Medical year news: Ridiculous coincidences; serendipity; aging and grace. 

Dear Syd Uni Colleagues,

We have all reached the age where medical problems are more likely, however none would have been prepared for what happened to Allan Glanville in February when he developed an aortic dissection.  This happened on his first week back at St Vincent’s after a wonderful winter trip to Norway and Sweden with Ann, Ian and Judy Stokes, Lesley Yee and other friends.  Ultra-prompt arrival at ER and early surgery was life saving … Allan reports that he is now getting fitter by the day and aiming to get back to work after his own bespoke cardio-thoracic catastrophe.  As he wrote to me, “truth is always better than fiction!”  Best wishes to Allan and Ann at this difficult time. 

Last month I ran into Eddie and Helen Howe on the red carpet at The Met Opera in New York.  They treated us to an intermission dessert in the elegant Met foyer restaurant.  As students I had taken Eddie to his first opera at the Sydney Opera House where Clive Lovell and Di Phillpot also had part-time jobs.  Eddie also helped us move into my mum’s terrace at 28 Watkin St, Newtown, which also had connections with the Farnsworths, Lynda and Greg Marks, Mike Campbell-Smith, John Grassby and others.  Lynda and Greg are now neighbours again - in their country house here in Bowral! 

I was delighted to find Minas and Helena Coroneo on our return Qantas flight.  Apart from other American business they had visited their first grandchild, now 9 months old, whose parents are in New York. 

Anne Pike was recently looking after two of her grandchildren in Orange where she caught up with Judy and Ian Stokes whose daughter is an RMO at the Base Hospital.

I dined recently with Annabelle Farnsworth and Robert Hansen at Billy Kwong’s in Kings Cross.  Their son Rob Hansen now lives in New York where he has re-introduced me to church vocals - if not to Christianity - after my decade of being a fellow traveller at synagogue and mosque.  The well funded Trinity Church Wall Street has a fine vocal tradition including ‘Bach at One’, Messiah at Xmas as well as a full choral Sabbath Eucharist schedule.  For Easter Sunday they had full trumpet fanfare with 40 choristers (including Rob junior) … and all on live stream HD video.  Even the sermons seem to make sense in our turbulent world. 

 https://www.trinitywallstreet.org/videos/recent?page=1

Jim Markos ran into Helen Zorbas at a function for the Lung Foundation in Canberra recently … she is doing a sterling job and is a great ambassador, clinician and researcher. 

My lymphoma has been at bay for 16 years with only one minor recurrence.  I thank the numerous St Vincent’s doctors involved in my care.  Andy Csillag did my Xrays and ultrasounds while Bill Sewell my pathology typing.  Sam Milliken is my exemplary haematologist/oncologist. 

Wishing all year members good cheer, hoping for some feedback on an informal reunion perhaps in early spring if there is interest out there.  Please send your own news (three lines about family, business, bibs and bobs) and I will add to the blog.   http://1971syduni.blogspot.com/    

Andrew Byrne .. (year trouble-maker). 

PS – does anyone want to join me in shaking up medical accreditation?  Minas Coroneo and I agreed that over-governance is responsible for some of the ills of medical practice and that in its current form it is incapable of addressing the many real issues relating to poor treatment practices which still occur.  Equally it is incapable of recognising and rewarding innovations. 

Eddie Howe, Andrew Byrne, Helen Howe with Cecily Brown Met Opera foyer painting.

Feedback from Mark Henschke: 

There is an open invitation to anyone travelling to beautiful Sawtell-Coffs Harbour. Mobile 0438 722 355.  I'm training the next generation of doctors both undergraduate (Rural Clinical School, UNSW) and in the GP training program to ensure we are all looked after well in 'later life'. There are two Henschke's in rural practice: Luke (Staff specialist Orthopaedics, Lismore Base Hospital) and Alice (VMO Intensive Care, Orange Base Hospital). Say hello if you are in their vicinity. I had a wonderful experience kayaking around South Georgia Island and  Antarctica Peninsula in December. Its something everyone should do before they die!! (see pix below)

Very best wishes

Mark Henschke

Message from Chris Fenton:

Everything is fine with my health and I continue to work as a FIFO GP in a mining town, Middlemount, in Central Queensland. I have done that for 7 years now and really enjoy it. But I will be moving from lifelong residence in Sydney to Adelaide next year where one son, his wife and the only grandchildren are.

I have had a 13 year involvement in an NGO in Timor-Leste which has been very rewarding and very all-consuming.

See www.maluktimor.org if you are interested. 

Best wishes,

Chris Fenton 0421220783 chris.fenton@maluktimor.org  

Tessa Ho writes about her work with Catholic Ministries governing 26 hospitals including St Vincent’s in Sydney.  

Hi Andrew,

What a lovely newsletter!

