some sandwich place and just have the most ordinary of conversations with him. No emotion. No tears or choked words. Just a conversation to catch up. Not along the line of "what's Heaven like?" or "is the Apostle Paul a short guy?" No. More along the line of "who was that guy you floated down the Ohio River with from Indiana on your young man's adventure? I remember you telling that story years ago, but I can't place his name." Then I would pay the bill (this really is a dream!) and I'll see you later Dad. Maybe we just get one opportunity to do this when there are two people on different sides of the veil, but I'm just dreamin'. Is that just a wild thought or what?
And don't you know that there comes a time when all the thoughts you have of the departed are pleasant ones, not the moments that were embarrasing, strained or angry. For some reason, I simply think of the funny things or of real simple times.
On the embarrasing, strained, angry side from years gone by, which we all have, I allow Bewley to do what Bewley does best and that is to dwell on such things. A waste of time to me!
I'm having these good thoughts presently as I write. Don't need to make this Father's Day blog overly complicated or emotional in content. And maybe I'm the only one who is getting anything out of this. In that case, writing blogs is therapeutic. This is lazy fun just mulling over some thoughts from the past about my Dad, and Daddy Bob, or even my Mom's Dad who I never knew, and others who are here no more. I have given myself permission to think about them without emotional baggage or wrenching heartache because I'm pretty clear that I will see them again.
Who knows, my Heavenly address from him may be just down the gold paved street?
Or not.
We'll see. I'm comfortable either way. I'm cool with however God has all this lined up And as I write this Father's Day remembrance, I say thank you Dad for all you were to me.
I miss you as is normal.
I love you as I should.
But you left before I knew the name of that friend who floated down the Ohio River with you.
Ahh. You'll tell me one day. Soon and very soon.
Sonny boy,
Steve
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Moma Mia! Mrs.Verna.
Mom, since you have been gone now over a year, I am still trying to get used to not picking up the phone to tell you about this and that, inconsequential stuff all of it. Family things that just happen. Upcoming things to chat about. Commonplace moments, so important in life. At first it was a bit embarrassing as I picked up the phone to call only to realize that you were not going to be there to answer. By the way, your family is doing just great and you would continue to be as proud of them as Karen and I are.
You knew, and then didn't know, that Sarah and Campbell were married in October of 2010 and they live smack dab between us and his parents. Strategic I presume, and we couldn't be happier. We told you about the wedding when it was upcoming, but as you sank deeper into mental and emotional confusion we decided that it was taking a much larger toll on you than was needed. The moment passed without you ever realizing it. Campbell has turned out to be quite the handyman in their house, and a determined individual! Sarah knew this all along and we are just now catching on. People like that seem to rise to the top in most cases. Life greets them with a handshake! We love him as our own and wish you could have been there, but Mom, forgive us this slight. Suzanne and I understood that Verna was not the same as the one who would have been the life of the party. At this time it was just not meant to be.
Verna, or Verna Marie as you were called by the people who grew up with you in Prescott, Arkansas. Your mother raised you and your twin brothers, Watson and Warren, by herself, and apparently did a pretty good job. Had your daddy not passed away with pneumonia when you were nine years old, you all might have had an easier time of it. Your mom, my grandmother, did an outstanding job with what she had to work with, and you all grew up to be productive, responsible contributors and friends to all who knew you.
Your mom Bess, my grandmother, had a sewing talent that she passed on to you that was just extraordinary! For someone who has a dead eye to that sort of thing, I have such an appreciation for the beauty and the creative detail involved in your efforts. Daughter Bethany has this gene in her for sure! I guess it lay dormant for some years, but as soon as she connected with her first sewing machine, it was off to the races and no looking back! She is self taught mostly, indicative of her passion for it, but as I say, the gene is there. It's so fun to see her folded down on the bedroom floor reading the "serger" (what is that?) operator's manual, and then finding some dress creation half way completed in just a few hours. By the way Mom, she prefers your old sewing machine to the new ones today that have more bells and whistles. Not surprising to us as she prefers most things vintage or retro. The story continues.
