It is so nice to be here again, and this time without the daunting roadblock of a stem cell transplant to sour the mood. Actually in is completely different in every way. There will be appointments and tests, but there will be no nasty treatments and I'm looking forward to it as for once the I am expecting good news!
THe other big difference between this time and last time is that we have the kids with us. And what would a trip to the USA be without a trip to Disneyland? We all had a great time and I surprised myself by the amount of walking that I managed to do without getting tired. We nearly managed to do every ride in both parks. There is definitely something to be said about going outside of the US school holidays as queue times were down and the streets weren't so busy.
The highlight for me would of had to be radiator springs. It look just like the movie and you seriously would have thought you were there if it wasn't for all the people. I have to say that Disney Land is the best theme park I have ever been to and even after 57 years of operation. Disney, I take my hat off to you. But there was one thing that bugged me.
Now I expect this to be a little controversial, so here goes. First, I do believe that people have the right to choose their own lifestyle and eat what they like and indulge in their own vices etc. I also think that all people should have the right to medical attention whether they contribute to their condition or not. But it should not entitle you to more than anyone else.
So what happened? We were standing in the queue when two obese people, who would not have been older than 30 pulled up in their scooters, got off, entered through the exit gate jumping the queue and got straight on the ride. Now I'm all for these people being assisted, but when someone who clearly does not take care of themselves gets to jump the queue ahead of everyone else I think that is wrong. Did I also mention they stank of stale cigarette smoke? I know a heap of people that have been hit with a crippling disease simply because of bad luck and no fault of their own and almost feel too proud or guilty to jump the queue.
I feel that the queue jumping exception was created to help the unfortunate and others now simply take advantage of it. I'm reminded of an episode of the Simpsons where Homer puts on a pile of weight so he can claim disability and work from home exposing a loophole in the system. It also saddens me to see so many people with uncontrollable disabilities who try their absolute hardest to get better and can't. these other people don't seem to care and in fact are rewarded for their laziness.
However, like I said, it bugs me. Next time hopefully I will be reporting good news to you from my Chicago followup. Until then, stay well:)
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Do No Harm?
Have you ever read the Hippocratic Oath? It is a greek medical text which basically covers the moral code by which most medical professionals will be sworn to. However, it is fair to say that since its writing (presumed to be by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine) and original translation it has been altered a number of times.
But the part that I would like to draw attention to is the part that says "Do No Harm." I was talking to a doctor about this very point recently and it is something that many take very seriously. After thinking about it though I think it is a huge contradiction. Most medical procedures carry some form of risk. Most drugs have side effects and all surgeries be they minor or major carry some form of risk which could be harmful.
So should the phrase be "Do No Intentional Harm"? Well I think this too would be a contradiction. I cannot think of a single surgery or treatment that requires hospitalisation. I mean if we are going to be pedantic even a needle prick to administer IV fluids to an individual suffering dehydration is harmful. And from here we can go all the way up the scale to major open heart surgery. The point is it is always harmful.
On dictionary.com harm is defined as physical injury or mental damage. But I think that we need to see beyond the literal definition and start to look at the intention of the phrase, which in my opinion should read like this, "Do No Intentional Harm that does not have an overall long term benefit to the patient".
I am sure that smarter people than I have hotly debated this topic in the past which is why most modern adaptations of the Hippocratic Oath do not carry the phrase. But it is a debate that is quite close to my heart as my stem cell transplant is a harmful procedure that even carries the risk of death. But for me the short term harm has been strongly outweighed by the long term benefit.
I have thought about this topic of discussion for a while but recent events have spurred me to write about it. I guess there is a line that needs to be drawn where the risks and harm of whatever procedure is in question needs to be weighed up against the risks and harm that will be caused by inaction. I'd love to have an answer for you but at the moment I stand conflicted. As I process the information I will hopefully be able to draw some conclusions and when and if I do I will share them. But for now stay well:)
But the part that I would like to draw attention to is the part that says "Do No Harm." I was talking to a doctor about this very point recently and it is something that many take very seriously. After thinking about it though I think it is a huge contradiction. Most medical procedures carry some form of risk. Most drugs have side effects and all surgeries be they minor or major carry some form of risk which could be harmful.
