THIS CAN HAPPEN: VOLUME XXIV
Dr. Gangadhar Sahoo
THIS CAN HAPPEN: VOLUME XXIV
Three of our friends were sitting in grief, discussing the usual topic of discussion at our age (around 72 years) seriously. That day our topic of discussion was about one of our friends who was in critical condition, admitted to an ICU of a medical college. His medical history was very atypical. On routine ultrasonography he was diagnosed with a growth head of the pancreas and secondary deposits in the liver. It was a bolt from the blue. As if there was cloud burst on our friend's family. It also spread a shock wave among our friends.
He had taken a full course of chemotherapy under the supervision of one of the best oncologists and was under regular follow up. He led a symptoms free healthy life for around one year. Then in spite of exhausting all therapies & pathies he gradually deteriorated. As usual formula of life of a cancer patient, around after two years of diagnosis we got the news that he was admitted into an ICU of a private medical college of Bhubaneswar and with ventilator support.
For last six months he had been traveling from institution to institution for a miracle to happen. Every where the consolation he and his family members were getting, "You are fortunate enough to cross two years. You have to live with the disease. Now live your life in a descent way. Stay happy with what you have. "As a physician it's easy to issue such advisory but as a doctor-patient and his relatives it is very difficult to digest. Only way is to leave it to God. A patient with chronic malignant illness, who is bedridden for months together , frequently admitted to the hospital , ICU with life support is not only painful to him , his close family members but to the whole society. We the three friends contacted his doctor elder brother to see our friend in the hospital. His reply was very simple but stunning. He said, " You can visit as a courtesy or formality but it will not give any solace to your friend nor to his wife. Rather it will create an embarrassing situation. Better not to visit. "
During this discussion I was reminded of one of the most renowned physicians of western Odisha. He was a good friend of my father in law. He was their family physician also. I first met him after my marriage in the official residence of my father in law, when he was the principal of G M College, Sambalpur. We were regularly meeting ,once I joined in VSS Medical College Burla. At that time he was associate professor medicine. Distance between Burla to Sambalpur will be hardly twelve kilometres. He was daily making up and down from Sambalpur. He had served in different capacities in the department of medicine. He retired as the Principal, VSS Medical College, Burla. As a physician he was second to none, as a teacher he was phenomenal, as an administrator he was neutral to the power of infinity and as a man he was down to earth. So he was loved and respected by all. After retirement he was attached to the Healing Touch nursing home, Sambalpur as Senior Consultant Medicine. That nursing home was the first of its kind in Western Odisha , owned by Dr Singal. He was a direct undergraduate student of the professor . I had the opportunity to work there also. Dr. Singal had the honor of bringing nursing home culture to Western Odisha for the first time. All senior, experienced and efficient consultants were attached to that nursing home. So I had the privilege and honor of working with all renowned consultants of different fraternities. There I was usually meeting the medicine professor.
My last meeting with him was in a CME on hypertension, organized by the IMA Sambalpur Branch. I was a speaker. I was to talk on ANTIOXIDANTS IN HYPERTENSIVE DISORDERS OF PREGNANCY. It was a new topic. Antioxidants were also new to the market. So the esteemed audience was eagerly waiting to listen to me. The meeting started at 7pm in the IMA hall. The hall was full. The introduction part was over. The welcome adress was delivered by Dr. Basa, the president of IMA Sambalpur. Then professor entered into the hall and took his seat next to me. He whispered something into my ear which continues to echo till today.
He whispered, " Dr. Sahoo ! I have come here only to listen to you. I had never missed any opportunity to listen to your talk in the past. "
I gleefully accepted his compliment as an invaluable certificate of my life.
