To The Editor:
A few days ago I received a letter from our family doctor of 30 years, Dr. Francis Cook. In it, he explained that he would be retiring from CVMC Family Medicine in September. Although I knew this day was coming, and I am happy for his wife, Donna, and Fran as they begin a new phase of their lives, our entire family will miss him terribly.
When we first moved to The Valley and my baby boy started spiking high fevers because of chronic ear infections that required surgery, it was Fran who got us through the process. Years later, that now 21-year-old son took a job in Berlin, Germany, and unexpectedly collapsed on the street. Uncertain what to do, I called Fran’s office. He dropped everything to meet with me and discussed the information that I was given over the phone (my boy was in the hospital for a month, but he’s fine now) and counseled me to get on a plane to Europe.
Many of you reading this letter have contended at some point, as I did, with a catastrophic illness that stops your life for a while. Managing serious disease and recovering from it requires a skilled primary care physician. Among other things, that person intercepts all the information from various specialists and acts as your coach and guide. During my long comeback to health, I came to trust Fran’s opinion so much that I wouldn’t even fill a prescription from another doctor without consulting him first.
It is interesting to reflect on the fact that even when he thought a specialist should be consulted, he always turned out to be right about his initial diagnosis. He’s pretty darn smart. Do you remember when he was on Jeopardy?
Fran once said to me, “Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary solutions.” They do indeed, Dr. Cook, and thank you for helping me to find mine. You have made a difference for every member of our family.
Best wishes to you and yours,
Mary Kathleen (Kathy) Mehuron
Waitsfield
