Confronting Our Wait-and-See Culture
“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” – Oprah Winfrey
What should doctors and patients do when they reveal the unexpected while scanning for something else?, asks Robert J. Abramson, a doctor who practices acupuncture, in his article in the New York Times. These unexpected finds, known in the medical community as “incidentalomas“, are becoming more common because the increase in scans, some driven by legal concerns.
They can be life-saving discoveries, but “incedentalomas” can also put many physicians and patients in anxious situations where they need to make existential decisions based on incomplete information. Often the scans would be rescheduled for another six months to determine better the severity of the unexpected find and the course of the treatment. This follow-ups can be a tough waiting period for every patient, yet they can also show that our lives are precious and we should live them to the fullest.
“I love how this article ‘Our Wait and See Medical Culture’ points out both Western philosophy in medicine and Eastern philosophy….”life is like a river, in perpetual motion, and when we flow with it we attain a level of tranquillity”. Life is short and precious.”, Manhatthan Orthopedic Care’s physician Dr. Armin Tehrany said.