At that time the age of retirement was 58 years. In his post retirement period he was more active. Professionally he was busy. He had sufficient time to spend with his family members, playing with his grand children, visiting relatives and friends and at times holidaying with compatible groups. Overall he was leading a happy social life. Around ten years after retirement he fell ill with prolonged fever. He was under the treatment of two young and talented physicians of Sambalpur who happened to be his students. During all possible investigations for fever (Pyrexia of unknown origin) it came out to be a type of leukemia, which can be treated with a combination chemotherapy. The drugs used in this combination are cardio toxic and bone marrow toxic. Both of his treating physicians came to their Guru to counsel and decide the future course of action. They had come with a plan to start the chemo regimen but were nervous to spell it out . Smelling the situation professor told ,
“After getting my blood report both of you must have referred all books, journals and consulted a few experts in this field of medicine. I can read your face. You are in a dilemma what to do. Should you discuss with me to start the chemotherapy or refer me to a higher center ? Listen , I am very clear in my thought process, you know. I know the prognosis of the disease. I know the toxicity of chemotherapy. Ultimate outcome is death. The mode of death may be different. Either I will die of the disease or the toxicity of the drugs. If you ask me which one will I prefer, I will definitely prefer a natural death to an iatrogenic death due to toxicity of drugs. I have seen the pathetic and horrible conditions of patients receiving chemotherapy . My principle is , it is better to add life to one's years than years to one's life. So my request/advice to both of you to plan for a palliative therapy and let me free to die a peaceful death. "
After that ,Professor became more active in his home to clear all bills, loans, updated his bank accounts , savings and all papers related to landed property . He finished all his pending works, so that no one would face any problem nor any one will blame him.
One day he called his wife and explained her everything and handed over all papers and keys with a will of legal heirship.
“NOW I CAN DIE A PEACEFUL DEATH . " , was has last words.
Everyone is destined to die. But he wins the race of life whose ultimate prayer , “
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is heard by the Almighty.
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OBSTETRICIAN: WHY & HOW?
Dr.Gangadhar Sahoo.
“To be a doctor, then , means much more than dispense pills or patch up or to repair torn flesh and shattered minds. TO BE A DOCTOR IS TO BE AN INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN MAN & GOD. "
Felix Marti-Ibane ( To be a doctor).
After completion of my intermediate science (plus 2 at present) , I was neither conscious nor concerned about my future career. I was one of the elite students of my college. Many of such students from urban backgrounds opted for civil service , one for banking. I had an affinity for physics and I wanted to be a master of physics. I applied for physics honors in a premier college of Odisha and got selected. At that point of time the advertisement for medical college admission in Odisha had come out in prominent daily newspapers. Out of fun I applied for that , got selected in the best medical college ( out of total three medical colleges in the state).So I was in a dilemma .
Everyone in my family especially my father, who was a teacher and uncle , who was an L M P doctor and all of my relatives wanted me to be a doctor. So I obliged them and got admitted in SCB Medical College Cuttack in 1970 . I did well and passed with Honors being the second best graduate of our university.
Towards the end of my internship I appeared the PG entrance written test , held for the first time in our state.
Which subject should I choose for my professional career ? It was a difficult decision to be taken. I got honors in Eye-ENT , introduced for honors in Anatomy and Pharmacology. I was motivated by legendary physicians ,surgeons and teachers at our time for their knowledge, skill and style of teaching . Therefore I was in a dilemma ,which subject to choose . My uncle, who had completed MBBS through a condensed course at that time, advised me to go for Obstetrics and Gynecology(O&G). His view in favor of this subject was that it is the only subject which includes surgery , medicine and art (of Obstetrics). It's a complete medical subject. So I should take up that subject. But I had my apprehension. During my internship I had conducted many vaginal deliveries independently but I was having an inherent fear of holding the baby after delivery in the upside down position lest the baby might slip from my hands. So I always asked my assistant to deliver the baby and I managed the third stage of labor . I was satisfied with delivering the placenta and stitching the perineum.
I couldn't assess myself. I started asking myself, " Can a man become a successful obstetrician who is afraid of holding a newborn baby properly? " My reply to myself was, " Yes ! I can. '' From that day I had not looked back. I took admission in the MD ObGyn course .
I made my principles during my PG career very simple.
It was discipline, determination, devotion and dedication , keeping away from distractions in any form. I had never been a defaulter. This principle of 5Ds of life paid me dividends later on .
In the 1970s passing the PG examination on first attempt was an exception. Not only did I pass on the first attempt but with distinction. The distinction was the certificate given by my Guru and guide Prof. Nanda. After the examination he sent a special message through one senior teacher, " Tell Gangadhar to join medical college if he gets a chance." That message was priceless for me . It was the best certificate a student can hope for .
" Because God can't be everywhere, He made mothers. At the same time He made a special brand of physicians called Obstetricians to take care of those mothers. " I have tried my best to fulfill the wishes of God. I am proud to be an Obstetrician.
At present my mission is to disburse my knowledge, skill and experience to the next generation. I am on the right track to deliver that .
“ Life is no brief candle for me. It's a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
George Bernad Shaw
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