Report of 10 Dec 2017
Hello from our balcony!
The green is green, the sea is merging with the sky in a haze, this is a great place to sit and write. Scott is puttering about in the kitchen.
Work is good. We had a patient come in to the Banyan the other day; she is a fish vendor, carrying a basket on her head daily, had complained of aches and pains, and some breathing issues. I had prescribed some meds, including an inhaler; she had tried to do without the inhaler and I said, "You couldn't, could you." She affirmed that, and then, in her speech, used an English word most appropriately. I asked what level of education she had completed and she said, "10th." I was riveted: she was forthright, comprehending, communicative, clear. As I sat mulling over some options, my assistants in the room thought I had not understood the patient and gestured "10" with their fingers, repeated "10" in Tamil, and tried in all manner of ways to bring the doctor down from whichever ether she had landed on. I stated that I had understood, and sent the young lady to one of our coordinators to mull over some employment options, such as community work or outreach. Let us see what comes of this. Empowering a woman is extremely life- and work-affirming.
Adaikalam, the facility I am farther off from, is also good. The cook and a couple of others came by to see me, to get their blood pressures checked and treated. It is fairly amazing that one can save a life or prevent catastrophic illnesses like strokes just by controlling blood pressure.
Private practice is nice. My junior colleague had astutely evaluated a patient who had come in with trouble breathing, found that she'd had a heart attack and had consulted the cardiologist. The patient and family were pleased with the care that our small hospital had given, and were a pleasure to interact with. Gratitude is a fine motivator, as is niceness.
On Friday, Scott and I were invited to hear a medical talk by a colleague of my sister, Anu. It was a prelude to the annual conference of Sundaram Medical Foundation, which is always a good show. I attended the conference yesterday, got quite a bit of knowledge out of it and then, Scott and I went to see a pantomime by The Little Theatre. This is also an annual outing for us, and we heckle mercilessly from the audience. Naren acted in this production a couple of times and we enjoy going. All of it is good, as is the fact that the producer uses the proceeds of the show to support the education of underprivileged children, who might otherwise not be able to attend college. Fine endeavor, needed results.
We Skyped with the boys today, all 4 together for the first time in a while. I enjoy listening to the boys interact with each other; there is a fair amount of questionable language like "B***h" but that appears to be the norm now and does not reduce the respect or regard each has for the other. Naren narrated an unfortunate incident at the school where he teaches, and we talked quite a bit about that. After this discussion, there were other topics, and a lot of laughter, which I unfailingly appreciate. I also talked to my father earlier last week, told him I was not going to resign and he breathed a sigh of relief.
May you have much laughter and relief yourselves.
Unw -
R
The green is green, the sea is merging with the sky in a haze, this is a great place to sit and write. Scott is puttering about in the kitchen.
Work is good. We had a patient come in to the Banyan the other day; she is a fish vendor, carrying a basket on her head daily, had complained of aches and pains, and some breathing issues. I had prescribed some meds, including an inhaler; she had tried to do without the inhaler and I said, "You couldn't, could you." She affirmed that, and then, in her speech, used an English word most appropriately. I asked what level of education she had completed and she said, "10th." I was riveted: she was forthright, comprehending, communicative, clear. As I sat mulling over some options, my assistants in the room thought I had not understood the patient and gestured "10" with their fingers, repeated "10" in Tamil, and tried in all manner of ways to bring the doctor down from whichever ether she had landed on. I stated that I had understood, and sent the young lady to one of our coordinators to mull over some employment options, such as community work or outreach. Let us see what comes of this. Empowering a woman is extremely life- and work-affirming.
Adaikalam, the facility I am farther off from, is also good. The cook and a couple of others came by to see me, to get their blood pressures checked and treated. It is fairly amazing that one can save a life or prevent catastrophic illnesses like strokes just by controlling blood pressure.
Private practice is nice. My junior colleague had astutely evaluated a patient who had come in with trouble breathing, found that she'd had a heart attack and had consulted the cardiologist. The patient and family were pleased with the care that our small hospital had given, and were a pleasure to interact with. Gratitude is a fine motivator, as is niceness.
On Friday, Scott and I were invited to hear a medical talk by a colleague of my sister, Anu. It was a prelude to the annual conference of Sundaram Medical Foundation, which is always a good show. I attended the conference yesterday, got quite a bit of knowledge out of it and then, Scott and I went to see a pantomime by The Little Theatre. This is also an annual outing for us, and we heckle mercilessly from the audience. Naren acted in this production a couple of times and we enjoy going. All of it is good, as is the fact that the producer uses the proceeds of the show to support the education of underprivileged children, who might otherwise not be able to attend college. Fine endeavor, needed results.
We Skyped with the boys today, all 4 together for the first time in a while. I enjoy listening to the boys interact with each other; there is a fair amount of questionable language like "B***h" but that appears to be the norm now and does not reduce the respect or regard each has for the other. Naren narrated an unfortunate incident at the school where he teaches, and we talked quite a bit about that. After this discussion, there were other topics, and a lot of laughter, which I unfailingly appreciate. I also talked to my father earlier last week, told him I was not going to resign and he breathed a sigh of relief.
May you have much laughter and relief yourselves.
Unw -
R
posted by Renu at
2:50 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home