The gay men of Edinburgh in the late 80s taught me some of the most important lessons I ever learned.
*Patients often know more than their Drs
*There are times when we need to accept we don’t have the answers
*One of the most important things we do is to treat people equally.
*Patients often know more than their Drs
*There are times when we need to accept we don’t have the answers
*One of the most important things we do is to treat people equally.
https://twitter.com/thtorguk/status/1362873098215821314
Those lovely men. They came to our clinic with reams of paper from Daisy Wheel printers, all taken from this thing called the “Internet”...
You won’t have heard of it yet, but it’s going to be big...
They weren’t wrong!
You won’t have heard of it yet, but it’s going to be big...
They weren’t wrong!
They asked me about new retroviral therapies that were being tried out in the US.
I didn’t know the answers, but I asked our (wonderful) consultant and we made a plan together. Patient, Dr, specialist. A trio.
And so we moved, from AZT to other therapies, over time.
I didn’t know the answers, but I asked our (wonderful) consultant and we made a plan together. Patient, Dr, specialist. A trio.
And so we moved, from AZT to other therapies, over time.
I also learned some of the relevance of “complementary” therapies.
We couldn’t cure the folk with HIV, but we could make their lives better. With new sensations, smells & experiences. Aromatherapy made us all feel better, at least it made us feel better about what was happening.
We couldn’t cure the folk with HIV, but we could make their lives better. With new sensations, smells & experiences. Aromatherapy made us all feel better, at least it made us feel better about what was happening.
Of course, the other big cohort of patients were the ones taken straight off the set of “Trainspotting”.
I had had a pretty protected upbringing. So my “choices” had all been “good” ones.
My eyes were opened to how other people had more problematic starts to their lives...
I had had a pretty protected upbringing. So my “choices” had all been “good” ones.
My eyes were opened to how other people had more problematic starts to their lives...
I learned some big lessons about how medicine is so much more complex than just about the blood results and the tablets we give out.
I was already aware of the “social determinants of health”, but suddenly it all became very real indeed...
I was already aware of the “social determinants of health”, but suddenly it all became very real indeed...
Maybe my naivety was sometimes helpful?
I became very fond of many of these patients. I learned that trust was a complicated & 2 (or more) way concept.
I also learned not to be shocked! A useful skill for the rest of life.
The things people told me about were: *interesting*!
I became very fond of many of these patients. I learned that trust was a complicated & 2 (or more) way concept.
I also learned not to be shocked! A useful skill for the rest of life.
The things people told me about were: *interesting*!
Our consultants were brilliant. They were so supportive, both of the patients, but also the junior staff...
They also *knew* their patients really well. Which was quite impressive, when other senior staff couldn’t recognise the difference between a patient & a bar of soap!
They also *knew* their patients really well. Which was quite impressive, when other senior staff couldn’t recognise the difference between a patient & a bar of soap!
The example was set for me of partnership working.
For the gay men, it was because of their high knowledge levels.
For the IV drug users, it was because if you didn’t have some kind of trust, you might as well be pouring your treatment down the sink!
For the gay men, it was because of their high knowledge levels.
For the IV drug users, it was because if you didn’t have some kind of trust, you might as well be pouring your treatment down the sink!
And they gave people second chances... and third and fourth chances...
How good is that? These patients could mess up, but still those doctors were there for them. Come what may...
Makes me a bit teary, thinking about it, all these years later. I didn’t realise it was unusual.
How good is that? These patients could mess up, but still those doctors were there for them. Come what may...
Makes me a bit teary, thinking about it, all these years later. I didn’t realise it was unusual.
So here I am, decades later, working as a geriatrician in a mixed setting, community & hospital. I don’t see many HIV patients, nor IV drug users.
But I remember those lovely people I met, back in 1989. And the life lessons they taught me.
#ItsNiceToBeNice
#TryIt
#ItsASin
But I remember those lovely people I met, back in 1989. And the life lessons they taught me.
#ItsNiceToBeNice
#TryIt
#ItsASin
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
