Home > Work > Medicine Men: Extreme Appalachian Doctoring
1 " They’s nothin more triflin than a pet groundhog. "
― Carolyn Jourdan , Medicine Men: Extreme Appalachian Doctoring
2 " This, I think, is the most tragic loss brought on by the modern health care system. The loving interconnectedness of doctor, family, and community is being destroyed. These ties that bind us to each other are the bonds that define our humanity, and yet they are being systematically severed in the service of automated bookkeeping. The entire health care system is now being organized around machines instead of human beings. Not prioritized to reduce human suffering, but rather to optimize a computerized recordkeeping system. This is a tragedy. "
3 " I asked a blind friend why she didn’t use a guide dog. She said she’d tried and they were great, but having the dog caused problems that never would’ve occurred to her. “I was out practicing with my dog downtown and got lost, so I asked a person standing next to me on a street corner for directions. The fellow I asked got down on his knees and gave detailed directions to the dog! “Then he stood up and whispered to me, ‘These guide dogs are really incredible, aren’t they?’ “After that I decided to use a cane. "
4 " My nurse told a female patient, ‘Strip to the waist and put this over your head.’ Then she handed the patient a folded paper gown. “A few minutes later I came into the room and the lady was sitting on the examining table stripped to the waist, with the gown, still folded in a small square, laying on top of her head. "
5 " That in a nutshell characterizes the people of the Southern Appalachian Highlands. We refuse to be embarrassed just because we made a mistake, even a really big mistake. "
6 " The entire healthcare system is now being organized around machines instead of human beings. Not prioritized to reduce human suffering, but rather to optimize a computerized recordkeeping system. This is a tragedy. "
7 " The entire health care system is now being organized around machines instead of human beings. Not prioritized to reduce human suffering, but rather to optimize a computerized recordkeeping system. This is a tragedy. "
8 " A friend complained that his brother-in-law had phoned and woken him up in the middle of the night. The brother-in-law said, “I like to drink a few beers every night. Do you think I’ve got a problem?” My friend said, “Well, I like to eat green beans every day, but I don’t go callin people up at midnight to ask them if they think that means I’ve got a problem! So whadda you think? "
9 " Uncle Eli knew one of the great secrets of healing — patients needed hope. If they had hope, they could recover from nearly anything. "
10 " Honestly, I’d hate to be sick or hurt and have to go to any of the hospitals like the ones on television. It would be too stressful. I don’t know how anybody could ever get well in places where everyone is shouting and screaming all the time. "
11 " Jake taught me that with just a few minutes of kindness you can earn a friend for life. That’s an important lesson. "
12 " I need a sip of Charlie Daniels. "