You know, I have almost forgiven you the time you caught me chewing some pilfered Juicy Fruit gum on a visit to Simmon's Drug Store in Texarkana. At six or seven years old at the time, I had no idea that taking that gum was in the slightest bit wrong, thus my overt smacking of two or three pieces in front of you. This turned out to be a defining moment as you marched me back into the store to apologize to the store owner and return the unused portion of the pack. Raindrop sized tears cascaded out my eyes as shame filtered it's way down, down, deep into my heart. Your parental insight knew that this was a "teachable moment" and to this day I would poke my eye with a sharp stick before I would consider taking something that was not mine!
On the occasion of an upcoming Mother's Day this Sunday, lest I forget or I sin by omission, Karen's Mom, Betty, who left us in 2005 is lifted up here. Her's was sweetness. Her's was grace. Thankful will I always be for my immediate embrace into the family tree. Her love was predicated only on my simple love for her Sovereign Garden Daughter (little family joke). Nothing needed. Nothing was required. My graft into the family tree was complete, said and done.
Betty left her fingerprint on Karen's heart in observable ways, if only to me. On so many occasions and conversations I am reminded that Betty's fingerprint and Karen's fingerprint are almost the same mark! These are wonderful remembrances and worthy of kind words here.
Not forgetting Everett and Bob for a minute, your Day and blog are coming next month. We are so thankful for the thread that you have woven through our lives. We are who we are because of who you were. Our gratitude to each of you is expressed in simple words in our backyard, words etched on a stone marker. As this marker will remind us each time we look upon it, the garden will grow like our families that surround it. It is strong. It is lasting. It will remind us of the joys and disciplines you etched upon our character.
Happy Mother's Day Verna! Happy Mother's Day Betty! We honor you as the very best parts of who we are.
Dr. S
You knew, and then didn't know, that Sarah and Campbell were married in October of 2010 and they live smack dab between us and his parents. Strategic I presume, and we couldn't be happier. We told you about the wedding when it was upcoming, but as you sank deeper into mental and emotional confusion we decided that it was taking a much larger toll on you than was needed. The moment passed without you ever realizing it. Campbell has turned out to be quite the handyman in their house, and a determined individual! Sarah knew this all along and we are just now catching on. People like that seem to rise to the top in most cases. Life greets them with a handshake! We love him as our own and wish you could have been there, but Mom, forgive us this slight. Suzanne and I understood that Verna was not the same as the one who would have been the life of the party. At this time it was just not meant to be.
Verna, or Verna Marie as you were called by the people who grew up with you in Prescott, Arkansas. Your mother raised you and your twin brothers, Watson and Warren, by herself, and apparently did a pretty good job. Had your daddy not passed away with pneumonia when you were nine years old, you all might have had an easier time of it. Your mom, my grandmother, did an outstanding job with what she had to work with, and you all grew up to be productive, responsible contributors and friends to all who knew you.
Your mom Bess, my grandmother, had a sewing talent that she passed on to you that was just extraordinary! For someone who has a dead eye to that sort of thing, I have such an appreciation for the beauty and the creative detail involved in your efforts. Daughter Bethany has this gene in her for sure! I guess it lay dormant for some years, but as soon as she connected with her first sewing machine, it was off to the races and no looking back! She is self taught mostly, indicative of her passion for it, but as I say, the gene is there. It's so fun to see her folded down on the bedroom floor reading the "serger" (what is that?) operator's manual, and then finding some dress creation half way completed in just a few hours. By the way Mom, she prefers your old sewing machine to the new ones today that have more bells and whistles. Not surprising to us as she prefers most things vintage or retro. The story continues.
You know, I have almost forgiven you the time you caught me chewing some pilfered Juicy Fruit gum on a visit to Simmon's Drug Store in Texarkana. At six or seven years old at the time, I had no idea that taking that gum was in the slightest bit wrong, thus my overt smacking of two or three pieces in front of you. This turned out to be a defining moment as you marched me back into the store to apologize to the store owner and return the unused portion of the pack. Raindrop sized tears cascaded out my eyes as shame filtered it's way down, down, deep into my heart. Your parental insight knew that this was a "teachable moment" and to this day I would poke my eye with a sharp stick before I would consider taking something that was not mine!
