What i say to my patients?

many times, the patients like to ask a lot of questions especially in the clinic. with the huge patient load, many patients are still waiting their turn, as the doctor is trying to finish the load. still, the doctor needs to convey the message to the patients appropriately.

because the clinic patients are almost similar, in terms of diseases. most of the time they will ask the similar questions. after awhile, you will have a set of answers to them.


there are many of the patients having chronic diseases, suffering long-term of pain, here and there, almost all over the body. it is more pronounce to the elderly patients. pain is really distressing. most, they will complaint of knee pain, back pain, shoulder pain, then pain everywhere.

here come...

"it is like driving a car. when it is new, you can just press the pedal and accelerate to more than 100km/h, and the car is still steady. after 5 years or so, problems come and it needs some fixing. then 10-15 years later, more problems will arise. it requires major make-over, or that will be time to change a new one. for human, when ageing comes, most of the body parts are giving problems. but for us, we can't change the body."
by this time, the patient will show you sad face...

so,
"we will give you some medications, to ease your pain. as i said, due to the ageing process, the pain might not be completely erase off. but it will reduce it."
that's it.


many more are having diseases like, hypertension or diabetes. here, unfortunately many of them just poorly or worst absolutely not controlled. if lucky enough, you may get some patients who are just starting to have some symptoms. some, all the bad complications are already set in. the blood results are just... amazing!

i frequently tell them:
"this are the chronic diseases. you don't feel it, but you are still having it for long long time. so you must take the medications, accordingly. if not, you will suffer problems like kidney failure then you need to go for dialysis or renal transplant, loss of sensation over your limbs and risk of cutting off later, gradually blurring of vision then blind, risk of heart attack and stroke in long term."

WAH! most of the patients will just starring to you now, with jaw dropped.
after scare them with the problems...

"but with good control of the diseases, you may enjoy a longer period of pain-free. you can do, eat and go anywhere you like to. these will defer the complications to set in, again defer to later days."

it sounds more relieving now. the patients will just smile to you, with hope that they understood you just said.


all my patients, i will definitely end with this:
"no matter what, i will do what i can do, the best for you!"
very political statement.

you happy, i also happy.