Tuesday, August 20, 2013

On taking 'medical' decisions!

I suppose every human being takes on the role of a 'doctor' - at one time or the other - to treat minor ailments as he feels that he's adequately equipped(?) to take on the requirement at hand. The advantage is that he doesn't have to stand in a queue at a clinic, awaiting his turn and more importantly, he doesn't have to worry about the 'restrictions on intakes' that a doctor would perhaps clamp on!

But there are other times, one is forced to take medical decisions based on the ground realities. A word of caution here - your action needs to be informed to the doctor who's attending the patient failing which you could incur his wrath for having acted as though you'd a better knowledge of his own subject. Moreover, the subsequent sequence of treatment can go haywire as he'd would factor in his advice given earlier whereas the fact is otherwise.

I've taken a similar decision of late. My mom is under the expert care of a reputed doctor nearby and after examining her, as well as going through the tests conducted upon her, had prescribed the requisite medicines. One among them was to cater for her lack of sleep at nights and we'd started on the administration of the medicines in right earnest.

Sometime, past midnight, on the first day of the medicines, I'd gone on a 'look-see' as to how my mom was doing and saw the poor thing tossing around pathetically on bed, desperately wanting to go to the toilet to ease herself, but was unable to do so because of the medicine's effects. She was helped out but I'd decided on one thing then and there, that I was gonna stop its administration forthwith.

I'd reported the matter to her doctor of my decision and the reasons to back it. He was rather cute and positive about the whole thing, while endorsing my action. And I've decided to let mom be herself until a harmless method, to induce sleep, is discovered. I'm sure there are many!


Tailpiece.

My classmate, a practising doctor in Chicago, had visited us this evening. He has endorsed my decision . So, I'm a bit of a doctor myself, eh?

PS.

I'd be kidding if I didn't admit that it would be terribly agonising to see mom doing trivia, concentrating on small things like fluffing up the pillows over and over again, making numerous trips to the toilet and generally,  keeping herself busy all through the night. But it would be better that way rather than bludgeoning her slowly into a meek, withdrawn and listless individual by administering the highly potent medicines to induce sleep!

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