Help! I’m a scientist trapped in a patient’s body.

The title of this post was my lament about a month ago.  It is a long-held sentiment that finally found words in the middle of one night at the junction of Frustration and Distress.  Frustration is a familiar, oft-traveled road for a lot of people.  Distress is an avenue that can usually be avoided (and should be!) with a little effort and perseverance.  It is like one of those creepy, dark alleys in scary movies.  Once I knocked out the title, I decided to calm down to let rants mature into thoughts before proceeding.

In the context of being a medical patient, Frustration is:  knowing how you feel but not being certain that descriptions are adequate or interpreted as intended, hitting a deaf wall (no echoes or reflections) when describing an important symptom that is either summarily dismissed or ignored, recognizing tunnel-vision – that dead-end when symptoms don’t fit the specialty.  You usually don’t run across Distress until you’ve traveled down a few other roads first.  Frustration usually leads to Persistence, Second (or Third) Opinion, or Acquiescence way.  If those roads are traveled, but lead nowhere, the next stop is usually Distress.  Distress is not pretty.  Inside or out, it leads to tossing, turning, thrashing, bashing, and…fear.  Fear usually does get attention, even though its origins haven’t been recognized (see: Frustration).  Of course, there are meds for fear that also dim Distress but not its roots.

What can we do to avoid that collision course?  Keep asking, seek the WHY.  “I don’t know.” is an acceptable response.  You can map a new course and move on from there.  “No, that’s not important.” is unacceptable.  It diminishes the question and the questioner.  Saying a question, concern, or fear is not important is the same as saying the person is not important.  Remember:  People seek treatment, not just their bodies.

 

In the time between title and comments, I published a few tweets that relate to this post:

K Partin ‏ @GRRaceAlive

Attitude Matters: Do you want to take a pill to make you feel better about the way things are or do you want to make things better?

Q:  How many clients fail to comply with therapy or exercise prescriptions on their own?

A:  How many therapists/trainers bother to teach clients the WHY of their prescriptions?

‘nuf said.

Pondering Pounds

 

 

 

Cactus People

Do you know any Cactus People?

You know the kind when you meet them: they are stiff and prickly. Their territory is marked by their firm stances; the roots may be shallow or deep, but you don’t get close enough to see if you can move or topple them for fear of being stung.
Your encounters become a form of dance, cautiously approaching and retreating verbally and physically, communicating cautiously before cooperating and then collaborating. A bond forms: mutual understanding, respect, friendship, reliance.
Familiarity develops with time and trust. Visions are shared and fostered.
You discover – are allowed to discover – that the Cactus Person has a tender, nourishing core; a tender, giving heart so nurturing that it must be guarded to survive.
Not everyone is privileged to grow close to a Cactus Person. Many won’t try or don’t care or don’t need to. That’s all right. They also don’t understand how you can even get through that thicket. It’s okay. That is how Cactus People survive and thrive – selectively and protectively.

Yet they stick on you, they stick with you, and you stick with them.

The Lessons of a Legacy

“A stunning loss of the most passionate, dedicated, and caring man and artist! My heart and prayers are for Victoria, my tears are for all of us who have lost a rock of integrity; but Timoteus’ legacy and influence will live on through his students, families, and all he touched. Rest in Peace, Tim.” from me to a man and his memory.

A friend, a mentor, a tutor, a guide. An personification of dignity with grace, curiosity with intelligence.

A rock of dependability; ever present in the heart though out of sight and touch, but we always knew where to go on this planet to make physical contact of sight, speech, touch, and especially music with intensity.
Now gone, leaving behind a pillar only in the soul.
I hope I was able to absorb all of the lessons and strength bestowed to keep that powerful reminder within.

Reblogged from exercisesinprocrastination:

“Today, however, we are having a hard time living because we are so bent on outwitting death.”    —Simone de Beauvoir

5 Minute Reboot

Whoa. So up to my ears frantic-good-busy-on vibrate mode for past few months that just looking at browser tabs for social media was taxing. Only checked e-mail for “urgent”s. Logged in at coffee shop to actually work….then peeked at cobwebby Facebook & Twitter to cheer for a couple FB friends and enjoy some tongue-in-cheek/serious/LOL repar-tweets half-way around the globe.

Phew! Feel way better after a good laugh. And not a bit guilty about the to-do list either!

Think bigger

Think bigger.