FEB-A-4
A STARTLING NOTE FROM
CHARLES PROYE
FOLLOWS THE WRITING OF HIS
FOREWORD TO
“SURGICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY”
Dear
Charles:
Oh,
no! I was startled by this news and immediately stopped to think of all
the things we hold important to us. Of course, we have given whatever we
have to patient care, and extended that to whatever else of the world's
problems we could reach. But, the sincerest bond is to our age-mates and
comrades in arms in whatever struggle we find ourselves engaged.
I
know no other who would so fill that bill--from the scrum. The epitome of the
Bon Vivant should not have his life limited in any way! I do not see you in any
way other than the ebullient soul of Gallic wit and charm, and Surgeon
Extraordinaire! I am with you , Mon Frer, as you lead off on this path I may have to follow,
again, behind you.
Thank
you for the Foreword--let us together write the Epilogue!
It
is not the brevity of life, but its intensity that we may have some small means
to control. And through this intensity of life lived
well in service, the recognition of the help of deep friendship.
GWG
>>>
PROYE Charles <C-PROYE@CHRU-LILLE.FR> 01/27/04 09:53AM >>>
Dear Glenn,
No. Be sure that I have not forgotten anything of our
previous encounters. The "Table in San Francisco" and "the
evening of the Lapin Agil" as well as the Ageing
bull paper, your introduction to the French Academy of Surgery in 1990 and our
diving trips of the barrier reef and Caribbean islands as well and many other
things. But I have thought that it was not appropriate to underscore those
personal remembering in the foreword of your book, I have been very glad and honoured to write.
Nevertheless, I send you another version of this foreword
that I think you might find more appropriate.
Glenn, I want that you know that I treasure fond memories of
each of our previous encounters, even if they became those scant in the last
few years. Just to let you know also that I have currently widespread metastatic disease. I shall do my best to come in
CHARLOTTSVILLE early in April and in
PROFESSEUR CHARLES PROYE
Professeur Charles PROYE
Hôpital Claude Huriez - Chirurgie Générale et Endocrinienne
CHRU de LILLE
Tél : 03.20.44.42.73 - De l'étranger
: 33.3.20.44.42.73
Email : c-proye@chru-lille.fr
<<GEELHOED.doc
FOREWORD
Glenn W. GEELHOED is one of the most
extraordinary characters I ever met in my surgical carrier and personal life as
well. Basically he is an academic surgeon mostly interested in endocrine
surgery and that is the reason why we met thirty years ago and since we became
faithful friends. It started in 1979 around a table in Asia Garden in SAN
FRANCISCO at a friendly banquet for the Foundation of the International
Association of Endocrine Surgeons (I.A.E.S). Around the table were sitting, I
still remember vividly of Ewlin HASNER (Denmark), Tom
REEVE (Australia), Luis AYALA (VENEZUELA), Anthony EDIS (Australia), Glenn and
myself, my wife being the only woman sitting. It went ahead when because of an
International crisis in George Washington University, Glenn came in Lille to rest a few weeks and reset his thoughts. We have
been working altogether a few weeks, and I remember when he came back home
roaming in the French countryside, along the path of the “Agil
Rabbit”. With the years gone by and through our permanent contacts I could
realise that this facet is only one of those many encompassed by the
personality of this quicksilver gentleman. He is also a marathon-runner a great
scuba diver (and we dove altogether on the Great Barrier Reef and on Caribbean
island wrecks), an expert mountain-climber, a wild game hunter an expert in
wine history, an inexhaustible globetrotter and above all a great humanist. I
have been exceedingly impressed by his writing comparing physiopathology of
ageing bull paralleling the onset of endocrine glands tumors
in inbred bulls and the genetically driven same tumors
in humans. The presentation of his paper to the French Academy of Surgery
generated his election as honorary member in this illustrious body. He travels
so much, he is so interested in anything he can see and share in both
hemispheres, he is skyrocketing so high above my head that every year when he
sends to me at Christmas season the summary of his achievements, I get
jet-lagged. Now, at the fall of his career he is dedicating himself mostly to
surgery in developing countries and I think that he is several decades ahead of
the current considerations we can have of problems in surgery and especially endocrine
surgery or a worldwide scale. Only Professor Glenn W. Geelhoed could write this
book mixing up the current state of Surgery and forthcoming expected events in
terms of surgical economy. It is a great privilege to write this foreword. I am
sure that this book will be greatly appreciated by the incoming generation of
endocrine surgeons.
Fellow of the Royal College of
Surgeons
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Hon)
Professor of General and Endocrine Surgery, Lille,
France
Member of the French Academy of
Surgery
Member of the British Association of
Endocrine Surgeons
Member of the American Association
of Endocrine Surgeons
Founding President of the French
Association of Endocrine surgeons
Past-president of the International
Association of Endocrine Surgeons (I.A.E.S)
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