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Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Viswamitra, May 24, 2017.

  1. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    When my wife called from India, I assumed that as a routine call to inquire about my son and myself. Unusually, it was about her. She reported that she lost her sight in the right eye. Two years back when we visited a young and budding ophthalmologist, she said that we both were having traces of cataract in both our eyes. But she said it would take 4-5 years before we begin to get hazy vision. It was quite unusual as when my wife left for India she had clear vision on both eyes. I told her to wait until she returns to the US 15 days later and I promised her that I would fix an appointment for her with a famous ophthalmologist here in the US. I had a Lasik vision correction with this doctor in 2008 and hence I had great faith in him.

    After her return to the US, we visited him and he immediately told us that it was cataract that had completely covered her right eye making her legally blind in one eye. He was bit surprised that it happened so quickly. However, he said he wanted to rule out any possibility of complications behind the eye as he was not able to see anything beyond the cataract. He asked us to take an ultrasound of her right eye and I have never heard of it before. When I asked him where to take it, he asked the staff the same question. They told us that they have one in the premises. We moved into a room where a medical professional applied some cream into the eyes and took photograph of the right eye in various angles such as 3, 6, 9 and 12. Within a few minutes the doctor came rushing to the waiting room to let us know that everything is good behind the eyes and only cataract surgery need to be scheduled.

    We were told to move into a room where there was an office assistant who specializes in contract signing. She told verbally what my wife was signing and asked her to sign on an electronic pad without seeing the content. My wife was joking, “I can’t read what I was signing anyway with one eye”. After taking nearly 7-8 signature, she told me what was going to be the cost of the surgery, how much the insurance would reimburse and what would be our cost. Even though it was not much of a cost, they offered Care Credit that allows to pay the amount over 24 months with no interest. I signed up for it and paid the full cost of the surgery up front.

    A medical assistant gave a sheet telling that I should start her on certain drops 3 days before surgery. A day before the surgery, someone called to let us know that we should report at 2:10 p.m. We reported on time. We saw nearly 40 patients waiting in a huge waiting room. It was a like a factory setting where the raw materials were assembled in a store room and put in a conveyor belt to be converted into a finished product with proper packaging. Everything was so seamless. A medical assistant allowed us to check in. Another assistant called my wife’s name and filled her eyes with some solutions and asked to wait for 15 minutes. Later, she was called inside to administer anesthesia and then she was taken to a room where they broke the cataract along with the lens, vacuumed all the debris and fixed a new artificial lens. The cataract surgery itself took only 3 minutes even though we waited for nearly an hour. After the surgery, another medical assistant came to me and told that my wife could be drowsy for a while and hence requested me to take her home carefully. She gave instructions about the drops I need to put in her operated eyes once after reaching home and another at the time of going to bed. She told us to report to meet the doctor again the next day morning.

    We promptly reported the next day and the doctor looked into the eyes and told my wife that the lens requires a little bit of polishing after 30 days as he noticed a few debris still spotted. Now, we have another appointment today for the left eye. Post-operative drops were to be administered for 30 days and then my wife is good to go. They cautioned that she should not drive for two days and should prevent water entering the eyes for a month. She can take shower but should close eyes and prevent any chemical entering the eyes.

    When I looked at the system in the doctor’s office, I felt like dropping my car for service and picking it up later after detailed diagnostics and fixing of issues. Has practice of medicine become a mechanical operation or is it the advancement of technology that made the practice of medicine an extraordinary quality? But I must admit that the doctor and the medical assistants were extraordinary courteous and said so many times, “Our mission is to make everyone see better”.

    What am I missing?
     
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  2. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Swamijis can state 'Our Mission is to make you see deeper'!
     
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  3. Umanga

    Umanga Gold IL'ite

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    I would take the cold efficiency of the West to the fake warmth and inefficiency of India any day. Thank your lucky stars you live where you do, so that your wife can see. If you were in India, God knows what would have happened to her.

    Having said that, we look for a connection wherever we go. That human connect was missing for you at this place. Understandable, but physical health is paramount and that is much better looked after in the West for most people.

