I have been known to speak out occasionally (!!), and after watching this wonderful video of Dr Abraham Verghese’s speech A doctor’s touch at a TED event, I decided to join TED myself and set up the following conversation Is it humane to use physical or pharmacological restraint in the infirmed, dementia or aged care patients?. I would urge you to watch his speech, and to consider your own position with regards to how you have been treated as a patient. My own experience has been less than perfect, for example after being told for almost 40 years I was either a ‘hypochondriac’, an ‘overachiever’, I was ‘going a stressed period’, and there was nothing wrong me, I was finally taken seriously (only because I developed symptoms doctors could not ignore any more as they could see them!) and diagnosed with a brain malformation I had been born with! My experience with the diagnosis of dementia has been challenging too, and the after care is virtually nonexistent. Abraham Verghese suggests almost everything we do in life is a surrounded by a ritual of some kind, and that the ritual of the diagnosis is missing these days. My experience, and the stories I regularly hear from others supports his theory. With a diagnosis of dementia, it seems to me the rituals I am setting up such as blogging, are truly supporting a vibrant and lived positive existence. Pass this video link on; the more patients who see it, the more people might start demanding proper attention in the diagnostic process. This man is a physician, speaking out to try to improve the experience of the patient, what an amazing inspiration!
For your information, TED “is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences — the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer — TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize. Our mission: Spreading ideas. We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. This site, launched April 2007, is an ever-evolving work in progress, and you’re an important part of it. Have an idea? We want to hear from you.”
And finally today, one more blog roll, Diana Neutze, another truly Inspirational human being…
I think diagnosis, the lack of, the lack of the ritual of, is a real problem in our society even for the smallest medical problems. The crux of the matter is time. No one, doctors, don’t have the time. But that same time drags on endlessly when you are feeling even under the weather, let alone seriously ill and misunderstood.
It seems none of us have ‘time’ any more, perhaps because we are locked in front of our screens? Your point about not having time, and yet how time drags when we are less than thrilled with what we are doing, is so true!
When I am at my doctors, these days only one of them now looks at me when he/she is consulting. The others (about 5 other specialists plus my 2 gp’s) look at the computer screen, asking questions and tapping on the keys as I answer them. Then they decide if I need to be ‘tested’ – scan, x-ray, bloods, etc, and if not, usually they just send me on my way. The one who I feel respects me, as a real ‘person’ sitting in the chair, is the one who looks at me, checks something physical every time I am there, and who talks ‘to’ me. Even he though, usually has no ideas of what to suggest to help my complicated health issues, and so we regularly trial medication to see if it helps (I feel like a real guinea pig), and then when it either reacts against my system, or does not help, we move on to another drug. Only once has any doctor prescribed a nutritional supplement (magnesium), which does in fact help. Otherwise, when medication fails, I am left to my own devices. Thank goodness I am by nature a proactive person, otherwise, I do wonder where would I be??!! Perhaps this is why I loved the speech given by Abraham Verghese so much.
this is good, but I related TED back to (anti) Thromb Embolic Deterrent stockings we use to put on ‘special’ patients in theatre to prevent DVTS
hahaha… between TED stockings (put on almost all patients going to theatre now I think) and Touheys Extra Dry beer, I think maybe the TED website should have done some more research before choosing its name!!
Very interesting. Well bugger me I always thought TED was Tooheys Extra Dry. Love you