This year, three CL staffers and one life partner of a staffer had to get colonoscopies. That’s where they stick a long tube into your rectum and, once in the intestine, take pictures, remove polyps and that sort of stuff. Decorum and oppressive HIPAA laws prevent us from giving you names and details, but suffice to say that two of the procedures were routine, two were because of pain symptoms. Dr. Stauffer (affectionately known hereabouts as Dr. Stuffer) was our man in each instance. He takes time and care with each patient and is a master with the scope. Here’s the best part: The two diagnostic procedures turned out fine, and the two sick people got better. That’s some fine doctorin’, if you ask us. Stauffer is aided by the excellent nursing and support staff at Memorial Hospital (which – full disclosure – includes CL staffer Eric Snider’s wife Bonnie), where he does about a gazillion colonoscopies a day — and yet it never feels like a production line. Stauffer’s actual specialty is gastroenterology. But to us, he’ll always be Dr. John Stuffer: Colonoscopist. Memorial Hospital of Tampa, 2901 Swann Ave., Tampa, 813-873-6400.