On the occasion of an upcoming Mother's Day this Sunday, lest I forget or I sin by omission, Karen's Mom, Betty, who left us in 2005 is lifted up here. Her's was sweetness. Her's was grace. Thankful will I always be for my immediate embrace into the family tree. Her love was predicated only on my simple love for her Sovereign Garden Daughter (little family joke). Nothing needed. Nothing was required. My graft into the family tree was complete, said and done.
Betty left her fingerprint on Karen's heart in observable ways, if only to me. On so many occasions and conversations I am reminded that Betty's fingerprint and Karen's fingerprint are almost the same mark! These are wonderful remembrances and worthy of kind words here.
Not forgetting Everett and Bob for a minute, your Day and blog are coming next month. We are so thankful for the thread that you have woven through our lives. We are who we are because of who you were. Our gratitude to each of you is expressed in simple words in our backyard, words etched on a stone marker. As this marker will remind us each time we look upon it, the garden will grow like our families that surround it. It is strong. It is lasting. It will remind us of the joys and disciplines you etched upon our character.
Happy Mother's Day Verna! Happy Mother's Day Betty! We honor you as the very best parts of who we are.
Dr. S
Friday, May 4, 2012
A Dog's Bestest Friend! Our Bestest Friend!
A news story just can't lose with either animals or babies, and the one I saw the other day on the ABC evening news proved that point once again.
The short form of this news article was about a Golden Retreiver (Tucker) who had suffered from seizures most of his life, and whatever was causing the seizures had also caused the dog to go blind. As we know, a dog's nose brings smelling to an art form of sorts and undoubtedly compensates for a lot of vision disabilities. But blind is blind and you can only imagine how compromised this animal's day-to-day life had become. He was being housed in a backyard behind his Veterinarian's office for his daily care and assistance and from all points of view was not really participating in the life he was living.
Enter Blair, a black Laborador mix. His story line goes like this: apparently shot when he was a puppy, he had grown into a very shy, non-trusting, intimidated dog. An animal with his own set of issues as you can imagine. Almost immediately when Tucker and Blair were put together in the same backyard, not only were they immediately glad to be with each other, they were is some way struck with each other, bonding so quickly that it surprised everybody. They romped and played and jumped and frittered around the yard, just having the best dog day!
Those of us who know dogs know about dog love. A dog will love you when just about no one else will, and for no apparent good reason. Undeserved love. They will forgive all the stomping and yelling we do when we discover a shredded den pillow lying dead and scattered all over the floor. Only later are they vindicated when down feathers are found lodged in between the cat's teeth! They love us with a love so pure that it's hard to imitate because it's not something they are trying to do. It's their disposition. They are living out their nature.
What is also in their nature is this: Blair intuitively understood that Tucker was not a "seeing" play partner. Acting on this intuition he stolled over and took Tucker's leash in his mouth and led him to all the wonderful points of interest they could visit in the backyard. Tucker LOVED these little visits and they both were as happy and content with their unspoken arrangement as two dogs could possibly be. Don't you know that Tucker now had his own seeing eye dog! (It has been noted since this friendship began between these two dogs that his seizures have markedly improved with less frequency and intensity).
And on the other hand/paw, the Lab mix Blair is now less timid, more playful than he has ever been. His wagging tail is the giveaway! It used to be tucked under him as he sat cowling in a corner whereever he happened to be. Now all is well and it seems that he experiences wonderful delight and satisfaction knowing that he now has a purpose and and reason to be!
Love freely given.
And received.
Unsolicited.
Healing.
Joy.
The Veterinarian and all the people associated with Tucker had not ever been able to stir him much after he lost his sight because, even with the best of intentions, these folks didn't understand what he really needed. Yes, his sight was gone. Naturally they thought he needed to see but no amount of help from the human being side was making any difference in his life.
What he really needed was a Relationship. One that was like him. Blair, the dog. His transformation occurred only because he was presented with a life form that he could understand. Tucker didn't know what he needed. But God knew he needed one like him and He sent Blair and instantly his life changed!
