It is not amusing being the carrier of an unknown infection. I have done great deal of medical tourism around the Vashi area over the last few days. I have met a doctor who sent me away because he was a right foot specialist and not left foot (not quite – he sent me away because I asked him too many questions about his days at medical school).
I have put my foot through an x-ray – which reveals nothing except exquisitely shaped bones. And am now slated for an MRI.
In the name of blood tests and investigations, I have donated enough blood to support the pathologists’s anaemic friend.
And I have survived several rounds of prodding and pressing by various medical specialists. Does that hurt? Cannot hear my response thanks to the loud metallic noise emanating close by. Me gritting teeth. Yes, it does, through gritted teeth. Ah! And this? Louder metallic sounds in the vicinity. Echo? Husband gritting teeth – his, not mine.
It is red and swollen and gross. Does it not look like it hurts? No, my doctor and the surgeon he referred me to press it by turns to find out. And what is worse, break into rapid Marathi at the end of each session of prodding. What with my terrible Marathi skills, I can only catch random words and phrases. After all, some words have no Marathi equivalent – “credit card”, for instance. Also “double income family”. And they also shake their heads in a worried manner. Or exchange knowledgable smiles. Neither of which is very comforting for the patient, let me assure you.
As it stands today, the foot is also due to go through the operation sometime next week (that I have been crying wolf wolf about for ages now), to be followed by a biopsy to understand the infection better. Yes, always a good idea to get to know your infection in more intimate manner. And then depending on the MRI / biopsy results, to understand further course of treatment.
Which leaves me hanging in indecisiveness for the next week or two, as I can see it. And in all this gritting of teeth and doling out money by the fistfuls to medical specialists business, I am actually quite glad to have found a doctor who is not trigger-happy and advised an operation at first sight. I am grateful for a doctor who answers my questions patiently, waits and watches before he shoots off the next round of tests / medicines. Things I ought to expect as a matter of course, that I ought to take for granted in healthcare providers, I am grateful for.
***
In all this, I have been thinking again and again of a question that Dr. Aniruddha Malpani posed to me (and several others, I assume) recently – why don’t patients take a more active role in their healthcare…. I had promised him that I would pose this question on my blog and see what people have to say about this.
I plan to write more about this as a separate post and raise this question there. But those of you reading this, please leave your thoughts on this now. Thanks!
This is a very literal case of footing the bill 🙂
Don’t get intimate with your infection until you’ve been formally introduced!:D
You……..and all patients should take a greater interest in their healthcare.
And usually, in many countries doctors will take great pains in explaining what’s wrong.
But doctors everywhere don’t like too many questions…..they feel their competence is being questioned (they hate people like me, who work in areas of medical research, so know some bits of information in great detail). But once the early stage is crossed, both the doctor and the patient benifit by learning more (and coming up with better diagnostics, and more carefully thought out therapy).
so many posts already?! gosh youre hard to keep up with! :)) but awww, sorry to hear about the foot.. hope you get well soon. take care!
Sorry to hear about your foot. If you need help in translating the doctor’s marathi dont hesitate to ask.
Hi! My first time here. Sorry about your foot- but PLEASE do not ignore it and do NOT leave it to the doctors.
Having dealt with innumerable doctors (different disciplines, hospitals etc.) for the medical and surgical management of my child, I’m amazed how gullible and stupid otherwise educated and aware people are around doctors. No, I’m not tarring e.one with same brush and I’m not saying you need to be like the Mom-from-Hell mode I’ve been known to be, just that one needs to be aware of the treatment plan, the dosages etc. Most often, one learns more from the intelligent and involved nurses than the docs. Language is not the major barrier, even malayali nurses (God bless them) CAN communicate better than the more erudite docs.
take care…
Aparna, I can see you are having a great time with this 🙂 but ouch it hurts that I foot their bill!
Lak, 🙂
Sunil, agree we all need to ask more questions but I have always found doctors get put off by questions – are you doubting my ability / judgment kind of thingy. and the last thing I want is a resentful doctor… and so it goes on…
m. you back from wherever? or still in Africa?
Gawker, thanks! but their Marathi is too rapid for me. strain and catch the English phrases:)
Shankari, yup, I ignored this for a long time and am paying for it now. as in literally. I have been hounding my doctors with questions but they get put off, so I pipe down for a while and then start again!
Dont you worry about their getting put off! Its YOUR leg, they’re pulling!
Charu, I’ve been thinking about that question. I have so many relatives that don’t even go for an annual check-up and then they expect their doctors to make miracles happen when things have gone bad. The doctors are also used to getting treated like god (so get all prickly if you ask them too many questions). Plus not too many people have the resources to research an issue. It’s so easy for us to google something and get 1000s of pages on a particular condition, but for a majority of people, this is not an option.
Shankari, what can I say? it can be very distressing to go through any medical procedure without getting answers to your questions – but often I find that I want to keep the doctor “happy” and not upset him/her in any way…
Sujatha, agree with you that many of us dont take our minor ailments / initial symptoms seriously enough and then expect miracles. but here, I was wondering more about the standoffishness of doctors, the feeling of condescension that some docs treat their patients with… and patients being too meek or put off by the doc’s initial curt reactions to ask further questions…
and yes, now I dont accept any doctor’s advice before researching it myself – not such a good ting I know, but my faith is shaken 🙂