a special trust

A SPECIAL TRUST

i read last week about the trial of the olympic doctor who
will spend hopefully the rest of his life in jail
my guess he will get what he deserves during that stay in jail
for what he did

i was appalled that a physician would break that special trust
that patients and their physicians have

folks are sometimes at their most vulnerable states
in his case
many were kids
he took advantage of their vunerabilty
their naivete

i am amazed though that it was allowed to go on for so long
someone knew who could have stopped it years ago

patients allow you to do exams that our medical community
allows us to do
its all based on that trust
that sacred trust that exists between the patient and the physician
it has to be there for them to get the care they need
think pap smears and other exams
think telling you very personal information that no one else hears
they trust you with this information
forever

i will admit there has been times that i was told things
that i never ever put into the medical record
knowing it was there for others to see someday
i will go to my grave with those things

no
i never went home and talked about these things with my wife she
i saw her best friends and colleagues as patients
she never ever knew and still doesnt
unless they tell her

commonly when i see a patient has died or got married or got
graduated from high school or college or a professional school
or have a child
i remember those things we talked about
they trust me and i have honored that trust
forever

some things would be quite damaging if others found out
they could lose their marriage their job their friends
there has to be that trust
that sacred trust
that can never ever be violated

ive known physicians like this olympic doctor who violated that trust

thankfully for patients
the tolerance for this is usually close to zero
ive seen physicians just disappear suddenly
for violating that trust

now
there were times when i violated that trust
whenever i was given information on illegal activity
usually involving abusive things
especially kids
or
if i felt that the person was a threat to themselves or others
i will admit i broke that trust
but
our society allows
actually requires it

i have patients i saw over 40 years ago
that have since died
i have kept that trust  agreement that we had together
forever

it will be lost as my demented mind develops
or
when i die

as a physician who has done intimate exams on patients
young and old
i cannot image how anyone could use that power you have
to take advantage of a patient
especially a child
i always kept a nurse or assistant with me when those exams
were done
i cant imagine doing them otherwise
doing things without the assistants should raise suspicions

he will get what he deserves
i am sure
thats the way the system works

that trust
that sacred trust
our medical system has to have it
to protect the vulnerable at vulnerable times

its a special trust
one
that i have been honored to be part of

the organicgreen doctor