True stories - Belief
The setting was ideal for her to get irritated. Ultra-busy Monday Hemat clinic. She had her exams in a couple of months, but because of acute shortage of residents she had to see more patients than usual. Everyone was barging into her room, leaving her no room to breathe, which by the way, is quite routine. To top it off, she was sleep deprived because of a bumpy bus ride, and she was hungry and hypoglycemic because she had, as usual, missed her breakfast
Then came the really old couple. 'Mataji' had a not so complicated lymphoma and potentially treatable, even at her age, and unlike the many male chauvinists that we meet every day, 'Babaji' was adamant and almost eager to get her fully treated. However much she tried, she couldn't make Babaji understand the concept of chemo and follow up. "Although your chemo is once every 3 weeks you need to follow up every 10 days with your blood tests to look for dangerous cell count drop" - was a concept the Babaji had trouble comprehending, even after she explained for a third time. She got really irritated. "Saath mein aur koi nahi hein??" (isn't there anybody else with you??), she asked, the tone more in anger and frustration than concern. The toothless baba in his soft, but loving voice said softly and slowly, "Iske saath sirf do log hai, ek main hoon or abhi, aap hai, hamari beti." (There are only 2 people with her. One is me and now we have you, my daughter.)
Her head jerked up, eyes wide. (Was there tears in her eyes??) Although the crowd in the room including the SR sitting opposite to her started laughing at the unexpected comment, the tone of his voice and look in his eyes, pierced her deeply and tore her heart apart. Regaining composure quickly and hiding her tears successfully, she patiently explained to baba till he understood what was to be done. Before he left, she asked Babaji to meet her personally at the next follow up, without the queue and gave him the most sweetest of smiles as Babaji thanked her and left with his wife.
"Why did you ask them to meet you personally next time? Wouldn't that prolong your OPD even more?? After all you are exam-going, aren't you?”, asked the resident sitting opposite to her.
"Oh... That's alright, How could I not do at least that? After all....",
she paused for the tiniest of moments...
"I'm their daughter."
The setting was ideal for her to get irritated. Ultra-busy Monday Hemat clinic. She had her exams in a couple of months, but because of acute shortage of residents she had to see more patients than usual. Everyone was barging into her room, leaving her no room to breathe, which by the way, is quite routine. To top it off, she was sleep deprived because of a bumpy bus ride, and she was hungry and hypoglycemic because she had, as usual, missed her breakfast
Then came the really old couple. 'Mataji' had a not so complicated lymphoma and potentially treatable, even at her age, and unlike the many male chauvinists that we meet every day, 'Babaji' was adamant and almost eager to get her fully treated. However much she tried, she couldn't make Babaji understand the concept of chemo and follow up. "Although your chemo is once every 3 weeks you need to follow up every 10 days with your blood tests to look for dangerous cell count drop" - was a concept the Babaji had trouble comprehending, even after she explained for a third time. She got really irritated. "Saath mein aur koi nahi hein??" (isn't there anybody else with you??), she asked, the tone more in anger and frustration than concern. The toothless baba in his soft, but loving voice said softly and slowly, "Iske saath sirf do log hai, ek main hoon or abhi, aap hai, hamari beti." (There are only 2 people with her. One is me and now we have you, my daughter.)
Her head jerked up, eyes wide. (Was there tears in her eyes??) Although the crowd in the room including the SR sitting opposite to her started laughing at the unexpected comment, the tone of his voice and look in his eyes, pierced her deeply and tore her heart apart. Regaining composure quickly and hiding her tears successfully, she patiently explained to baba till he understood what was to be done. Before he left, she asked Babaji to meet her personally at the next follow up, without the queue and gave him the most sweetest of smiles as Babaji thanked her and left with his wife.
"Why did you ask them to meet you personally next time? Wouldn't that prolong your OPD even more?? After all you are exam-going, aren't you?”, asked the resident sitting opposite to her.
"Oh... That's alright, How could I not do at least that? After all....",
she paused for the tiniest of moments...
"I'm their daughter."
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