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Thursday, April 30, 2020

Perspective


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asoka dissanayake

4:11 PM (2 hours ago)


to Professor, bcc: me

“Often it isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out, it's the little pebble in your shoe.” ― Muhammad Ali   



To put things into perspective:

    It’s a mess out there now with COVID-19. Hard to discern between what’s a real threat and what is just simple panic and hysteria. For a small amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in 1900.
o      On your 14th birthday, World War I starts and later ends on your 18th birthday.  At least 22 Million people perish in the War to End All Wars.
o      Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until your 20th birthday. 50 Million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million.  On your 29th birthday, The Great Depression begins.  Unemployment hits 25%, the World GDP drops 27%.  The Depression runs until you are 33 years young.  The country nearly collapses along with the world economy.
o      When you turn 39, World War II starts.  You aren’t even over the hill yet, so you join the WW II efforts in some manner.  YET, don’t try to catch your breath.
o      On your 41st birthday, the United States is fully pulled into WWII.  Between your 39th & 45th birthdays, 90 Million people perish in the war.
o      At age 50, the Korean War starts. Five (5) Million perish.
o      In 1955, at age 55 the Vietnam War begins and doesn’t end for 20 years.  Four (4) Million people perish in that conflict.
o      On your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War.  Life on our planet, as we know it, should have ended.  However, some great leaders prevented that from happening.
o      When you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends with 2.4 Million dead.
   Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900.  How did they survive all of that?  When if you were a kid in 1985 and may have thought your 85-year-old grandparent understood how hard school was ...  and how mean that kid in your class was … perhaps you were unaware of their life's challenges.  Yet they survived & finished everything as listed above -& more.  The absence or dearth of medical care options and the most common causes of death would stagger your imagination.
  
Perspective is an amazing art.  Refined as time goes on and can be enlightening like you wouldn’t believe.  Let’s try and keep things in perspective.  Let’s be smart, calm, and compassionate – let's help each other out.  WE can do this!   



--
Jesse Monestersky

Odds and ends, Baloo's dance

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Obituary, Berty Sebastianpillai

Good bye & Farewell to Another Batchmate - Berty Sebastianpillay- our deepest sympathies



email from

CHARITH NANAYAKKARA

6:35 PM (14 minutes ago)


In case you have not received this sad news, I want to share our deepest sympathies at the death of another of our batch mates- Berty Sebastianpillai who had passed away couple of days in Darwin.
The death was apparently sudden and unexpected but who was found to have an obstructed bile duct associated jaundice few days prior to his death.

I have not met him for over 40 years but he was a friendly sociable and a helpful batchmate during medical student days. 

Could you please share with our batch mates and could please pass our deepest sympathies to his surviving family.

Regards

Nana

C. S. Nanayakkara


Our Condolences to the family of our  medical college batch-mate. 
May his soul Rest In Peace.
  
Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote 'Crossing the Bar' in 1889, three years before he died:-
Sunset and evening star,
  And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
  When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
  Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
  Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
  And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
  When I embark;

For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
  The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
  When I have cross’d the bar.

The poem itself is a metaphor for death. 'Crossing the Bar' could be interpreted to mean “crossing the sandbar” out into sea, transitioning from life into death. The Pilot is a symbol for God
If the sandbar is Tennyson's metaphor for the boundary between life and death, then "Crossing the Bar" is all about crossing from life to death. But if you think you're in for a morbid poem, you're in for a surprise instead. This poem is all about accepting and embracing death, rather than fearing the dark unknown.
--
Philip Veerasingam


Kathir Nadanachandran

5:57 AM (3 minutes ago)

to BalaSubramaniamme
Thanks Philip,

Sorry to hear this. Balakrishnan and I went to Darwin a few years ago and met up with him and his wife.

May his soul rest in Peace.

