Postscripts July 201 4
Postscripts
Volume IV Issue 26 July 201 4
AMWA PacSW
Special issue "Stories from My Life" By Lanie Adamson Official publication of the American Medical Writers Association Pacific-Southwest Chapter
Š Chip Reuben 2008 POSTSCRIPTS
AIMS AND SCOPE Postscripts is the newsmagazine of the American Medical Writers
Association Pacific-Southwest (AMWA Pac-SW) chapter. It publishes news, notices and authoritative articles of interest in all areas of medical and scientific writing and communications. The scope covers clinical/regulatory writing, scientific writing, publication planning, social media, current regulations, ethical issues, and good writing techniques.
MISSION STATEMENT
EDITOR
Ajay K Malik, PhD ajay@amwa-pacsw.org
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Donna Simcoe, MS, MS, MBA, CMPP President, AMWA PacSW president@amwa-pacsw.org
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Postscripts is published monthly except
in January and July. Subscription is included in the AMWA Pac-SW chapter membership which is automatic for all AMWA members with a mailing address in Southern California, Southern Nevada and all of Arizona. This newsmagazine is distributed on the 1 st of each month. AMWA members can request past issues by sending an email to the editor.
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www.amwa-pacsw.org Copyright 2011 -201 4, AMWA Pac-SW All rights reserved. (Authors retain copyright to their articles.)
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Banner Photo Art by Chip Reuben, www.photoartwindows.com / Red phone booth. By Petr Kratochvil, publicdomainpictures.net
The mission of Postscripts is to facilitate the professional development of medical writers and serve as a tool to advance networking and mentoring opportunities among all members. Towards this mission, Postscripts publishes significant advances in issues, regulations and practice of medical writing and communications; skills and language; summaries and reports of meetings and symposia; book and journal summaries. Additionally, to promote career and networking needs of the members, Postscripts includes news and event notices covering Chapter activities.
SUBSCRIPTION
POSTSCRIPTS July 201 4 | Volume 4, No. 26
Special issue. . .
Stories from My Life
COVER: © Lanie Adamson
©201 4 Lanie Mergel Adamson. All rights reserved
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Lanie Adamson: Stories from My Life
The time went too fast between my first child’s birth and my first grandson’s mustache. –Lanie Adamson
Copyright © July 201 4 by Lanie Mergel Adamson All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrival system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author, Lanie Mergel Adamson. Published by American Medical Writers Association Pacific-Southwest Chapter, San Diego (www.amwa-pacsw.org). Design, layout and production by Ajay Malik.
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Ajay Malik and Jennifer Grodberg of the American Medical Writers Association encouraged me to tell my story to a wider audience after I gave a talk on my unusual life and career at the historic train station in San Juan Capistrano, California. Four people deserve special thanks for introducing me to medical writing: Michele Vivirito, Mary-Jane Branin, Elizabeth Stone and Jerry McKee. Michele and Mary-Jane read the manuscript and liked it. Elizabeth and Jerry are, sadly, no longer with us. Christopher J Turner edited several drafts of the manuscript. My husband checked the chronology and content. People who have read the manuscript are calling it “inspirational,” “touching,” “well-written,” and “a story that needs to be told,” and these nice words come from family and friends, who might be a wee tad biased, and from people who don’t know me. I hope you find something useful to you. Lanie Mergel Adamson LanieAdamson@gmail.com July 201 4
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CONTENTS Acknowledgements • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • iv An Unusual Route • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 Pennsylvania
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 • It’s All in Your Head 1 • Complications 2 • College Dreams Realized and Lost 3
California • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4 • Childbirth Education • For Better or for Worse • Opportunity Knocks
4 6 7
Tulips, Windmills and the Rhine River • • • • • • • • • • • • • 8 • • • • •
American School of The Hague Raining Fish Haughty Geese and Regal Swans The Battlefields of Belgium Looking Homeward
9 9 9 10 10
Back to California • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 12 AMWA 12 College Dreams Realized 14 My New Career 14 Career Interrupted 15
New Opportunity • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 16 Toastmasters 17 AMWA Awards 18 Retirement and Stand-up 18 Post-retirement 19
Parkinson’s Disease • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 20 The Golden Apple
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 23
Life’s Lessons
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 28
AMWA Service and Honors Comments by Friends
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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 29 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 32-33
v
An Unusual Route
Pennsylvania
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Picture courtesy of Lanie Adamson
Penn State parade – Winter 1 960
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California
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Bicycles on Amsterdam Street. via morguefiles.
Tulips, Windmills and the Rhine River
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Picture courtesy of Lanie Adamson
Our second daughter was a lovely bridesmaid at her brother’s wedding. She and the bride were already friends, having shared some adventures in the city, some of which I am probably better off not knowing. Our youngest daughter was the flower girl. After the wedding, our two younger daughters remained at home.
