Happy Memorial Day! We give special thanks today to every man and woman who has served in our armed forces, allowing us so many freedoms here in the United States. Let's take a moment from our busy lives to reflect on those freedoms that we take for granted...including the right to vote (are you participating in your local elections as well as the national ones?) and freely worship. Reach out and thank a current or former member of the military today.
From the medical perspective, we see our veterans returning from tours with numerous serious and challenging "battle scars"- from the instantly obvious traumatic amputations, to unusual parasitic diseases and skin rashes, to the far more penetrating post traumatic stress disorders. Of course, many men and women never make it back at all, and their families are left to carry that heartache.
BOTTOM LINE: I'm thankful to live and work and raise a family here in the United States. God Bless the USA!
PS. As you head out to picnics and other outdoor celebrations, don't forget the sunscreen- regardless of the number of clouds in the sky. Melanoma is a deadly skin cancer, and it's numbers are on the rise. More on this tomorrow.
