As I build my new career in healthcare, speaker fees are my main income. Here’s one I did for free.
Usually when I speak, one of the first things I have to say is “Trust me, your time will come. ‘Patient’ is not a third-person word.” Well, I got to skip that part in June when I spoke to a bunch of people who already have my disease. And boy did we surpass the normal subject matter.
The event was the third annual Kidney Cancer Symposium sponsored by the DF/HCC, aka the Dana Farber / Harvard Cancer Center. That mouthful includes my hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess. Speakers included my doctors, surgeon Andrew Wagner and oncologist David McDermott. (With MDs and Mxxx’s up the wazoo; I love those guys but I gave up on keeping tabs on their credentials. To me they just saved my life.)
They invited me to speak about being an e-patient. Couldn’t turn THAT one down. 35 minutes:
Immense thanks to them for making this event FREE (including lunch) to all patients, and offering the video for free distribution to all who weren’t there.
They say the videos of other talks will be available on their site shortly – with full credentials for the doctors, probably. :–) Thanks to them for letting me have it first!
Great show! & good news for the patient community & their caregivers.
I just read your fantastic post here. I am re posting it as a note on Facebook Fan Page. It seems like we are both fans of the attitude: “Gratitude is good for you.” Grateful Nation is an online community that gives grateful people the opportunity and resources to connect, give back, and be thankful. Jump into the unending cycle of gratitude here at Grateful Nation Thank you, Vanessa
Nice piece. It’s interesting to see how people’s skills and experiences come together in new ways.
Too many doctors fail to understand that they will need a doctor too some day, probably in a specialty not their own. In a doctor’s quest for their very necessary clinical detachment, most will have serious problems understanding what it’s like to be sitting on the other side of the desk. This was a simply wonderful lecture, and I’m glad that some fine doctors took the initiative to put it all together. It’s even more impressive that it was provided for free. Thanks so much for participating in the program, since I’m sure that your personal experience gave the attendees a perspective they need.
Donald from Hypotonia
Thanks for sharing this presentation Dave. I knew a little bit about you before watching this video, but now I have a better understanding of what an epatient really is. I think the best part about this concept of the epatient movement is the fact that all of the activities required for people to become epatients require zero dollars to be spent by the govt, or the actual patient. It is certainly inspiring to hear that you were not concerned about the odds that people gave you to survive. Having just recently gotten married last month, the very last part about you walking your daughter down the aisle for her wedding pretty much put everything else in perspective for me, and I genuinely am happy for you.
Hey Dan,
Thanks a bazillion for the fun phone interview yesterday. I’ve posted your Ustream on my Speaking page, here. Mazel tov!
Excellent presentation, gives me a new perspective/understanding on epatient. Thanks.
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