Now, I know that these drugs are extending my life and I'm pretty excited about that. In my conversations with the oncologist I don't hold back about how pleased I am that I'm responding to these drugs. It just kind of took me by surprise that to him, saving my life seemed so matter-of-fact.
It got me to thinking about my clinical career. I spent about 25 years practicing medicine and, as an anesthesiologist, saved many lives. Although I don't think I was nonchalant about it, it also didn't seem to be terribly extraordinary. I did what I was trained to do, I did what I had anticipated doing when I initially went into medicine. Although it had an incredibly profound effect on the patient, to me, it was just part of what I did as a physician. Not to say that it wasn't rewarding to see positive clinical outcomes in challenging situations, but I didn't usually think of it as a cause for celebration -- but in retrospect, I suspect the patients and their families did.
The concept of karma as a principle of causality is a central motif of most Asian religions. In these religions, good intent and good deeds in the present tend to affect what will happen to you in the future part of your life as well as in future lives. These religions teach that like deeds lead to like effects - kind of like a codified Golden Rule, or "you reap what you sow," although it goes beyond just behavior to include attitude, desires and intent that direct any behaviors. In this way, these religions encourage one to lead an ethical existence and to seek to live a moral life.
I can't say I've lead a perfect existence, but a driving factor for what I have done throughout my life has been putting myself in a position to help others. This value culminated in my going into clinical medicine as a career. Although there are semantic subtleties between a job and a profession, my "job" as a physician was to help others. Perhaps, since medicine is a profession, it would be more correct to say that I saw my role in society as one who helps people maintain, or improve, their health. Since staying alive improves health, I helped people stay alive.
Even though I have acknowledged the concept of karma for decades, I never really thought, at the time, that what I was doing was accruing "karmic capital," but, perhaps, that is why I am now having my life saved.
We drive into the future using only our rear-view mirror -- Marshal McLuhan
David - I have no doubt that you've saved many lives and that you devoted your life energies to helping people. Thank you. We need more people in the world like you.
ReplyDeleteI do disagree that our fate is tied to our good deeds. There are plenty of good-deed doers who have died before their time or miserably. I suggest you read When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Rabbi Harold Kushner.