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Dr Peterson retiring from medical director at WPI

Cort

Phoenix Rising Founder
CFIDS Association had a brief comment on Dr. Peterson's departure from WPI:

The CFIDS Association of America wishes Dr. Daniel Peterson well as he retires from service as medical director of the Whittemore-Peterson Institute. He will continue to care for patients at his Sierra Internal Medicine practice. News released last evening by WPI that it will seek a full-time medical director:
 

Sue C

Sue C
Messages
33
Location
NJ
Tina that was beautiful! i'm just gonna stay XMRV positive (no pun intended) - Australia banning CFS donors is what is on my mind.

True, danib..... and I second Tina's emotion. Remembering what hx I can about the Incline Village outbreak when both doctors Peterson and Cheney became involved.
There they were out of Air Force? I think and starting their practice in an idyllic mountain resort setting. It almost reads like a S. King novel of invasion of a viral epidemic. And as mentioned when the blood supply may be threatened, its no small thing! (Cort could write a miniseries or misery series)
Despite the government guys sent out to investigate, the lack of follow up and validation of the reality that was there....the young interns opened themselves to a lifetime pursuit of treating, helping and research. My grammatics drive me nuts but please let it pass. Whatever reason that he is leaving WPI, he is still seeing patients, and unless it was a health crisis, his pts and others would go into a tailspin of a sudden 'not knowing' state. It was similar for me when Cheney closed his clinic for his heart surgery. Had been dx'd there and was a pt up til a month before his transplant. Can't afford to go anymore.
Each clinic visit, I could see and hear his energy decreasing........but I felt that he had been driven and would continue to apply his brilliant scientific mind to uncovering this mystery. With what has happened to Dr. Sarah and attack on her practice......it seemed that since XMRV discovery that Cheney came into the limelight more than ever. Yet even now his website is guarded information for paying members both patients and researchers with info channeling out to the rest of us.. Good research is very powerful in today's healthcare climate. With the researchers from our 'camp' it creates hope and validation for many. When a big change is announced, public or personal it takes time to calm myself from a reaction. Just another reminder of how broken parts of me remain. . We have come a long way in past several months and am trying to send positive vibe about the latest.
Sue C
 

consuegra

Senior Member
Messages
176
I was standing quite close to Dr. Peterson in that fantastic moment at the conference at Reno. Dr. Peterson was being introduced at a dinner for patients sponsored by his office. It was amazing moment, seeing this man so moved that he could hardly articulate anything. Tears were in his eyes and he choked up. I sensed, as I suppose many did in that room, that Dr. Peterson was near the end of his major contributions to research and treatment in ME/CFS, contributions that has been so strong and consistent. The was a resignation in the air and a deep sense of accomplished weariness on his part. This recent announcement is just a natural extension of this moment and his career and looking for something else is not useful. There are reasons here, but they are really none of our business.

The WPI will find someone very good for this job and, with the decision against Dr. Myhill today, the ME/CFS community has a lot more to worry about than the retirement of Dr. Peterson from this job.

Chris

http://cfspatientadvocate.blogspot.com
 

serenity

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
Austin
thank you for that first hand account Consuegra.
i understand this, this is happening with my own GP. he's gettin older & he's a brilliant doc but he is coming close to time to retire, & i will miss him but i will wish him well because the man has helped me & i care about him.
 

Doogle

Senior Member
Messages
200
What people may not understand is Dr. Peterson has had a full practice in Incline Village for over 25 years. He treats CFS and also practices medicine for the local community. Incline is a special place being on the shores of Lake Tahoe at 6000 feet in the mountains. You can see the whole lake from many places and it is considered one of the most desirable places to work, live and play. He built a custom home part way up the mountain overlooking the lake many years ago. Many local people he treats are probably in his social network. The roads going from Incline to Reno are a minimum 40-80 minute drive mostly on narrow twisty mountain roads, and you have to contend with 300 to 500 inches of winter snowfall at those elevations, as well as many tourists that often don't know the roads or how to drive in snow. For him to be in Reno to oversee day to day operations of a clinic would probably either require a grinding commute, or for him to move from a beautiful environment to a gambling city on the edge of the desert. Reno has its charms but personally I wouldn't leave Incline for it.

The press release states he will continue his practice in Incline. The people that have seen his incline Village practice know he has built a substantial medical facility where he has been doing clinical trials for 20years and will probably continue until he retires. I see this as just the logical evolution of the growth of the WPI facility. There may be other factors at work here, but simple logistics seem to be enough to explain the change to me .
 

creekfeet

Sockfeet
Messages
553
Location
Eastern High Sierra
I think it would be best not to start rumors- and respect the man who has never given up on us from day 1 up to now. Many many doctors in ME/CFS are close to retirement age, some are beyond retirement age and some have come back from it.

Such decision is very very personal, and unless he speaks out publicly we will never know.

Maybe we could organize a thank you project?

Great idea, Kati. I'm really having a hard time reading so can't make it rhough whole thread even tho it's only 3 pp ... make a new thread in Project subforum if a Thanks proj gets started? And pm me with a link? And kick me awake?
 

Robyn

Senior Member
Messages
180
Wasn't it announced that Dr. Peterson was going to a conference that is coming up. Does anyone know if that is happening soon?
 

Cort

Phoenix Rising Founder
I don't know, but Dr. Peterson regularly went to conferences before he was associated with the WPI and I assume that he'll continue to do so now. I think he won an award at the Florida conference but as I remember he missed it because his plane from another conference was delayed. I'm sure he'll still be all over this stuff.
 

Tammie

Senior Member
Messages
793
Location
Woodridge, IL
I agree that a thank you project for Dr Peterson would be wonderful.

and, on a slightly different subject, wouldn't it be cool if Dr Myhill would move here and take his place? (not to take her away from the UK, but it looks like her hands are really being tied there)
 

Rrrr

Senior Member
Messages
1,591
we could, at least, send him flowers. i mean NOW. like, tomorrow.

does anyone know where he is NOW, that is, where we'd send the flowers?

i will send them if folks pay me back? it is about $50 to send flowers (for the flowers and the shipping). but i can't afford that on my own. will 4 other people private message me and i'll give you my home address and you can each send me $10.

i'll write on the card that the flowers are from the whole Phoenix Rising Forum.

but before i do this, i need to know WHERE he is, as in, WHERE to send the flowers.

here are the flowers i recommend we send: 2 dozen assorted colored roses.
http://products.proflowers.com/rose...Ref=organicgglbrand_proflowers.com&PageSplit=

again, i'll do this if 4 others send me a private message asking for my snailmail address so they can send me $10 each. AND if someone knows where Peterson is.

xxoo
rrrr
 

Rrrr

Senior Member
Messages
1,591
okay, someone already volunteered the first $10. so with my $10, too, now we only need 3 more people to have enough for flowers to dan peterson.

does someone want to craft what we write on the card?????????? needs to be short. to fit on a card.
 

Rrrr

Senior Member
Messages
1,591
okay. we will now send flowers to dr peterson.

first thing in the morning, friday, can someone call WPI and his incline office and find out where he is and email me (private message) and if you can get the address too that would be great.

by the time those two institutions open, i'll be at my doctor's office. and won't be home til 1 pm.

i'll order the flowers then. they will likely arrive to him on monday.

maybe we should send to him home?