Twenty-three years ago a post-stroke scan revealed a 
tumor growing on my brain. By the Grace of God, my case 
was referred to Gerald T. McGillicuddy, Neurosurgeon.

Dr. McGillicuddy had an exemplary reputation in New 
England. Many considered him one of the finest 
neurosurgeons in the world. He had many glowing reviews 
and testimonials, not only from patients, but from 
other medical professionals.

McGillicuddy had an easy personality too. My 
neurologist had given me a stack of transparencies from 
my brain MRI scan. I delivered those to the surgeon at 
my pre-op appointment.

The morning of the surgery, I'm waiting in the 
operating room, when McGillicuddy walks in smiling. He 
asks me, “Did you remember to bring the pictures?”

I reply cautiously, “No, I gave them to you a few days 
ago.”

He slaps his forehead and says, “Oh, that's right! I 
left them in my car. I'll be right back.”

Less than a minute later, he's back in the room placing 
images onto the trans light panels on the wall. While 
he's doing that, I fall asleep. 

Sometime later I awoke. I could feel my head wrapped up 
completely in bandages, but no pain up there.

My lower back, however, was another issue – 
excruciating pain. My recovery nurse injected something 
into my back and massaged it. The pain quickly 
dissipated.

Apparently my back hurt because I was immobile for a 
really long time. The surgery had taken more than five 
hours to complete!

The tumor was wrapped around an artery, and meticulous 
effort was required to remove it all without damaging 
the artery.

The next morning, after breakfast,  Dr. McGillicuddy 
came to my room to examine my head. I had no idea what 
to expect under the bandages.

He carefully removed the bandages, poked and prodded my 
head a bit and said, “Okay, you've got a lot of dried 
blood in your hair. Go shower yourself and then you can 
go home. Make an appointment to come back in a few 
weeks to have the staples removed.  Be careful not to 
use your fingertips when you shampoo your hair.  
Instead use the pads of your fingers until the staples 
are gone.”

Brain surgery one day and home the next!

Several MRI scans over the years since indicate zero 
residual trace of the tumor. About a decade younger 
than I, Dr. McGillicuddy is still practicing. 

What earned him his fine reputation as a brain surgeon? 
Was it getting straight A's in brain school?

Probably, more than just that, it was interning with 
some really good surgeons and performing many, many 
surgeries  with an attitude to always strive for 
perfection.

Who would you chooses to safely fly your next 
commercial flight? Someone with a doctorate in 
aerodynamics who never sat in a cockpit before?

Or a kid who joined the Navy straight out of high 
school, received combat flight training, logged 
thousands of flight hours, and flew hundreds of 
exercises and missions, including successful landings 
on aircraft carriers?

(Consider those landings for a moment: Landing a 
powerful aircraft on the shortest possible landing 
strip, in all kinds of rough wind conditions, while 
said strip is in constant motion on the water.)

Your Friend and Servant, 

Ken Klemm – Florida, USA

P.S. “The truth is that schooling does but little more 
than to put one in the way of learning HOW to acquire 
practical knowledge.” ~ Napoleon Hill

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