Sharing My Philosophy Being a Physician and a Patient

Sharing My Philosophy Being a Physician and a Patient

Laurence Tabanao Gayao MD

Some of you have heard about my roller coaster of health setbacks for the last six months. I wrote this letter to my children to share my attitude and thoughts during this challenging time as a thoughtful way to  keep them informed and possibly ease their concerns.

Working in at Baylor Scott and White Orthopedic and Spine Hospital Emergency Room For me, it has been a challenging health journey I’ve been through recently. I’ve faced a series of significant medical procedures, including a quadruple coronary heart bypass graft at Texas Health Arlington Heart and Vascular Hospital and modified trans-urethral prostatectomy, and vocal cord repair at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center. Add to that were severe side effects to some medications. Such experiences can undoubtedly be physically and emotionally challenging.

It’s understandable that my children may feel stressed and concerned about their father’s extended stay at the heart hospital and the various procedures I’ve undergone. I decided to write them a letter to share my attitude and thoughts as a compassionate way to keep them informed and possibly provide reassurance during this difficult time.

Here’s the letter I wrote 3:30 am to my children and grandchildren using my cell phone in bed after waking up just after I was discharged from hospital the day before.

The written discharge instructions they initially gave us were just in generic information for vocal cord paralysis implant. Yesterday however, the ENT surgeons who helped with my case, and who had more experience with the surgery, sat down with and gave me more instructions specifically relevant for my case.

 

This is because they had to modify their approach accordingly to tailor to their findings during my  surgery. I was awake and listening to the conversations of the surgeons to see what size of the implant would work best for me by letting me speak during the procedure. They also were also discussing the best approach because of the previous filler injection to the same affected paralyzed left an injury left vocal cord. This happened due injury to nerve supply during a previous a surgery, to remove a residual metastatic thyroid cancer in my neck. The filler injection was to correct the problem of my speech and swallowing resulting from the injury..

 

You see the filler was deflated as a result of prolonged intubation during the five hours of operation and two hours in recovery in my quadruple coronary bypass surgery. Sorry to bore you with the technical details. Just to reassure you that is not my first tango, I do understand your concerns. But I do too understand the human variables are at play here too, and I hate to say it that medicine is not absolute science because of the human element from both the physicians and patients.  This was obvious to me in some medical encounters with emergency physicians who had attended to me. A good number of them used diagnostic procedures in a shotgun manner to access the cause of my problems at various visits to ER. In my time under the sun as an emergency physician I could proudly say, I had mostly figured the diagnosis 85-90% before even diagnostic procedures are done.

 

This is important because sometimes time is of the essence to save the patient’s life. I have to sometimes to forego doing the tests or wait for its results when it’s ordered. For example, a 30-year-old a slim lady slipped and fell hitting her abdomen on a hard object, was brought in by para-medics with fully open iv fluids, despite that she was still diaphoretic, pale with a low blood pressure, thready pulse and with a diminished level of consciousness. Signs of impending death.

 

I did right away called one of a surgeons in the operating room telling him that this patient immediately has to have  surgery for a rapture, and hemorrhagic spleen to prevent her impending death. Luckily, I have the benefit and privilege of having worked in large trauma centers across Texas. I have many times had I do specific interventions right away to save the patients’ lives.

 

Ask the doctors or nurses who have worked with me in the past. They will tell you I have always maintained a calm and composed disposition, no matter the situation was. When they ask why I reacted that way, would tell them, “If it helps to nervous and yelling at others in our medical team to save the patient’s life, just like they do on TV shows, I would do it every time,” and I would add “If you know what to do or are sure what you need to do, it more or fewer keeps you calm, and confident even in highly stressed situations.”

 

If you know me and my lifetime philosophy, you will know where I am coming from. Having to apply the knowledge I have learned through the years. All these I have used in creating a mental algorithm to arrive at decide at differential diagnosis. I closely also try to observe folks around me, and I try to learn from everyone on what to do and what not to do. Am I or do I think I am perfect? Far from it. But I try my best to write daily a better chapter of my life each day as long as live. That is why I feel that my life is exciting. As long as I have the cognitive ability to think and learn with my Creator has gifted me. Yes, I try a make better version of myself each day. God help me if I get stuck in contentedly wallowing in the quagmire of a comfortable, boring state of the status quo existence. I hope and take pride in passing this legacy to those who came after me. If you agree, pass it on to those you love and value in your life.

 

Before I forget, you already maybe have observed me close enough to know that worry, stress, insecurity, depression and suicidal thoughts are not options I have considered because I have seen them destroy so many lives. I mean, I have never relied or considered them as part of the solution. That being said, we are still humans; we get acute knee jerk reaction to uncertainty and to traumatic events in their lives. But the important thing is to remember the phrase, “This too shall pass.” Because I have observed too many people have a miserable existence, living dependent on legitimate medicines or/and illegal drugs to mute their misery. Unfortunately, some of them end up deciding to make permanent solution to their misery by ending their lives.

 

For me, I am guided by two, three worded phrases: “God Loves Me” and “I Trust God.” You could always live in the comfort that he who is our creator and is in control of our lives and always have our best interest in His mind.

Love you’ll,

Papa Lau

As a Patient Thankful to be a Physician

My journey has taught me that it is a privilege to be a patient who is also a physician. Not all patients fully understand their disease or treatment plans and the risks and implications of therapies and procedures.

I feel very fortunate to have the knowledge and ability to research all the various options so that I can make the most informed decisions possible. “This experience has taught me how complex navigating the health care system is, even for someone with an ‘MD’ behind their name.”

My Philosophy

As a patient and as a physician health care provider my philosophy was shaped by my experiences and values. It could include:

1. Active Participation: Taking an active role in your own health, making informed decisions, and being engaged in your healthcare journey.
2. Adaptability: Recognizing the importance of adapting to changes in health and being resilient in the face of challenges.
3. Communication: Seeking open and honest communication with healthcare providers, expressing concerns, and actively participating in discussions about treatment plans.
4. Mind-Body Connection: Acknowledging the interconnectedness of physical and mental well-being and considering both aspects in your approach to health.
5. Advocacy: Being an advocate for your own health, seeking the best possible care, and actively participating in discussions about treatment options.
6. Faith: Believing that God knows what is best for you, especially as a patient, involves placing trust in God’s wisdom and plan, even in the face of illness or challenges. It means accepting that, while the path may be difficult, there is a greater purpose or reason beyond our understanding. This belief can provide comfort, strength, and peace, knowing that you’re in the hands of a loving and omniscient God who is guiding your life in the best possible direction, even through hardships.

“And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28