THREAD: My late father was a small town General Practitioner, the nearest thing to a Far West doctor you could meet in the flesh in Europe. I still have his wooden stethoscope and the glass syringe he carried in his bag. He healed three generations of citizens here: (1/n) https://twitter.com/meganamram/status/1249075149975912448

https://www.valsusaoggi.it/santambrogio-piange-lamato-dottor-ponzetto-domani-il-funerale/ He spanned the decades from the late 50 ies to the late 90ies, he saw the demographic and economic boom, immigration...and epidemics. After he died, we donated part of his painting collection to the town. (2/n)

There were people in attendance that I had not met for years, and lot of reminiscing went on. One guy stopped me and told me: "Do you remember when your father used to bring you along whenever there was an epidemic to have you catch it?"(3/n)

Mind you, I remembered: dark come early in winter, and I remembered vividly one late afternoon, our dog, me and him boarding his Fiat 500 and going on an house call. He absolutely made SURE, since vaccines were not available, that my sister and I caught all of them. (4/n)

If that seem cruel, dispel your doubts. it is. In lockdown, you don't mix with them, but in normal times you are literally surrounded by people that cannot avoid picking between unpalatable choices. He was the father I adored, and kids pick up moods, so I always knew.(5/n)

The deep sighs, and wringing hands, when a patient, a friend, could only be counseled down terrible paths. the people who could not be saved. The survivors to be cared after, the loss. He always maintained his sunny, even playful disposition at times. But it was a lesson.(6/n)

Triage, or something like that, is there all the time. it's a terrible thing to do and it leaves a special kind of scar tissue. Vaccinations may have side effects? he's not there any more, but he'd tell you what the alternative is.