I am a trusting soul - I trust people to be OK until proved otherwise. My definition of OK may not be that of some others. To give you an example - if someone I know has tremors, I believe the person has essential tremors (unless he/she is very old), the most benign cause of tremors, especially one not related to any vices. For some others, vices causing tremors may be OK. For those who don't know, essential tremors are benign tremors without any apparent cause.
"I then asked him why he had tremors" the Boss said to me once about a faculty member. "I found out he/she* was drinking quite heavily."
"Huh?" I said. I had not thought any faculty member, especially one who operated on patients, would drink heavily enough to have tremors. I had always thought this person's tremors had been essential.
"Yes. I asked him/her to bring a relative so that he/she* could undergo deaddiction."
That got me thinking. This person's puffy look supported this diagnosis, at least in hindsight. I also thought of others who had tremors. There had been a Professor and Head of one Department in the past, who had tremors. They had been so bad that this person had to hold the suturing needle on the patient's drape after passing it through tissues, so that it would remain steady and could be caught with the needle holder held by the other hand. I had always thought those were essential tremors. Now I suddenly wondered if she/he* used to drink heavily too.
The latest example was quite recent. There was this senior Professor of a surgical specialty that I met in a meeting of the civic body. Food was served in the lunch break. Since I never ate any food at such meetings, I had time to observe others. This person's hands shook while holding the plate. The I looked at the face. It was quite puffy. I looked at the tummy. It was quite prominent. I suddenly knew he/she* was a heavy drinker. That explained many things. It also explained the Boss' remark in a meeting. It was 10:30 A.M. The agenda was on a matter in which this person was quite knowledgeable. I suggested he/she* should be called, since his/her* help would be required eventually. The Boss looked at the clock and said, "But will he/she* be up already?" He/she* was called as suggested by me, and he/she* arrived half an hour later, looking disheveled and puffy.
I don't know why I should be blind to clinical signs when interacting with professional colleagues while I am quite alert when seeing patients? Is my trusting nature a flaw? If it is indeed a flaw, I am not sure I want to correct it.
"I then asked him why he had tremors" the Boss said to me once about a faculty member. "I found out he/she* was drinking quite heavily."
"Huh?" I said. I had not thought any faculty member, especially one who operated on patients, would drink heavily enough to have tremors. I had always thought this person's tremors had been essential.
"Yes. I asked him/her to bring a relative so that he/she* could undergo deaddiction."
That got me thinking. This person's puffy look supported this diagnosis, at least in hindsight. I also thought of others who had tremors. There had been a Professor and Head of one Department in the past, who had tremors. They had been so bad that this person had to hold the suturing needle on the patient's drape after passing it through tissues, so that it would remain steady and could be caught with the needle holder held by the other hand. I had always thought those were essential tremors. Now I suddenly wondered if she/he* used to drink heavily too.
The latest example was quite recent. There was this senior Professor of a surgical specialty that I met in a meeting of the civic body. Food was served in the lunch break. Since I never ate any food at such meetings, I had time to observe others. This person's hands shook while holding the plate. The I looked at the face. It was quite puffy. I looked at the tummy. It was quite prominent. I suddenly knew he/she* was a heavy drinker. That explained many things. It also explained the Boss' remark in a meeting. It was 10:30 A.M. The agenda was on a matter in which this person was quite knowledgeable. I suggested he/she* should be called, since his/her* help would be required eventually. The Boss looked at the clock and said, "But will he/she* be up already?" He/she* was called as suggested by me, and he/she* arrived half an hour later, looking disheveled and puffy.
I don't know why I should be blind to clinical signs when interacting with professional colleagues while I am quite alert when seeing patients? Is my trusting nature a flaw? If it is indeed a flaw, I am not sure I want to correct it.
