One of my big beefs, and I think a big mistake Doctors make, especially surgeons, is they too often make it sound like a complete recovery is 100% of what you were before. That might be true of some operations but often your new 100% might be 90% of before.

Surgeons tend to consider recovery the time your stitches heal. They might say you’ll be all better in 4 weeks, but the shock to your body might take 2-3-4 months longer until you feel you have your full energy back.

So what happens? Patents complain that even after recovery they are not 100% and blame the Doctor and their care covers. Their false expectations are not met and start looking for someone to blame, or a lawyer.

  --TM

Every time I give a talk at a med school I show my slides of people with scars. I end the talk with a photo of my late cat, Stella. Stella had no back feet after a botched declawing that left her feet infected. I found her living under a desk at a Vets office and thought I should take her home since I am “The Scar Guy” and all.

I end my talks with Stella because at every talk people sit silently seeing photo after photo of people who have been through the worst that people can survive, yet when I show Stella everyone makes audible sounds and gasps. I get emails from audience members asking about condition months after the talk.

I’ve always wondered if people would be able to function if they had the same level of sympathies for other people as they do a kitten.

I first started thinking about this in India where beggars are plentiful and stray dogs can be in horrid shape. Even me, the East Coast Liberal, found myself able to ignore the people all around me while worrying about the dogs and cats that looked as if they hadn’t eaten in days.

I had to conclude that too much sympathy would immobilize us. It would make unable to function if we really did worry about this other people starving in India, or in our home town, or in the local food shelter, or free clinic.

This study, just released seems to prove my point. It might point to why so many patients say their Doctors really don’t listen to them when they tell of their aches and pains. Maybe they should show up for their appointments dressed as a puppy.

 --TM