Doctor disconnected

We saw Mom’s surgeon today for a followup visit. I think he’s good at what he does, and I like the fact he’s honest and does not offer false hope.

But there is still that disconnect. Mom had questions about colostomy care, and I could see the doctor shrink back. “Well, we don’t handle any of the colostomy care issues here, there are nurses that handle that.”

Certainly I don’t expect the doctor to be changing bags, but it seems odd that he washes his hands of anything beyond the actual surgical procedure. The doctor creates the need for the extensive and complicated aftercare, but leaves it to strangers to figure out his handiwork.

A similar thing happened with Dad near the end of his life. Doctors who knew little of Dad’s health were prescribing medications without concern for side effects. They would see him once, scribble on a piece of paper and they were done.

This disconnect is nothing new, but when it involves family members, you really feel it.