William Ralph Draper, Sr. 10/8/1943 - 6/22/2022 What if missing your father was the singular burden he left behind for you? What if he was so present, so loving, so engaged, so proud, and so over-the-top supportive that you had nothing—I mean not one single thing—to wish he’d done for you? What if he fully equipped you with confidence and enough self-love for meaningful adult relationships through his exemplary love of your mother, his siblings, his cousins, and countless lifelong friends? And what if you had the chance to personally evolve into a loving, trusting grown up friendship with him ..read more

  Hey everybody! I know it's been a while since you've heard from me. I hope all of you are doing well.  How am I? I'm good, actually. The BHE and I celebrated our 17th year of marriage and both of those little boys that y'all remember so well will be in high school next year. High school, y'all! I'm still at Grady and loving it. Oh! I got promoted to full professor in 2019. That was a huge deal for me as an academic physician. It's weird--getting promoted to the next rung on the academic ladder is always the goal. When I got that letter, I didn't really know what to do with myself ..read more

I am squatting in a corner with my hands over my ears. Noise. It is too much noise. About us. About me. Because us is me. It is inescapable. So much noise. Make it stop. “Your people are dying.” They are dying from a virus. No, not that virus. Oh wait. That virus, too. I mean. . . yeah. They are dying from: Heart disease Cancer Violence And this. More. Most. Just fill in the blank. We win. But really, we lose. We lose. The baggage was left on front lawns in piles. Centuries worth. Maybe push it to the back yard? Not yours, though. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Wrong. Get ..read more

12: 01 P.M. My intern was presenting this patient to me at this exact time. My tumbly was feeling pretty damn rumbly and lunch couldn't come soon enough. But we were almost there. Last patient of the morning. Fairly straightforward. Acute decompensated heart failure--one of the most common things we see. Good. I have to admit that I was glad it was something "bread and butter" and not something exotic. Nothing about this seemed to be a diagnostic conundrum. And that was a relief considering it had already been a long morning of medical mysteries. On top of that, I was hungry. Real hung ..read more

"I'll stand by you." - Chrissy Hynde, The Pretenders Rounds were over and, mostly, not much more had to be done other than write notes and arrange discharges. She, the resident physician working with me, was still at Grady. I was not. That morning, things were fine. But then came the call from his nurse. A new complaint--one that hadn't been there before and that wasn't there on morning rounds. My diligent resident quickly went to assess the patient. Vital signs not normal. A heart beating over 120 times per minute, little beads of sweat on the forehead of a person who was cracking jok ..read more

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”  - Esther 4:14 NIV A door had closed before her. It seemed like there was no way out. Some way, somehow our paths crossed. She was miles away on the eastern seaboard and had somehow found my email. “I went to Clark Atlanta,” she said over the email. And that was when I knew. This medical student looked like me. No. She wasn’t at my institution. But something about that message grabbed me that day. Was it the first such email I’d received asking for my help or attention? No. But something about th ..read more

On rounds the other day Him: "You alright, doc?" Me: "Me?" Him: "Yeah you. You seem outta sorts." Me: *smiles* "I'm in sorts I promise. Now tell me--how you doing?" Him: "Feeling a little better today." Me: "How's your wind?" Him: "Way better." I sit him up and carefully untie the back of his gown. On cue, he takes breaths in and out as I listen intently. Me: "Lungs sound good." *moves around to front of chest* "You can just breathe regular." Him: "I know." After pressing my palm to his chest to feel his heart, I search his chest with stethoscope. Although it's not normal, it hasn't cha ..read more

What happens to a dream deferred?       Does it dry up      like a raisin in the sun?      Or fester like a sore—      And then run?      Does it stink like rotten meat?      Or crust and sugar over—      like a syrupy sweet?       Maybe it just sags      like a heavy load.       Or does it explode? - Langston Hughes (1902 -1967) _____________________________________________ 1. In 1992, I applied to Emory University School of Medicine. And didn't even get an interview. 2. In 1992, I also applied to Case Western School of Medicine. Got an interview there. But got waitlisted for med school ..read more