For all the computer people out there, here's a (link). (It's not a real one silly. It just connects all this stuff above with this last paragraph!)
God spoke to us so many years ago in the Old Books until He was blue in the face. He used Prophets. He used Floods. He used Stone Tablets and all sorts of locusts and flies but we still couldn't get our mind around how are we supposed to present ourselves to a perfect God when we knew we were far from perfect. But he had a plan for all that. He figured he'd send us a life form We could understand. He sent us a Person, a human being just like us. He sent us a Relationship that we could see, and feel, and touch, and hear. And now we can get it!
Thank you Blair! Thank you Tucker! You have been such good characters in my Dog Blog!!
Dr. S
The short form of this news article was about a Golden Retreiver (Tucker) who had suffered from seizures most of his life, and whatever was causing the seizures had also caused the dog to go blind. As we know, a dog's nose brings smelling to an art form of sorts and undoubtedly compensates for a lot of vision disabilities. But blind is blind and you can only imagine how compromised this animal's day-to-day life had become. He was being housed in a backyard behind his Veterinarian's office for his daily care and assistance and from all points of view was not really participating in the life he was living.
Enter Blair, a black Laborador mix. His story line goes like this: apparently shot when he was a puppy, he had grown into a very shy, non-trusting, intimidated dog. An animal with his own set of issues as you can imagine. Almost immediately when Tucker and Blair were put together in the same backyard, not only were they immediately glad to be with each other, they were is some way struck with each other, bonding so quickly that it surprised everybody. They romped and played and jumped and frittered around the yard, just having the best dog day!
Those of us who know dogs know about dog love. A dog will love you when just about no one else will, and for no apparent good reason. Undeserved love. They will forgive all the stomping and yelling we do when we discover a shredded den pillow lying dead and scattered all over the floor. Only later are they vindicated when down feathers are found lodged in between the cat's teeth! They love us with a love so pure that it's hard to imitate because it's not something they are trying to do. It's their disposition. They are living out their nature.
What is also in their nature is this: Blair intuitively understood that Tucker was not a "seeing" play partner. Acting on this intuition he stolled over and took Tucker's leash in his mouth and led him to all the wonderful points of interest they could visit in the backyard. Tucker LOVED these little visits and they both were as happy and content with their unspoken arrangement as two dogs could possibly be. Don't you know that Tucker now had his own seeing eye dog! (It has been noted since this friendship began between these two dogs that his seizures have markedly improved with less frequency and intensity).
And on the other hand/paw, the Lab mix Blair is now less timid, more playful than he has ever been. His wagging tail is the giveaway! It used to be tucked under him as he sat cowling in a corner whereever he happened to be. Now all is well and it seems that he experiences wonderful delight and satisfaction knowing that he now has a purpose and and reason to be!
Love freely given.
And received.
Unsolicited.
Healing.
Joy.
The Veterinarian and all the people associated with Tucker had not ever been able to stir him much after he lost his sight because, even with the best of intentions, these folks didn't understand what he really needed. Yes, his sight was gone. Naturally they thought he needed to see but no amount of help from the human being side was making any difference in his life.
What he really needed was a Relationship. One that was like him. Blair, the dog. His transformation occurred only because he was presented with a life form that he could understand. Tucker didn't know what he needed. But God knew he needed one like him and He sent Blair and instantly his life changed!
For all the computer people out there, here's a (link). (It's not a real one silly. It just connects all this stuff above with this last paragraph!)
God spoke to us so many years ago in the Old Books until He was blue in the face. He used Prophets. He used Floods. He used Stone Tablets and all sorts of locusts and flies but we still couldn't get our mind around how are we supposed to present ourselves to a perfect God when we knew we were far from perfect. But he had a plan for all that. He figured he'd send us a life form We could understand. He sent us a Person, a human being just like us. He sent us a Relationship that we could see, and feel, and touch, and hear. And now we can get it!
Thank you Blair! Thank you Tucker! You have been such good characters in my Dog Blog!!
Dr. S
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
My Band of Brothers. A Reunion Seen From the Year 1865.
