As doctors (or future doctors), we seek to preserve life. But at what cost? Do we start viewing life as simply existing, having your heart beating and your lungs breathing? Is that good enough, rather than seeking after more.. rather than helping our patients who can no longer walk or who are no longer continent find a reason to want to stay alive?
I have seen patients who wanted to just die, or patients who couldn't have cared less whether they survived or not. These first few patients that I have encountered, I feel I will remember forever. Today I watched a patient who has been confused since his stroke get a lumbar puncture, and the poor man was in so much pain during the procedure that he requested that they stop it before they even got enough fluid from around his spinal cord. And it made me wonder.. that the pain inflicted by these procedures is such a first world problem. When I was in Papua New Guinea, anything that couldn't be diagnosed by examination and treated by guideline medications would simply.. fall through the cracks of the health system, go undiagnosed and cause a reduction in lifespan. I remember a doctor on the trip telling me that in Melb, she would immediately order a CT scan for some patients, but no such facility was available there.
So.. to put in very bluntly, people in rural Papua New Guinea die a lot younger than people in Australia. But from what I have seen through my probably still naive eyes though.. I might say that most people in PNG still live longer than some of these patients in Australia.
Just.. thoughts.
P.S : Just a short testimony to share as well.. the tapping sound behind my wall is gone! Yesterday as I was doing my quiet time with God, it frustrated me so much that I laid my hand on the wall and prayed for the sound to go away in Jesus' name. And it suddenly hit me that the sound was worse when I moved against my table, so I moved my table slightly away from the wall and since then the sound hasn't come back at all even when I kick the wall! God is good! :) AND, He provided us with a new housemate as well :D :D Truly, He provides right on time every time.
Love,
Dice
I have seen patients who wanted to just die, or patients who couldn't have cared less whether they survived or not. These first few patients that I have encountered, I feel I will remember forever. Today I watched a patient who has been confused since his stroke get a lumbar puncture, and the poor man was in so much pain during the procedure that he requested that they stop it before they even got enough fluid from around his spinal cord. And it made me wonder.. that the pain inflicted by these procedures is such a first world problem. When I was in Papua New Guinea, anything that couldn't be diagnosed by examination and treated by guideline medications would simply.. fall through the cracks of the health system, go undiagnosed and cause a reduction in lifespan. I remember a doctor on the trip telling me that in Melb, she would immediately order a CT scan for some patients, but no such facility was available there.
So.. to put in very bluntly, people in rural Papua New Guinea die a lot younger than people in Australia. But from what I have seen through my probably still naive eyes though.. I might say that most people in PNG still live longer than some of these patients in Australia.
Just.. thoughts.
P.S : Just a short testimony to share as well.. the tapping sound behind my wall is gone! Yesterday as I was doing my quiet time with God, it frustrated me so much that I laid my hand on the wall and prayed for the sound to go away in Jesus' name. And it suddenly hit me that the sound was worse when I moved against my table, so I moved my table slightly away from the wall and since then the sound hasn't come back at all even when I kick the wall! God is good! :) AND, He provided us with a new housemate as well :D :D Truly, He provides right on time every time.
Love,
Dice
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