The Greatest Massacre in the European History

During the process of learning how to write a novel, one is urged to study how to begin the story. The opening of the novel is said to have the ability not so much to break it, as is seen as a chance to raise it to the memorable level. These first sentences are analyzed, […]
The Perennial Question for the People Who Emigrate

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Chicago to meet my friends from Poland. We are all physicians, all surgeons. We were trained by one of the most prominent Polish professors of surgery, a very well-educated, renaissance man, speaking five or six languages. Prof. Nielubowicz was in turn trained in this country and thought the […]
Polish Migration and How to Compensate for Our Shortcomings

The history of Poland is known for massive waves of migration of her citizens. The phenomenon is easily attributed to our geographical location on the East-West political and trading routes and us being squeezed between the two, and sometimes three, four and even five, big and megalomaniac powers. During the time of relative political freedom […]
How Do We Look at a Genius with Flaws

The year was 1881 and a young woman was dying from the postpartum hemorrhage. The young, 29 years old surgeon was contacted and after deliberations he drew blood from his own vein and transfused it to the patient. The patient recovered. German scientist Landsteiner discovered and described ABO blood group system in 1901. A year […]
A Way to Gain Friends

A year or so before planning retirement and not being completely sure to stay in California or to go to North Carolina, I attended a vascular conference in New York. There I approached the chief of the vascular department in the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. I told him about my planned retirement […]
I am back!

It’s been close to six months since my last post. It was not a time of inactivity, just the opposite. I was working on my first novel. It’s almost done, only last revisions and polishing has to be completed. And then send it to the world. Very exciting and fun. The process of writing was […]
The Best Way to Lose Weight

I was coming down in the elevator after the Duke vascular conference had finished. Halfway down, the car stopped and two men in blue scrubs entered. One, quite large, said : “Man, I just weighed myself. 260 pounds is too much.” There was a look of concern in the other man’s eyes. I didn’t think […]
Retirement Is a Perfect Time for More Education

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication Leonardo da Vinci Friday morning vascular department conferences are special for me. For several reasons. Firstly, it’s the time. The conference starts at 7am. I usually get up at 5am, get ready, read emails and news. Car drive is lonely and quiet. No comparison to LA traffic. I make a […]
What Poetry Can Do to You

I am not confused, I am just well mixed Robert Frost I was waiting in front of the elevator after Duke’s vascular conference has ended. I pushed the desired floor button, waiting for a car to come. Then I noticed a poem displayed on the wall between the doors and started reading. It was about […]