ILLNESS + DILEMMA = MiSery (Medical Science)

I have an old relationship with Illness and Dilemma hand in hand for a long time. The instances have taken toll on me and at times I was just inches away from the operation theatre when it was in no ways required. I could share with you a couple of them to empathize with me for the kind of dilemma I have been in, in the past and the highs and lows associated with them.

I was about 10-12 yrs old and was suffering from fever for almost half a month and had severe pain over the period in my back and stomach as the days increased, so apart from the fever this became a major concern for me and my parents. So to deal with the same we consulted with a couple of doctors who gave different opinions amongst which one of whom being a well respected and experienced one who after examining me, in a very firm tone asked my parents to admit me immediately, so that I could be operated early next morning and he would cancel his other appointments to operate me for APPENDIX. As soon as I heard this I was in a state of shock thinking about operation and stuff at such a young age and was very nervous but could not speak a word in front of the doctor there. But my parents told the doctor that we shall go home and get back to him through telephone after talking to others at home and left the place. And after coming home my parents were somehow convinced that we needed another opinion so decided not to talk to the doctor until we consult some one else. So the next day we went to another experienced doctor whom after a long wait we were able to see at his home, as it was a Sunday. He just examined me for a minute or so and said that I don’t have any appendix or anything and I am completely alright, just a tonic will make me alright soon. And trust me I felt cured already after having heard that I don’t have APPENDIX and I would not be subjected to any operation or so. And I think I was alright in 2 days after seeing this doctor and felt like I had got a new LIFE that day. Such a major twist in the tale just in a matter of less than 24 hours.

The next instance is a recent one, I had met with an accident and hurt my knee as a consequence of which. For almost 3 months I was under the impression that it was just a strain in my knee, which would be alright soon. But days passed by, I consulted half a dozen or more doctors, everyone having their own story analysis about my recovery. At the end of 3 months I underwent an MRI scan which was the only way to figure out what was actually wrong with my Knee and then we came to know that I had a Ligament tear in my knee, now the concern was what to do with this tear. Again I had a series of opinions from over half a dozen of different specialists throughout the city, with opinions varying from requirement of an operation to just physiotherapy will do and so on and so forth. Finally I haven’t undergone any operation, just took some physiotherapy and thial malish treatment of Kerala’s fame. I haven’t recovered from my ailment but still getting operated was a difficult decision but somehow got convinced that I can recover without operation if I follow certain exercises regularly (which I haven’t followed for long now, laziness and boredom being the reason and may be that’s why I haven’t recovered fully yet). But the whole episode of consulting doctors went on for about a year or more and as it can be seen, every visit used to bring different experience and outcome making life even more difficult.

Now coming to the present, I am suffering from some fever for about 15 days or so and have consulted 2 doctors so far (both of them are my Family doctors, whom we consult normally), and both have different opinions about my illness, where one says I am suffering from Chikengunya, the other claims it cannot be Chikengunya. So here I am again confused but not yet cured. I am no game for Science, and I am only concerned with getting back to normal and that too ASAP, I think I have had enough as it has already been half a month of suffering and I have taken enough number of tablets of different sizes and colors.

Just wish that I am cured of what ever illness I am suffering from, whether one medical book looks at it in one way and the other looks at it in yet another way. All I want is freedom from illness and if science itself is confused with its verdict then how am I to solve this riddle every time. How do I know who is right and why? I think the doctors irrespective of their exact study, learn the same basic science, if they can differ every time then how do I know whom to agree with and what treatment to undergo. Is there a solution?

(I am not trying to blame either science or the doctors in question, just trying to highlight how different incidents changed my life and could have had serious implications on my life. I am basically confused as to what is to be done in such circumstances when an individual is in a fix. And just to make things clear, I have not been taking opinion of different doctors just for the heck of it; I have actually done so, only after a reasonable period of time, when the former doctor’s medication failed to cure my illness. I believe firmly in science but am just concerned with differing views which has implications on ones life, views can differ in any field or context, but when the stake is so high, what must one do with differing views, how to handle the catch-22 situation)