WEARING THE White Coat
Councilman Stuart Benson
On October 27, 2016, I had the opportunity to participate in the Wear the White Coat Program and observe Dr. Shiao Woo with the Brown Cancer Center.
I wanted to do this because I had some health problems including a heart attack last December. Since then, I’ ve become acutely more aware of how amazingly we are designed and my interest in using nutrition to treat disease, and in developments in the medical field, has increased.
Dr. Woo specializes in treatment of lung and brain tumors as well as many others. My first wife passed away almost 30 years ago from a brain aneurysm, and my wife Chris has had cancer, so I felt an immediate connection with him.
I shadowed Dr. Woo at the Brown Cancer Center and had the rare opportunity to review scans, hear about treatment options and meet with patients and their families.
During this experience, I witnessed compassion, care and a deep desire to heal. As he discussed the various patients and their diagnosis, I saw the complexity in which he works, the need to integrate so many sources of information. As a tool maker, I was fascinated to see how they deliver radiation therapy to a pinpointed area. He showed me molds made to hold patients in an exact position as the team can monitor each breath. By holding the patients perfectly in position and still, they are able to compensate for movement during each breath and allow the team to radiate lung tumors.
Walking into a patient’ s room, I know all too well, the feeling of anxiety and anticipation of what you are about to hear.
Dr. Woo, with his warm smile and inviting bedside manner, could relax the patient and then proceed to explain the treatment plan. I felt the patients felt comfortable, heard and cared for. They were assured that he was going to do everything he could to tackle their tumor.
Being a patient or a family member of many ill patients over the years, I admired how he made everyone comfortable and eased their anxiety. That alone is a form of healing!
Behind the scenes, I watched technicians and a team of doctors discuss each patient’ s case as together they developed a plan for the best possible options. I was impressed with this level of thoroughness and the team approach.
I appreciate the White Coat Program and the opportunity to talk to doctors about how the Metro Council could help them more effectively, and how we could work as a team to make health care in our community better. On the council, we often receive requests
16 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE