The whole left lung was a complete white out and the young doctor could even see the tracheal deviation on Chest Xray. During the initial days of internship, such classical cases would generate a lot of attention. Yes, classical cases-Patients whose symptoms fit in the exact medical literature. That is what they are called in medical fraternity.
The young doctor went on to see the patient who had so much fluid collection in her lung. There was a lady in early 30s with practically one functional lung. But to the utmost surprise, the young doctor was greeted with a very infectious smile. That rarely happens. The lady just complained of mild breathlessness. On digging further, she would open up a big file which she always carried along. The file had all her infertility treatment documents from last seven years. She was least concerned about her breathlessness, all she desired was a child. Indian society never ceases to surprise.
She was shifted to ICU, Bed no 3 and a chest tube was inserted to drain the fluid in lungs. A repeated Chest Xray after two days clarified a lot of things as far as the diagnosis was concerned. The draining of fluid had not helped much because the fluid collection had persisted. More was being secreted than one could drain. It was a malignant collection… Some Cancer somewhere had metastasised . Given her long history of infertility treatments of various modalities, it was evident that the hormonal imbalance was responsible for her present state.
Then poured in a bunch of medical specialists and gynaecologists. A patient or for that matter any individual, is likely to get irritated when you are asked similar questions time and again. However, here was a lady who would always sit up with a smile on her face despite the tube inside her chest and few needles poked here and there. With a file in her hand, she would answer all the questions and assist in all her examination. She would tell, all the hospitals she visited for her treatment and the multiple sorts of treatment she received. Such a cooperative and ever smiling patient after all the emotional and physical turmoil in life…. It was unbelievable.
A thorough set of investigations and biopsies from every part of her body revealed that it was Endometrial Cancer. It had to be. The young Doctor remembered the day she was shifted to a multi-speciality Centre and she left with a smile on her face like always. She believed that the cause of her infertility had been diagnosed and after this treatment, she would finally bear a child.
Months passed by. The young doctor was called on to examine a patient in ICU showing symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal. Such cases awaken the judge inside you inevitably, who tends to finalise a set of negative assumptions regarding the individual… How can this man be so irresponsible? Drinking all the time… Does he not care about his family?
This man was calm but his hands were shaky, palms were moist, BP was high and pulse was speedy. Blood investigations aided in confirming that it was likely to be withdrawal. The young Doctor started taking history. The man was honest in admitting that he had been drinking continuously for past 30-45 days. Then, pointing to ICU Bed No 3, the man said, almost in tears,” My wife was admitted here, on that Bed. She died two months back. Family is pressurising to get married again and to start a family. I started drinking heavily.” The young doctor stood flabbergasted. After gathering his emotions, the young doctor reconfirmed from the man that it was the same lady with infertility and breathlessness. The man nodded. The young doctor patted his back empathising with him, unable to express the plethora of emotions that flooded his brain that moment.
Life teaches you lessons in its own ways. Never did the young doctor judge any individual for his present circumstances in times that followed, because everyone has a story… a story well beyond your reaches of imagination. Right and Wrong are just two relative and primitive means of assessing what an individual does.
More importantly, the young doctor had always heard something which he found hard to believe in present scenarios that,”Patient is God.” That lady… That patient on ICU Bed No 3, that patient was God.
That Lady with a Smile!!
