Columns The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias Dr. Glaucomflecken and Other Healthcare Jokers Dr. Glaucomflecken and Other Healthcare Jokers by Ed Tobias | April 1, 2022 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link This column is being published on April 1. When I was in the journalism profession, that was a day we had to be on guard against pranksters who would try to trick us into reporting phony April Fools’ Day news items. So, I need to be very clear about this column about Dr. Glaucomflecken. “Dr. G” doesn’t exist. He’s an invention of Dr. Will Flanary, a 36-year-old ophthalmologist in the Portland, Oregon, area. “Dr. F,” in the persona of “Dr. G,” uses YouTube and other social media channels to hurl a healthy dose of in-your-face comedy at his colleagues and at the healthcare industry in general. Recommended Reading November 2, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Never Drinking Alcohol Tied to ‘Significantly’ Higher MS Risk I think anyone who has spent any time dealing with the medical profession ā hasn’t everyone with MS? ā will relate to Dr. Glaucomflecken’s video interviews. Let’s start with one of his biggest viral hits, a video with more than a million views produced after the real Dr. Flanary spent three days in an intensive care unit following a life-threatening episode of ventricular fibrillation: ļ»æ āIt really did kick off with the insurance problems,ā Flanary told Stat‘s Damian Garde. āI saw, āOh thereās a big appetite for this. This resonates with a lot of people.āā But browse through his video portfolio and you’ll see caricatures of several types of medical specialists you may recognize, including neurologists. Patients can be funny, too You don’t have to be a doctor to be good at making people laugh at illness and at the healthcare system in general. People living with MS also do a good job of that. For example, Rosani Christy laughs her way through MS by doing stand-up comedy in Toronto. Actually, it’s sit-down comedy, as she wheels into a few comedy venues and performs via Zoom from her bedroom three times a week. “All I have to do is look presentable from the waist up,” she says, “which is much easier on my caregivers and me.” Multiple Sclerosis News Today columnist John Connor did a regular comedy show at London’s famous The Comedy Store until his MS forced him out of the clubs and into a chair. Now he writes to share his wit in columns like “Everything You Wanted to Know About Poo, but I Was Afraid to Write,” “The Antibiotic Time Loop-the-Loop,” and his first column, from 2017, “A Mountain to Climb with MS ā in My Living Room.” There’s also MS patient Yvonne deSousa, who asks on her website: “Like, what kind of a medical condition would call its most annoying symptom a hug?Ā Who came up with that?” And, “What kind of illness actually makes you look much better than you feel, causing those around you to think you are a hypochondriac? And when MS symptoms are visible, they make you look like youāre drunk.” There’s a lot that people with MS and other illnesses can laugh about, and that’s no April Fools’ joke. You’re invited to visit and even laugh at my personal blog at www.themswire.com. Note:Ā Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those ofĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ or its parent company, BioNews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis. Print This Page About the Author Ed Tobias People say to write what you know and Ed Tobias knows about MS. He's lived with the illness since 1980, when he was 32 years old. Ed's a retired, award-winning broadcast journalist and his column combines his four decades of MS experiences with news and comments about the latest in the MS community. In addition to writing his column, Ed is one of the patient moderators on the MS News Today Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram sites. Heās also the author of āThe Multiple Sclerosis Toolbox: Hints and Tips for Living with M.S.ā Ed and his wife split their time between the Washington, D.C. suburbs and Floridaās Gulf Coast, trying to follow the sun. Tags comedy, healthcare, humor, MS patients Comments Nada Zdrale Having a sense of sarcasm/humor I believe letās others know that -I am aware of the progression of physical/mental disabilities and I am attempting to prove that I understand lifeās hurdles and root/inspire others to shoot for the moon:) Reply Ed Tobias Hi Nada, That's a great attitude. Life's not about hiding from the storm, it's about learning to dance in the rain. Ed Reply Leave a comment Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published. Your Name Your Email Your Comment Post Comment
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