Indexing Title:

CLEYSONs Medical Anecdotal Report [05-01]

 MAR Title:  Don’t expect!!

 Date of Medical Observation:  January 17, 2005

 Narration:

            Financial incapacity is one of the reasons why we catch breast cancer patients in an advance stage. Our department came up with an idea to help these indigent patients, thru Operasyon Kanser sa Suso.  

            One of the friends of the department of surgery funded the renovation of one of the ward rooms for the comfort of our breast cancer patients during their stay in our department.

             Since we admit patients in this room, nobody bothered to ask me why they were admitted in such a nice, comfortable room until MS a 45-year-old female with invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast. On the day of her admission, she sends a message informing me that the nurse had made a mistake for she was in an air-conditioned room.  I told her that the nurse didn’t make a mistake.  She answered “ Doktora, sabi po ng anak ko kung talaga daw po bang dito ako dapat admitin, natatakot po kasi ako  wala po kaming pambayad sa ganitong kuwarto. Doktora ok lang po ako sa di air-con.”  That’s when I realized that I didn’t explain to her all the benefits that our department was giving to patients with her condition.  So I called her and explained everything.

  Insights (Physical, Psychosocial, Ethical) (Discovery, Stimulus, Reinforcements)

 This case made me see that not because we are giving free operation to breast cancer patients we should expect them to accept all that we offer; we still have to explain the incentives that we offered. They are still patients with ailments, wherein as a surgeon we should explain to them their condition, the options of treatment and the outcomes. 

 It also made me realized that I am being inconsiderate!!! Inconsiderate of our donors, I am not giving them the proper credit for helping us in our quest to reach our indigent, sick countrymen.

 Since then, I inform my breast cancer patients all the incentives that our department is offering after explaining to them their present situation.