Indexing Title: RDELEON’s Medical Anecdotal Report [04-8]

MAR Title: Q&A

Date of Medical Observation: October 13, 2004

Narration:

            It was a Wednesday morning and I was the resident on duty at the out patient department. It was relatively unremarkable day until MA 23-year-old female accompanied by her mother came in to consult about her anal mass. After a brief history and a complete physical examination, I diagnosed the patient to have mixed hemorrhoids and explained to her condition and the management for her condition.

            As I was explaining the patient’s condition, her mother interrupted me and asked “Hindi na po kayo nag tutule?” I asked her in return where did she get her idea and why was she asking. She pointed at the poster at the OPD and told me she has a son that she was contemplating of undergoing circumcision.  I asked her what her concept of circumcision is.

            She told me that she basically didn’t have the idea but from what she remembered, it was told to her that all boys should be circumcised for it is our practice and belief.  I took time in explaining to her the reasons and the stand of our department why we were advocating such concept.

`           I tackled each issue raised by the mother, from religious to health issues that goes along with circumcision. She then told me that she heard from a morning TV show that there’s an increased risked for uncircumcised male to have AIDS. I stopped to think very carefully, knowing that AIDS and safe sex is a very delicate issue to all.

            I told her that yes there maybe a very small increase in risk for acquiring AIDS so small that it is very negligible. And still the best way to prevent AIDS is safe sex. I advised her, knowing it’s hard for parents to discuss sex education that the best teacher for kids to learn sex education is from there own parents.  Safe sex entails having a single sex partner, your husband or wife. Monogamy! And that sex is an _expression of love, a gift that God gave to us.

            I waited for the mother to reply to me, but all she did was smile to me and shook my hands and thanked me. Thanked me not just for answering the question but being honest and sharing a part of me. And told me, “Ngayon alam ko na na di dapat tuliin ang aking anak!”

Insights: (Physical, Psychosocial, Ethical/ Discovery, Stimulus, Reinforcement)

            As part of being a doctor, patients gives a high regards to us. What we tell them matters a lot. When advising to our patients, we should know what we are saying, be truthful. For if we give a wrong notion to them. We are imparting wrong information and wrong practice that they will share with there friends and relatives.

            As part of our social obligation to our community, we must try to correct the wrong practice that was thought to us. No matter how difficult it is, we should give our best effort. Tradition might be difficult to change and it will take time for us to change it, but if we don’t act now, who will?

            In this experience, a doctor should not only know the disease entity a patient has but also be ready in answering questions not related to the primary chief complaint. We should be ready in every situation we might encounter.