South African Rheumatism and Arthritis Association
The Membership Newsletter
Email Bulletin SARAA - April - 2001
Greetings to one and all....
We have just completed a major task for which outgoing president Dr Anne Halland and her committee deserve a huge vote of thanks. The new constitution was ratified by a vote at the last meeting of the general SARAA membership AGM in Pretoria 2001.
In addition the Pretoria organizing committee deserve a hearty congratulations for a great conference, both academically and socially. Well done to Dr's Anderson, Lubbe, Van Duuren, Prof Brighton, and Gwynne Groenewald. The next conference is scheduled for 2003 and will be organised by the Johannesburg team under Prof Tikly.
Things however are not going to sit still and meetings are being planned as part of the MSD forum, as well as under the auspices of SARAA itself. The regions are going to be strengthened and CPD meetings in all regions are hopefully going to be in place - including Johannesburg / Pretoria - Gauteng, Durban, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town as well as hopefully the Eastern Cape.
We will need to get communication between these regions going, and publication of events and summaries of talks and CPD activities will hopefully be published in "Rheumatology news" and on the official SARAA website.
For those at the conference who saw me typing frantically at the back of the hall, you can see the product of this work at the new OFFICIAL SARAA website. The website will be located temporarily at:
http://www.arthritis.co.za/SARAA/SARAA.html until further notice when I can find a permanent home for it.
Remember - it is still in the early phase of construction, and to be fully functional requires input from everyone out there.
I need input in terms of:
1. Personal and official contact details. I would also like to put up photos and other information (if members personally want inclusion of such details) on a patient - doctor contact page.
Not everyone is included yet, and I will try and get the listings up-to date and correct as the information flows in. It takes a lot of time to do this - so preferably information coming to me should be in a word document format and photos in a GIF or JPG format. (If you don't have a scanner - I can scan photos sent to me by post for inclusion).
2. What's happening out there in your areas - social or academic or professional.
3. Interesting cases you see and might want to share with others.
4. Ideas for my committee and I.
5. Problems you think we can assist with, as an organisation.
6. Things you want to see happen.
7. Feedback - of any sort.....
Quote of the month:
'Even if you are on the right track you will still get run over if you just sit there'
( quote by Will Rogers)
Tale of the month from the lay press
A short history of medicine c/o stew magazine
"I have a Joint pain".......
2000 B.C. - Here, eat this root.
1000 A.D. - That root is heathen, say this prayer.
1850 A.D. - That prayer is superstition, drink this potion.
1960 A.D. - That potion is snake oil, swallow this NSAID.
1985 A.D. - That pill is ineffective, take this DMARD
2000 A.D. - That DMARD is artificial. Here, eat this root.Story of the month
A Russian man saves his rubles for twenty years to buy a new car. After choosing the model and options he wants, he's not the least bit surprised or even concerned to learn that it will take two years for the new car to be delivered. He thanks the salesman and starts to leave, but as he reaches the door he pauses and turns back to the salesman "Do you know which week two years from now the new car will arrive?" he asks. The salesman checks his notes and tells the man that it will be two years to the exact week. The man thanks the salesman and starts out again, but upon reaching the door, he turns back again. "Could you possibly tell me what day of the week two years from now the car will arrive?" The salesman, mildly annoyed, checks his notes again and says that it will be exactly two years from this week, on Thursday. The man thanks the salesman and once again starts to leave. Halfway though the door, he hesitates, turns back, and walks up to the salesman. "I'm sorry to be so much trouble, but do you know if that will be two years from now on Thursday in the morning, or in the afternoon?" Visibly irritated, the salesman flips through his papers yet another time and says sharply that it will be in the afternoon, two years from now on Thursday. "That's a relief!" says the man. "The plumber is coming in the morning!"
Medical Joke of the month
A man hasn't been feeling well, so he goes to his doctor for a complete checkup. Afterward the doctor comes out with the results.
"I'm afraid I have some very bad news," the doctor says. "You're dying, and you don't have much time left."
"Oh, that's terrible!" says the man. "How long have I got?"
"Ten," the doctor says sadly.
"Ten?" the man asks. "Ten what? Months? Weeks? What?!"
"Nine..."Letter of the month...
"A LETTER TO DR RUTH...."
Remember - help me help you.....
David Gotlieb
SARAA President
Cape Town
April 10 2001
