- With Mayo Clinic oncologist
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
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Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Edward Creagan, M.D.
"The magic of the electronic village is transforming health information. The mouse and keyboard have extended the stethoscope to the 500 million people now online." — Dr. Edward Creagan
The power of the medium inspires Dr. Edward Creagan as he searches for ways to share Mayo Clinic's vast resources with the general public.
Dr. Creagan, a Newark, N.J., native, is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice medicine and palliative care. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1973 and in 1999 was president of the staff of Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Creagan, a professor of medical oncology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, was honored in 1995 with the John and Roma Rouse Professor of Humanism in Medicine Award and in 1992 with the Distinguished Mayo Clinician Award, Mayo's highest recognition. He has been recognized with the American Cancer Society Professorship of Clinical Oncology.
He describes his areas of special interest as "wellness as a bio-psycho-social-spiritual-financial model" and fitness, mind-body connection, aging and burnout.
Dr. Creagan has been an associate medical editor with Mayo Clinic's health information websites and has edited publications and CD-ROMs and reviewed articles.
"We the team of (the website) provide reliable, easy-to-understand health and wellness information so that each of us can have productive, meaningful lives," he says.
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Stress blog
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June 24, 2010
Real-life role models
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Despite the glamour of the World Cup and the excitement of the professional basketball and hockey playoffs, baseball remains America's pastime. It's a game that links generations.
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The pinnacle of a pitcher's career is the "perfect game" — when not one batter reaches base. It's a once-in-a-lifetime achievement and immortalizes the pitcher's career. It can also mean financial rewards, if the player has a performance clause in his contract.
Earlier this season, a young pitcher was moments away from achieving a perfect game. On a routine play, a batter from the opposing team was ruled "safe" and awarded a base hit, thus robbing the young pitcher of a perfect game. The umpire, an experienced veteran with impeccable credentials, made a bad call. Replay confirmed the umpire's mistake.
The umpire was devastated. The young pitcher was devastated. The pitcher's manager was devastated. A firestorm of controversy ignited.
And yet the next day, the pitcher, the umpire and the manager stood side by side at home plate in a gesture of reconciliation and forgiveness. The umpire publicly admitted that he'd made a mistake and had taken away a moment of glory for the young pitcher. The young baseball player graciously accepted the apology. The hometown fans — most of them anyway — responded with warm applause for the umpire.
The situation was unfortunate, but the response was instructive. The umpire demonstrated how important it is to admit when you've made a mistake and to apologize to those who've been harmed. In turn, the pitcher and the manager modeled forgiveness. These gentlemen are real-life role models for today's sports fans, young and old.
8 comments posted
July 20, 2012 8:10 a.m.
I live in San Antonio, Texas..so you may not want to listen to me..I find that the Doctors DO NOT LISTEN when you want to tell them somtiheng..I have had to do a LOT of reading and research to take care of myself..In my case my blood pressure was uncontrollable..it would run as high as 210/110 each time they would want me to go to the emergency room.I would go..be given Demorol, or Fentyynil, and the blood pressure never went down they would keep me 8 hours then release me noting that I should stay stress free and rest alot..stay out of the sun..and then they would Rx me another B/P med..with terrible side effects/or I would break out in a rash, throat would close and then it would start all over again..all the time I kept telling the Doctors I was in tremendous pain, from Arthritis..then they gave me equinil I am nut So I decided to take care of me..I started going out side..drininking oodles of water, tea, no soda,I stopped eating all things that cause uric acid in the blood and began eating KALE by the bunch all were OLD remedys used many moons ago, Indians, and the chinese..I drank Hybiscus tea no more pain no more swelling, no more fatique, no more sleepless nights..and now I have a B/P of 158/78..still high but I have not been on this regime very long..only about a month..so I have lost trust in any Doctors and depend on myself..I am still on Maxide, but my goal is to get off all medication..this is the last one left..my hair grows soo fast I have to get a hair cut ever
- Miguel
July 1, 2010 8:13 p.m.
When you choose to be happy one's decision is to be released from anger and stress is by forgiveness. It is quite hard to do but it should be your goal that you have to pursue. It is the wisest choice anyone can do to themselves.
- Stressless06
June 30, 2010 5:07 a.m.
Textbook example of what we can choose when someone does something that hurts another. Offender leads with his weakness and admits his failure. Victim smiles and graciously accepts offender's apology. Very good outcome, since baseball is a game. Would have been sad to see grown people sore over something like that. But what about those times (seemingly more than the above) when the offender makes no admission of wrongdoing? If the victim still chooses to forgive, they are taking a step to be released from hurt and emotional upset. That the offender isn't participating becomes irrelevant, since the healing power of forgiveness is intended for everyone. I have experienced this spiritual principle as truth.
- Paul
June 30, 2010 1:58 a.m.
The illust is a classical example not only of forgiveness, magnanimity but also demonstration of Team working and graciously standing up for our team member's weaknesses. The members in the example are most likely to trust each other and perform better in future attempts. A brilliant example for me, a behavioural trainer, to demonstrate humility to own up a mistake, forgiveness, trust among team members and teamworking
- Shyla
June 29, 2010 5:14 p.m.
That is a very good illustration of deflating a stessful situation. One must be emotionally mature to be able to swallow one's pride and apologize. How does one gain emotional maturity? Can teenage insults interfere with emotional growth and lead to General Anxiety Disorder which lasts until old age?
- Roberta
June 25, 2010 8:39 p.m.
Just ask W.W.Y.D? (What would Yogi do?) Keep things in proper perspective!
- Carol
June 25, 2010 10:02 a.m.
Barb made an excellent point about fear. It's often debilitating as well as inhibiting. It stops us from being genuine. Just thinking about admitting faults or being vulnerable build stress and highlight negative self-image. The three guys in the article remembered what's important in their life and made a pint to remind us as well.
- Avinoam
June 24, 2010 11:51 a.m.
This topic is very intriguing to me as saving face seems to be an intense pursuit by people. Humility and admitting one is wrong seems to be a great fear for most people, although they all seemed to rave about the situation mentioned in this article. I can attest to the fact that when practiced with more regularity, admitting wrong or mistakes becomes far less painful. And that certainly adds to lowering ones stress!
- Barb
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