The Pain We Want to Feel

A wise man said: No pain no gain. But in anesthesiology, it's the opposite.

If the art of life is the art of avoiding pain*, then anesthesiology is what every living people should be learning. Well, hypothetically.

Anesthesia came from the Greek words 'An' which means 'without' and 'aisthēsis' meaning 'sensation', basically it is the condition of having sensation (including the feeling of pain) blocked or temporarily taken away. So anesthesiology means a study about preventing some sensation especially pain.

Four weeks in this department, it made me realized one thing:

To treat pain, you must first feel the pain.

This, I meant in both literally and metaphorically.

Theoretically, pain occured when there is stimulation at the peripheral pain receptor which would go through a track of processes like tranduction, transmission, modulation and last perception by the brain. So knowing and 'feeling' this process can lead you to many solutions to pain.

Then, when I was in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) it came to me that we must also 'feel' the pain of the patient to treat them.

In the most equipped unit of the hospital, we have the best physicians and nurses serving for the most critical patients. On the paper, this seems to be the best place for the patient to recover. But that's not it. They are labelled as the best because of one vital component - being CARING. They feel for their patients.

For the first time ever, I'm seeing doctors working diligently taking care of patients without any complaints, they never seemed tired eventhough we all KNOW they are beyond exhausted. They are always concern if there's something wrong with the patients, what's their current problem, is their needs fulfilled, and what more can they do for them.

I might say, they act like 'REAL DOCTORS', as if the rest is not. No, I'm not belittling the other doctors, no. They are a lot of super-fine, genius, very compassionate doctors out there that are very committed in what they do. I'm trying to emphasis how sincere they seemed to be doing their job. That's how every doctors should become. Eventhough the patient doesn't need intensive care, that's what we ought to give.

I have respect for them. Salute for Anesthesiologists~

-IMAN NAILAH 2010-

*Quote by Thomas Jefferson