View from Lanie's second floor balcony in Holland: Boats on the Rhine River.
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Back to California
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Picture courtesy of Lanie Adamson
Lanie Adamson, Elizabeth Stone, unknown, unknown (partially hidden), Tom Lang, and Rebecca Voorwinden (Dutch exchange student) at Asilomar
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Picture courtesy of Lanie Adamson
Ole and Lanie
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New Opportunity
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Picture courtesy of Lanie Adamson
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AMWA Awards
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Picture courtesy of Lanie Adamson Picture courtesy of Lanie Adamson
Gregory Mantell Show (bottom); Lanie at book signing event (top).
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Parkinson’s Disease
Morris AD, Rose, F. Clifford, Ed. James Parkinson His Life and Times. Copyright Birkhauser Boston, 1 989, pp 1 31 -1 48. 3 Ibid, pp 1 52-1 61 . 2
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The Golden Apple
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All pictures on tnis page courtesy of Lanie Adamson
Lanie Adamson, Barry Fox, unknown, Michele Vivirito, and Ada Kahn at AMWA Pacific Southwest Chapter meeting, San Juan Capistrano train station, 1 991 .
Loraine Schacher, Ada Kahn, and Karen McKeown at an AMWA Pac-SW chapter meeting at San Juan Capistrano train station, 1 991 .
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Michael Jones presents award to Lanie Adamson at AMWA annual conference (date unknown)
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Pictures courtesy of Lanie Adamson
Lanie receiving AMWA President's Award at AMWA's 68 th Annual Conference, Louisville, KY (top). With Sue and Jim Hudson (middle left); with Lisa Kaspin and Michele Vivirito (right) at Louisville. With Jenny Grodberg, Michele Vivirito and Ajay Malik at Columbus, Ohio, 201 3 meeting. Lanie was honored with the AMWA Golden Apple award at AMWA's 73 rd Annual Conference at Columbus, Ohio.
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Collage by Ajay Malik.
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Pictures from AMWA Pac-SW event “Real Life Experiences in Medical Writing” by Lanie Adamson held at beautiful Sarducci’s Capistrano Bistro, San Juan Capistrano, CA, on a warm Saturday afternoon, September 8, 201 2. The bottom picture was taken via Skype from 450 miles away by Ajay Malik. Lanie's talk was summarized by Bernard Delacruz, PhD, "Only Doctors Understand Medical Journals! Real Life Experiences in Medical Writing" in Postscripts (Oct 201 2) Vol II, issue 8. POSTSCRIPTS | VOL 4, NO. 26 | JULY 201 4
Life’s Lessons
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AMWA Service and Honors AMWA Honors • 201 3 • 2008 • 1 998 • 1 993
AMWA Golden Apple Award President’s Award AMWA Fellow President, AMWA Pacific Southwest Chapter
AMWA West Coast Conference (Asilomar Conference) • 1 997 Conference Director, “Technology and Creativity: Can They
Coexist in Biomedical Communications?” AMWA West Coast Conference, Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, CA • 1 995 Conference Director, “The Evolving Role of the Biomedical Communicator” AMWA West Coast Conference, Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, CA • 1 993 Conference Director, “Biomedical Communications: Pursuing the Elusive Truths” AMWA West Coast Conference, Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, CA
AMWA Courses Taught • 2008 Adamson, Lanie and Hudson, Jim. Writing for the Medical Device Industry. AMWA Annual Conference, Louisville, KY • 2008 Current Trends in Print and Electronic Publishing. AMWA Annual Conference, Louisville, KY • 2007 Current Trends in Print and Electronic Publishing (Advanced Course), Developing Research Materials into Articles (Course). AMWA Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia • 2007 Making Effective Presentations (Course), Developing Research Materials into Articles (Course). AMWA Western Regional Conference, Seattle, WA • 2006 Website Content: Winners and Losers (Open Forum), Current Trends in Print and Electronic Publishing (Advanced Course), Developing Research Materials into Articles (Course). AMWA Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM
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• 2004 The Freelance Writer as Seen through the Client’s Eyes. AMWA
meeting at California State University, Northridge, Nov. 20, 2004. • 2004 Medical Writing. AMWA course, Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA. May 1 3, 2004. • 2002 Developing Research Materials into Articles (Core Course). AMWA West Coast Conference at Asilomar, Monterey, CA • 2001 Developing Research Materials into Articles (Core Course), Current Trends and Future Directions in Publication Production (Advanced Course). AMWA West Coast Conference at Asilomar, Monterey, CA • 2000 Current Trends in Print and Electronic Publishing and a panelist for Scope of Medical Communications at the AMWA Annual Conference, Miami, Florida • 2000 Writing Opportunities in the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Industries. AMWA Meeting, Costa Mesa, CA. April 29, 2000 • 1 997 Developing Research Materials into Articles (Core Course). AMWA Annual Conference, Boston, Mass • 1 996 Developing Research Materials into Articles (Core Course). AMWA Annual Conference, Chicago, IL • 1 995 Developing Research Materials into Articles (Core Course), Current Trends and Future Directions in Publication Production (Advanced Course). AMWA Annual Conference, Baltimore, MD • 1 994 Developing Research Materials into Articles (Core Course), Current Trends and Future Directions in Publication Production (Advanced Course). AMWA Annual Conference, Phoenix, Ariz • 1 993 Developing Research Materials into Articles (Core Course), Current Trends and Future Directions in Publication Production (Advanced Course). AMWA Annual Conference, Atlanta • 1 993 Writing and Editing Regulatory and Nonregulatory Documents for the Pharmaceutical Industry. AMWA Pacific Southwest Chapter meeting, Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA
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201 3 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching presented to Lanie Adamson. Picture courtesy of LeeAnna Glessing.
