Who is this?

LISTENING concern from page 1

6) Lack of support or sabotage from those closest to you

7) Overall confusion; inaction ensues

8) Lacking the knowledge or mental capacity to understand and act appropriately

9) Avoidance and fear: “can’t handle the truth”

10) Being a “know-it-all” thinker

Pictured here is one of the greats in medicine, a leading surgeon in America and the South during the 19th century who made outstanding contributions to the field, pioneering more than a dozen new operations to this country. He published more than 500 articles in medical journals, and held the Chair of Surgery at five different medical schools.

Do you think you know who he might be?

He was in Paris for post-graduate medical training when the July Revolution of 1830 broke out there, giving him his first experience in treating battlefield casualties. A few months later the November Uprising erupted in Poland, and he immediately traveled to Warsaw to volunteer as a battlefield surgeon. He viewed his service there as the repayment of a personal debt to the people of Poland and to the memory of Polish officer Casimer Pulaski, who died in 1779 at just 34 years of age during the siege of Savannah while leading a charge against British forces attempting to quell the American revolution.

Although our subject wasn’t born until 1806, Pulaski’s heroic feats remained oft told tales. And they all happened not far from his home. After all, he was born and raised right here in Augusta, the youngest of 11 children born to Oswell and Aphra Eve. They named him Paul Fitzsimmons Eve.

Captured in Prussia in 1831 when Warsaw fell, Dr. Eve contracted cholera, but was able to return to Georgia in 1832 thanks to the intercession of his friend in Paris, the Marquis de Lafayette. He was appointed professor of surgery at the recently established Medical College of Georgia, where he served on the faculty for 17 years. He was elected the first vice president of the American Medical Association in 1847 and as its president for the 1857-1858 term.

Dr. Eve’s service to Poland was a definite highlight of his life. He was awarded Poland’s equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor. In 1931, on the centennial anniversary of the Polish War of Independence, Poland issued a commemorative postage stamp in his honor.

The year before in Buffalo, New York, a group of doctors of Polish descent held a banquet to celebrate their group’s 25th anniversary. The featured speaker that night was the Polish ambassador to the United States, Tytus Filipowicz, and in his remarks he paid tribute to Paul Fitzsimmons Eve and urged the group to create an appropriate memorial for Dr. Eve. Buffalo’s Polish language daily newspaper, Dziennik dla Wszystkich, carried an article by Dr. Francis E. Fronczak summarizing the project. They raised $10,000 for a monument to be erected “in Eve’s home town of Augusta, GA.” The monument was unveiled by Dr. Eve’s great granddaughter on Nov. 14, 1931 with both Fronczak and Filipowicz in attendance.

The New York Times said of the event: “Many persons in the old city of Augusta, Ga., were surprised when they learned recently that the name of a native of their community is revered in Poland somewhat as the names of Pulaski and Kosciuszko, the Polish noblemen who held commands in the American Revolution, are revered in this country.” The plaque on the Greene Street monument says it was erected “by the Polish Medical and Dental Association of America.” +

In an ideal setting, nothing would stand in the way of a patient doing precisely what the doctor suggested. Imagine being the loved one of a person who needs to abide by doctors orders but won’t. I invite you to exercise compassion for your loved ones and yourself, and for others who have medical challenges.

If you fit in one or more of the 10 categories above or have other limitations to getting better, reach out for support. Ask those in your doctor’s office. Reach out to your network of friends, neighbors, coworkers, relatives, church members, and people inside your closest networks to find help. There are social service agencies in most counties who may help you find the appropriate resources. Consider the use of your social media connections for suggestions. Information about health topics and weight loss are plentiful are plentiful on the internet, but it’s important to be wary of quick fixes and fads that all too often don’t work in the long run. 10, 20 or 30 years of lifestyle indiscretions slowly making you sick cannot be undone overnight. My experience is that quick fixes are