The important birthdays in life

The important birthdays in life - as told to me by a 13 year old girl.

"1, because its your first birthday; 10, your first two-digit b'day; 13, you become a teen; 16- you are now a sweet 16 (she says she does not know what it means, but her friends assure her that it's a cool feeling); 18, you are now an adult and 21, since you now have the freedom to do anything; and finally 100, because you are now 100."

Faith in terminal illness

I had a difficult conversation with a patient and his wife today. He is facing a terminal diagnosis. Essentially a hopeless state. And then I realized he is a Christian. Our conversation suddenly became much more easier, because out of nowhere, there comes a glimmer of hope - of eternal life with Jesus Christ.

In a shadow of doubt

As a young clinical investigator, I must take heed of the words of James Wilson, the gene therapy expert who was incriminated of ethical misconduct after the death of Jesse Gelsinger. 

He said, "a young investigator must avoid situations in which three factors converge: a bad outcome, suspicion of error, and the appearance of financial conflict of interest. If those things happens, and it rises to the press' attention, the dots will be connected. No matter what you do, the mistakes will be perceived as having been made on purpose." 

Ref: NEJM 7 May 2015

Being a doctor

From:

http://dharmarajkarthikesan.com/2013/12/02/i-am-a-doctor-the-myth-buster/

"If your answer is still a resounding “yes” then I will let you in a secret. The important piece of information withheld up to now, meant only for those who truly deserve it. I have no regrets as well. Do you know why? Because we are the select few chosen to ease pain and end suffering. It’s a selfish act of being selfless. For one good day in this profession, I am willing to weather a hundred bad days. For a single smile of gratitude, I will brave a wave of indifference. For a person to be returned to their family, I am content if I only get to kiss my child goodnight.

I wake up every morning with a reason to live. It is profoundly better than those who wander aimlessly in a life of wealth and comfort. There will always be dark clouds. Even if I can’t see the sun, I know it’s there. And this sun is invincible. I hope you see it too someday"

Hope

He who promised is faithful 

- Hebrews 10:23

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

- Romans 12:12

These are two verses that ministered to me this past Sunday as I was in church. Both are about Hope. A man without hope is as good as dead. We can have hope in several things. Hope in our wealth, health and power. But the only one that is truly everlasting is the Hope in our creator. 

We hope because - He who promised is faithful. 

And, while I wait in Hope, be joyful. 

Persist in prayer. Patient in the afflictions. 

'My hope is built on nothing else, than Jesus' blood and righteousness...' goes a beautiful song. 

http://youtu.be/rkMapZB8qMk

A reading on the healing ministry

Insight for today Daily Devotional by Chuck Swindoll

Physicians

Posted: 11 May 2015 10:00 PM PDT

Matthew 9:10-12

"Physician. One upon whom we set our hopes when ill and our dogs when well," defines A. Bierce in The Devil's Dictionary.

Of all the professions, that of the physician has to be the most paradoxical. Brilliant and quick-thinking . . . yet unable to write so that anybody (except a pharmacist) can decipher the words. Decisive and disciplined . . . yet more preoccupied than an overworked inventor on the edge of a discovery. He's the only guy I know who can have both hands in your mouth while asking you three questions back to back as he stares up your nose and has his mind on his golf game. Honest and principled . . . yet lies through his teeth every time he says, "This won't hurt a bit . . . you'll hardly feel it."

The physician lives with two unique pressures day and night.

The pressure of life and death. A wrong decision, an unexpected change in a person's body, a drastic reaction to medication, a risk that backfires, a misdiagnosis, a hurried oversight, and a dozen other technical or ethical errors can result in death. What a heavy weight to hang on the thin wire of fallible humanity!

The pressure of success and failure. In a moment of time, years of schooling and decades of a respected practice can crumble and fall. Or, because of "the breaks," the doctor can find himself on the lofty pinnacle of power, prestige, and wealth, dangerously close to the point of idolatry.

If any profession on earth calls for a living, vital, incessant relationship with the eternal God, this one does. And yet therein lies the greatest paradox. Many of those dealing with life-and-death issues are themselves neither prepared to live nor ready to die.

In light of all this, it is interesting to ponder how much we owe to one medical doctor of the first century. His name was Dr. Luke, the beloved personal physician of Paul, the great apostle.

