Her request sounded very genuine and the tone was sincere even though It left me perplexed and surprised .This was the third visit of the 65 year old lady with troublesome positional vertigo. Fortunately , I could cure her with two repositioning maneuvers .I suggested her to stop all medicines and declared she no longer needs any visit to my clinic .She stood up with folded hands in the traditional Indian Namasthe posture and said “ Doctor , this is probably my last visit and I still don’t know how you look like. Could you please take off your mask so that I would be able to recognize you if by any chance we meet again ?’
Blame it on that miniscule virus circulating every where on this blue planet, no patients see their doctors face. With a sharp rise in Covid 19 patients I have been covering up myself like a space traveler with PPE kit , mask , glasses, shield and gloves making sure that the virus as well as my patients will not see any part of my physical self. It has severely impaired my communication with the patient. Science says that the content of speech forms only a very small proportion 0f the message conveyed .A significant share is through the facial expressions , body language and your voice modulation .The multilayer filtering by mask , face shield and protective plexi-glass shield on my table{which reminds me of a bullet proof cover in the podium when PM speaks in open air] makes my voice feeble and monotonous. He/She is unable to read my facial expressions and the subtle postural changes I make to emphasize the point goes unnoticed. Gone are those days when I used to give the old Parkinsons patient a reassuring pat on the shoulder while seeing him off. The four year old girl mistook her ‘doctor uncle’ for an alien from the cartoon and was reluctant to sit down. Only the picture of the red little elephant I usually draw at the bottom of her prescription could convince her my identity.
I took off my face shield and then my mask and glasses and put them on the tray and felt like Stanley Ipkiss coming out of his mask. The comforting cold breeze probably made my smile more wider and genuine. ’Thank you , son!. May God bless you and your family”. For a moment I put away the ardent atheist in me and accepted her sincere blessings with a gentle bow. I was busy grabbing a fresh pair of gloves and mask while she reached the door. What she said next with a mischievous smile on her lips made my day.” Mon njan vicharichathinnekkal sundaran anu tto “[Son , you are much more handsome than I guessed]. The very next thing I did was to put up this small poster on my table
Through the open window , looking towards the center of the city of Paris ,Felix Vicq d’Azyr could easily appreciate the reddish hue of the festive fire lighting up the evening sky . The festival of the supreme being was reaching the peak of frenzy. He felt a worsening of his breathlessness. Thousands of sandbags were on his chest.The white…
Here are some tips to make it easier for Dementia patients and their caregivers 1 .Control of the infection Stay at home to reduce the risk of infection Keep home as a clean zone Prevent visits from high-risk persons, for example, those with fever or who have had contact with COVID-19 cases Have home-members self-sanitize (e.g., wash hands, change clothes,…
My email and WhatsApp inbox had a tough day on July 1. It was more like a Mumbai Suburban train on Saturday evening --all colors, shapes, language, faces and slogans And everyone proclaimed the greatness of my profession, untiring services rendered, and the sacrifices made by my companions. This year Doctor's day saw an unprecedented rise in the number of…
Her request sounded very genuine and the tone was sincere even though It left me perplexed and surprised .This was the third visit of the 65 year old lady with troublesome positional vertigo. Fortunately , I could cure her with two repositioning maneuvers .I suggested her to stop all medicines and declared she no longer needs any visit to my…
Urinary bladder has a complex innervations with somatic and sympathetic systems and carries out dual functions of storage and emptying of urine. At least 25% of the clinical problems seen in pediatric urology are the result of neurologic lesions that affect the lower urinary tract function. Our increasing understanding of the neurophysiology of bladder coupled with advances in urodynamic techniques…
A stroke is a condition in which the brain cells suddenly die because of a lack of oxygen. This can be caused by an obstruction in the blood flow, or the rupture of an artery that feeds the brain. The patient may suddenly lose the ability to speak, there may be memory problems, or one side of the body can…
Multiple sclerosis affects the brain and spinal cord. Early symptoms of multiple sclerosis include weakness, tingling, numbness, and blurred vision. Other possible warning signs are muscle stiffness, thinking problems, and urinary problems. A multiple sclerosis diagnosis is made by the history of symptoms and a neurological exam, often with the help of tests such as an MRI or a spinal…
Epilepsy is a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, which may vary from a brief lapse of attention or muscle jerks, to severe and prolonged convulsions. The seizures are caused by sudden, usually brief, excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells (neurones). In most cases, epilepsy can be successfully treated with anti-epileptic drugs.
Chronic headache, or chronic daily headache (CDH), is classified as experiencing fifteen or more days with a headache per month. It is estimated that chronic headaches affect "4% to 5% of the general population".Chronic headaches consist of different sub-groups, primarily categorized as chronic tension-type headaches and chronic migraine headaches. The treatments for chronic headache are vast and varied. Medicinal and…
Dr V.T.Haridas is a Senior Consultant Neurophysician at Elite Mission Hospital, Thrissur, Kerala. He received his medical degree from the Thrissur Medical College and had his two years Post Graduate Training in General Medicine at the Kottayam Medical College. He completed his DM Neurology training at NIMHANS, Bangalore, Dr.Haridas has also received DNB degrees in General medicine as well as DNB neurology. He was a rank holder during his Graduation and his area of interest is Neuro-rehabilitation.
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