Count down from 100! Dread invades my thoughts as I image the saw cutting through my sternum. Not much different than a slaughterhouse! Timothy H. McCoy M.D., Ph.D., chief of cardiothoracic anesthesia, undergoes coronary artery bypass x 5.
Much later, I was diagnosed with an aggressive squamous cell carcinoma of the lower lip requiring extensive surgery and radio therapy.
During my medical career, I encountered an alien world of vulnerability, mostly suffered by patients, but I was included as a patient, physician, and observer.
After many years of viewing emotionally disturbing medical events, I took a rare vacation. I came upon a terrible accident in which a boy riding in the back of his grandfather’s pickup truck was decapitated. My physician mask disappeared as I was confronted with the rawness of life. I was helpless.
This portfolio came about after I left medicine and enrolled in art school. I took a documentary photography course that allowed me access to hospital operating rooms. The resulting images are a soul-searching attempt, sometimes raw, to reveal the conflicting interests in modern medicine and health care. These include humanitarian concerns, advancing technology, dominating bureaucracy, and financial gain. One word is deeply ingrained in these images — vulnerability. First, do no harm!