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"I have known Lanie since long before we ever met. Her tenacity and passion precede her. Her ability to nurture and educate are legend. When we did meet, Lanie’s warmth drew me right in like we were already dear friends. For that I will always be glad. Being together with Lanie, and her husband, Ole, at the 201 3 annual conference in Columbus was the best. Seeing her on stage receiving the Golden Apple Award for her outstanding achievements as an AMWA workshop leader, and listening to her speech, were inspiring. She spoke of synergy. But I know better. Lanie IS synergy." —BRIAN BASS , President, The American Medical Writers Association Author, The Accidental Medical Writer President, Bass Global Inc, Robbinsville, New Jersey "Lanie’s story inspires a “HOW can I make this happen?” not “can I make this happen?” approach to facing life’s challenges. She embodies intelligence, strength, charm, wit and grace. We have all been enriched for knowing her. THANK YOU, Lanie, for all you have given us and continue to give." —JENNY GRODBERG , PhD, RAC Past-President, American Medical Writers Association Pacific Southwest Chapter Fellow, American Medical Writers Association "What a lovely and poignant story; a shining example of the different paths we all take to medical writing. Lanie is an elegant writer and I am honored to know her better through her words." —DONNA SIMCOE , MS, MS, MBA, CMPP President, American Medical Writers Association Pacific Southwest Chapter I was Lanie’s roommate at the second Asilomar conference I attended. She amazed me then with a very brief sketch of her life as the mother of four children, and her work as a childbirth educator. In the years since she has amazed many more people with her charm, her professional work, and her steely perseverance in the face of physical difficulties. Her good writing is on display in this book. We who have been in her presence have the added pleasure of knowing her great laugh and her delightful personality. —LORAINE F SCHACHER, Former Editor, Postscripts, American Medical Writers Association Pacific Southwest Chapter
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My thoughts of Lanie are those of the times when we served together as members of the AMWA Board of Directors. Her very pleasing and sociable personality added to the overall meaningful experience of serving as a board member. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading her life story and I truly admire her continued stamina and zest for life despite the physical challenges that she faces on a daily basis. —MICHAEL L JONES , Former Director of Medical Writing, TKL Research, Inc, Rochelle Park, New Jersey Lanie’s autobiography helps decode the mystery that so many young people entering our profession seek—How do you become a medical writer? . . . By first committing yourself to the goal and sticking to it, grabbing every opportunity (no matter how outrageous it may seem), having confidence that you can persevere, and sprinkling a healthy dose of fun and living life as it is meant to be. The sharing of this remarkable journey is another example of Lanie's generosity and her mentoring spirit. —AJAY K MALIK, PhD, Editor, Postscripts, American Medical Writers Association Pacific Southwest Chapter Lanie hired me to be the librarian at Advanced Medical Optics. She gave me a chance at a time when most employers were filling jobs with younger people. She was my boss, my teacher and became my very dear friend. Her story here has given me a greater appreciation of how special a person she is. —Lee MacMorris , MLS, Librarian, Abbott Medical Optics Member, Le Gourmet Toastmasters, Orange County, California "Lanie has always been an admired and cherished family member. Now, after reading her life’s story, I also have a deep appreciation for her remarkable strength of character and ability to overcome and persevere while continuing to laugh at herself and her circumstances. Lanie's heartwarming style and grace permeates her writing as much as her persona." —LeeAnna Glessing (Lanie’s cousin) Lanie Adamson’s remarkable career is all the more remarkable when you think of all the careers she help launch or shape. I owe my own medical writing career to Lanie’s advice and advocacy. This is something I can never repay, and will take a lifetime to pay forward. —AMY LINDSAY, PhD, Lindsay Biomedical Communications, Inc., California
Lanie Adamson: Stories from My Life Cover: Lanie Adamson 33
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