Nadana and Rathy

Odds and ends, A little Peace

Monday, April 27, 2020

Derryck de Silva



JEY GUNASEGARAM

Fri, Apr 24, 6:25 PM (3 days ago)


to Geri, renateziegler75, Farouk, me, sunil, Lucky, PUSHPA, Pushpa, Asoka, Chandran, chandran1941, Nihal, Nihal
Dear Geri,
I am cc to Renate too. she will be able to tell you what hospital he is in. She text me earlier this AM, that he has been extubated. ?May be able to speak. If so do tell him we are all routing for him . To be Strong. We all love him deeply.
What you are doing  is so comforting to both D & R.
I am still in New Mexico. We are 11 1/2 hrs behind SL.  I am on Viber & WhatsApp :- Mobile # 505 980 6965. Land 505-268 1627. had a birth day on April 22nd. My son made sure we had a memorable time ! I am Negative !
With Much Love,
Jey/Gunsie

>


 On April 24, 2020 at 3:11 AM Geri Jayasekara <sirgeri@icloud.com> wrote:
>
>
> Hi, Gunsie,
>
> I visited Derryck and had a long chat with him and Renate about a month ago. He was been cared for extremely well.
> Very sad to hear about the hospitalisation. If I know what hospital it is, I can find out details and maybe talk to him.
> The last I knew, you were in New Mexico. Are you still there?
> Hope this reaches you. Please respond.
> Best wishes and regards.
>
> Geri Jayasekara.
>
> Mobile: +94777336633


Hi Nihal, Asoka, Jey and others,

I have permission from Renate to disclose the email I sent her this morning. I know the attending thoracic surgeon Dr Waruna Karunaratne very well as he trained with me. He is a very good surgeon. 

Hello Renate,
I rang him now, as soon as I got your mail. He trained under me. 
D has had multiple secondaries from the bladder ca in his lungs and pleura leading to an infected effusion - empyaema. He had done a decortication successfully but warns that a recurrence is quite likely. He is now extubated and comfortable. Tomorrow, if the drainage is below 200ml he will remove the tube and will consider sending him home. He’s on chest physio and will have to continue with it. 
He will mention to D that I’m in touch with him. 
Regards.

Geri.

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Obituary, Dr.Senkamalam Theivendran

obituary

Inbox
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Rasiah Ganeshamoorthy

Thu, 23 Apr, 18:46 (3 days ago)

to me
Dr.Susiri Weerasekera
Please accept this information.  Dr.Senkamalam Theivendran passed away today at Jaffna
hospital.  Funeral will be tomorrow.
Dr.Jeya Ganeshamoorthy

Rasiah Ganeshamoorthy

Sat, 25 Apr, 19:06 (11 hours ago)

to me
Dear Philip
Dr.Sengamalam graduated from Colombo Med Faculty in 1963.
Worked at Anuradhapura and in Jaffna as consultant Anaesthetist.  Dr.Thieivendran graduated 
two years before her and is a good friend of dr.Susiri Weerasekera.  I could not find Dr Susiri,s
Tel no or the E mail.  Thats why I posted the information in our 1960 batch e mail
Thanks a lot
Ganesh and Jeya

1960 medical batch Colombo 1960batch@gmail.com

06:53 (0 minutes ago)

to Rasiah
Ganesh and Jeya,
Thanks  for the information. I have posted this on our batch blog - 1960 Medical batch, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Take care
Philip

Saturday, April 25, 2020

email from Dawood


From: Dawood
> Date: April 24, 2020 at 10:25:34 PM GMT+5:30
> To: 1960 medical batch Colombo <1960batch gmail.com="">
> Subject: Derrick in hospital
> Phillip,
> Re Gunsies latest post. The whole world and its brother are doing their darndest to avoid Herr corona. People , especially hospital staff are very strict. Lets not add to their lot.
> Going by Gunsies post I would not attempt to visit the hospital,for fear of infecting others including Derrick.I have not hada PCR check.
> A visit would not be of any benefit to Derrick. It certainly would not be of any comfort to him. Let us deal with our emotions as doctors. Derrick and I go way back , from kindergarten and wolf cub pack to Kynsey road and beyond.
> Please try to provide some comfort to his daughter Nilmini and son Rohitha who are soldiering on anguishing and caring for their beloved father.
> Best regards
> Dawood

Dawood,
I have posted your  comments on our batch blog - 


Here is a web-link which might  interest you:-
Photo Awards, Sony


Take care.
Philip