Knowing when to retreat
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-blog/MY01443
- 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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Sept. 21, 2010
Knowing when to retreat
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
The marathon is a race of 26.2 miles. There are no short cuts in training. If you don't invest the training time, you might finish the race but your results won't be pretty and you might well end up injured. The cornerstone of marathon training is at least two long runs of approximately 20 miles each.
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During one such run I hooked up with a woman in her early 60s who I knew but not very well. Talking with fellow runners takes your mind off the discomfort and creates a sense of camaraderie. As we ran, she shared with me some of her struggles:
- A thorny political situation at work that might jeopardize her future with the organization.
- An adult daughter struggling with mental illness who refuses to take her medications on a regular basis and who was charged with reckless driving.
- A husband who was forced into retirement and now struggles with his self-identity.
As we approached the 15-mile mark, I felt like Dr. Phil. I was compelled to say, "Okay, you have a lot of things on your plate. Some are fixable and some are not. What are you doing to take care of yourself?" Most people faced with that question fumble for a response. But not my running partner.
She made it crystal clear that she understands the value of self-care. She said she planned to spend five days alone at the family cabin to find some personal renewal. When she returned, she'd be better able to support her husband and daughter with their challenges.
I found her attitude very healthy. She understood that you can't give what you don't have. So the question is: What are you doing to take care of yourself?
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