When do You Quit?

Personeal life experiance | 8-12-02 | Joe Phillips

[BADJOE]

In 1977 I saw a lady who was a friend and a patient of eighteen years. Let's call her Dorothy.

Dorothy was in her early 40's, she had five kids, four of whom still at home, and she was a very pleasant person.

I noticed her left eye seemed to be lower in its socket than in previous observatioins. Now this is a very unusual stituation. I referred her to my friendly ophthalmolgist with the reason for the referral. He concluded there was nothing wrong.

Two months later she came back in to my office complaining of diplopia (double vision). I again referred to to my friendly ophthalmolgist and another ophthalomolgist, who specialized in retina surgury/deep socket eye surgury, her internist, a neurosurgon, her Gynecologist and her GP. Again all MDs gave her a clean bill of health.

Thirty days later she came back in. The left eye was now a full quarter of an inch below the right eye and she was looking through a one millimeter slit between her lids. I called the first ophthalomigist again and spoke with him. He said " Goddammit Joe, I told you there was nothing wrong with her, and he refused to see her again. I called the retina man and he said let's get the neurosurgeon to take another look. All said they could not find the cause. X-Rays were negative. They took no action.

Two weeks later she could no longer see out of her left eye without holding her lid up with her fingers. I called and then personally went to see all of the physicians involved and threatened to blow the whistle on all of them if they did not get in there and solve Dorothy's problem.

They called a conference, then called Dorothy and her husband in. They decided to do exploratory surgury with five different surgeons present in the operating room, and scheduled it for the next day. I cancelled my patients for the day and went to the hospital waiting room with to be with my friend, her husband.

Eight hours later we learned the results. Dorothy would be alright and live a perfectly normal life. She died 15 years later from other causes.

The problem of all things was benign but dangerous mucoseal (Pouch of mucous) that had formed in her superior left orbit. It had eaten through the bone above her eye and if it had ruptured , she would have died suddenly. They had to saw the top of her skull off, lift her brain, drain the mucoseal, remove it and cauterize the area of its formation.

The neurosurgeon told me that if they hadn't gone in when they did, she had less than a week to live at the time of the surgury.

[BADJOE]

It was above my skill level to diagnose this. I only knew something was not right.

It is not my nature to give up.

It is not my nature to threaten anyone.

It is not the only time a situation like this arose.

I am not telling you this story to gain personal praise.

I am too old to give a damn.

The question is how hard do you fight?

When do you quit?

When no one will listen?

When you can cry no longer?

When the patient dies?

When you are too tired to take even one more step?

[Seeking the truth]

Well, this is certainly the antithesis of "Why Bother", isn't it?

Seriously, here is a quote that perhaps addresses the question you pose. Winston Churchill's England was under daily bombardment from the Hun. The situation was bleak.

"You ask what is our aim? It is victory. Victory at all costs. Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory, there is no survival"

[BADJOE]

How true.

I am beaten down like I have never been.

If the US had not entered the war England would have been overrun and destroyed.

Today I am England.

[Seeking the truth]

Buck it up, Badjoe!

Or I'll keeping throwing up all these quotes from Bartletts!

"It was the best of times; it was the worst of times in Freeperdom"

"These are times that try Freepers souls"

[BADJOE]

Amen brother.

E-mail coming.

[Seeking the truth]

Just think of the AFers as the Hun and jump into your Hurricane and sally forth over the Channel!

The "Battle of Freeperdom" is underway!

Grab your kit and join up!

Tallyho!

[Seeking the truth]

Ha! I was composing an email to you also!

[BADJOE]

Remember.,

One "Oh Sh*t !"

Wipes out Ten "attaboys"

[HairOfTheDog]

Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!

Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!
Attaboy!

Well, that will cover two "Oh Sh*t"s... I know it doesn't bring you back to even yet, but it is my contribution.

The best advice I can give is to make sure you get up and go outside every day, especially now. Find some earth to walk on and play ball with a good retriever if at all possible!

[BADJOE]

I'd love to have that little Scotty on your post. : )

[HairOfTheDog]

Find one... they're available, probably today! Would do you good! Want me to call the pound and find you a pup that needs saving? hmmmm?

[BADJOE]

As long as it is a female Scotty puppy. I'll even pay big bucks.. : )

[HairOfTheDog]

Well! - There ya go! - You could be overwhelmed by love and admiration by the evening! Now go!

Wanna go for a ride BAJOE?

[The Shrew]

Never give up!

Never give up!

Never give up!

Winston Churchill

[Jim Robinson]

The answer is, you don't quit. But you don't commit suicide either. If your current battle plan is not working you sometimes have to regroup, rethink, revise the plan, shift your resources, and then continue forward. But you never take your eye off the ball and you never quit. Individual battles may be won or lost, but the war rages on.

[A Navy Vet]

What's the matter ole buddy? What's got ya so down? You're the epitomy of perseverence.

[Bob J]

Sometimes you lose a battle, but if that makes one question his reason for fighting, the war will never be won.

[BADJOE]

In the course of human events strong disagreements often arrise among men of good will.

These disagreemnets can lead to alienation of those who should be marching together toward the common goal they share. Instead, their egos prevent them from standing shoulder to shoulder.

[Bob J]

Instead, their egos prevent them from standing shoulder to shoulder. How does one come to the realization it is really their ego that is standing in the way?

[BADJOE]

Because I am past negotiating and the other party has refuse to budge.