A TRIBUTE
“Has anybody seen my old friend Martin? Can you tell me where he’s gone? He’s healed a lot of people; but it seems the good, die young. I just looked around and he was gone.”
I had just begun a session of Draughts with my brother-in-law, when I learned of the passing of my dear friend, and physician-extraordinaire, Dr. Martin Didier, SLC, CBE, MBBS, DM, FACP, FESC, FACC, FRCP (Edin). After losing three games in succession, I thought it best to “retire hurt” and seek a quiet spot to reflect on Martin’s untimely demise and on his unfailing guardianship over my health over nearly 35 years.
To say I was gutted by the news of Martin’s death, would be an understatement. He became my personal physician soon after he opened his private practice in the early 1990s. Because of his immense popularity, it was not always possible to see him when I needed to, and so, I would sometimes seek attention from my dear friends, Drs. Keith Deligny (deceased) and Alphonsus St. Rose.
Invariably, my “health checks” with Martin would last at least an hour and would be taken up with a discussion of my health as well as national, regional and global issues. Whenever I left his office, I would be wracked with guilt, partly due to the “cut eyes” I got from patients in his waiting room, who felt I had been with him too long. When I shared with him my guilt, he assured me that all who came to him received adequate attention. His response only increased my guilt, as by his trademark, angelic, bedside manner, and genuine caring, Martin had long established his credentials as a devoted physician. Even so, I would always seek the latest appointment that his long-serving assistant, Michelle, could offer.
Martin had shared with me his recent health struggles. Physicians rarely do this, which led me to believe Martin had done so, to encourage me to take prompt action to resolve my own health issues. In our recent WhatsApp exchanges, he wrote often of debilitating pain that was unresponsive to medication. Yet, amidst his physical distress, he considered himself blessed that he was receiving the best care that his team of physicians, which included his beloved wife and daughters could provide. For this reason, I shared with him my fervent hope and confidence, that he would soon be free of pain, and be able to resume his practice.
Last Note
Martin’s last note to me was about six weeks ago. I had sought his opinion on a relatively new procedure that my urologist recommended I should undergo. He admitted he was not familiar with the procedure but that he would research it. His response, a day later, was short, but hugely encouraging. “Go for it!”
Two days later, I informed him that I had scheduled the procedure and promised to let him know how it went. When he did not acknowledge receipt of my text within the usual 24-hour norm, I began to worry that his condition had worsened. Later that week, his wife (Dr. Marie Granderson-Didier) would confirm this to my wife, with the caveat “we have not given up.” Then came the notice of the suspension of Martin’s and Marie’s medical practice. At that point, my despair plunged to new depths.
Consummate Professional
To Martin, the practice of medicine was much more than a career. It was his life! This fact was evident in the array of framed certificates on the walls of his office. I am sure that many of Martin’s patients would agree with me that even if his wall was bare, that would not have diminished his status in our eyes, as a consummate and accomplished physician. It was not until my last visit, about six months ago, that I noticed one of the certificates on Martin’s wall, bearing testimony to his expertise in Cardiology. When I admitted that oversight, he revealed that Cardiology was his first love, and that he had moved into Internal Medicine, because there was a dearth of specialists in that area at the time. So committed was he to his new field that he pursued studies that earned him a Doctorate in Internal Medicine, from the University of the West Indies (UWI).
“Only a good man can be a great physician” wrote Hermann Nothnagel. I truly believe it was because Martin loved people, that he loved medicine. And we, his patients, loved him in return. We loved him because he believed in empowering us to manage our health, by helping us to understand the most complex health terms and conditions. We loved him because of his deep sense of caring, not only for our health but also for our life. We loved him because of his humility. Truly, there was not an iota of haughtiness in any fiber of his being.
With Martin’s passing, Saint Lucia has lost a truly wonderful man, and an insatiable patriot, who has done considerably more than most local medical practitioners, to advance healthcare in Saint Lucia. I would say without fear of contradiction, that no other husband-wife team of doctors has helped to save as many lives as Martin and Marie have done. I heartily applaud the Government’s decision to rename the Gros-Islet Polyclinic after him.
Throughout Martin’s life and career, he was consistently caring and gentle. To paraphrase Shakespeare, the elements were so mixed in him, that Nature, if it would speak, it would stand up and say to all the world, THIS WAS A MAN! We shall not see the likes of him again.
A PLEA
I dedicate the remainder of this commentary to a cause that I know Martin would have supported. I feel I owe it to him to encourage all men over the age of 40 who are reading this commentary, to have regular prostate examinations.
Prevalence
According to the American Cancer Society, the likelihood of men developing prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50. About six in 10 prostate cancers are found in men older than 65. For reasons that are not fully understood, Afro-Caribbean men have a higher risk of getting prostate cancer than any other population of men in the world. According to a 2022 study published by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), every year, prostate cancer afflicts about 304 out of 100,000 men in Jamaica and 160 men out of 100,000 in Barbados. In Tobago, nearly 10% of adult men were found to have prostate cancer annually.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020 Prostate Cancer caused 56 deaths, or 4.24% of total deaths in Saint Lucia. With an Age Adjusted Death Rate of 46.15 per 100,000 of population, Saint Lucia ranks #9 in the world. In 2019, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) estimated that in Saint Lucia, prostate cancer claimed the most lives of all cancers at 46.1 per 100,000 men; compared to lung cancer, at 14.7 per 100,000; and colorectal cancer, at 10.3 per 100,000.
Any way we look at it, these are grim statistics clearly indicate the seriousness of the problem that prostate cancer presents to the Caribbean. Several risk factors including obesity, diet, smoking, exposure to harmful chemicals, family history and inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis) are believed to be associated with prostate cancer.
Globally, about 50 percent of men between the ages of 51 and 60 and up to 90 percent of men older than 80, experience symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate, known in medical circles as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). For these men, prostate growth is a natural consequence of aging. Symptoms of BPH often include frequent urination, (which can severely disrupt sleep), pain between the anus and the scrotum, impotence, and inability to urinate, which usually requires the placement of a catheter.
Good News
The good news that Martin would want me to share, is that with early diagnosis, most, if not all prostate issues can be treated through medication and/or surgery. Unfortunately, most Caribbean men are unaware of this fact. Some of those who know this, are reluctant to undergo screening, because they fear it may reveal cancer, or are uncomfortable with the idea of having a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE), which involves a doctor inserting a lubricated, gloved finger through the rectum to feel the texture of the prostate.
Given that Saint Lucia’s population is aging, and that prostate cancer is a leading cause of male deaths, it is good that our Ministry of Health and Wellness is treating prostate health as a priority, primary health care issue. Prostate cancer screening is available free-of-charge at all Wellness Centres. So, our men have no excuse for not getting screened. Hence, I restate my plea to all men over 40 to avail themselves of prostate cancer screening PRONTO!
I extend my sincere sympathies to Martin’s beloved wife Marie, their daughters, extended family, and legion of friends in and out of the medical confraternity in Saint Lucia and around the world.
“Has anybody seen my old friend Martin? Can you tell me where he’s gone. He healed so many people, but it seems the good die young. I just looked around and he was gone.”