    As for medical philosophy, yes there is a vast gulf there between India and the West. The West, as you hint, focuses on specific parts of the body and treats ailments locally. It divides and specialises. India and other Eastern medical philosophies looks at the body as a whole and offer more holistic solutions. But, the latter depends on a certain way of life and a certain way of being that is altogether lost. Our eating habits, our physical activities, the quality of the air we breathe, everything has changed. So, it becomes very difficult to apply ayurveda to our daily routine. That would only be possible if we lived very cossetted lives isolated from a lot of modern influence. Unless, you are very privileged, that is impossible to achieve. There are also a lot of quacks hawking ayurveda eager to pounce on gullible NRIs. So, best to stay away, try to live a natural lifestyle and rely on Western medicine in cases like this.
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2017
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  4. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    @Umanga
    I am sad that you have such a poor opinion of our Doctors. Aravind Eye Hospitals and Sankara Netralaya are some of the world-class eye hospitals in India.
     
  5. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    @Umanga,

    I get a totally different view from people living in India. They feel the process in India is no different and the surgeries are done more efficiently. If that is the case, I don't mind warmth and efficiency in India.

    Moreover, I have no complaint about the warmth I received here in the US either. They were very courteous and kind except that there are too many patients operated on the same day. Sometimes, I wonder how the doctor has patience to handle so many operations a day.

    P.S.1: This doctor surprised me when I visited him with my wife for consulting by asking whether he had seen me before. I told him that I came for Lasik Vision Correction earlier. He replied, "It should be about 10 years since I saw you" without me telling which year I came to consult him. He was exactly correct. He has a memory of an elephant.

    P.S.2: During the post operative visit, one of the young doctors who participated in the surgery asked us, "Which part of India we are from?" We replied, "Chennai". He smiled saying, "Madras! I was living in Madras for 3 weeks to treat some patients visiting Dr. Agarwal", indicating he took some training in India.

    Viswa
     
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  6. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Cheeniya Sir,

    A very apt quote for Gurus. Thank you for your response.

    Viswa
     
  7. Umanga

    Umanga Gold IL'ite

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    Well, if your only objection to the U.S. procedure is that there were too many patients, then I feel that to be valid. You do end up feeling like a machine if you are one among a large number of patients. That personal attention is missing.

    In fact, what I like about the West is that there are fewer people. Life is less of a struggle. Fewer people driving. Fewer people walking. Fewer people in the doctor's office. For me, it is difficult to get personal attention in India because I have to fight with everybody else as a lone individual whereas Indians turn up with attendants and a phalanx of relatives.

    I can only gawk with open-mouthed incomprehension at the people you know who are living in India who say that India is very efficient. At the government hospitals, you have to struggle alongside the poor, the destitute and the villagers. At the private hospitals, which seem to be nicer and cleaner, you are so worried that all they are after is your money and they shall overcharge you. It has not been a pleasant experience.

    In the West, the focus on you is as a human being who needs treatment. In India, the focus is on age, gender, nationality, professional and social status, wealth and power. I would rather be treated like a human being than interrogated about my net worth or social status.

    The above may be considered as a response to @Cheeniya as well.
     
  8. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    I would like to retire from this discussion as I do not have much knowledge about US medicare.
     
  9. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Viswamitra,
    I am glad your wife has been taken good care and she is improving.
    Pluses and minuses are there in every medical system. Difficult to categorise. I have seen in three countries....USA, UK and of course India. India is a country with huge population. USA and UK thinly populated. But loop holes are there in every country and of course positive things also. Issues may not be the same.
    Speedy recovery to your wife.
    Syamala
     
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  10. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Syamala,

    Every country has positives and negatives. It is difficult to compare. When I saw the military moving into save lives in Chennai during flood, I was watching it with great sense of gratitude and appreciation. I heard how many people in the nearby area jumped into help victims in Manchester made me appreciate the attitude of the British. When I heard about people struck in 100 floors in WTC systematically walking the steps without panicking, helping the physically challenged to move first, the first responders climbing up the stairs to resue the people, people lining up to donate blood, the doctors voluntarily working 4-5 days nonstop to save lives, etc., I feel a sense of pride. Good things happen everywhere, all we need to do is to look for them.
     
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