Once, there was this doctor, whom I shall call Dr. Snake. He is like whatchacall the heritage statue in a large hospital. My son was under the care of another specialist, who specialised in things Dr. Snake doesn’t, though Dr. Snake has airs about his superiority. “I ate salt more than you” kinda thing.
So, one day the regular doc had to make a trip for a medical convention for 3 days. He explained to me that he had booked the conference months ago and hence, he couldn’t cancel the trip eventhough he wanted to stay back because my son was just intubated (put on machine assisted breathing) for a few days and was adjusting.
Before this, I was already aware of the goings on. Like which patient survived, which didn’t. Which patient was this fler, which was that etc etc. As a caregiver, I like to snoop about because I want to be sure that my son was getting the best care from the best guy.
It was a Sunday and there were lot of visitors hanging around the ICU lobby. Every one of them sitting there, looking bored. I just arrived and the moment, I stepped into the ICU lobby, Dr. Snake was just out of the ICU, having checked my son.
In his loudest voice, which can be heard by everyone, waving his stethoscope, standing akimbo, with his hand waving the stetescope, he said,
“I don’t know why you are allowing this little guy (my son) to die like this. Do you know ha? His heart can give up any minute? He is like running a marathon. Why didn’t the young man (my other doc) put him on viagra?”
As I said, I had almost lived in the hospital for that 5 months so I know Dr. Snake’s zany way of talking. Sometimes, he would shouted at his nurses with precriptions from one end of the corridor to the other end or cussed parents for their stupidity etc.
(Viagra is used for mountain climbers to help their lungs open up to absorb more oxygen. It worked for one premature baby before but these are just trials when other methods can’t work anymore. It is not proven yet.)
I took a deep breath and put on my smartest face and retorted to him, “Well, both Dr. C and Dr. D (a paediatric cardiologist from another hospital) feel it is not necessary at this stage. They gave Vincent an echo (or whatever the testis) and his pulmonary hypertension bla bla left ventricle bla bla pressure” (I have forgotten most of the medical lingo by now but very well versed last time.)
Dr. Snake got more animated, “What? Didn’t you know that the young man (yeah, Dr. Snake is very disrepectful) and Dr. D once gave the most convincing presentation during some doctors’ conference about the effectiveness of viagra?”
I got pissed and after more debate, to the amusement of the busy bodies listening in, I challenged Dr. Snake.
“OK, I sign the permission now, you go and start it if you say Vincent is not going to pull through this weekend.”
Well, he dare not. And weeks passed by and finally Vincent was given a trial of viagra but it didn’t work for him.
Then, Vincent’s regular doc has to make another trip. This time, both he and I were well aware of Dr. Snake’s snakey way. Of course, I did carry tales back to the regular doctor about the matter that transpired between Dr. Snake and I over the viagra matter.
One night, Dr. Snake came in late for his regular round. Patients in the ICU get three trips from the doctor everyday. There was this nurse politics whereby some nurses ‘belong’ to this doctor and some to another. It was more like loyalty camps. I stood by, pretending to be dumb to the going ons and to their doctor/nurse talks. What they did not know is by now, I know the administration works like which chart to fill in, which cabinets to file and what forms to use, what to observe on the patient, which stats to look out for etc. I can even predict what the doctors will write in the observation chart.
This time, Dr. Snake took the upper-hand of asking the nurse to administer a double dose of viagra on Vincent. But he signalled to this nurse not to enter the prescription in Vincent’s chart. However, the nurse must write down what she took from another chart in their nurse station.
I kept quiet and pretend not to know. When the other doctor came back, I told him and true enough, he cannot find the dose being given to my son in his charts. Well, I joked that if I am in the States, I can sue Dr. Snake until his pants dropped. First for traumatising me with all sort of news and second for illegal prescription of drugs.
The only thing that results from these incidents are the revealation that I can no longer trust the word ‘doctor’.
You should report him to the Malaysian Medical Association for administering medication illegaly and not recording it in the charts
Ahhh…u finally post this one…
I guess you should have report him, no? I once got appendix and without knowing it I assume it was just normal stomach ache. End up the doctor give me an injection saying that things will be all right after that.
Imagine it was 11pm, I need to drive 30 minute away from my house to the doctor nearby. After reaching home 2 hour later, I’m still pain like hell. I call up & he just say a word to me “You can now go straight to the hospital!”
So I have to drive to the hospital again middle of the night, that take me another 3o minute!
Doctors! Can’t beat the one who asked my dying over-80-year-old Auntie if she still had her period!!!
When my son admitted at NICU Swk GH at Kuching… I’ve met a lot of different doctors with different characters… once one doctor have told me a ridiculous statement … ” U’r 1st child is it? Never mind u can still have another one if anything happen to your son” @#@#!!!! If I just could turn the clock I would smash his face!!!!
mama nuzul..was the doctors name by any chance called Chew Peng Hong 😛 hehehe
drs r humans, no? well, to err is human, no? stupid humans! hahah..
Doctors nowadays suay one la. Straight straight prescribe antibiotics as though it is universal cure.
My sis who used to works as a med rep. lost her respect on doctors after that job. She says, a lot of doctors are unethical, snakey but of course, there are still some good ones around.
