- 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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Feb. 8, 2011
Social support can give you a leg up
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
It's well known in the sports world that home teams do better than visiting teams over the course of a season. All sorts of explanations have been put forward for this phenomenon — the length of the grass, the consistency of the dirt on the field and the players knowing the direction of the wind. None of these hypotheses, however, have withstood the scrutiny of statistical analysis. So why does the hometown team more often win?
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The most significant factor in my book is the crowd. Consider this: The louder the venue, the larger the crowd and the closer the crowd is to the field, the more likely that marginal calls and judgment decisions will favor the hometown team. This isn't meant to disparage referees. It's simply a fact that all humans are influenced by social factors.
I've also seen social support make a difference when people are fighting a serious illness. Recently I visited two elderly women with the same condition. One woman was a widow with no family who lived in an apartment in a small Minnesota city. The other woman was surrounded by three loving daughters and two adult grandsons who lived within several blocks of her in a large southern city. The proposed treatment for each woman is potentially toxic and has serious side effects. It's easy to predict which woman is likely to do better with the treatment — the one with the social support.
So the lesson is clear. To survive and thrive, you need people in your life to support and encourage you. Consider that an inside tip from me to you.
10 comments posted
January 31, 2013 2:36 p.m.
I too have had a problem with socializing since I had a laminectomy surgery that left me crippled up. My friends came by for a while but not anymore. Even my family doesnt seem interested in how I am doing, except for one sister-inlaw that comes by once a wk. If someone asks how you are doing, they really dont want to know. My husband takes care of me. He is my love, my friend, my nurse, cook, housekeeper, etc. I went back to smoking because of stress, anxiety, and depression. When I live without any outside contacts, I feel as though why am I here? Its almost as if I am dead to my friends and family! I have a grown daughter who lives in NY. I rarely talk to her now. I see her maybe twice a yr. I have a son in the Army stationed in Italy with his wife and my only grandchild. My son presently is deployed to Afghanistan. When they come back to US. they will be sent to Alaska for 3 yrs. It will be 4 yrs. when I get to see them again. I am only wondering why am I here? in pain? I go to physical therapy. I am incontinent and that prevents me from going out unless I have to. Healthy people listen up! Reach out to your friends, visit them, give them hope to keep going. It can happen to you like it did to me. I'm not DEAD! Just disabled! Help us out, PLEASE!
- Alice
October 15, 2012 11:41 p.m.
I am a 54 yr old widow currently caring for my 84 yr old mother and 87 yr old father. i have two older sisters but i live with my parents and it is totally a 24/7 job for me since my mother has been diagnosed with dimensia and now is going into to stages of fighting us etc. My father has nueropathy and other health problems. It seems that my sisters have no clue how sick they are or what i have on my plate everyday. Some days I don't even want to open my eyes but I have to. I was marrried for 29 years and my husband committed suicide from depression in 2009. My mother fell and broke her hip two months after and I stepped right in and took the reins so to speak and have been doing most of it since. I am 100 percent disabled due to being hit by two semis on a business trip so therefore, needless to say, I am just not able to do some of the things but I push and push. I have no social life other than this computer and my puppy. I am sure there are resources out there to help me since we all three are disabled but I simply do not know where to turn. I would also like my sisters to realize what i'm going through without a big fight. I just wish they could see. Any ideas please help.
- Cynthia
June 29, 2012 9:55 a.m.
Get a dog. People suck. I have dogs. They're always in a good mood and always happy to see me.
- Dave
December 24, 2011 3:12 a.m.
When you have no support- Rest your worries on God let him take care of it.
- Mike
October 10, 2011 5:17 p.m.
I feel I have pushed away all the social support I could ever have. I agree with Kathy, that the older we get the harder it is to put yourself out there to make new friends and the rest of life just breezes by. I don't even know where to begin
- Lydia
May 12, 2011 3:03 p.m.
It helps to get a volunteer job maybe a few hours a week. Follow your interests to find a good job maybe with children,at a library or museum.This will help to meet some new people.
- Emily
March 6, 2011 1:45 p.m.
agree totally w/Kathy. keep knowing I need to join something but self esteem low and too depressed to make the effort I guess. Friends either passed, moved or -best friend-one w/whom had long shared history was recently killed in auto accident. So diff. to begin w/out any history. Need this but where to start-realistically. Widowed also-meaning altho married friends well meaning- don,t feel like i really fit in- so altho friends for 30+ yrs.--I avoid. Been extra stuck since Mom passed as well. Need suggestions. Need also to take care of health issues let slide while caring for others: need wholistic retreat for body,mind and spirit w/out costing a fortune. Hoped Mayo would offer such but am unable to find. good luck Kathy- most people I meet feel same. Is that why depression is on a galloping rise?
- charlene
March 4, 2011 2:42 a.m.
I agree with the previous respondents. We need some form of support for those who lose their friends and family through no fault of their own. Article was completely unhelpful in this regard and could have offered some practical support instead of its somewhat condescending tone.
- Aussie John
February 16, 2011 4:41 p.m.
I am finding that the older I become the less chances there are for friendships to develop. Children and grandchildren are too busy with keeping up with life. It takes a village to raise a child but the golden years aren't that golden.
- Kathy
February 16, 2011 2:51 p.m.
"to survive & thrive..." So what do you suggest if you don't have anybody
- Mary
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10 comments posted