Читать книгу Confessions of a Doctor - Stanley Feldman - Страница 5

I was pronounced dead in 2008.

It was when I met a colleague from ‘down under’ who stared at me as though he had seen a ghost that I discovered that my obituary had been published in an Australian medical journal in 2008.

It is sobering to have advance warning of one’s demise, but it prompted me to set about recording some of the many funny tales (both funny peculiar and funny amusing) of my time in medicine which form the basis of this book. Up till then, I had frequently referred to some of the more outrageous events during after-dinner talks, but the notice of my untimely demise was the spur to chronicle them with a sense of urgency. The result is Confessions of a Doctor.

I have used a loosely biographical format in order to give some structure to what otherwise would be a series of anecdotes and to give me a chance to give vent to some of my personal ‘grumpy old man’ views.

All the stories included here are based on fact although some have been dramatised, or the circumstances in which they occurred changed, in order to save the blushes of those involved. If in retelling of these events I have caused offence to any person involved, it was unintentional. I regard myself as having been especially fortunate in having colleagues who, as well as being very good doctors, enjoyed a great sense of humour and an ability to laugh at themselves. This book is intended to amuse and entertain, and to give the reader a peep into what hospital life was like in by-gone days.