Anne Scarborough in spite of many difficulties in life became a physician and then went into politics to accomplish what she needed to fulfill her wish to show her care for her fellow man. She never expected to be involved in the negotiations with the Red Chinese Premier, when China became the major aggressor in the world. Her story involves life and death and love, for her children, her husband, her friends, her patients, and her constituents. She began her career as a caring oncologist and eventually rose to the positions of Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Vice-President of the United States of America. Her life is the focus of this story.
About the Author: My writing career during my professional life as a cardiologist was limited to submissions to local newspapers of short essays of varied subjects such as: "Exchange Students," a life-changing experience for our family, and funny anecdotes while traveling with the U.S. Army. I also contributed a number of scientific articles (13), which were published in national and international medical journals. In 1983, I wrote and produced a multimedia presentation for high school students that dealt with the hazards of smoking, "The American Smoke." I was awarded a humanitarian award by the Pennsylvania Affiliate of the American Heart Association for that effort. In 1986 I wrote and performed the copyrighted song, "Her Last Cigarette." My serious writing began in 1997, after my mother died and I felt compelled to tell her story. In the form of an autobiography I wrote "Doctor Life." After having her voice box (larynx) removed because of cancer at the age of 77, she begged me for 6 months to assist her in suicide. Each weekend that I would visit ended with tears and pleas for help. She was too afraid to end her life without assistance. When finally her family doctor found an anti-depressant that she could tolerate, she changed dramatically and took a new interest in life. She lived (happily) for another decade. To make it clear, when asked a year before she died if she wished to be resuscitated if her heart stopped, she consented without hesitation. If I had aided her in suicide, she and my family would have missed a decade of many joyful moments together. After multiple attempts to publish this first book were met with no interest, I concluded that I enjoyed writing and I had stories to tell that would interest others but would be better presented as a novel. My activities during the past decade in which I wrote this present novel "Ultimate Care", included: a writing conference, "The Importance of Place" Key West, FL January 2002 (3 days), the "Writers in Paradise" workshop, Key West, FL Jan-Mar 2002, a conference "Medical Fiction Writing for Physicians", Falmouth, MA, Sept 2003 (3 days), including a one-on-one session with author Tess Gerritsen, M.D. Although I temporarily retired from a cardiology practice in 2001 and devoted more time to writing, I returned to clinical practice in 2009.