I was interested to hear of people’s involvement with St Vincent’s as I am Chair of the Trustees of Mary Aikenhead Ministries, one of five Trustees now in charge of St Vincent’s Health Australia when the Sisters of Charity transferred all 26 hospitals, aged care and research institutes to us.

You can read more on our website:

https://maryaikenheadministries.com.au/about-us/trustees/

Keep up the good work!

Greetings from Paris,

Tessa

Jal wrote to say all was well in his corner. 

Jenny Gray wrote from Byron to say that she was keen on a Spring-time reunion. 

Mike Kefaloukos wrote about his hi-tech software enterprises which I confess I do not savvy.  Look up REAPP TECHNOLOGY for those who are interested. 

Lesley Soo (Hort) writes: I am currently working in Brisbane at an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service, still working full time, with lots of challenges in the job, which I still enjoy.

Andrew Cole:

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the follow-on emails – it is always interesting to hear what people outside of my own immediate friendship circle are doing.

We are well-settled in our new home in Oatley (just over 3 years now), with only our youngest son David and Laura, and their littlies (three under 3.5 years!) still living in Sydney. But at least our other three offspring and associated 4 grandchildren are now back in Oz, respectively in Perth (Daniel), Adelaide (Rebecca) & Melbourne (Rachel)! I am still moving ahead with the only cancer-specific rehab service in Aust/NZ at Greenwich, and enjoying 20 (allegedly) h.p.w. practice. Teaching trips to Thailand in February and China in March have kept the horizons broadened..

And I’m glad to hear that you have enjoyed both music and spiritual content at Trinity Wall St ECUSA congregation. – it has a long and proud history. We went to Last Night at the Proms at OH Sydney last Friday night and had an unashamed binge singing along with the usual suspects on the concert program, and finishing up with ‘Waltzing Matilda’.

All the best,

Andrew

A/Professor Andrew M Cole

from Tony Sangster in South Australia: 

Hi Andrew,

Thank you for your kind email and thoughts.  There has been past strife but nothing of late.

In fact my diabetes is about the best it has ever been, due to a combination of insulin pump and a very low carb diet. ( = 30 g carbs per day, and really it is a ketogenic diet but only moderate nutritional ketosis. (I follow a guy called Dr Richard Bernstein, himself a TID aged 85, 72 + years on insulin, reversed pretty much all complications and still practising medicine). Book or e book Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, and websites Type 1 True Grit and Dr Bernstein's Advocates.  The diet is probably the more important factor - allowing me to achieve a drop in 3 monthly HBA1C from 46 mmol/l (6.4%)(October '18) to 39 (5.9%) (February '19) with only 6 weeks on the new diet and with minimal hypos. As of 20th June, HBAIC is 36 (5.6%).

One always worries about improved control leading to exacerbation of old or hidden diabetes complications but that does not seemed to have happened in the past 6 months on the diet now.

This diet and issues surrounding it have led to me advocating as a healthcare consumer (retired, no longer registered as Doc) for change in attitudes re saturated fat, cholesterol, statins, and against very high carb diets for diabetics etc (subscribe to zoeharcombe.com for the science and rebutting a lot of the scientific literature we were fed by drug reps and others). It is a real eye opener from a Welsh nutritionist with PhD, not allied to Big Food, Big Pharma or Government. Her articles reveal the dodgy stats, flawed science, plus also Google Jennifer Elliott vs DAA (DAA have since removed information from the web regarding their sponsorship by the food industry), plus look up BMJ article 2013 about the Massachusetts study and BMJ article 2016 about the Sydney Heart Health study. Lead author for both is Rumsden. And read up about Dr Gary Fettke, Launceston orthopod, his battles with APHRA and he and his wife's take on Big Food and other influences on nutrition. You may be surprised about who owns the Medical Director program. 

So I am on committees to do with healthcare consumer engagement for SAMHRI (SA Medical and Health Research Institute) plus similar for a Health Area Network in Central Adelaide.

But still trying to make and design non-political kites to fly as well.

I hope you remain well after your brush with illness. And it may be that stubbornness, determination, humour, trouble-making are just the ticket for defending against illness and overcoming it. 

Best Wishes, Tony

 

Dear Andrew

I hope this finds you well. I am. And I have retired as of 1/1/19!!

Since retiring I have taken a position on the St Vincent’s College Board (Potts Point), so will not have the chance to get bored. Six grandchildren also help the time to disappear. And I will be sourcing more law conferences for Dennis’ CLE as we had an excellent time in Berlin in May. We even missed being here for the federal election.

Best wishes always Mary (Dwyer)

Steve Jurd has been a constant support, urging me to reach out to colleagues and find missing folk.  As in his address at our last reunion, he reminds me of the good fortune we have had to work in a period of prosperity and peace.  And the privilege and thus responsibility to give back where we can.  Thanks Steve!  And more strength to you and Libby.  