Three Southern Civil War veterans got together after one of the most devastating military conflicts ever imagined in history. They mutually bore a monumental vision of reuniting men once formerly locked in mortal combat, men with roots from both the North and South. Formally stated, "to bind men together in a Brotherhood based upon eternal and immutable principles, with a bond as strong as right itself and as lasting as Humanity. To know no North, or South, or East, or West, but to know man as man. To teach that true men the world over should stand together and contend for the supremacy of good over evil". That brotherhood established so many years ago was the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. This organization and it's 200,000 present and former members was and is the group of "friends" that I committed to on pledge day my freshman year in college.
That's wonderful Dr. S! A little history lesson should round out the topic offerings begun here in your blog. I'll just skim over this one but really can't wait until your next blog when you may have something that might be of interest to me.
Unable to ride my motorcycle this last weekend because of threatening rain storms, I put the top down on my car, had my iTunes playing through my headphones and drove through the Piney Woods of east Texas to Nacogdoches, Texas. Clouds everywhere. No rain! I was in route to the 43rd reunion of my fraternity band of brothers, a destination made by men known and unknown to me from as far away as New York, and as close as right there.
My friend Roger from Houston and I were scheduled to be overnight roomates once again, and as soon as we threw our stuff into the hotel room, a quick phone call to our Brother Brian set our immediate agenda of meeting others who had arrived earlier on Friday. We met them in the courtyard of another local hotel, and as soon as we arrived my 6' however-many-inches tall Brother Scott from Tyler almost chest-bumped me into the pool. I made a quick recovery though as he grasped my hand in our familiar ATO handshake and saved me from a watery hail-fellow-well-met! Brian was there, with his beautiful wife Terri. Paul and Bruce were there with us. Thus began our Reunion weekend!
Without going into more detail here than is required, apparently Roger and I looked somewhat dehydrated and sickly to them at the moment of our arrival because as soon as we sat down, Scott ordered us something to drink to help us through the next few minutes. They thought something called Shock Top would be an appropriate remedy, and after a few minutes under their care both Roger and I really did start to feel better after our journeys.
As do we all, I have "friends" on many branches of my friend tree, from different life stages past and present. These friends are mostly all alike, as is expected. We draw those to us who are like us. But no one told me in the Life Instruction Manual that all these friends of mine would make life so rich in these days of ARP magazines (hotel discounts!) and snap, crackle, pop, associated with bones and movement, not cereal!
Some of my loves:
I love my wife! Period.
I love my children and in-law children. Period.
I love my dogs and in-law dog. Period.
I love my motorcycle. Period.
I love my motorcycle. Period.
I love practically every waitress that I have ever met, especially those that bring you coffee and punctuate their conversation with "Sweety" and "Darlin". This last group most always have a rebound quip for any comment that you think they have never heard before.
I love my present cholesterol and blood pressure numbers compliments of medications 1X/day, po by mouth.
My motorcycle is a Honda VTX 1300. Bagger. Cruising bike. Windshield. Custom seat. "Loud pipes, save lives." Period.
AND I LOVE MY FRIENDS EVERYONE!
You who are my friends, thank you for including me in your phone contact list! Thank you for greeting me on sight without looking around to see who's watching. Thank you for memories dear, and for opportunities to make more future memories with you and yours. Fodder for future blogs I consider. We are friends by choice and the richness that you bring to my life is Life itself.
And there is One who is closer than a friend! And if you had ever walked as I have, blindfolded, led by a "friend", the symbolic and literal outline of the 200,000, you know exactly what I have said!
Dr. S
That's wonderful Dr. S! A little history lesson should round out the topic offerings begun here in your blog. I'll just skim over this one but really can't wait until your next blog when you may have something that might be of interest to me.
Unable to ride my motorcycle this last weekend because of threatening rain storms, I put the top down on my car, had my iTunes playing through my headphones and drove through the Piney Woods of east Texas to Nacogdoches, Texas. Clouds everywhere. No rain! I was in route to the 43rd reunion of my fraternity band of brothers, a destination made by men known and unknown to me from as far away as New York, and as close as right there.
