Dr Ranjana Srivastava for ... Pat is quick to say that she feels sorry for her husband, who has to put up with her constantly foggy and irritating memory. “I don’t know what to say,” he murmured, his eyes still wet. She received her medical degree with first class honours from Monash University. More than 700 Victorians have lost their lives in this pandemic. With large parts of Victoria in a second lockdown, frontline providers continue to show up to work and maintain a sense of normality for patients that we ourselves don’t feel. Doctors are still doing their usual duties but now, in the midst of rounds, paperwork and career uncertainty, they have inherited an after-hours job by default – answering dozens of phone calls from angry, demanding or plainly upset relatives.
“My kids must know that I tried.” Her husband squeezes her thin fingers, mute with grief.
All rights reserved. Ed cleaned and dressed her wounds, but Pat didn't remember a thing even when he showed her the pictures on his phone. Srivastava is a frequent co-host on The Conversation Hour, a flagship radio program on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Melbourne.
When she was younger, Pat was a busy working mum. Of all the experiences we share, two universal events bookend our lives: we were all born and we will all die. [6], A regular contributor to the London newspaper,The Guardian, she has also written a number of books, including Tell Me the Truth, Dying for a Chat, So It's Cancer: Now What, and After Cancer: A Guide to Living Well. The “difficult” patient could be a war victim or someone who has lost his hearing aids.
And those who simply can’t be bothered following the rules. Around this time 10 years ago, I was poised to start my first job as an oncologist when personal tragedy visited in a way that would forever change the way I would practice medicine. It is the only truthful promise I can make and although she is distressed she returns to thank me for giving her clarity. If personal care workers relieved nurses of their most time-consuming tasks they could be freed to talk to families. When I ask Ed if Pat's needs confine him to the home, he says he doesn't see it like this at all. On another occasion, Ed was woken by a neighbour at three o'clock in the morning. Visitors are essential to filling the knowledge gap but they do something else vital: they feed their loved ones, nudge the water closer, coax them out of bed, and provide distraction.
If the pandemic has highlighted one thing, it is the importance of collaboration and the urgency of emerging from our silos. Her husband squeezes her thin fingers, mute with grief. Srivastava has been a health presenter on ABC News Breakfast and has appeared on other programs, including: Counterpoint, Catalyst, Q&A, and Life Matters and the ABC current affairs show 7:30. Thankfully there is no shortage of drugs or equipment, but nothing can make up for the fact that our patients are alone. I don’t cry easily in front of patients but I have had my share of tears and tissues in clinic and contrary to my fears, this has been an odd source of comfort to patients. Modern nurses are hard-pressed to complete their usual duties only to later be buried in astonishing amounts of paperwork. So we brought her inside and I found bowls of ice cream with chocolate sauce on them — everywhere. In the middle of a second lockdown, Melbourne has had enough. "Seeing how Pat is going down and down and down. Nurses can not only recite what the patient ate and said but also sense pain, anxiety and existential distress.
Indeed, it’s common to hear statements such as “I am just the nurse” or “I’m only the physio.” But the doctor has no such choice and even the newest intern is expected to handle both simple and tricky calls before requesting backup. But I didn’t need counselling, I needed time. "I hate it when I don't remember. Similarly, allied health providers and social workers have an expert understanding of the functional impact of illness. I came out a grieving patient. This page was last edited on 19 October 2020, at 19:32. Her father's occupation as a physicist meant the family moved around the world living near universities. But of course, I was like every other patient, simultaneously bursting with questions while rendered mute by shock. It’s impossible to not be struck that the world really is a global village. "When it gets bad. She was a finalist for the Walkley Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2018. “Doctor, will he die from this?” she asks me. This time, I gently challenge her assertion and she concedes that what she’s really annoyed about is her husband’s drinking. At a chaotic time I appreciate when residents take the time to write but this time I can’t help thinking about the missing word: your patient died alone yesterday.
I think I coped better because the first doctor had told the truth.
She didn't know anybody, and I know Pat doesn't want to finish up like that.". She also delivered a TEDx talk in 2017 in Melbourne on The Art of Medicine. "Our children don't agree with it," Pat said. How can we ensure a safe and dignified death for patients who are no longer mentally competent? "I feel very sorry for Ed. Follow our live updates on the US election and the countdown to the first polling booths opening, Follow our live coverage for the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic. • Ranjana Srivastava is an Australian oncologist, award-winning author and Fulbright scholar.
In routine care, their intervention relates to a specific need like assessing gait or recommending home services, but they too can capably provide medical updates with ready backup.
“I am afraid so,” I answer gently, “but I will do everything in my power to keep him well for as long as I can.”. Pat had wandered over to their house in the middle of the night. "We've talked about it but it's up to Pat," he said. I tell him to come in but he is appalled at the idea of disturbing “the doctor”. “I want to talk to the kids. The program went badly wrong and is now the subject of a formal inquiry that led to the resignation of the health minister, but not before “Indians” were scapegoated by some. Why the double standard?
They had to wrap me up in a rug," Pat said.
The local cafe is managed by a young Afghan who always finds time to make eye contact. Some Melbourne communities have been scapegoated during the pandemic, yet all our fates are intertwined .
But now that our fates are truly intertwined, we are rolling up our sleeves.
“Yes,” he said, simply holding my gaze until his tears started. Social distancing is a privilege for those who live in crowds.
Cancer patients are very particular about how much truth they want to know and when. I have always been so 'with it'," she said. The public health case for these restrictions is evident, but the human implication is indescribable. This is the final feature in her series An illness in the family. An experienced obstetrician was performing my ultrasound that morning. He has no choice but to defend his whole community.
My obstetrician’s tears stunned me but also provided immediate comfort.
A wife brings in her husband and his horrendous scans trigger a gasp of astonishment among even the non-oncologists.