Musician Dave McKenzie

And the baby boomers themselves may play a more important part in their own health care than did patients in past generations. Armed with the Internet as a research tool, healthier from exercising more and eating better, and determined to stay active well into old age, this generation will expect — perhaps even demand — the best medical care for chronic diseases.

Musician Dave MacKenzie just feels lucky that Mathew Ninan, M.D., is considered one of the nation's experts in treating his rare lung condition, called a Pan coast Tumor.

"That was a real blessing," says MacKenzie, especially since that meant his wife and performance partner, singer Adie Grey, did not have to sleep in a hotel room away from home during his hospital stay.

Ninan and Kyle D. Weaver, M.D., removed the tumor that had impinged on MacKenzie's nerves, making playing guitar with his left hand more and more difficult. He has gone from being told he might lose the use of his arm, to accompanying his wife on a Louisville radio show publicly for the first time in September.

While his wife used the Internet to track down information after his cancer diagnosis, MacKenzie took a more introspective route to dealing with the disease doctors said could be fatal.

"I was trying to do a more Zen approach to the fear," he says.

At 57, he's not convinced his fellow baby boomers are more fit or more informed about health, but he does think this post-World-War II generation was raised with the expectation of having better lives than their parents did — an expectation that might very well end up in the doctor's office.

"We were, frankly, spoiled," he says.

MacKenzie observes this might be the first generation to get hit hard by the unknown effects of chemicals and other pollutants in food and the environment. And he thinks worry about bioterrorism — an area that has received increased federal funding — may be misplaced.

"You've probably got a lot better chance of dying from one of these diseases," he observes.

And in the cancer fight, federal funding is imperative, he says.

"The war on cancer is like the war on terrorism," says MacKenzie. "It's larger than any individual cancer doctor. It's larger than even a great institution. The national approach is the only logical answer."

From an Anonymous Patient

I didn’t ask for this terrible disease—this life-threatening illness that completely interrupted my life and turned me wrong side out.

I didn’t want this; however I’m so  very fortunate to have met Dr. Ninan.If it weren’t for Dr. Ninan I know I wouldn’t be here.

I was told over and over again, that “nothing could be done” “surgery wouldn’t help” “Nobody would even consider doing surgery”

Well, I guess I met the right Dr. Nobody. 
When I first met Dr. Ninan, he agreed to try.
And I wept. No other doctor had agreed to try.
He was the 1st Dr. to allow me HOPE.

He  didn’t give me promises he knew he may not keep..he just allowed me to have the HOPE of fighting cancer… the HOPE of not giving up before I even got a chance of starting.

He said straight up—“I don’t know if it will change your prognosis, but I don’t know that it won’t either” He allowed me to have hope in his presence. It was then I knew I could do this.

One of my greatest gifts was when I finally found a doctor who told me if I wanted to fight, he would help me and fight with me.

The difference in good doctors and the TRULY GREAT DOCTORS are the Truly Great Ones aren’t afraid to allow you hope, they aren’t afraid to give you every opportunity to survive—:and they don’t decided your case by statistics…WHO CARES about statistics??
The Truly Great Ones do more that care for us. They care ABOUT us. They don’t just tell us what needs to be done, they make us believe we can do it.

I HAD THE BEST.
Dr. Ninan has carried me through multiple times now—he has truly been my Angel and I thank God everyday for bringing him in my life.
He has done so much more that just cut, remove repair.
He has allowed me HOPE
He has understood my FEARS
He taught me early on about ACCEPTANCE—telling me once, “ you need to get to a different plane, somehow, where you can accept you own mortality, while at the same time NOT give up..”
“you are going to be ok”
He has given my COURAGE to face what comes next.
He has GUIDED my through the absolute WORST time of my life
All of this is who Dr. Ninan is, all the while giving me the best medical can anyone can experience. What else can I say
HE IS TRULY THE BEST!!!!!!