My friend Roger from Houston and I were scheduled to be overnight roomates once again, and as soon as we threw our stuff into the hotel room, a quick phone call to our Brother Brian set our immediate agenda of meeting others who had arrived earlier on Friday. We met them in the courtyard of another local hotel, and as soon as we arrived my 6' however-many-inches tall Brother Scott from Tyler almost chest-bumped me into the pool. I made a quick recovery though as he grasped my hand in our familiar ATO handshake and saved me from a watery hail-fellow-well-met! Brian was there, with his beautiful wife Terri. Paul and Bruce were there with us. Thus began our Reunion weekend!
Without going into more detail here than is required, apparently Roger and I looked somewhat dehydrated and sickly to them at the moment of our arrival because as soon as we sat down, Scott ordered us something to drink to help us through the next few minutes. They thought something called Shock Top would be an appropriate remedy, and after a few minutes under their care both Roger and I really did start to feel better after our journeys.
As do we all, I have "friends" on many branches of my friend tree, from different life stages past and present. These friends are mostly all alike, as is expected. We draw those to us who are like us. But no one told me in the Life Instruction Manual that all these friends of mine would make life so rich in these days of ARP magazines (hotel discounts!) and snap, crackle, pop, associated with bones and movement, not cereal!
Some of my loves:
I love my wife! Period.
I love my children and in-law children. Period.
I love my dogs and in-law dog. Period.
I love my motorcycle. Period.
I love my motorcycle. Period.
I love practically every waitress that I have ever met, especially those that bring you coffee and punctuate their conversation with "Sweety" and "Darlin". This last group most always have a rebound quip for any comment that you think they have never heard before.
I love my present cholesterol and blood pressure numbers compliments of medications 1X/day, po by mouth.
My motorcycle is a Honda VTX 1300. Bagger. Cruising bike. Windshield. Custom seat. "Loud pipes, save lives." Period.
AND I LOVE MY FRIENDS EVERYONE!
You who are my friends, thank you for including me in your phone contact list! Thank you for greeting me on sight without looking around to see who's watching. Thank you for memories dear, and for opportunities to make more future memories with you and yours. Fodder for future blogs I consider. We are friends by choice and the richness that you bring to my life is Life itself.
And there is One who is closer than a friend! And if you had ever walked as I have, blindfolded, led by a "friend", the symbolic and literal outline of the 200,000, you know exactly what I have said!
Dr. S
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Current View of Dental Xrays and Brain Tumors
One can always find a dental topic in the media today, and the latest one comes out of Yale University School of Medicine and Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. The title of the report is "Dental X-rays Linked to Brain Tumors". Our office has had questions regarding the findings and I will try to lend some insight.
There have been several "loose" studies completed in the past on this very subject. What I mean by "loose" describes a very small number of test group people or a test resulting in somewhat inconclusive data. This latest report has a much larger testing group and defines it's results with recommendations that can be considered by most dental offices.
I do not consider all reports nor all recommendations found in their respective journals to have practical worthiness just because they are published. For instance, the "amalgam wars" have been going on since this material was introduced over a hundred years ago with recommendations for it's use and non-use from each camp. I used dental amalgam (silver filling) material probably in the first 10-12 years of my practice. When composite (tooth colored, bonded filling) materials were introduced, I did not immediately embrace the technology. I allowed others to embrace the technology and then read their submitted reviews positive or negative, and made clinical decisions based on current literature and these reviews by my peers. I try to stay and year or two behind the "cutting edge". I do this in my dental philosophy and I do it with my iPhone/iPad, etc. (excitement technology) as well!
With the current report, it has validity to me due to it's structure and objectivity, and because of this, it makes recommendations that can be taken to heart by dental practitioners. The recommendations suggested is for x-rays on a periodic average of 2-3 years for adult patients with other recommendations for kids, special needs and geriatric folks. In my opinion based on 30 years chairside, I do not embrace 3 years at all. Two years would be the extent of my comfort zone and individual clinical indications, medication use and type, habits or lack thereof would dictate radiography on an as-needed basis. For instance, there are so many people taking meds today that have dry mouth as a symptom. Dry mouth means cavities. Period. Or folks with an unapologetic soft drink habit or "sweet" habit need to be radiographically examined every time they are routinely seen. Changes occur so fast in these type of cases that it is almost inexcusable to not know exactly what is happening with these folks. The consequences of inattention can be sudden, intense and disasterous.
