Report of 27 June 2010
Hello from the Carmel library -
From the New England Journal of Medicine, 10 June 2010: "Current data suggest that each year, at least 1.6 million traffic accidents (28% of all crashes) in the United States are caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting. ... moreover, using a hands-free device does not make talking on the phone any safer. .... driving while distracted is roughly equivalent to driving drunk ..."
Driving and talking on the cell phone is illegal in India; first offence causes a fine, I think, and second offence causes a permanent loss of the driver's licence.
Trust all are well. I am fine and just finished my first full-time week of work. It was nice; any day that one can work is a good day, and I look forward to working until I am 90. If that is my life span. We had a male patient come in with nipple pain, and I have sent him for a mammogram; breast cancer in women is slower to spread due to the abundance of fat in the breast that the cancer cells must traverse before they hit the chest wall, and in men, the cancer cells hit the chest wall directly and spread rapidly. Thus, breast cancer in men is much more aggressive. I also had a patient come in with shoulder pain; as I entered the exam room, there was a veritable entourage in there - a total of 3 women, and the room reeked of cigarette smoke. The patient told me her regular doctor had done nothing for her, a train of thought I did not encourage. She told me of her shoulder pain, and I examined her and have sent her for an xray. She also told me of "nerves," which I am ill-equipped to handle, and so I suggested that she see a psychiatrist, which she was willing to do. I told her of the part she must play in healing, which is to stop smoking. Her mother and grandmother were in the room, the mother mentioned a history of osteoporosis in herself, and I suggested she stop smoking also. She seemed flabbergasted to hear that smoking and osteoporosis are connected; indeed, they are.
If the patient is young, I don't enjoy umpteen related people in the exam room, unless absolutely necessary. As evidenced above, these visitors end up talking about their own health issues, or irrelevant matters, or bicker, and the visit ends up taking off elsewhere. My older patients are very welcome to bring relatives, as I consider dissemination of information to the family paramount in such folks' care, and sometimes I have to rely on relatives for an update on the patient (a "history").
Some fine times this week: former colleagues from Medical Education at St. V, Ruth Ranalletta, Tami Horkay and Boni Hypes, and I got together for dinner at Ruth's home. She grilled burgers and portobello mushrooms, and all of us talked, ate, laughed. I had 1/3 of a margarita, plenty of food and great conversation, and the evening was pleasant and comfortable. I don't recall when all of us stopped talking and laughing, but we did have to leave as we had to work the next day; I left rejuvenated in body and spirit, and grateful for the presence of these folks in my life. Kris and Gabe, my current hosts, had some time to chat this week and that was wonderful; their perspective on life, work, family and much else is pretty fascinating and we talked and laughed also. They have finished a busy 2 weeks very successfully, and I was very happy for this lovely couple.
I spoke to my Dad today, and he had been to Bangalore for a talk, plus had visited a widower friend. Both men lost their wives on 21 Feb 2010 and 22 Feb 2010 (my mother), and had much to talk about. My father considers himself blessed that all of us check in on him, and expressed that thought clearly; it was nice. I also talked to the 3 Weiss men and that was hilarious; Scott had had to referee the umpteenth fight, and was worn out, then the boys came on the phone and professed complete consideration of their father. I laughed and laughed. I imagine other mothers of teenage sons who live to irritate their fathers can relate.
Movie-watching goes on and I saw "Knight and Day" yesterday. It was okay; the luminous Paul Dano only had a bit part, but the movie was quite entertaining.
Unw -
R
From the New England Journal of Medicine, 10 June 2010: "Current data suggest that each year, at least 1.6 million traffic accidents (28% of all crashes) in the United States are caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting. ... moreover, using a hands-free device does not make talking on the phone any safer. .... driving while distracted is roughly equivalent to driving drunk ..."
Driving and talking on the cell phone is illegal in India; first offence causes a fine, I think, and second offence causes a permanent loss of the driver's licence.
Trust all are well. I am fine and just finished my first full-time week of work. It was nice; any day that one can work is a good day, and I look forward to working until I am 90. If that is my life span. We had a male patient come in with nipple pain, and I have sent him for a mammogram; breast cancer in women is slower to spread due to the abundance of fat in the breast that the cancer cells must traverse before they hit the chest wall, and in men, the cancer cells hit the chest wall directly and spread rapidly. Thus, breast cancer in men is much more aggressive. I also had a patient come in with shoulder pain; as I entered the exam room, there was a veritable entourage in there - a total of 3 women, and the room reeked of cigarette smoke. The patient told me her regular doctor had done nothing for her, a train of thought I did not encourage. She told me of her shoulder pain, and I examined her and have sent her for an xray. She also told me of "nerves," which I am ill-equipped to handle, and so I suggested that she see a psychiatrist, which she was willing to do. I told her of the part she must play in healing, which is to stop smoking. Her mother and grandmother were in the room, the mother mentioned a history of osteoporosis in herself, and I suggested she stop smoking also. She seemed flabbergasted to hear that smoking and osteoporosis are connected; indeed, they are.
If the patient is young, I don't enjoy umpteen related people in the exam room, unless absolutely necessary. As evidenced above, these visitors end up talking about their own health issues, or irrelevant matters, or bicker, and the visit ends up taking off elsewhere. My older patients are very welcome to bring relatives, as I consider dissemination of information to the family paramount in such folks' care, and sometimes I have to rely on relatives for an update on the patient (a "history").
Some fine times this week: former colleagues from Medical Education at St. V, Ruth Ranalletta, Tami Horkay and Boni Hypes, and I got together for dinner at Ruth's home. She grilled burgers and portobello mushrooms, and all of us talked, ate, laughed. I had 1/3 of a margarita, plenty of food and great conversation, and the evening was pleasant and comfortable. I don't recall when all of us stopped talking and laughing, but we did have to leave as we had to work the next day; I left rejuvenated in body and spirit, and grateful for the presence of these folks in my life. Kris and Gabe, my current hosts, had some time to chat this week and that was wonderful; their perspective on life, work, family and much else is pretty fascinating and we talked and laughed also. They have finished a busy 2 weeks very successfully, and I was very happy for this lovely couple.
I spoke to my Dad today, and he had been to Bangalore for a talk, plus had visited a widower friend. Both men lost their wives on 21 Feb 2010 and 22 Feb 2010 (my mother), and had much to talk about. My father considers himself blessed that all of us check in on him, and expressed that thought clearly; it was nice. I also talked to the 3 Weiss men and that was hilarious; Scott had had to referee the umpteenth fight, and was worn out, then the boys came on the phone and professed complete consideration of their father. I laughed and laughed. I imagine other mothers of teenage sons who live to irritate their fathers can relate.
Movie-watching goes on and I saw "Knight and Day" yesterday. It was okay; the luminous Paul Dano only had a bit part, but the movie was quite entertaining.
Unw -
R
posted by Renu Weiss at
10:43 AM
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