Who is a doctor?

What a question! Of course a doctor is someone who has gone to medical school and treats sick people. They also use all these big words that nobody knows. They are mostly hardened, treating every patient as a case rather than a person...or someone with honorary doctorate or PhD.

  

Hm, good definition, albeit rather flawed. Let's examine it for a minute. 

According to World Health Organization (WHO), health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being and not merely the absence of disease or illness.

This means a deficiency in any of the above means an unhealthy person.

Simply put now, I'm thinking a doctor should be one whose job is to restore unhealthy people to full health eh?

I'm going to ask again, who is a doctor?

 

Can it be a physician, surgeon, psychiatrist and all those people that went to medical school?  

Most definitely! They, in this case, me and them, all have a role to play in the four areas of well-being. If you only take care of the first part, then you have not done the best. No wonder some of our patients keep coming back with bizarre complaints. Of course, the more they come back, the more money we get eh? But let's remember, it's about healing not making money (tongue in cheek), so the more needs we meet, the more the satisfaction we gain. 

I would like to meet my patient on the road and hear him say 'Doctor, thanks a lot. I feel okay now' rather than 'Doctor, the drugs worked at first but now I need to come and see you for the same complaints'.

Can a doctor be your partner, your family member, your friend, colleague, your pastor? 

I like to think so! At one point in time or another, these people have contributed towards your well-being in the aforementioned categories. 

Your parents put you through school (mental); your spouse has cooked you a big meal and shown you some love (physical, emotional); your pastor has just spoken some words of comfort to you (spiritual); even a smile from a stranger at times or a compliment.

I guess WHO did not know the implication of their definition of health. They have just made everyone a potential doctor!

So what do I have above all these other people? I know some of those big medical terms!

On a tangential note, how come 'doctored' is a negative word?

I'm going to end with this, your health and that of others around you is your responsibility. Always be willing to play doctor - but know your limits!

- Dr B. Arabambi, MBBS.

What is wrong with Valentine's day?

February 14th, a date that is one of the most popular in the year. Maybe second only to Christmas and New year's day. A day that bears different meanings to different people. A day that has been a victim of criticism by many - mostly the guys, and some opinionated girls. A day that has inspired a lot of jokes, some albeit hilarious.

Because I like jokes and a good laugh, I would give a few examples of puns I've seen and heard about the day.

- Boys always try to breakup with their girlfriends and then make up on 15th of February

- Girls do not get angry before that day no matter how hard their boyfriends try to annoy them

- Valentine's day should be shifted to March 1st, for the sake of salary earners

- 'Toasting' reduces drastically around this period...and so on

The day in itself stems from history, like so many other special days. Many would argue that there were many people named St. Valentine and that what they did has been doctored and twisted, sometimes due to selfish reasons into what we now celebrate. My answer is, who cares?

First of all, to celebrate the valentine's day is not by force. If you don't believe in it or identify with the concept - big deal? - then don't mark it.

Second, if you want to mark the day, then do it from your heart. A man who gives his girlfriend or wife a 2011 Aston Martin, and tells his girlfriend that 'I am giving you this because today is Valentine's day and I am your boyfriend' has given less than a man who gives his girlfriend a pair of shoes and says 'I am giving you this as a token of my love for you, and to celebrate what we have because with you, everyday is special'. Of course, the materialistic girl, who has no love for her beau would prefer the former...but that's not what Valentine's day is about. That's just gold-digging.

All I'm saying now is that to really know you are celebrating Valentine's day with the right person, you have to want to do that everyday. You want to take them out, whisper in their ears how much you love them, hold them in your hands, feel their heartbeats with your ears and not once would you think any of these is unnecessary burden.

In some settings, people pick names randomly to decide who would be whose 'Valentine' and there is exchange of gifts and cards. This promotes camaraderie, which is totally wrong - sarcasm intended. It is not wrong, in fact, it is great - for those who don't understand sarcasm.

On a lighter note - A baby with a bow and arrow? That's just cute.

I'll end my story by saying, if you have that partner that you claim to love, and you decide because you want to be different, not to acknowledge February 14 with them, you are on your own. Don't say I did not tell you. Love is a verb. Love is a doing word.

Peace...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day