Arzhang’s Blog

So Much More

Being a doctor is not what it used to be.  More and more doctors become jaded at the system and on one hand who could blame them?   Insurance companies are becoming increasingly invasive in our decision making.  Paperwork is at an all time high.  Compensation is decreasing while work is increasing.  Still I find it hard to become jaded when I go home at the end of the day because in the end it is the reason I went into medicine, patients, that keep me going.

The other day I had a patient come in on a wheel chair.  He had been shot in the back paralyzing him below the waist.  The injury had caused other problems as well.  Due to his spinal injury he had a major erectile dysfunction and medicare had turned down his prescription for essentially an injectable viagra.  He was determined to have his case re-opened.  Like many things in our overly insurance run medical system his case was not looked over carefully.  Medicare didn’t even know he was a paraplegic.  I drafted a letter stating this was a common problem in people with spinal injuries and this patient was in fact a paraplegic.  His face was eternally grateful for essentially a medication refill but to him it meant so much more than that, it was one step towards being “normal.”  I just hope the insurance companies see it that way.

The other day as I was doing walk in visits in the clinic I saw a female patient’s name pop up on my screen.  Under reason for visit it stated that the patient was depressed and tearful.  As I called the woman’s name she slowly came in, trying to old herself together still trembling, eyes glossed over.  As she sat down she barely looked at me.  In the modern insurance-centric world of medicine this wasn’t a “regular” doctor’s visit.  The woman explained to me how she was scared for her life and that was the reason she came in.  Her daughter and grandchild were recently assaulted and stabbed in Central Park.  One was beaten with a hammer and sent to the ICU.  The criminals were free and they knew where she lived.  She didn’t feel safe at home so she came to me.  Needless to say I put her in touch with people that could help her out.  I billed the visit as depression for the insurance folks.  In eyes of the healtcare system that’s what she was, but as a doctor there was so much more to that visit.  It is because of that “so much more” that despite all the hours, paper work, insurance and lawyers I find joy in my work and how I keep sane on those tough days.