Post-p

During my college days, one of the interesting problems in data structures was to draw the binary tree given its pre-order, in-order, post-order traversal. Some notes used to refer it as pre-p and post-p. For me, given what p means, pre-p and post-p refers to the obvious ;)

Depending on their age, sex, language, profession etc, people are expected to behave in a certain way. Tamils apparently love to talk, doctors have the worst handwriting etc. I have heard that doctors have to be loquacious, if not garrulous because only then patients are apparently comfortable. One of the reasons why I didn't apply for MBA when I was finishing my graduation is the need for 'talk' or 'group discussion' (GD as they used to call it). Talking in front of strangers? I cant think of such things even now. The doctor who did my operation was probably the first doctor, that I saw of, who spoke shockingly very little and he was competing with my mother in the number of words that come out of the mouth. So with little or no post-operative prescription/recommendation from him (he said that I can start working from the next week onwards!), I was on my way to Bengaluru.

There used to be 'family doctor's in olden days, who apart from knowing about the family (and their finances) and their habits, can probably suggest the right dos and importantly donts for the patient. There was a recent programme in Vijay TV (நீயா-நானா?) about the 'commercialization' of doctors. Not that this is new(s), but I feel that this is part of the trend that is sweeping entire economy. Doctors too have become 'factory'ized. Every patient is made to go through the motions of all the 'basic' tests and given the same prescription or remedy and 'case history' is just a farce, if not non-existent. Indeed, homogenizing the heterogeneous world has completed the full circle. All patients are same and this is the fundamental antithesis of Hippocratic oath itself, I guess. It reminds me of 'hypocritical' ;)

As in 'economics' or 'industry', if all are same, why cant we cut down the headcount by half? Fire half, increase the 'dues' of the other half and let the workhorses burn their midnight oil! Euthanasia did not have a more compelling case.

வாழக்கூடாதவங்களுக்கு நான் கொடுக்கிற தண்டனை சாவு, வாழவே முடியாதவங்களுக்கு நான் கொடுக்கற சாவு வரம்! For those who shouldn't live, death is the punishment; for those who cant live, death is a boon. I am him!

With no 'post-p' prescription, I was trying to collate the words spoken by nurses and doctors and read betwixt the lines. I remember that one nurse told me - you should not eat non-vegetarian, of course you are a brahmin, so that should not be a problem - well, if at all, I had plans to eat non-vegetarian in the future, those plans are still-born. The doctor said - don't sit in a place, walk a lot and exercise your abdominal muscles. This was not an issue for me - I have been walking to Krishnarajapuram station for years whenever I go to Chennai and though this 4-5 km walk is occasional, I think compared to many others who walk in 'sterilized' atmosphere in gym or around flat or even within their house - I walk quite a bit on roads on normal days. Even when I reach Chennai, I catch train to Kodambakkam and then walk to my residence, nearly 2 kms from there. I walk to Ranganathan street or T Nagar most of the time and on 'festival season', I think I reach my destination faster by walk than by bus or other means. I in fact made a note that I took 15-20 minutes to reach Ranganathan street by walk. I am sure I would have taken at least 30-45 minutes if I used bus. Anyway, the point is that I have to decide what is best for my body and I never trusted anyone, leave alone these doctors.