This isn’t a story about me. It’s something I learnt over the years, and I guess most of the doctors in my age, do understand it.
When I was young, I saw my father get operated by a cardiac surgeon. That event inspired me to pursue a career in surgery. It wasn’t easy but still I managed. In the beginning it was always about studies, clinics, rounds etc. But as time passed, I was happy that I was pursuing my ‘passion’. I also realized that many of my friends were happy too. So, all was looking good.
In pursuance of passion, we tend to neglect, the other more important aspect of our profession; compassion.
As doctors, we always think of excellence. So, what are our choices- pursue passion or compassion? Both ways, our profession remains intact.
The medical profession as such is bound by an oath and we are committed to the oath.
As doctors, our training is always patient-centric and each doctor during the training period carries a dream. The dream soon becomes a passion. In this race of long hours of studies, repeated exams, which at times can be very demanding, the basic training of compassion is somehow left in the backseat.
The race continues from graduation to specialization and sometimes to super-specialization. As we grow in our careers we forget to develop the important virtue of compassion.
Compassion comes from realizing the reality of suffering endured by our patients. As workload increases and quality of work becomes demanding, we tend to notice subtle changes in the lives of patients undergoing treatment.
We start believing that although we give our best, there is a supreme healer way beyond our realm.
Let me share a story about one of my patients. She came from a very poor background. She was having multiple fistulae (a tract connecting intestine to the abdominal wall) on her abdomen from which fecal matter was coming out. She was being helped by an NGO. As the treatment was expensive, we all contributed in our own way. The hospital administration helped by waiving the surgery bill. All this, while she was having doubts about her recovery owing to her poor nutritional status. She was a single mother with a little daughter who used to sit with her with a rosary while I used to do the dressing.
The dressing used to smell a lot and the staff suggested that I should allow the dresser to do the dressing instead of doing it myself. But I decided to do it myself. I felt that, why should I subject someone else to do this job, which is having so much of foul smell? Probably, this was an inadvertent exposure to compassion. Little did I realize that this will change my perception of treatment forever.
While doing the dressing, I started thinking of ways to alleviate her pain, daily exposure to the foul smell and improve her nutrition.
Anyway, after lots of effort she made a complete recovery and went home with her daughter.
It taught me something, mitigating one’s pain is of paramount importance. It helps the healing process. Later it came out in medical journals also.
Whether the person lives or dies, being pain-free is very important. We must believe that it’s a patient’s right to be pain-free. We have change line or therapy, maybe we must move from ‘passion to compassion’ now.
As I sit down writing my experience, I want my colleagues reading this blog, to understand this philosophy of compassion. No medical textbook teaches it. You learn it as you grow.
