anonymous

13th October 2018

THE PASSAGE OF THE DENTURES - 4

 THE PASSAGE OF THE DENTURES - 4

DR H.L. CHULANI

Normally, when a patient does not recover, he either blames the doctor or his fate. I had operated upon a man with cancer of the rectum. Sometimes it becomes necessary to make an artificial opening on the abdominal wall called a colostomy through which the patient then passes stools. Life with a colostomy can be perfectly normal except for minor inconveniences. Having had the surgery done and recovering nicely, he went back to work and was happy till the claws of the crab (whence cancer gets its name) got to work. Within six months, he was back in hospital with pain and inability to pass stools through the artificial opening. He had to be re-operated as an emergency to relieve him of his discomfort.

Unfortunately, his wound got infected and the infection next spread to the deeper layers, laying bare the whole of the intestine. Not once during the four weeks that he lived after this second surgery did he utter a word of remorse against me or his fate. His fortitude was admirable in the face of his temperament, which, according to his relatives, was very volatile. I salute him.