- With Mayo Clinic oncologist
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
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Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Edward T. 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 Web sites and has edited publications and CD-ROMs and reviewed articles.
"We the team of (the Web site) 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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May 19, 2009
Blog: Sandwich generation — Don't forget to take care of yourself too
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Some of life's most powerful lessons are delivered at the oddest moments. Let me explain.
A few days ago, I was walking from our parking ramp into our clinic building, self-absorbed and pondering the challenges and the opportunities of the day. I came upon a colleague who was obviously limping and uncomfortable. I asked my colleague — a wonderful clinician, respected researcher and sought-after speaker — how she came to be limping. She explained that that in the past year, she'd abandoned her exercise program and, as expected, had gained weight. She further explained that the weight gain and deconditioning had lead to a severe knee injury, which required major reconstructive surgery. Because of the resulting pain in her knee, she'd begun to shift her weight to the other leg — and had developed a painful hip problem. I empathized with this cascade of unfortunate events.
She lamented to me, "If only I knew then what I know now, I would have taken better care of myself." She explained that she is the poster child for the "sandwich generation" — caring for her young family and her elderly father. My colleague shared with me that the one item consistently missing from her daily to do list is "taking care of myself." She is faced with a real dilemma of trying to make time to care for herself in the midst of caring for others.
I realize there are no easy solutions, but what advice can any of us share with our colleague who is obviously struggling with some very difficult issues?
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