The Catalyst Issue 10 | Spring 2011 | Page 17

A dynamic duo: Mr. Donald Bishop and his physician champion, internist Dr. Christopher Hearne. Married for 24 years, the Bishops have weathered a lot. Mrs. Bishop says, “Don is determined. He and Dr. Hearne have a real partnership. Actually, Don had been at a rehab facility at one point outside the Scott & White network. Dr. Hearne called to check on him as someone who cared about him, not just as a physician. I truly believe that was a turning point in Don’s recovery.” As he approaches his seventies, Mr. Bishop praises his physicians above all. “When I look back at the problems I had last year, I think the reason I’m alive is that I had the best doctors, nurses, and therapists available.” Dr. Hearne is quick to point out that Mr. Bishop deserves much of the credit. “Don’s survival in large part is due to his tenacious drive to remain on top of things.” Dr. Hearne believes that a lesson other patients can learn from Mr. Bishop’s experience is the importance of taking charge of their own healthcare. “What impressed me the most about Don,” Dr. Hearne says, “was his remarkable ability to manage his own care and to manage his own medication.” Mr. Bishop would arrive for office visits with his internist with a typed list of issues he wanted to address. He also maintained a list of his medications subdivided into categories, something he considered a necessity once he was on 10 medications. Dr. Hearne suggests that his patient’s analytical nature is a result of his career. Mr. Bishop laughs at this and agrees. For 35 years he worked as a materials manager and purchasing agent for a major Los Angeles–based petrochemical engineering/ construction firm. The job took him around the country and the world. He worked for periods of time in Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, California, Oklahoma, Delaware, Texas, and Alaska, as well as Alberta, Canada, Kuwait, the Netherlands, and Trinidad. Though not an engineer himself, Mr. Bishop says he couldn’t help but develop an analytical nature. “Working for an engineering company, you had to act like an engineer,” he says. A new lease on life Early last year, Dr. Hearne was seeing his patient once a week, then every three weeks and then every six weeks. Now it’s down to every three months. Mr. Bishop still brings his list, though. “He pretty much runs the show, at this stage of the game especially,” says Dr. Hearne. Mr. Bishop’s progress through the last year has been amazing, Dr. Hearne says. Everyone in his office was surprised at how quickly Mr. Bishop adapted to his prostheses. “He’s a new man,” Dr. Hearne says. “He has a very nice quality of life.” “I’m walking and driving,” Mr. Bishop says. His wife must help him to get out of the shower; otherwise, M