I dislike leaving loose ends. So I don't leave any. I also dislike when other people leave loose ends in my life. Unfortunately they do. I remember them for years, though not constantly. But they must be there in the reticular formation, or for people with computers on their minds, in the RAM. Suddenly I remember things that I would have preferred to have seen to their ends. That bothers me and disturbs my work.
There was that woman who had a bicornuate uterus, and a large leiomyoma in one horn. She had come to us more than 20 years ago. I had advised her to get it removed, so that it would not cause problems in future. She went away and never came back. She need not have got operated in our hospital. But she could have just informed us of whatever she got done.
There have been many loose ends since then. The latest was a few weeks ago. A senior engineer of the civic body brought his wife to us for treatment. She had a condition that could lead to cancer in a few years. I spent a lot of time explaining things to the couple who dropped in not in the outpatient clinic where we see patients, but in my office where I was busy going through files that have a tendency to arrive in large numbers. I explained the risk and consequences of her condition, all forms of treatment and their pros and cons, and left the decision to them. They said they wanted a hysterectomy. I made special arrangements for her admission to the hospital on a day when I was going to be in a scientific meeting elsewhere. I reserved a slot for her in the operation theater. On the day of the operation, I discovered that she had not turned up. I called the engineer. He was not there. I left a message for him. He never called. I have another loose end given to me for keeps when I never wanted it.
I think I need to learn to not get involved, to forget and to move on.
There was that woman who had a bicornuate uterus, and a large leiomyoma in one horn. She had come to us more than 20 years ago. I had advised her to get it removed, so that it would not cause problems in future. She went away and never came back. She need not have got operated in our hospital. But she could have just informed us of whatever she got done.
There have been many loose ends since then. The latest was a few weeks ago. A senior engineer of the civic body brought his wife to us for treatment. She had a condition that could lead to cancer in a few years. I spent a lot of time explaining things to the couple who dropped in not in the outpatient clinic where we see patients, but in my office where I was busy going through files that have a tendency to arrive in large numbers. I explained the risk and consequences of her condition, all forms of treatment and their pros and cons, and left the decision to them. They said they wanted a hysterectomy. I made special arrangements for her admission to the hospital on a day when I was going to be in a scientific meeting elsewhere. I reserved a slot for her in the operation theater. On the day of the operation, I discovered that she had not turned up. I called the engineer. He was not there. I left a message for him. He never called. I have another loose end given to me for keeps when I never wanted it.
I think I need to learn to not get involved, to forget and to move on.
