“What is man, when you come to think upon him, but a minutely set, ingenious machine for turning with infinite artfulness, the red wine of Shiraz into urine?"
Isak Dineson, Danish author (1885-1962)
No question that I'm a nephrologist to the core. My mentor, Tom Andreoli, often referred to the kidneys as the "seat of the soul". He would have appreciated this quote. Dazzled by the precise and miraculous ability of healthy kidneys to balance internal body chemistry, he made the field of Nephrology exciting and irresistible. I miss him greatly and think of him often. As I go about my own doctoring, I sense his presence, humor, and his insistence that we strive always for excellence.
A good friend of mine reminds me to strive for excellence, and not perfection, when I am particularly frustrated and unable to get something right. You honor your mentor with the doctoring you do today.
ReplyDeleteWe are so fortunate to have had Dr. Andreoli's example to follow. Wendy
ReplyDeleteWonderful quote. Bears thinking about. Shiraz indeed.
ReplyDeleteI love your comment about Tom Andreoli. I always was amazed at how he could speak with such knowledge about EVERYTHING! I still think of him~mainly from our Birmingham days because I was working closer with him then. In Houston, I would see him; he always stopped to say hello to me, but I wasn't working with him as I had before. It still makes me laugh when I think about Clementine bringing me a cup of coffee in his office when he and I talked about my new job. He was a wonderful mentor and teacher, wasn't he? Our lives were enriched by knowing him.
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