When it Comes to Doctors, they are mere mortals and not God's and like Motor Mechanics you have the
"GOOD BAD & THE UGLY DOCTORS" and some are SIMPLY THE BEST. If you find one hang on to them for life
It is Your Body, Your Health and Your Life at Stake here and it is your responsibility to find a Good Doctor to look after your Most valuable Asset "The health of your Body"
Lots of youngsters without aptitude become doctors because they scored high marks at school and were eligible to apply for medicine as it guarantees a good life
As a Rule do not depend blindly on a family member because he/she is a doctor, as this can put a strain and extra responsibility on the Doctor who might over react to situations or not react at all
Here is a list of my Lucky escapes
1955: A Quack Head of TB Clinic in Madras diagnosed my Bad Cough as TB and I was given two streptomycin injections a day for 6 months. 2x30x6= 360 Injections. I survived but my body took the battering and survived. It was not TB but Whooping Cough. My father was stuck in Port Blair and my Mother had to depend on others as she had just moved to madras with me and so my parents are not to blame for negligence.
1960: Head of Orthopaedics MMC, Madras heard the clicking in my knees and diagnosed it as Congenital Discoid Cartilage needing immediate operation or I will end up with locked knees. My Dad put his foot down and said No Way. I am going to be 75 and I don't have any locked knee yet
1982: I was admitted for a simple nose operation meant to take max 30 minutes as I was suffering from blocked nose and addicted to nasal drops. They botched up the anaesthesia and I stopped breathing in the theatre and was in ICU and post-op ward under observation for 10 hours before being moved to the ward. The surgeon owed me an explanation at leat but he never bothered.
2000: 7th April, a Cardiologist who was getting me ready for a stress test, realised I was having a stroke and put me on a wheel chair and ran across to emergency and told the triage nurse, this man is having a stroke. Please get the neurologist to see him straight away. Four hours in Emergency, no scans no neurologist came to see me and I was discharged with a diagnosis of Migraine.
My then GP Called me a Hypochondriac and apologised when she heard I had suffered a Brainstem stroke on 13th April
One Plasma injections on 7th April would have dissolved the Blood clot in my blocked artery and saved me from a stroke
When in Hospital post stroke my platelet count was 890 (150-300 is normal range) and they never consulted a haematologist
Of my Own accord I saw a haematologist in July and he was annoyed and did a bone marrow test and said I had Essential Thrombocytosis and could have suffered another major stroke that could have killed me. He saved my life
2001: I was still very very ill and suffering massive TIA's every time I turned my neck affecting blood flow to the brain stem so I consulted a vascular Neuro surgeon at Prince of Wales hospital. He proposed a PICA Bypass surgery. I got my neophew to do do an internet search ( no Google searches then) and print every article he could find on the subject. The sugeon kept me in hospital for 13 days hoping I would agree to surgery. when I found out that this was abandoned in USA in 1985 I realised the man was trying to experiment on me. I discharged myself and fled.
The night I was admitted at 10.00pm the neuro registrar came with an Injection to prepare me for the angiogram the next day. I asked him what it was and he said Vitamin K injection ordered by the surgeon. Vitamik K thickens the blood and I was on blood thinners to ensure blood reached the brain.
I told him you have not determined my Blood INR and how do you know how much Vitamin K is required ? He says Good Question.
I asked what if I suffered a massive stroke after you give me the Vit K injections. He said I am sorry Sir you have a very valid Point and I was just following the surgeons instructions. That was a close call that night
2002: I was in England at my sisters on a holiday and to consult British neurologists.
Once a week I had to get my Blood INR meaning blood thickness test done. My Haematologist at Royal Paget Hospital was a Dr Sadatullah from Pakistan. Brilliant Doctor
One morning I had a blood test done and was at home watching world cup soccer match enjoying a cold beer. My Doctor Sister get a call from the Hospital saying y Blood INR is 11.00 Very very high and I need to come immediately for a Vit-K injection. My sister Panics and I am adamant I am feeling well and they are wrong. Enter the Hospital the emergency doctor is ready with a massive dose of Vitamin K. I stood my ground and said No way. Over my Dead Body you are going to give me that Lethal Injection and My sister took his side and pressured me as two doctors vs a patient. So they asked me what do you want us to do ? I said connect me to Dr Sadatullah. Not possible as he is home. I said so what call him and they did.
Dr Sadatyulla asked me Ram INR of 11.0 is dangerously high you need the injection. I said doc repeat the test and show me INR is 11.00. He said that is Fair enough and instructed the hospital doctor to test my INR again. Guess what my INR was not 11.0 but 1.00
Had I taken that injection that day I would have dropped dead on the hospital floor
To be Continued
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