adelaidemedblog

A rare trip to Prospect library gave me the opportunity to read The Advertiser, something I’m not accustomed to these days.  Considering myself a person with integrity, I wouldn’t normally be caught reading such a thing, but my procrastination drive kicked in and boredom reared its ugly head, this day before the Resource Exam.  So it was I found myself flicking through, generally sneering in disgust at the fluffy writing and making faces to myself like the arrogant bastard I am, and then I came across a letter to the editor.  I read this letter and I felt a true emotion, and suddenly I didn’t hate the Advertiser anymore.

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“Hats off to the Royal Adelaide”

Rarely do hospitals these days rate a positive mention in our media, particularly in the current political climate.  But my and my family’s experience with staff of Royal Adelaide Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit deserves great recognition.
Late last month, my sister and young children had the life-shattering experience of seeing their husband and father pass away after suffering a massive stroke.  Airlifted to Royal Adelaide’s ICU, he was shortly pronounced unable to survive and life support was removed.

If not for the compassion, professionalism, support and holistic care of the entire ICU staff, I cannot imagine how my sister and our extended family and friends would have coped.

The subtle but pervasive care of the front-desk “lavender ladies”, the incredible kindness and concern of the doctors and nurses and the outstanding, insightful compassion shown by the in-house social worker is evidence of a system that, despite its weaknesses can still shine through human qualities.

May these amazing, dedicated professionals win their own ongoing battles for funding, support,education, training and recognition.  Our family will forever be in their debt.

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I can imagine that if I knew of such a letter regarding my “compassion, professionalism, support and holistic care”, I would be the proudest doctor walking into work on Monday morning.  Or at 2AM Saturday morning, whichever comes first.  Do all doctors find this kind of thing uplifting to the point that it becomes a kind of addiction?  They become addicted to feeling glorious, to the acknowledgment of their efforts, that action is directly proportional to praise, to heart, and then, to head?  No self respecting person would display to the world that their work is done in self-interest alone, yet I can’t believe the most righteous person would trick themselves into believing they are giver of all, and keeper of none… it simply goes against the human grain.

After reading this letter, I worried a bit about standards, those I would and would not be able to live up to.  Standards of the sick, the dead… the dying, especially.