COMMENT FROM DAWN
Dear Dr Belhag . . . .
Thankyou for writing such an honest and inspirational website. It is refreshing and unusual to see a spiritual element discussed alongside illnesses in such a positive way. It can be difficult to understand and fathom where God is or at work in illnesses whether physical or psychological and one that I have struggled to answer for many years through my work and own personal journey. But like you I do believe in God, and have my faith and trust that God has plans,purposes, destinies and divine appointments in this life despite all my disappointments.
It was quite amazing that I stumbled across your pages, was reading them with great enthusiasm without actually realising it was your work. Of course once I realised it made me smile as how you describe how neurologists should be with patients is 100% true for you. Being a patient has given me a completely different experience of healthcare and has really opened my eyes to the importance of communication. What people say really matters, and how it is said really matters too! In my last visit to you I walked into the hospital and walked past probably 50 patients and staff…no one smiled! I thought I wonder how long it will be til I see someone smile.. It took about 35 mins. You were the only person that smiled at me. I hope that in the future I can remember that when I deal with my patients and families.
Thankyou for all your care it has been greatly appreciated. I hope that you will continue to write some more inspirational thoughts when you have time as it is a truly refreshing perspective.
Regards
Dawn Twilights.
Thanks Melissa very much for your positive and motivating comments. I do agree with you fully that doctors must give more time and attention to their patients and must allocate some time to listen to their patients’ feedback and any concerns.
We – doctors – need to see our patients as people with illnesses, but not just diseases need to be treated. When we see our patients as human beings we see them clearer and we manage their illnesses in much broader way i. e holistic approach.
We – as doctors – always talk about diseases such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, or even pneumonia, peptic ulcer etc. We are most of the time sadly treating diseases but not managing people with illnesses. No disease exists without a carrier. Hence, we need to see and understand the carrier to get rid of the disease.
Very interesting Melissa. You have opened my mind on something I have never thought about it !.
I am in this business of being a medical professional for long time, and I am by nature, very curious about things in my life. I do wounder and ponder almost about everything passes by me, I see it, I hear it, or someone tells me about it. I never ever take things as given… as delivered to me. I do always search, think, and ponder before I accept. That is me, and I am just proud of it.
What I have never thought about was “disease” !!. I just have taken it as it was given to me, and have never stopped at it to know little bit more about the word “disease” until I read your very clever contribution. You’ve wrote disease as “dis-ease”…. that did stop me and made me wonder !!.
Yes, I do fully agree with you… disease= dis-ease !!.
Dis-ease, like dis-comfort, like dis-like, like dis-use, and like dis-satisfaction. It could mean “no easy life” !!.
Life with no illness is NOT always easy !!. You can be very healthy on medical grounds, but still your life is not easy !!.
You could be poor, hungry, feeling cold, missing a dear friend, etc. In such circumstances, you are not ill by medical definition, but your life is not necessarily easy !!.
Hence, I guess, disease not exclusively means illness. It could simply just means; your life is not easy at that moment of time !!. Hence, we could be dealing here with a “misnomer”.
Thanks Melissa for triggering my wondering and pondering… have a lovely day.