What I hope will not happen but that I anticipate will be a debating point are folks who will take this report as a reason to not take needed, appropriately suggested x-rays, much of this resistance based on financial considerations. This can, like in most everything in life, boil down to money. Dental radiographs cost money. If there are any dangling financial branches out there to grab in orer to keep as much of our hard earned money in our pockets as possible, we look for reasons to grab! I don't blame anyone for being responsible with their exchequer. As for my patients I will continue to make recommendations about x-rays or any other treatment needs based on what I would do for my own family.
Life is a daily learning forum and I love what modern dentistry can offer patients today. I learned from this report and encourage everyone to take all information out there from their individual dentists and the media, mull over what is being said and proposed, and make decisions based on knowledge and trust.
Someone smarter than I wrote the following:
There is a price to pay for education.....
There is a price to pay for ignorance.
There is a price to pay for good health.....
And there is a price for sickness and disease.
There is a price to pay for attending to relationships.....
And a price to pay for neglecting them.
We cannot choose whether or not we will pay.....
We can only choose for what.
Dr. S
There have been several "loose" studies completed in the past on this very subject. What I mean by "loose" describes a very small number of test group people or a test resulting in somewhat inconclusive data. This latest report has a much larger testing group and defines it's results with recommendations that can be considered by most dental offices.
I do not consider all reports nor all recommendations found in their respective journals to have practical worthiness just because they are published. For instance, the "amalgam wars" have been going on since this material was introduced over a hundred years ago with recommendations for it's use and non-use from each camp. I used dental amalgam (silver filling) material probably in the first 10-12 years of my practice. When composite (tooth colored, bonded filling) materials were introduced, I did not immediately embrace the technology. I allowed others to embrace the technology and then read their submitted reviews positive or negative, and made clinical decisions based on current literature and these reviews by my peers. I try to stay and year or two behind the "cutting edge". I do this in my dental philosophy and I do it with my iPhone/iPad, etc. (excitement technology) as well!
With the current report, it has validity to me due to it's structure and objectivity, and because of this, it makes recommendations that can be taken to heart by dental practitioners. The recommendations suggested is for x-rays on a periodic average of 2-3 years for adult patients with other recommendations for kids, special needs and geriatric folks. In my opinion based on 30 years chairside, I do not embrace 3 years at all. Two years would be the extent of my comfort zone and individual clinical indications, medication use and type, habits or lack thereof would dictate radiography on an as-needed basis. For instance, there are so many people taking meds today that have dry mouth as a symptom. Dry mouth means cavities. Period. Or folks with an unapologetic soft drink habit or "sweet" habit need to be radiographically examined every time they are routinely seen. Changes occur so fast in these type of cases that it is almost inexcusable to not know exactly what is happening with these folks. The consequences of inattention can be sudden, intense and disasterous.
What I hope will not happen but that I anticipate will be a debating point are folks who will take this report as a reason to not take needed, appropriately suggested x-rays, much of this resistance based on financial considerations. This can, like in most everything in life, boil down to money. Dental radiographs cost money. If there are any dangling financial branches out there to grab in orer to keep as much of our hard earned money in our pockets as possible, we look for reasons to grab! I don't blame anyone for being responsible with their exchequer. As for my patients I will continue to make recommendations about x-rays or any other treatment needs based on what I would do for my own family.
Life is a daily learning forum and I love what modern dentistry can offer patients today. I learned from this report and encourage everyone to take all information out there from their individual dentists and the media, mull over what is being said and proposed, and make decisions based on knowledge and trust.
Someone smarter than I wrote the following:
There is a price to pay for education.....
There is a price to pay for ignorance.
There is a price to pay for good health.....
And there is a price for sickness and disease.
There is a price to pay for attending to relationships.....
And a price to pay for neglecting them.
We cannot choose whether or not we will pay.....
We can only choose for what.
Dr. S
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