Along with Steve I have had a regular dialogue with Judy Stokes (Gosford) and Jim Markos (Launceston) about many issues relating to our work, retirement and possibly future gatherings.  Thanks to you two too!  From Andrew Byrne .. 

From David Baines:

Dear Andrew

Thank you for the email and its included information of some of our colleagues. I have been catching up with Chris Needs and Mike Freelander (when available!) or three times a year. Mike kindly invited Chris and myself (and our wives) to Canberra last year where we lunched with him in the Members' restaurant and observed Question time – which is to my mind is an embarrassment to our parliament – if school children behaved like that that would/should be severely reprimanded! Mike clearly enjoys his position and I am sure is contributing to his electorate with the same passion he demonstrated throughout his paediatric career – he still works in an honorary capacity at the local hospital.

I am all but retired – I still do an eye list one afternoon a week but intend to retire fully at the end of the year (the surgeon I work with keeps twisting my arm – I intended to drop this list 2 or 3 years ago!).  I spend quite a bit of time looking after some of our 9 grandchildren and also meeting regularly with old school friends and others. I miss the overseas heart trips of which I did many – but I don’t miss the politics of the hospital scene and the attitude of the younger anaesthetists coming through. I think in many ways I saw and worked in the best times and I am happy to let it go.

I wish you well and look forward to catching up at a future reunion.

Kind regards
David
Dr David Baines AM FANZCA

Jeremy Coleman has had what can only be described as a nightmare from accusations of the most serious kind but after a huge court hearing, none were proven yet his professional and personal lives have been dealt tremendous blows.  Despite this, Jeremy appears to have held his head high and has been in touch with me and one or two other year members about his many stories of incredibly stressful details, strong family supports, legal counsel of the highest order and ways of coping using the great Australian outdoors.  Jeremy has said that he is happy to share his story with anyone from the year who is interested but as there are legal loose ends to sort he is not yet ready to write the book of his experience.  I have wished him well on behalf of the year and expressed profound sympathy for the painful and difficult situation he found himself in.  

  

Hi Andrew,

Simon and I currently hiking in regions near Tromsø which are stunning. This photo is Segla, the sail, on Senja Island. Simon climbed up the far side of it, but not liking heights, I stayed on the saddle!  We are wearing eye masks at night due to the midnight sun: see photo below from our hotel room taken at 12.07am!!  

Mariese Grant (Hely) 








[the following is from Russell and Romany White in Russia ...]

Dear Andrew,

Good to be in touch and hope this finds you well.

Still recovering from jet lag after returning from a tour seeking the 'romantic soul' of Russia which exceeded all expectations, including two Verdi Operas and the ballet Spartacus in the Bolshoi and Marinsky theatres and wandering through the corridors of the spectacular Hermitage, enjoying its wonderful art treasures, amongst other highlights.

Such a rich cultural and historic heritage, a turbulent past and a resilient people, even had the opportunity to visit the amazing Yusupov Palace with its highly adorned rooms and even  the chamber in its deep recesses, where Rasputin refused to die initially after an assassination attempt with a cyanide laced dinner. It was interesting too to learn that our Russian guide related that she first learnt that history is fluid and determined by the recording scribe after she read two totally differing accounts of Rasputin, one by his daughter Maria and one by Felix Yusupov .... Intriguing for those of us with an interest in History!!

Thanks for the suggestion and invitation to participate in the dinner in October but will be away and returning from New York over that weekend. Hope it does eventuate and is enjoyed by all who attend.

Best wishes, Romany and Russell

Tim Ingall writes from the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona:

Hi Andrew.

I would love to have the opportunity to attend a reunion dinner sometime, and would jump at the opportunity to attend a dinner during one of my trips back to Australia.

I still enjoy working, and, fortunately,  my practice is now limited to working 8:00-5:00 on weekdays – I was fortunate that there are enough young neurologists in our Stroke Division who like taking call and they agreed to absorb my weeks of call so I could stop having to take call on the hospital stroke service.  After 40 years of working overtime and taking call, it was time to stop!  I reached a point where I resented coming in on weekends because as I drove to work I would see the rest of the world out walking, riding bikes, and sitting in coffee shops reading the paper and I started to think, what was wrong with that picture.  My wife and I are just finishing building a new house which we anticipate will see us out through our retirement – it is bigger than the house we had been living in, but not as big as some of the mega-houses that are being built in Scottsdale.  As a friend put it, we are ‘right sizing’ our house.

Regarding dental work, I had a root canal a few years ago, and would be quite happy if I didn’t have to do it again.  I have just finished six months of work with a periodontist who did a tissue graft to fix a spot of severe gum recession – the work was necessary, but it has been a bit of a pain in the butt eating soft foods and avoiding biting into hard food for the last six months.  Having said that, I am in good health otherwise, still breathing, upright, vertical, and on the right side of the grass, so I shouldn’t complain too much!

Tim Ingall