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At 12:29 President Benjamin was ready to eat his lunch when he glanced at his watch and exclaimed, “It’s 12:30.” He jumped up, clanged the bell, and welcomed everyone to the Friendly Westwood Village Rotary Club.
Thanking John O'Keefe for reciting the 4-way test, Jim Crane for leading the pledge, Janet Schwartz, today’s greeter, and PP Tom Barron for writing the Windmill, he brought forth PP Gordon Fell to give the “thought of the day”. Gordon quoted the following: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games and, 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over in my life – and that is why I succeeded.” Gordon looked up and asked who said this? Of course, from the back, Phil Gabriel yelled out, Michael Jordan!! The correct answer, Phil!!
President Benjamin has a survey circulating and has expressed that a fine will be assessed if you don’t fill one out. You don’t have to sign your name to it, Prez Benjamin just needs the TRUTH, that you received and completed the survey.
After introducing the speaker’s wife and, WVRC’s first lady, Susan, President Benjamin gave a brief introduction of today’s speaker: Michel Brones, MD, a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, and member of the American Burn Association.
Dr. Brones has been practicing medicine for over 50 years. He graduated from the University of Buenos Aires and served his residency in general surgery at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He then moved to California and UCLA for advanced studies in reconstructive and plastic surgery. He served as Chief resident of plastic surgery at the UCLA Medical Center.
Michel thought he would practice cosmetic surgery, working on the beautiful people performing face lifts, and other pretty enhancements when life intervened and a doctor encouraged him to join the world-renowned Grossman Burn Center in the San Fernando Valley (there are only 2 other Burn Centers in greater Los Angeles, one at USC and the other at Torrance Memorial Hospital. Michel said after seeing a badly disfigured woman who had been burned in the face from acid being thrown on her, he wanted no part of burn treatment. He admits now though that God had other plans for him. He joined the Grossman Burn Center and loved the work he did there for 18 years!
Michel gave a thorough explanation of burns (1st, 2nd, & 3rd degree), from how they occur, the treatment required, and the painful recovery, both physical and emotional, a patient goes through. You can heal from your burns, but you will always have a scar. They never go away. Another interesting aspect of the recovery was skin graft reconstruction. You can only use your own skin to heal burns on your body. There are three phases to the recovery process including mental health treatment, and it can take a long time depending on the degree of and where the burns are on your body.
As of 1981, Michel, with his wife’s concurrence, changed his career direction. Considering that burn incidents are subject to lawsuits, he became an “expert witness” for both plaintiffs and defendants from the medical viewpoint. Many cases of burns are caused from accidents, plane crashes, car crashes, etc., thus lawsuits are often brought to trial. Thus, he testifies as an expert witness answering questions from type of burn to treatment to financial long-term impact.
Michel responded to several questions, one of which was “How do most of the burns occur.” Interestingly, Michel said, due to carelessness or ignorance. So next time you decide to use your barbeque grill just remember to have a fire extinguisher nearby, do not wear loose clothing, and do not lean in too close to the fire!!
President Benjamin reminded everyone again about filling out the survey and then closed out the meeting with two minutes to spare!!
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