So should the phrase be "Do No Intentional Harm"? Well I think this too would be a contradiction. I cannot think of a single surgery or treatment that requires hospitalisation. I mean if we are going to be pedantic even a needle prick to administer IV fluids to an individual suffering dehydration is harmful. And from here we can go all the way up the scale to major open heart surgery. The point is it is always harmful.
On dictionary.com harm is defined as physical injury or mental damage. But I think that we need to see beyond the literal definition and start to look at the intention of the phrase, which in my opinion should read like this, "Do No Intentional Harm that does not have an overall long term benefit to the patient".
I am sure that smarter people than I have hotly debated this topic in the past which is why most modern adaptations of the Hippocratic Oath do not carry the phrase. But it is a debate that is quite close to my heart as my stem cell transplant is a harmful procedure that even carries the risk of death. But for me the short term harm has been strongly outweighed by the long term benefit.
I have thought about this topic of discussion for a while but recent events have spurred me to write about it. I guess there is a line that needs to be drawn where the risks and harm of whatever procedure is in question needs to be weighed up against the risks and harm that will be caused by inaction. I'd love to have an answer for you but at the moment I stand conflicted. As I process the information I will hopefully be able to draw some conclusions and when and if I do I will share them. But for now stay well:)
Saturday, September 1, 2012
I can't remember...
And I can't. Much of it is a genuine blank. And what can't I remember? I talking about my hospital stay in Chicago. If I didn't know any better I would say I was there for three days, not three weeks. And I got to thinking why can't I remember? As I'm currently drawing on my experiences as a patient to write my book, not remembering doesn't serve me very well. And it's not just my Chicago stay, I struggle to remember most of my hospitalisations.
And I do have some theories. First, the drugs they give you can have a side effect of memory loss. Anaesthetics, analgesia and sedatives, which are all administered regularly in hospital can all cause temporary amnesia. But there are some big gaps here and I cannot attribute all my forgetfulness to this.
Second, I think that as people we remember what is memorable and hospitals are boring. Really boring. When the highlight of your day is the doctor coming round to visit you clearly know it's not like a trip to Disney Land. So maybe it is not a case of forgetting, just not committing the experience to memory in the first place.
Lastly, and I think this one makes the most sense, we forget because we don't want to remember. The mind is a powerful tool which is subject to stress and hardship just like our bodies. And like are bodies try to heal themselves, so do our minds. And how they do it? By exercising the bad memories.
I don't know if it is just me who suffers from this or everyone. I also don't know which theory is correct, or whether it is something else or a combination. All I know is that I struggle to remember. And that is probably a good thing. After all, who wants to remember stuff like that? Stay well:)
And I do have some theories. First, the drugs they give you can have a side effect of memory loss. Anaesthetics, analgesia and sedatives, which are all administered regularly in hospital can all cause temporary amnesia. But there are some big gaps here and I cannot attribute all my forgetfulness to this.
Second, I think that as people we remember what is memorable and hospitals are boring. Really boring. When the highlight of your day is the doctor coming round to visit you clearly know it's not like a trip to Disney Land. So maybe it is not a case of forgetting, just not committing the experience to memory in the first place.
Lastly, and I think this one makes the most sense, we forget because we don't want to remember. The mind is a powerful tool which is subject to stress and hardship just like our bodies. And like are bodies try to heal themselves, so do our minds. And how they do it? By exercising the bad memories.
I don't know if it is just me who suffers from this or everyone. I also don't know which theory is correct, or whether it is something else or a combination. All I know is that I struggle to remember. And that is probably a good thing. After all, who wants to remember stuff like that? Stay well:)
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