Report of 5 Sept '06
Hello from Chennai!
The place is cloudy and cool after an early am rain, and that is a welcome respite from the humidity yesterday that caused our deodorants to fail.
I am back at work at the Banyan and it is good. Vandana, one of the founders, and I had a long talk on my 1st day back, and she stated that she wanted me to join the B's rolls. I mentioned that I would be working part-time for now, as I am a single parent during the week, and would have to leave if the kids were sick, etc., and all these conditions were quickly agreed to. I am now the medical director of the B and get a pittance of a salary, but it is all the B can afford and I would work for a lot less.
Some of the patients that were in relative good health, e.g., Ms. V, when I left can now barely walk. Our physical therapist has left for England to try for a job there and we now get a physical therapist sent by a local college which pays her salary. As I sat there during rounds bemoaning V's fate, I wrote in her chart that I'd like her to be seen by PT (physiotherapy/physiotherapist). As it turned out, the PT was sitting in the sick room reading a book. When I was introduced to her by the nurse, I remarked how wonderful it was to have a PT on the premises, and asked her to see V. She didn't budge, in spite of 2 requests, and then stated that she'd already seen V, that V's BP was too low for PT to work w/ her (it was 100/70), that V got dizzy when she walked, and that this was a sign of a bodily ("systemic") illness, precluding all PT intervention. I disagreed, stating that it could be due to deconditioning, and the PT stated "Who told you?" and started arguing. It was a surreal conversation, as it was the first time I was meeting this woman, and everyone at the B has the pt's best interests at heart, and I was taken aback. My voice acquired an edge, I asked for the PT's supervisor and suggested that she have a talk w/ the PT. The social workers at the B promptly sat down w/ me in a meeting, and we discussed our other options, including hiring a full-time PT at the B instead of using this young woman. Unfortunately, I cannot work w/ those who'd rather read a book ("a spiritual book," she told her supervisor) than see pts and I am now too old to brook silly arguments (BP too low, pt too dizzy) from those who are eminently not doing what they are assigned to do.
My greatest apologies to everyone - my views on the entire funding quest appear to have upset at least 1 good friend, and I imagine there are others. Her comments are in the blog. This is what I want to say: I have made this choice and am happy w/ it; I must then take the consequences, including the fact that my refusal to bribe has resulted in my not having a licence to practice here; in an entire summer of trolling the place and looking for an entity that might sponsor my work, as Seton International did in year 1, it appeared that the cause would be considered and not the person; we have expensive tastes like cereal and OJ; resources everywhere are severely limited, and folks are doing magnificent work in other places w/ whatever bucks they have; it'd be great to have an adequate salary; this option of returning to the U.S. once a year to work and make some bucks is not such a bad thing *at all* because I have got to sit in on lectures and grand rounds, and can consult on all difficult issues w/ one of the best clinicians of all time, Dr. Robert Love in Indianapolis; I am not sure how to keep from upsetting other folks w/ my writings (and said upsetting might continue); I certainly do not want to be passing the hat here (as happened on someone else's insistence at my talk at St. Vincent last year, mortifying me); setting up a 501(c)3 appears to be very problematic; if the medical work is unfunded, I'd like to see about generating some income through writing, which I also love, and will cast wishes to the wind at regular intervals. Probably the best discussion I have had on the subject of working unfunded w/ the poor has been w/ Craig, Scott's best friend, whose irreverence I've mentioned before; Craig apparently grew up poor and said to me, "Oh yeah, if you're poor, you're hosed," and then we had a very insightful talk on the entire poverty-wealth issue. I appreciated being able to discuss the topic w/ plenty of humor.
Early last week, Dr. James Holly of the alumni association at Uthscsa med school (my alma mater) made a hefty donation to my work here, which I greatly appreciate. He stated he could not consider ongoing funding as he normally supports Christian causes. I appreciated the candor and have heard often that my work does not fit certain agendas that people would otherwise support - e.g., Christian medical mission work. By the same token, it would be a deceitful disservice for me to claim to adhere to one faith.
Last week was the kids' Sports Festival, and I got to see another side of Naren, the house captain w/ all the little ("kutty" in Tamil) kids high-fiving him and some kutties sitting on his lap. Navin took part in chess - a prominent game on the sporting circuit here. The weekend was spent w/ the kids' friends at a party at our house, and w/ my visiting father and Chennai relatives, also at our house. It is magnificently therapeutic to be where I can see family regularly, and I remain grateful that Scott likes it here.
"My son has a new nickname for me, 'Baldy.' I've got a new word for him, 'Heredity.'" -
Dan Savage
Unw -
Renu
The place is cloudy and cool after an early am rain, and that is a welcome respite from the humidity yesterday that caused our deodorants to fail.
