When you wear scrubs at work

I always felt a distance creep in between me and my patients when I put on my formal dress of a shirt and tie with the doctor's coat on top. The court would put a guard between me and them if they had difficulty coming forth with their anguish and complaints. Changing to scrubs helped—with no mark of identification on you, the interchange became fluid and cordial—more like between friends—and that's when the true history came out—about their disease, their suffering, and how it was affecting them both physically and mentally. It was easy to treat them physically but tough to mend their scarred psyche. It altered my ego also—it just vanished—and it became a pleasure listening to them and helping them out. Although I had a hidden agenda, I believed in karma—the good you do to others comes back to you in a different way, albeit. And it does—the book of debit and credit in life gets balanced in this lifetime. The ease of working with scrubs was heavenly; it was during the COVID times when the sartorial transition took place that we would change into scrubs once we reached the hospital and back to our clothes when coming back home so as not to bring the virus back. And the practise persisted. For us, it was so much comfort, and for the patient, the communication barrier went down. We could talk freely about their disease and their social lives. Actually, every patient who walks through your door has a story to tell. So sit back, relax, and listen to their story. A man with vitiligo is not bothered about his skin ailment; he is more bothered about his ostracization from society. When he does not see the doctor's coat, the wall falls, and he has tonnes of tales to tell. You listen—you learn. The patient with a single patch of psoriasis has so much anguish lying beneath the skin that wearing an innocuous scrub puts him at ease, and you can look into his private world and give a holistic treatment. A teenager with acne scars is depressed because of his scars; the skin creams are his last priority; it is his scarred psyche that needs mending. The scrub scrubs out the friction with the patient. As you take down the scrub and head for home, you let out a contented sigh. When you take down your scrub, unlike a doctor's coat, there is no shedding of ego, as a scrub has only empathy attached to it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Carpe Diem--How i got my morning back.

Image
Carpe diem: I did not realize the value and meaning of the word when I read it, but I did when I gained it. Procrastrination From my college days to my late 40s, I always had the idea that people who wake up early in the morning are real goons. They cannot enjoy life like a human being — no late night Netflix or thriller story books — like the birds and the animals — they go to bed as the sun sets — to rise early with its first rays — little did I realise that this routine was an elixir of life. It puts life into a different perspective and fills the day with abundant energy. Initial struggle — my routine was to delay getting up from my bed — as long as I could — but make sure I was on my desk on time — bleary-eyed and still recuperating from the previous night’s dreams and heavy meal. I needed a cupful of caffeine to kickstart the day. The motivation came from Twitter, self help books, and watching people age gracefully without suffering from lifestyle diseases. Then you realise...
Read more

The new kid in town–Plant Based Meat

Image
File summary This document presents comprehensive information regarding plant-based meats, outlining their ingredients and production processes. It explores various types of plant-based proteins, such as textured vegetable protein (TVP), wheat gluten, pea protein, and tofu. In addition, it offers advice on how to effectively prepare and utilize these proteins for creating meat-like products such as burgers, sausages, nuggets, and bacon. Emphasising the advantages of consuming plant-based meat, including reduced saturated fat levels, elevated protein and fiber content, and potential risk reduction for certain diseases. The document strives to provide guidance and motivation for incorporating plant-based meats into a wholesome and environmentally-friendly diet. In conclusion, plant-based meat products offer substantial advantages in both environmental and health aspects compared to traditional meat products. With growing awareness of these benefits, the demand for plant-based meat is pr...
Read more

Listen to your gut-it has instinct- gut instinct

Image
  – Listen to your gut-it has instinct- gut instinct It is a grim tale of 3 episodes which wrecked my body and i learned valuable lessons -Green apple and an overactive bladder - B lack coffee with dementation - Tea laced with milk and lactose intolerance – the gut rebelled– it had a toll on my bladder, mind and digestion- it took time for me to listen- I listened and I recovered. Listen to your gut instincts always. G reen apple and an overactive bladder Suddenly one fine morning– as i was seeing patients in my busy OPD– i had a frequent urge to pass urine– and it was burning as if some acid has been poured into my urethra- it was quite discomforting — as I could hardly come back to my seat -and had to rush back again to pass urine– before even the bladder could fill up. Must be some infection — i thought– gave the urine for culture– it was absolutely sterile-.Next possibility — i thought that i might be dehydrated– after the morning run– gulped down litres of water– but– to ...
Read more