Renu's Week

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Report of 29 June '08

Hello from the Carmel library -

This week, I found out what it was like to be a patient. I contracted food poisoning, proving that said disease is not the exclusive preserve of 3rd world locales. Usually, my stomach just hurts a bunch, and prevents anything other than Sprite to be put down it; no different this time. I am better now, but it helps a physician to gain some perspective occasionally by being sick. I told a patient about how my brother's hospitalisation taught me valuable skills.

Before the illness, I'd made an appointment at St. V's residency clinic to set up a doctor; I am uninsured when I am in the U.S. and this year got very nervous about it. The residents at St. V are well-trained and do a good job of patient care, so I went happily and saw a young intern (first year resident). I said right away that I wanted Vicodin for back pain, and she went to dutifully type it into her computer. I told her to please not, and explained the real reason for the visit. It was a pleasant encounter, and when she went over my meds ("none") and any complaints ("none"), she said, "Oh, a straightforward visit then," and I remembered how grateful I too used to be for the same.

Some days, it is just fabulous to be a doctor. I had a patient last week who came in complaining of anxiety. This generally elicits a groan, and an anticipation that the patient will be insistent on Xanax or Klonopin. Not this time - the patient was a very attractive young woman (she later said she was in her early 50's), who was going through a rough patch after getting divorced, losing her house and owing her lawyer beaucoup bucks. I listened for a bit, she was willing to try an antidepressant, and then I threw in some job hints that had worked for me: volunteering at the local library or hospital, avidly telling everyone in sight that I was job-hunting. All of a sudden, she hugged me and started crying. "It is always darkest before the dawn," I said, as I held her shaking shoulders, "and this too shall pass." We talked some more and as I gave her some samples of antidepressant (she had no health insurance), she hugged me again. It was great. I like hugs, a lot. It is a very intimate gesture and blows the minds of passersby in India when male friends hug me, but I usually don't pay attention. Our cook has mentioned that she is not used to hugging (I don't hug her, but she was making that comment I think to remind me to be circumspect), and I stated that yes, it must look dreadfully familiar. Out of the blue, I am inclined to ask my sons - if we are standing in line at a movie theater, or getting dinner on the table, or standing and talking - to give me a hug, and they usually oblige.

Some fun interactions last week - I spent part of the weekend with my in-laws to celebrate my mother-in-law's b'day. It was fabulous. These are among my most favorite people and we sat and ate and talked and laughed. Very, very therapeutic - esp after a hectic week. I then went to Kris and Gabe's place and watched some movies. This weekend I spent at Jeremy Kirk's house. Kirk is a colleague from residency days, and I love him very dearly. He rented me half-a-dozen movies - Oscar winners from years past - and took me out to dinner, which was lovely. I then spent the rest of the weekend in front of his TV, in a big movie binge. It was great, as was the chance to chat with Kirk and vent about medicine, life and all things related, and partake of his unique sense of humor. I managed to find time to see a flick on the big screen, again treated by Kirk - "Wanted." It was singularly dreadful; does Hollywood have no screenwriters these days? Why not then start making adaptations of old classical novels?

The men are well. There have been some issues with our son(s) getting on Internet sites they should not, and watching TV channels (while they were here), that they should not have. Anyone who has teenagers and thinks they are not prone to such activity at least once is truly deluding themselves. I have told my sons repeatedly that such curiosity is normal, but the deviousness and lying in cover-up are disappointing; I have also cautioned them against adult sites on the Internet as being the nadir of depravity. When one of the nurses at the clinic stated that one of the patients was complaining about me because I would not refill her Lortab stolen from her clothing drawer, I told the nurse that this was fine, I was a mother and clearly not put on this earth at the present time to be loved. Will the boys appreciate this strictness ever - that's hard to predict, isn't it. Perhaps when they are struggling with teenagers of their own. I know I have newfound respect for my parents - for all they endured with me, and for the freedom they gave me to traipse off to the West even though an astrologer had told them not to send me, that I would marry a white man.

Ok, enough prattling. Hope your week is good.

Unw -

R

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