I am back at work at the Banyan and it is good. Vandana, one of the founders, and I had a long talk on my 1st day back, and she stated that she wanted me to join the B's rolls. I mentioned that I would be working part-time for now, as I am a single parent during the week, and would have to leave if the kids were sick, etc., and all these conditions were quickly agreed to. I am now the medical director of the B and get a pittance of a salary, but it is all the B can afford and I would work for a lot less.
Some of the patients that were in relative good health, e.g., Ms. V, when I left can now barely walk. Our physical therapist has left for England to try for a job there and we now get a physical therapist sent by a local college which pays her salary. As I sat there during rounds bemoaning V's fate, I wrote in her chart that I'd like her to be seen by PT (physiotherapy/physiotherapist). As it turned out, the PT was sitting in the sick room reading a book. When I was introduced to her by the nurse, I remarked how wonderful it was to have a PT on the premises, and asked her to see V. She didn't budge, in spite of 2 requests, and then stated that she'd already seen V, that V's BP was too low for PT to work w/ her (it was 100/70), that V got dizzy when she walked, and that this was a sign of a bodily ("systemic") illness, precluding all PT intervention. I disagreed, stating that it could be due to deconditioning, and the PT stated "Who told you?" and started arguing. It was a surreal conversation, as it was the first time I was meeting this woman, and everyone at the B has the pt's best interests at heart, and I was taken aback. My voice acquired an edge, I asked for the PT's supervisor and suggested that she have a talk w/ the PT. The social workers at the B promptly sat down w/ me in a meeting, and we discussed our other options, including hiring a full-time PT at the B instead of using this young woman. Unfortunately, I cannot work w/ those who'd rather read a book ("a spiritual book," she told her supervisor) than see pts and I am now too old to brook silly arguments (BP too low, pt too dizzy) from those who are eminently not doing what they are assigned to do.
My greatest apologies to everyone - my views on the entire funding quest appear to have upset at least 1 good friend, and I imagine there are others. Her comments are in the blog. This is what I want to say: I have made this choice and am happy w/ it; I must then take the consequences, including the fact that my refusal to bribe has resulted in my not having a licence to practice here; in an entire summer of trolling the place and looking for an entity that might sponsor my work, as Seton International did in year 1, it appeared that the cause would be considered and not the person; we have expensive tastes like cereal and OJ; resources everywhere are severely limited, and folks are doing magnificent work in other places w/ whatever bucks they have; it'd be great to have an adequate salary; this option of returning to the U.S. once a year to work and make some bucks is not such a bad thing *at all* because I have got to sit in on lectures and grand rounds, and can consult on all difficult issues w/ one of the best clinicians of all time, Dr. Robert Love in Indianapolis; I am not sure how to keep from upsetting other folks w/ my writings (and said upsetting might continue); I certainly do not want to be passing the hat here (as happened on someone else's insistence at my talk at St. Vincent last year, mortifying me); setting up a 501(c)3 appears to be very problematic; if the medical work is unfunded, I'd like to see about generating some income through writing, which I also love, and will cast wishes to the wind at regular intervals. Probably the best discussion I have had on the subject of working unfunded w/ the poor has been w/ Craig, Scott's best friend, whose irreverence I've mentioned before; Craig apparently grew up poor and said to me, "Oh yeah, if you're poor, you're hosed," and then we had a very insightful talk on the entire poverty-wealth issue. I appreciated being able to discuss the topic w/ plenty of humor.
Early last week, Dr. James Holly of the alumni association at Uthscsa med school (my alma mater) made a hefty donation to my work here, which I greatly appreciate. He stated he could not consider ongoing funding as he normally supports Christian causes. I appreciated the candor and have heard often that my work does not fit certain agendas that people would otherwise support - e.g., Christian medical mission work. By the same token, it would be a deceitful disservice for me to claim to adhere to one faith.
Last week was the kids' Sports Festival, and I got to see another side of Naren, the house captain w/ all the little ("kutty" in Tamil) kids high-fiving him and some kutties sitting on his lap. Navin took part in chess - a prominent game on the sporting circuit here. The weekend was spent w/ the kids' friends at a party at our house, and w/ my visiting father and Chennai relatives, also at our house. It is magnificently therapeutic to be where I can see family regularly, and I remain grateful that Scott likes it here.
"My son has a new nickname for me, 'Baldy.' I've got a new word for him, 'Heredity.'" -
Dan Savage
Unw -
Renu
posted by Renu Weiss at
11:06 PM
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