May 19, 2023
Jan Lipes is a cool grandpa. Forty years ago, Jan was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). As an Emergency Room doctor, Jan was faced with a number of constraints AND opportunities in his professional and personal life.
I first learned about Jan when he wrote an article for our good friend Ted Page's blog, Good Grandpa. In that article, Jan asked, Can an ill Grandpa be a Good Grandpa? Well, I was inspired to reach out to Jan and ask him if we could discuss this topic for my podcast, and thankful that he accepted the invitation.
During our conversation, you will learn about Jan's experience with having his first episode with MS in 1979 and the diagnosis of MS in 1983. We will also learn how Jan is not only a disabled grandfather but is also challenged to visit his adult children and grandchildren in person.
Jan tells us a fascinating story about a night with the fireflies and how that evening helped clarify priorities and set him on a path to leaving medicine and starting painting. Jan has great insight into how we can all use a positive mindset when it comes to us slowing down and even dealing with disabilities. While each person will work through disabilities differently, looking at what you can do vs. what you can't do helps you accept what you can do.
Links
Click HERE to check out Jan's paintings and artwork.
Jan's article, "Can an ill Grandpa be a Good Grandpa?" on the Good Grandpa Blog, can be accessed by clicking this link: https://goodgrandpa.com/2023/03/can-an-ill-grandpa-be-a-good-grandpa/
You can now purchase my children's book, My Grandpa's Grandpa, directly from my website. Click HERE for the link.
I would appreciate it if you could support the show. You can support the show through "Buy me a Coffee" and donate a few dollars by clicking HERE.
My children's book, My Grandpa's Grandpa, is now available for download. You can download the Kindle version by clicking on this LINK.
Affiliate Links
More Than Grand is a great resource for new grandparents AND parents. Listeners of The Cool Grandpa Podcast enjoy 10% off any fantastic products that More Than Grand provides by entering COOLGRANDPA10 at checkout. To visit More Than Grand, click HERE.
Grandparents Academy offers some great educational opportunities for grandfathers and grandmothers alike. Click HERE to pick a topic that is great for you.