The other day, I read an article in the newspaper about a well-known cardiologist, expert in the angioplasty procedure (opening of blocked arteries ). The article (which also included a short interview with him) was full of praise for his skills and humanity.
What caught my eye, though, was the number of people undergoing the above procedure - hundreds per year - and that - only in the section of this particular surgeon , at one hospital.
That's quite a lot, considering that nowadays we know more about heart arteries getting clogged and how to prevent that.
Well, in fact, one thing is knowing, and another is doing something about it. People have great difficulty in dealing with stress and addictions to food and smoking - the main causes of artery clogging. Exercising could help ( the cardiologist of the above mentioned article ,62, runs every morning before starting his work at the hospital). Most people, however, exercise very little.
While reading the interview , I got the impression that the surgeon was trying to avoid the subject of adequate life style needed to keep the arteries clean. He honestly and happily kept admitting that he saw himself as being a good...plumber, nothing more - implying, perhaps, that his job was to fix things , not tell people how to live their lives.
I suppose, his cardio colleague, the one who's expert in the heart's electrical activity, and performs ablations (procedure to improve heart rhytm), sees himself as a good ...electrician.
May God help us keep away from needing the services of these two life saving 'handymen'!
* web picture - modern logo for plumber