PROGRAM:

PRESIDENT JIM introduced fellow Rotarian Dr. GEORGE RAMSEY whose topic was “My 50-Year Experience in Cancer Care." George Ramsey GEORGE began with the good news that death rates from all cancers have declined 22%. He then shared his educational process, which resulted in an offer to be part of a group practice in Lafayette, IN in 1965. Upon arrival, he found a moderate sized community with a university where few people knew the word oncology; smoking was everywhere; no staff doctors in the ER; and the ICU and CCU were just beginning.

A 4 drug cocktail used to treat Hodgkin’s Disease proved successful, leading to other combinations of drugs to treat cancers. There were terrible side effects, but anti-nausea drugs and IV access helped patients tolerate them. Exact diagnosis is important in knowing how to treat the cancer patient.

GEORGE told us some of the highlights of his years in practice; described the difficult conversation with patients; what to look for when hiring a physician (the ability to gently and compassionately communicate the truth); how to prepare for a doctor visit; whether or not to go to a larger facility; and his personal bias regarding the practice of medicine. It is an art as well as a science. He recommended The Emperor of All Maladies, a Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Siddhartha Mukherjee, which tells the complete story of cancer, from its first description in an ancient Egyptian scroll to the gleaming laboratories of modern research institutions.


THANKS TO THOSE WHO HELP WITH
MEETING FUNCTIONS:
Money Collector:  CECIL BLIGNAUT and JO WADE;  Greeters:  AIMEE JONES and TOM PEARSON; Invocation:  BETTY NELSON; Piano:  RAY PEETERS;  Song Leader:  ARVID OLSON.  50/50 Raffle:  GEORGE and NERLENE RAMSEY.  Help with attendance and facilitating a smooth meeting:  TOM MORAN and JO WADE.  Webmaster:  LARRY HUGGINS.


JIM'S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

“Lady Astor was said to have responded to a question from Churchill about what disguise he should wear to a masquerade ball by saying, "Why don't you come sober, Prime Minister?"
(Reported exchange between Nancy Astor the Viscountess Astor and  Winston Churchill)


100% CLUB:
BARRETT; BIEDERSTEDT; BLIGNAUT; BRICKLER; COLE; FISHER; FILMER (235); GALBRAITH, C (11);  GALBRAITH, R (30); HANSEN; HATFIELD (416); HILLS; HUGGINS; HYCHKA; JANLE (212); JOHANNSEN (60); KECK (235); KELLEY, J (54); KELLEY, L (54); KIEL; KLIM; KLUSMAN (54); LANDGREBE (302); MC DIVITT (98); MILLER (517); MORAN (17); POST (2); RAHDERT; RASMUS (5); ROBLEDO (6); RUNNELS; STERNER; TURLEY;  VERPLANK (603); WADE (261); WEST (265) and WOERNER.

CONGRATULATIONS to CHRIS JOHANNSEN who had 5 years of perfect attendance as of the end of August 2015.