Friday, January 21, 2011

A doctor's bedside manner

Preface: This post is not intended to blanket all doctors because I know there are many medical professionals out there who genuinely care.

---------------------------------------------

I didn’t share this story with you earlier because I was quite upset, and I know myself better than to speak before I’ve had time to process an unpleasant experience.

Question: What happens to certain doctor’s bedside manners?

Could it be that some doctors forget them the longer they practice? Or could it be that some never really had them to begin with?

By bedside manners, I mean remembering to treat their patients with human compassion instead of only relating to them as something physical.

I realized that doctors are schooled to treat the body, however some of them could greatly use additional training on how to treat the soul inside the body.

As most of you recall last summer, I was treated by an oral surgeon who drained a tooth abscess I encountered. But, what I didn’t totally share with you back then was the manner in which I was treated.

I was referred to him by another dentist who could not perform the surgery, and he had forewarned me that the oral surgeon could be rather gruff, but that he was an excellent doctor.

Gruff is not the word.

When he saw the condition of my tooth he immediately went into a ferocious sermon about how serious this abscess was, and how could I have let this happen by not coming in sooner.

I mean come on, the guy has been an oral surgeon for umpteen years with diplomas and accolades decorating his office walls, so you can’t tell me he hadn’t seen an abscess that was ever bad before.

He barked out his plan of action as if he were a drill sergeant in the army; scaring me to death about how by him performing this surgery, I could possibly be left with permanent nerve damage and a scar on my skin.

I understand that a doctor is obligated to warn you of the possible side effects to any surgical procedure, however I don’t think they’re obligated to tell you in such a harsh tone. He actually told me that my condition was so serious, he should send me to a hospital.

Now mind you, I was in NO physical pain nor did I feel sick. When I told him that I had been self-treating this abscess with alternative natural medicine and energy work, that’s when he really got angry. As if I was foolish enough to believe that anything but traditional medical treatment would be of assistance.

The way in which I was being disrespected, I should have stood up and walked out of his office. However he had me so scared and confused, I felt stuck there; with no alternative other than to let him do it.

I opted for a local anesthetic rather than a general because I didn’t have anyone who could walk me home after the surgery. My friends were at work, so I didn’t have anyone to call that afternoon.

I also knew that by choosing a local, I would possibly feel pain. And I’m sure this procedure would have been tender regardless of who did the surgery, but the manner in which this guy worked on my tooth was like he was doing it out of a feud he had with illness.

Being someone who practices energy work, I am very sensitive to someone’s touch because I can feel their personal energy. Deeply. And this guy had one of the most disturbing energies I have ever felt.

He was extremely rough; working like a jackhammer. It felt as if I had barely any Novocain at all. He never once asked me if I was in pain, nor did he seem to care. He was so far removed from any human feelings, that all he was concerned about was removing this abscess because it was pissing him off.

I could tell from his touch, he was a doctor who only knew how to treat illness one way. Attacking it.

Thank god he had a compassionate and caring dental assistant working with him, because she was the one who got me through the pain by telling me to breathe deeply, and that the procedure was almost over.

After he was done, he continued to bark orders about how I wouldn’t be out of the woods for 24-hours because the infection could possibly spread through my entire body; making me seriously ill. In that case, I was to rush myself to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Again, I realize it’s a doctors job to tell you the truth, however it is the manner in which he told me that was the issue.

He quickly scribbled a prescription for penicillin and pain killers on a pad, and then added his cell phone number to call him if I had any concerns.

As soon as I got home, I literally broke down and bawled. And not because I was in any pain, but because I could still feel this man’s imprint which made me sicker than any abscess.

It took me days to feel normal again.

I debated on whether or not to call him back and tell him how I felt, but opted not to because I wanted no further contact with this doctor. Besides, I had learned my lesson.

The lesson to always follow my intuition. And that if this should ever happen to me again, walk out.

Did he successfully remove the abscess in medical terms?

Yes, he did.

However, let me go back to what the other dentist said…..

“he had forewarned me that the oral surgeon could be rather gruff, but that he was an excellent doctor.”

Really? An excellent doctor?

Well, allow me to share something with you, excellent doctor…..

“Medicine is not only a science; it is also an art. It does not consist of compounding pills and plasters; it deals with the very processes of life, which must be understood before they may be guided.”

~Philippus A. Paracelsus~

Have a great weekend everyone!

X