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健康管理には自分で責任を
病院で働く人たちを見ていると
患者に対して無神経な言動が目に付く。
嫌な思いをしないためにも
自分の健康は自分できちんと把握しよう。
Your health is in your hands
In the film "My Life Without Me," a young mother in her twenties suddenly finds herself in an emergency ward after passing out at home. Disoriented, the woman asks a few questions of the nurses and doctors around her. Much to her frustration and anxiety, she can't get a straight answer. A nurse has "no idea" how long the examinations will take. She wants to know why the doctors are administering yet another ultrasound test but is ignored completely. "Has someone gone to pick up my daughters?" she asks. The doctor sidesteps with a string of his own questions.
It turns out that the doctor was having difficulty informing the woman of the diagnosis: terminal cancer and only a few months left to live. "I can't sit down in front of someone and tell them that they're gonna die," he confesses. The film reminds us that in hospitals all around the world, it is the daily duty of someone to tell patients and their families some awful truth that will drive them to tears. Frankly, I am very happy not to be that person.
At the same time, "My Life Without Me" points a condemning finger at a certain insensitivity on the part of hospital workers. With their health and perhaps even their lives on the line, surely it is the patients who are under the greater stress. Even when asked ridiculous, trivial or tiring questions, it is the obligation of doctors and nurses to accommodate and provide useful information - in all cases.
I recently visited one of Japan's more reputable general hospitals to check up on various pains and aches I was feeling. While everyone was thorough and polite, I was able to identify certain problem points:
Anything to Placate and Persuade. Having complained of chest pains, I soon found myself scheduled for a series of tests including an elaborate and expensive CT scan. "Might it not be simple indigestion?" I asked hopefully. The doctor insisted on the tests. "With chest pains, 75% of the time it's not your heart," he said. I returned to the hospital a few weeks later to learn that I had passed each test with flying colors. "Not heart disease," the doctor said. "You know, 75% of patients with chest pains actually have something other than heart disease." The same line, only backwards!
No Transparency. While carrying my test results from one doctor's room to another, I thought I might have a peek at them along the way. To my surprise, my folder had a hefty padlock on it! My own information, off-limits to me?
Privacy - Not Skin Deep. While preparing for an ultrasound test, I noticed that an image of the previous patient's organs was displayed on a monitor, right where I could see it. I'm no expert, but it sure looked like the poor bloke had a kidney stone. Sure enough, my own test results - with my name clearly visible - also remained on the instrument's screen, presumably until the next patient entered.
What we need is more control over our own health. For starters, be informed and less reliant on hospital workers.
Shukan ST: April 23, 2004
(C) All rights reserved
- in your hands
- あなた次第で
- "My Life Without Me"
- 映画「死ぬまでにしたい10のこと」。
- emergency ward
- 救急病棟
- passing out
- 気を失うこと
- Disoriented
- 頭が混乱して
- Much to her frustration and anxiety
- いらいらし、不安になったことには
- straight
- 率直な
- has "no idea"
- 分からない
- examinations
- 検査
- are administering
- 行なっている
- yet another
- さらにもう一つの
- ultrasound test
- 超音波検査
- is ignored completely
- 完全に無視される
- sidesteps with a string of 〜
- 一連の〜を尋ねるだけでまともに答えない
- diagnosis
- 診断
- terminal cancer
- 末期がん
- confesses
- 告白する
- awful
- 恐ろしい
- drive 〜 to tears
- 〜を悲嘆に暮れさせる
- points a condemning finger at 〜
- 〜を非難する
- insensitivity
- 無神経さ
- With 〜 on the line
- 〜が危機にさらされているとき
- ridiculous
- ばかげた
- trivial
- ささいな
- accommodate
- 対応する
- reputable
- 評判のよい
- general hospitals
- 総合病院
- pains and aches
- 体のあちこちの痛み
- thorough
- 綿密な
- identify
- 発見する
- Anything to Placate and Persuade
- 何でもなだめ、説得しようとする
- Having complained of 〜
- 〜を訴えていたので
- chest pains
- 胸の痛み
- elaborate
- 念入りの
- indigestion
- 消化不良
- with flying colors
- 見事に
- heart disease
- 心臓疾患
- line
- せりふ
- Transparency
- 透明性
- have a peek at 〜
- 〜をちょっと見る
- along the way
- 途中で
- folder
- 書類
- hefty
- 頑丈な
- padlock
- 南京錠
- off-limits
- 立ち入り禁止の
- Not Skin Deep
- 皮一枚ほどもない
- organs
- 内臓
- it sure looked like the poor bloke had a kidney stone
- その気の毒な男性には腎結石があるようだった
- presumably
- 恐らくは
- reliant
- 当てにする