Anyone who knows me also knows of my journey with cancer. I was diagnosed in March of 2014 and since then have been on quite a trip -- filled with lows and highs. But, six years later, here I am and feeling great.
We are getting ready to make our 26th trip to Houston later this summer, and I can't say enough about the doctor that has guided me along every step of the way. He is truly an expert in my type of cancer and teaches others about my disease.
But, as much as I respect and trust him, he does not make my medical decisions for me. He lays out the facts, tells me the options and gives me his opinion on what is the best course of action for me. But, when it comes to decision time, it falls on me and me alone.
Last year, as I was getting ready to start on radiation, I received a call from his physician assistant with news about possible side effects of the treatment I was about to get that scared the bejesus out of me. Long story short, the information she presented to me was not a correct representation and I ended up doing the treatments with no ill effects.
I'm sure she didn't mean to misrepresent the facts but she is human and didn't communicate on this issue very well. Likewise, my cancer doctor is human and doesn't hold himself out to be perfect -- his role is to inform and advise and then step back to help me on the journey I choose.
This is exactly what is happening right now in America, except that some people have seemed to have forgotten who is in charge. We have a disease that is affecting millions of our citizens from a health standpoint and a financial perspective. And, many are turning to one individual as if he has all the answers.
Dr. Fauci, by everything I can ascertain, is highly qualified and an esteemed expert in his field. But, no matter his qualifications, he is not perfect and we can look back over the last few months where he has taken positions that had to be walked back. Some positions changed because of new information and some because he was wrong. Not a knock on his professionalism -- just a fact that no one is perfect.
But, for most on the Left, they hang on his every word and consider it gospel. If he says to wear masks then all of us should wear masks, even though a few weeks ago he said we didn't need to. And, we have to remember that he is not the only health expert with an opinion and not all agree with him.
But, for those who suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, any departure from Fauci's words are tantamount to treason and people will die unnecessarily. And heaven forbid that anyone disagrees or they are vilified.
In all this, we need to remember that Dr. Fauci is not our leader. We have a president and governors that we have elected to make the tough decisions. He is an advisor -- not our leader.
Kevin Wilson is a former state representative who was born in Goodman and now lives in Neosho. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 05/28/2020