Profiles In Paradise: Where Dreams Literally Come True

By J. Lee Austin, MD
For those dear readers here in Galveston County/Bolivar, wondering who in the world I am and what the heck I am doing here, this note’s for you. For my Substack readers around the world, no worries, I love you too 😉

I’m not from The Peninsula, but I got here as fast as I could. And after seven decades of living this precious life, I finally get to indulge and grow my true passion, which is writing.

Now for some background … over the years I have done quite a lot of writing, but it was mostly all technical … semi-erudite descriptions of revolting tumors, inflammatory balls of fire and all manner of other fun stuff. I would often try to be creative, but there is only so much you can do with a gallbladder. Unless it’s full of gooey green sludge, then you might have something to work with.

It was highly repetitious work. If I had a nickel for every time I have dictated/written the words, “Received in formalin is a glistening, pink, rubbery, vermiform portion of tissue designated as appendix, without gross purulence or masses” … I’d be richer than a fat cat pharma executive. Not!

After 30 years of drawing up surgical pathology reports, it’s rather refreshing to write about something else … everything else. And it’s a real thrill to be writing freely, as opposed to having to screen every single syllable from the perspective that an attorney might someday be reading my words in a court of law.

Knock on wood, I never got even a whiff of a lawsuit. Although it did start to smell like it one time, when a pathologist covering my practice for me, completely missed an ovarian cancer that had spread to an appendix, which he diagnosed as “acute appendicitis.” Unfortunately I didn’t learn about this until the distraught couple showed up in my lab to pick up their slides for a second opinion.

I always reviewed slides before sending them out and after the shock of looking at these, had to tell myself to breathe. Bringing the afflicted patient and her husband into my office, I did the biggest mea culpa of my life, even though I personally had done nothing wrong.

“I’m so sorry, he just missed it, plain and simple.” I felt so bad for them. I showed the hubby the tumor in the microscope, but she couldn’t bear to look. Can’t blame her … it was hideous and eating her alive.

Over the years, making a diagnosis of a deadly disease never got any easier. In general though, being a clinical pathologist was a rewarding career. Very often I got the last word, typically at the proverbial end of the line for a doctor and patient waiting with bated breath for a diagnosis. Great responsibility and gratification all in one package. But I digress.

I am now thoroughly retired from medicine, here on the Texas version of the Redneck Riviera, having big fun with the folks who make this such a wonderful place to live … people like the Gilberts, whose amazing Surf Shop restoration I wrote about last summer …

https://local-news-archive.crystalbeach.com/good-people-doing-great-things/index.html

I love writing profiles of good citizens with compelling stories that are inspirational, endearing or just clean fun. Special consideration is given for those who are contributing jobs and other things beneficial to the community. They are the salt of the earth, especially our salty little slice of heaven here on the Gulf Coast.

If you know someone like this to recognize or honor, please email: doc3@me.com and we will happily get their story into the Crystal Beach Local News for all to see and enjoy.

Looking forward to hearing from each of you in the Happy New Year!
~~ J. Lee Austin (Johnny)

“Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.” ~~ Yogi Berra

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J Lee
J. Lee Austin is a contributor to Crystal Beach Local News, and is the founder of The Good Help Network, a reader-supported publication.

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