Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Health and Care


I sometimes think, physicality is the new religion. The body has become the temple and so more people run, walk, do yoga or workout. Churches of Spin, Zoomba and TRX have sprung up like the Open Bible churches did in Trinidad and Tobago which was previously dominated by Roman Catholic and Anglican churches and in some part mosques and temples. It is said to have mind, body and soul benefits. Not being a part of the new religion can make one the modern day equivalent of a pariah. This becomes more acute among the ageing who associate sex appeal with physical form.

                I recently paid good money to a health facility for services I’d say I’m yet to get. But this is not the issue that concerns me. My boss, in his mid to late forties had quadruple bypass surgery this week. He wasn’t over weight, drinks only occasionally, doesn’t eat meat and has an exercise regime. He had been hospitalized with chest pains a couple times before but it was only on his last visit two weeks ago that blocked arteries were discovered. I’m confused.

                The thing is that all his visits before were to one of the best private health facilities in the country. I’m wondering no tests done showed that he was at risk for heart disease? It had to come to what has been termed a minor heart attack for a doctor to realize he needed urgent heart surgery? That institution failed him! How do we get accountability from health professionals? Is that not a serious question?

                Another failing of the health evangelists, whom I view with the skepticism of all other crusaders with a life saving message, is that they don’t respect your right to interpret health. It may be necessary to say that my earlier point is that even those dedicated to health can fail to achieve it, more the institution than the individual. This is no indictment as I do believe most things are folly but that’s another story. Money doesn’t bring happiness, love does not mean peace and all things are uncertain, this is what I mean by all things are folly.
                It’s not easy to have quadruple bypass surgery, though, and the recovery is at its own pace. I wish my boss a full and speedy recovery!

4 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear about your boss, Sterling.

    Difficult to say if your boss was failed by the institution he was in without knowing the details of his previous admissions.

    It could have been that his previous chest pains were not cardiac - not all chest pain arises from the heart.

    It's not uncommon for people to present with what we now call "minor heart attacks", or, more accurately, "NSTEACS", as the initial clue to heart disease. This would then prompt coronary angiography, then either coronary artery stenting or bypass grafts.

    Hope this is helpful?

    BW,

    Shiva

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    1. Yeah helpful, all in medic speak but clearly that's what makes doctors, doctors, their ability to understand things we may not understand about ourselves.

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  2. In other words, heart attacks often strike unexpectedly.

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    1. LOL! Thanks cause I really was lost there. Leads to a careless kind of apathetic approach to health for me, its like I do what I do and hope I'll be always ok. We'll see. :)

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