The Synapse Connections of a lifetime

Clinical experience in Phase 2 is rewarding and is quite an eye opener.. in Agings & Endings, I found myself in the oncology department again.. Unlike the last experience, this time I've spent a lot of my time in the wards and the clinics.

Fortunately, even after two weeks, I have not encountered any patients that were unable to cope with their condition. I guess it was probably because by the time I've seen them, they have already completed their treatment and are in review.

The impact of cancer are enormous.. and more often than not, cancer strikes when you least suspects it.. Sometimes it strikes at the peak of their lives, when everything seemed to go well. Without much warning, you suddenly feel a lump, lose weight or break some bones and your world just switches around. Nothing else matters. It's just you and the disease. The world seemed to change as well. Perspective change, and you suddenly find yourself lost in a place you don't want to be in the first place.. the chemotherapy chair, the radiotherapy room, people in white coats prodding your body and the journey into the most dreadful place; the hospital.

Breaking the news to someone with cancer is difficult, and yet it is something oncologists do all the time. Of course, getting used to it makes it easier.. Medicine are always focussed on practicalities and we often forget about humanity in the mists of our diagnosis and tests. Not only did patients lose their lives, they lose their job, their freedom but more importantly, they lose control over their bodies and their pride. Doctors become their guide, and everything they say is canon. Doctors, however, often forget about this, and they shower huge amounts of medical jargon that does nothing more than confuse the patients.. We often neglect the fact that they are trying to cope with the news of their disease, and now they have to cope with the treatment.. As doctors, we should make this journey as smooth as possible.