Harry's Workshop

Tucked away in a ground level corner of the Odette Cancer Centre sits an office like no other. The nondescript white door opens to reveal an expansive workshop that wraps around one corner and back down another. A gaggle of tubing, drills, heavy machinery and materials I’ve never seen before litter wooden workbenches and wall-length shelving. The smell reminds me of my grade seven shop class. But what’s being created here couldn’t be more far removed from ash trays and birdhouses. Harry Easton and his team in medical physics are busy helping patients, one invention at a time.

His office walls are a visual monument to the thought process he brings to the job everyday. Let’s just say, Harry has a certain brilliance I never will. “What’s that square thing with the holes in it?” I asked. Harry explained that was a customized grid used to make sure breast cancer patients get precise treatment. “And what about that round ball hanging over there?” I asked. That, he told me, has actually changed care for patients with inoperable brain tumours, making sure they get right dose of radiation within sub-millimeter accuracy. Okie dokie, then.

However humbling the interview was for me, Harry never held airs. In fact, he’s one of the friendliest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of talking to. And despite the average 15 projects he’s juggling at any given time, and responsibility to keep all the multi-million dollar cancer machines running smoothly, his door is always open to curious patients. And many times a day, Odette Cancer Centre staff saunter in with problems that need solving, or even crude sketches on scraps of paper, hoping Harry and his team can make them real. They always do.

“So out of all the things you’ve built, what’s your favorite?” I asked at the end of our interview. “I have a twelve string acoustic guitar that I’ve built! That’s my favorite thing!” As totally unexpected as his answer was, I was thrilled that at least it was an object I could identify! Not that I could play it, though…

Watch this week's video on YouTube

Bright Hats and Kitty Litter

There’s an old saying that if you want to get sick, go to the doctor’s office. No doubt, it’s usually a concentrated mass of coughing people within a confined square footage (not to mention whatever is lingering on those magazines). So how is it that so many doctors and nurses are able to stave off illness year in and year out? My curiosity led me to Sunnybrook’s Occupational Health & Safety Department, where frontline staff have literally seen and treated it all. What better place to arm myself with immune boosting information?

I met with Christine Ader, a lovely nurse who (true to expectation) rarely gets sick. In hand she had her top tips to stay healthy until the Sorels get officially packed away into the basement. It is the season of lists, after all. Things to do, things to buy, and now, things to help you avoid flus, falls and frenetic schedules. I sat down with my camera and started recording.

Staying well appears to be a gentle balance of lifestyle and common sense. There are the obvious methods, like frequent hand washing, regular exercise and adequate sleep. But just as critical are brightly colored scarves, shoe shopping and kitty litter. Yes, this seemingly random mix will help you tackle the season with healthy fervor (and will make much more sense after you watch my video.) And if the gift of safe sex lands under your tree, she recommends opening it without hesitation. I think that tip falls somewhere between exercise, stress relief and making the season bright…

Here’s hoping Ader’s advice helps you avoid the doctor’s office this year. Better to be reading your own magazines at home curled up by the fire. Happy holidays!

Watch this week's video on YouTube