Читать книгу Above and Beyond - J.S. Dorian - Страница 19

“In the hands of the discoverer, medicine becomes heroic art…. Wherever life is dear he is a demigod.”

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

One night in a Chinese restaurant I spotted my cardiologist with his wife and three young children. I caught his eye and waved; he waved back and smiled broadly. Seeing him outside of the usual clinical setting was a comforting reminder of his humanness.

There was a time when I couldn’t feel that way. Like most people, I tended to put doctors on pedestals. I ascribed to them far too much power, and for that reason I was afraid of them.

Looking back, I can see how this attitude compromised my medical care. Since I perceived doctors as godlike authority figures, it was important to win their respect and approval. I wanted them to like me and felt they wouldn’t if I bothered them by asking too many questions, by calling the office, or by complaining about my symptoms. Only rarely did I question a diagnosis or a recommended course of treatment.

Despite my hard-won enlightenment, those childish feelings occasionally return. When they do, I remind myself that the effectiveness of my medical care depends in large measure on my participation—my objectivity, my honesty, and my assertiveness.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Pedestals are obstacles.