Report of 20 May 2012
This is bliss, I tell you.
I have an id card/badge to get into St. V's library, and have sat here and worked on some tests, read up on new medical info, etc. Fabulous. It is grand to keep up with medical reading.
The weekend has been fun, too. Scott and I saw "Dark Shadows," and then went out to eat. Bravo's is a favorite, and we sat outside. After a tasty meal, we watched a family of ducks, complete with 4 very cute babies, out for a swim. And took stock of our lives. It has been good: getting to the U.S. to study, marrying a man my entire family adores, having 2 kids who have not doped out or dropped out by choice or become fathers before their time, studying medicine and taking care of people who are unfailingly surprised that all of us at the Banyan treat them like human beings. The look in their eyes is always amusing in a good way: "Me? You are treating me as though I matter? But I am desperately poor." It is, undoubtedly, a good life.
Our patients have been fine. When they get to RHI, a catastrophic event has already happened, e.g., a stroke, and the patients are then convinced the only way is up. So they participate in therapy, and cooperate with their diet and all that we do to them; certainly, many get depressed but the majority of them inevitably teach us a thing or two - about the human spirit, usually.
A young man's father was belligerent about how his son was doing: why was his leg swollen? Why was this going on, that going on? So, all of us rolled our eyes at the continued dissatisfaction on this man's part and, to keep him happy, I ordered an ultrasound of the patient's legs. Lo and behold, a clot - a potentially dangerous condition. I thanked the man the following day, and asked that he keep us continually apprised of his son's condition and any changes in it. Roll my eyes? Not that day.
Scott and I have also watched the NBA playoffs, the professional basketball tournament, and revelled in it. The Healeys, eminent geriatricians, were kind enough to donate their old TV to us, and it has been super to catch the games. Our beloved Spurs are not as charismatic or media-favorites as the Lakers or the Heat, but they are clean, talented, humble and good - emulatable. So we are following the games, and relishing the Spurs' lack of glitz. We also saw "The best exotic Marigold Hotel" today and loved it. It's about a bunch of British retirees moving to India, and I laughed out loud at the jokes reflecting white prejudice; I was the only one in the theatre doing that, I think everyone else was frankly embarrassed by the blatant racism on screen. But, the uniqueness of India came shining through, and Scott - at the end of the movie - seemed quite smug, I told him, to have discovered India's charm long before the rest of the world did :).
The other grand thing about living here: the food! We live in a multicultural section of town, and yesterday, at the international grocery store, I counted at least 6 nationalities (replete with clothing) among the people in line. We bought kimchi and fajita seasoning, and some other things; today, I fixed a meal in about 20 minutes - broiled fish, steamed asparagus, corn. All favorites. It is so easy to cook here.
My dental problems are on the increase, and we have stumbled on an exemplary dentist, coincidentally of Indian descent. Regretfully, her assistant screwed up my fillings, so Dr. C rechecked them and has since gifted me a Water Pik machine - bought with her own funds. "I would do this for my mother." Later, I told Scott that I am indeed old enough to be her mother. However, her gesture was over and above any call of duty.
Hope your health - physical, mental, spiritual, dental - are good.
Unw -
R
I have an id card/badge to get into St. V's library, and have sat here and worked on some tests, read up on new medical info, etc. Fabulous. It is grand to keep up with medical reading.
The weekend has been fun, too. Scott and I saw "Dark Shadows," and then went out to eat. Bravo's is a favorite, and we sat outside. After a tasty meal, we watched a family of ducks, complete with 4 very cute babies, out for a swim. And took stock of our lives. It has been good: getting to the U.S. to study, marrying a man my entire family adores, having 2 kids who have not doped out or dropped out by choice or become fathers before their time, studying medicine and taking care of people who are unfailingly surprised that all of us at the Banyan treat them like human beings. The look in their eyes is always amusing in a good way: "Me? You are treating me as though I matter? But I am desperately poor." It is, undoubtedly, a good life.
Our patients have been fine. When they get to RHI, a catastrophic event has already happened, e.g., a stroke, and the patients are then convinced the only way is up. So they participate in therapy, and cooperate with their diet and all that we do to them; certainly, many get depressed but the majority of them inevitably teach us a thing or two - about the human spirit, usually.
A young man's father was belligerent about how his son was doing: why was his leg swollen? Why was this going on, that going on? So, all of us rolled our eyes at the continued dissatisfaction on this man's part and, to keep him happy, I ordered an ultrasound of the patient's legs. Lo and behold, a clot - a potentially dangerous condition. I thanked the man the following day, and asked that he keep us continually apprised of his son's condition and any changes in it. Roll my eyes? Not that day.
Scott and I have also watched the NBA playoffs, the professional basketball tournament, and revelled in it. The Healeys, eminent geriatricians, were kind enough to donate their old TV to us, and it has been super to catch the games. Our beloved Spurs are not as charismatic or media-favorites as the Lakers or the Heat, but they are clean, talented, humble and good - emulatable. So we are following the games, and relishing the Spurs' lack of glitz. We also saw "The best exotic Marigold Hotel" today and loved it. It's about a bunch of British retirees moving to India, and I laughed out loud at the jokes reflecting white prejudice; I was the only one in the theatre doing that, I think everyone else was frankly embarrassed by the blatant racism on screen. But, the uniqueness of India came shining through, and Scott - at the end of the movie - seemed quite smug, I told him, to have discovered India's charm long before the rest of the world did :).
The other grand thing about living here: the food! We live in a multicultural section of town, and yesterday, at the international grocery store, I counted at least 6 nationalities (replete with clothing) among the people in line. We bought kimchi and fajita seasoning, and some other things; today, I fixed a meal in about 20 minutes - broiled fish, steamed asparagus, corn. All favorites. It is so easy to cook here.
My dental problems are on the increase, and we have stumbled on an exemplary dentist, coincidentally of Indian descent. Regretfully, her assistant screwed up my fillings, so Dr. C rechecked them and has since gifted me a Water Pik machine - bought with her own funds. "I would do this for my mother." Later, I told Scott that I am indeed old enough to be her mother. However, her gesture was over and above any call of duty.
Hope your health - physical, mental, spiritual, dental - are good.
Unw -
R
posted by Renu Weiss at
5:43 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home