jjablkowski's blog

Is the Mini-Mental State Exam an appropriate device to determine the mental acuity of our senior citizens? It is obvious to any retired physician who has reached advanced years that a lot of the questions have little relevance. For example, the date and day of the week are immaterial and no longer noted. The season can be determined by looking out of the window; “wet” and “dry” seem pretty good answers for this part of the world.

In August 1958 my favorite cartoon character, Charlie Brown, began to write to his pen-pal for the first time but was soon thwarted when he spilled ink all over his letter. The stalwart little character did not give up entirely, though. In 1994 he started a pen-pal relationship with Morag, a Scottish cartoon lass. Charlie Brown was hoping for romance, but alas, he was crushed again: Morag had 30 other pals on her list.

My total hip surgery and my 90th birthday happened within days of each other. My supportive friends gifted me with books both to celebrate the occasions and to provide me with entertainment while I was in temporary home confinement.

On 28 August 2019 I had a total replacement of my left osteoarthritic hip. With spinal anesthetic I was more or less awake during the procedure to hear the buzz of the saw and the blows of the hammer as my prosthesis was being inserted. I was awake enough to reflect that my maternal grandfather, Dr Bertholm Widder (1873–1910), was in training for orthopaedic surgery at the Berlin hospital where Professor Themistocles Gluck attempted the first hip replacement operation in 1891. The patient’s hip joint was destroyed by tuberculosis.

Many years ago I was invited to meet a small group of young people—boys and girls, between 13 and 16 years of age—all with varying problems relating to cerebral palsy. They had monthly meetings with professionals like lawyers, bankers, engineers, artists, and doctors who explained the nature of their professional work and answered questions relating to their expertise. My task was to answer questions about sexual issues.