Reading about Dr. Snake, already makes me boil. Thank goodness, you had better docs to take care of your son.
i didnt trust doctors from private hospitals ever since they give give patients the scare and hope that the patients will opt for more tests and procedures which cost a lot of money (and it goes to their pockets).
Yeap, most doctors nowadays are all out to make money but not all of them are bad.
The thing is, we must also know up to a certain level of medical knowledge in order to avoid being conned or even being betrayed of our trust.
Today we cant put 100% trust on anyone. At least you had some good doctors to take good care of your son. That’s comforting.
I remember once when I was younger, during primary school days, my elder brother (only two of us children in the family) had this really bad tummy pain.. So pain that my parents got so worried that we took him to see this doctor.. Not sure if this doctor has a good reputation or some doctor in the 24 hours clinic.. Anyhow, this doctor told my parents in front of my brother that he had appendix and need to go for operation immediately. Upon hearing this, my brother cried even more due to the pain plus the thought of going for an operation right then and then. But my dad, the hero said no and seek a second opinion from our family doctor. True enough, the family doctor said that my brother does not need to go for any operations but just some medications for his tummy pain.. Until today, I am glad to say his appendix is still inside him.. 🙂
Yes, it’s true that dat some “old” docs thinks themselves so uppity-up. It pisses me off. For u to not sue that fcuker for not noting down the dosage administered on Vincent is already damn lenient on ur part. And d stupid nurse also buta-buta follow instruction altho i’m sure she knows it’s wrong.
I’m damn skeptic about today’s doctors. It’s all about the money they are after. They know damn well if they cant get u onto d operating table at first shot, the doctor next door will get a go at it, and there goes his swiss winter holiday down the ski-slope.
Of cos i still visit my doc for their diagnosis. But as for their treatment methods, i’ll just listen. I’ll avoid taking drugs unless abosolutely necessary. Organic me just cant stomach the thought of having all those stuff creating more havoc inside me.
My mom’s doctor operated on her after seeing a tumour in her tongue through an MRI scan but when he cut her open, he couldn’t find the tumour. So whose fault is it?
The radiologist, the ENT surgeon, or my mother for not seeking a 2nd opinion for that second operation?
I can onli hope that this is one of ur over-exagarated posts. Reading it makes my blood boil.
Wah tiu,so siao punya doctor pun ada ar?? At least my doctor is good towards me when I had my appendix surgery last year. But my doctor who attended to me when I broke my leg is more like a doctor from hell. Of course you cry or wince when you break your leg,right?? And he’s saying I’m over reacting. What a @#$%&* sonofabitch………………
*run away*
Oi Doc, not only *run away*, it should be *run away, covering the family marbles tight-tight after reading these ganas feedbacks* LOL
not all drs like tat one….but some are realli teruk lor..in the private hospitals..when they asked for blood test n scans..they dun get anything out of it..the hosp gets it..the reason why they ask for a battery of tests is oso becos of the the lawsuit problem..have to cover every aspects..the total charges u get..achelli onli abt 1 quarter goes to the dr..the rest..the hospital gets..
wah..sei jai dr liew ar…run away tim…oi…kambek..
The doctor you described appeared to be opinionated and insensitive. That can, and usually will, get on patient’s and relatives’ nerves. Plus he was disrespectful of a colleague, an attitude that would not be appreciated among his peers. Plus plus, he tried to hide something from his colleague and the patient(‘s realtive). We frown upon this.
Nevertheless, though I only pick out from your narrative, he did not do anything for personal gain. To his credit, he still had the child’s best interest in his mind.
A doctor’s personality, attitudes and past experiences colour the way he treats and communicates with his patients. There are some who have forgotten that they are in a people-orientated vocation. You have met many doctors and I’m sure you have seen the whole spectrum of doctors.
p/s Diagnosing appendicitis can be treacherously difficult, particularly if the doctor did not receive regular feedback on the patients that he sent to the surgeon with suspected appendicitis.
There’s a quote : “If every case that you have diagnosed to be appendicitis turns out to be appendicitis, you have underdiagnosed.”
*continue running* :PbPbPb
Doctors are semi-GOd… at least some think that. Obviously this Dr Snake is no where near your Dr House hor? lol
Doctors can be a tyrant. Sad that a jackass wants to take up this work. Probably pushed by parents that want the prestige of having a son as a doctor.
In every profession theres good,bad and not so good purveyors of their craft. What I do know is when a person chides and blames his peers , it shows a sense of insecurity and lack of confidence in himself.If you’re good. you’re good no need to put others down to get ahead.
I’ve met a lot of doctors in my life and all I can say is they’re human and have human failings.There are those who are in the profession primarily to make money and don’t give a monkey’s ass about their patients and those who don’t have a clue as to what they’re doing as they’re not required to sit for tests when they graduate. They’re expert in dispensing panadol or free samples from the drugs dealer.I know also that they bunch up and cover their mistakes when they goof up. They should promulgate exams for doctors to keep their practising certs and get lawyers specialising in medicine to weed out malpractices.
wat???like dat oso can?? chau chibye betul!! is this snake a “semi value”?
Alamak lilian,
I think you should report this dr snake… I don’t know how you can face face the snakey doc patiently…
OMG