Through Luke's counsel and treatment, Paul was able to live on, fight hard, finish his course, and reach the Roman Empire with the message of hope. Like all great physicians, Luke realized all he could do was diagnose properly, treat the illness correctly . . . and then wait. Only God can heal.

And so, we thank our Lord for every Dr. Luke today—not miracle workers, but mere humans desperately in need of the Divine.

Our Great Physician understands the unique pressures each one of us faces, day and night. Ask for His counsel and diagnosis.

Recognizing all Doctors,  Nurses and Medical Professionals, And the to be Doctors. 

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If you ever feel depressed...

I woke up reading this news. An eight year old boy was smuggled from the impoverished fields of Africa to the richer plains of Europe. Imagine the trauma that he had to go through. It may pale in comparison to what he faced in his homeland. 

This news reminds me yet again that I have nothing to complain about. 

Never compare

One of the hard lessons in life I have learnt (or rather have been trying to learn) is the following:

How does lifelong friendships take form?

The title is self explanatory. My simple question is this - what does it take to make a friend for life? 

Let me give you an illustration from my father-in-law's (FIL) life. While being a third year engineering student, he and Mr. PV, a first year student shared a common room. Couple of days prior to their examination, PV started to have fevers with exanthematous rash formation. My FIL immediately suspected chicken pox or measles, highly infectious diseases. If it was one of these, which in all likelihood it was, his risk of getting infected was extremely high. It would have jeopardized his chance of writing the final exam and graduating on time. He had plenty of problems at home already. And now this. 

After some thought, he made a crucial decision. "I will not let this boy down". He went and told PV that he did not intend to leave the room, and both of them prayed together. Would you believe me if I say that his fever and rash resolved in two days. Both the students wrote the exam and secured good jobs. 

Several years later, PV told my FIL that from that day onwards, he used to pray for my FIL every single day of his life. 

Friendships that last a lifetime are cemented on expressions of love and sacrifice. And, blessed by God. 

Few years ago, upon hearing that PV was sick, my FIL went to see him. After prayer, PV asked my FIL to hug him dearly. "I hugged him tight."  

He died a week later. 

Predestination vs foreknowledge vs free will

Ephesians 1:4-6 talks about a key doctrine of christian faith. It's a doctrine that has vexed theologians over centuries, created denominations, and even used by atheists in debates and discussions. As I was studying this portion at a bible study, I was reminded of Judas.

How can I explain Judas' betrayal of Jesus Christ? Was he picked by God for this purpose (predestined) or did he have a free will to chose his destiny? If God knew this would have happened, could he have prevented it? I'm no theologian, but I am keen student of it. Here's my explanation. 

God decided in advance that Judas know him and chose him to accept Christ as the Lord of his life (he was one of the twelve disciples), but he decided to betray Christ of his own free will, although God knew ahead of time that Judas will do so (foreknowledge). 

There, that's predestination, foreknowledge and free will for you in a single sentence. Let me know if you disagree. 

Old and New

Long long time ago, when I was a little kid shuttle badminton was the most popular game in our locality. We used to play long hours during vacation time, and almost an hour every day during school days. And that too, in makeshift backyards. There were too many variables - the available land area, cooperating neighbors, ability to climb walls to fetch the shuttle, broken or bend racquets, and last but not the least the destroyed feathers.

In those days, one feather shuttle was good for two good games. After that, the feather goes one by one. We still played. A shuttle cost Rs. 6.5. Quite an expensive game during those days. As I get back to the game now, the times have changed. Plastic has replaced feather. And one shuttle lasts at least two dozen good games.  

Twenty years from now, what would I be writing about? 

Defendant and the plaintiff

This photo here has a defendant and a plaintiff. I'll explain. 

I was waiting for a bus in front of my hospital today. I have the habit of speaking to absolute strangers. There was this fancy poster advertisement of a prominent city lawyer pointing his finger and promising that he will get you justice. To break the ice I said, "how do you like him pointing fingers?"  The woman said she doesn't like him but she loves him. 

I was surprised and curious. I asked her for the reason. Apparently, he got her some significant money from a case against the city bus for an accident she was involved in. 

Quite the irony that she (the plaintiff) now rides the city bus (the defendant).