The patient who was a former bowling champion

My new patient was having trouble breathing and had lost his ability to swallow; despite this, he had been too proud to call either friends or family for help. He had lost thirty pounds and his clothes hung loosely. His belt was far too long. The day I met him, I thought, “This man could walk through a harp.” People had tried. Over the previous months, his worried family members had made several attempts to see him, but he always pushed them away with excuses why they should not visit. One day over his protests, his daughter went to his house. “His voice sounded so different!” she said. When she pushed her way into the house, she had been alarmed at how he looked. She had taken him to the community hospital and, after a stop in the emergency room there, he was sent by ambulance to our medical center. An examination and CT scan confirmed that he had a very large, inoperable throat cancer. Because he was in danger of completely obstructing his airway, we immediately took him to the operating room for a tracheotomy and a feeding tube. He spent the next few days getting accustomed to the new tubes. Now, he was getting close to heading back to his daughter’s house where he would stay while undergoing cancer treatment. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Oncology/Hematology Source Type: blogs