Comments: What have you been up to the last 50+ years?
CRANSTON CEDERLIND
(reprinted from 40 year Medical School Reunion bio book)
One week after graduation in 1971, I married Cheri. She is an RN who had been in the Air Force as a flight nurse trained in flying wounded out of Vietnam. We met at Children’s Mercy during my junior year ped’s rotation.
We moved to Phoenix and did a general surgery internship at Maricopa County with several of our classmates. Cheri had vowed that she would “never marry a doctor.. but if she had too, the last one she would marry would be an OB”. Since I was in gen.surgery, things were good. Then I came home one day and told her I was going to repeat a month on GYN because it seemed like a pretty good rotation. Never say never.
The draft interrupted things and I was a flight surgeon in the Air Force for 2 years stationed in Biloxi and San Antonio. Cheri , having been an officer and now was an officer’s wife, found both worlds enjoyable. We were both proud to have had the opportunity to serve our country in the Air Force.
I was accepted at a couple of OB programs, but wanted to return to KUMC, so I had a year to burn before a slot was available. I spent a year as one of two of Shawnee Mission Medical Center’s first full time ER doctors. Great experience.
After my 3 years at KU in OB, I spent 18 months in practice in Johnson County with another MD and then launched out alone for the next 5 years. I now have 6 MD’s in our group and it has been a good 30+ years in practice. Still do OB after over 10,000 deliveries and the gyn surgery has progressed and I have kept current and have found the career very fulfilling. Retirement not in the cards at present.
Cheri worked as a peds RN when we returned to KC. She retired for awhile and then re-entered and did a career change to a full time hospice nurse. She found her calling, dealing with her hospice patients.
When we returned to KC, we spent some time breeding, raising and showing dogs (Big collies). We then decided to breed, raise and show children. Both jobs have their rewards and challenges. Cheri ( I’ll never marry an OB) demonstrated great courage with 9 pregnancies, 5 c-sections and we have 4 great children: Tyler, Shannon, Amy and Cameron. They all have advanced degrees and are employed at the present time !! Our newest fun has been 2 grandchildren. CJ ( yes) is almost 3 and lives in Ann Arbor. Adela Jane (AJ) is 18 months old and lives here in KC.
Cheri and I have been road bicyclists for over 25years and have done many week long trips. I’ve been across Kansas over 25 times and once did the whole 500 miles in 3 days ( not recommended), but , hey, Kansas is flat (not !)
We have ridden in over 10 states and 2 foreign countries. I finally got to ride in the high Alps of France over the same climbs that they do in the Tour each July. I know , I don’t look like a climber, but looks can sometimes be deceiving … plus a little HGH, EPO, etc.
I was lucky my Dad started me in golf at age 5 and it has allowed me to attain a fairly decent game that let me be a club champion at Milburn Country Club, which we joined 30 years ago. We joined so the kids could work on their golf games and I envisioned myself with PGA , LPGA champions , thanking their Dad and handing over million dollar checks for my retirement !
However, the club had a swimming pool, and for the three oldest kids that morphed into 7 days a week , 12 months of the year , 4:30 AM practices, numerous big out of town trips, and many club, state, Mo. Valley records and 20 years of chlorine overdose for parents. Their golf games are bad.
Cheri and I travel often, but Jan/Feb has found Cheri in the desert (Palm Springs) for 4 + weeks the last several years. I stay home and shovel snow. The big house is empty and we lost our last big male collie about 8 years ago. Then about 6 years ago, we went to the dark side, rescued two kittens, Itsy and Bitsy, from the shelter and now are cat people. Weird but loving animals.. God’s last free spirits. They are sure Cheri’s extensive quilting projects are solely for them.
Cheri and I have had a great life. Every time God seemed to close a door, another one opened up!
Best wishes to all of my classmates. I can not in any way figure out how 50 years have gone so fast. I hope the next 50 are as fun and exciting