Accentuate the Positive
There is a great song that was featured wonderfully at the start of the movie Blast from the Past with Brendan Fraser et al – “Accentuate the Positive.” It played while credits rolled and in the background were increasingly worrisome scenes of global annihilation via the Cold War nuclear attack we feared at the time. It was an amazingly good juxtaposition of the good and the bad that we sometimes swim in. As physicians, I have been thinking about how many people are angry at me or disappointed in me at any given time. I suspect the number is somewhere between five and ten thousand people. I work very long hours and it is disappointing that it doesn’t seem to be for any tangible benefit. I have 40 or 50 messages a day coming across the patient portal, about 30 med refills, and mounds of paperwork from home health and idiot forms that question my judgment and choices for my patients. The messages are occasionally 1-2 minute items for refills, but many are extremely angry about delays in labs, FMLA forms, or various items that they need addressed. Some (in fact many) are outright theft of services (send in an antibiotic, I have a UTI and I know what they are so just send in med. I have Covid send in meds. I have a sore throat send in meds.)
As I swim in this sea of negativity and anger at me I have looked to no avail for the message that says, “Dear Doctor, today my blood pressure was normal. I did not have a heart attack today. I did not have a stroke today. Today I did not die. Thank you.” We only seem to hear and see the negative as the weaker positive is so easily neutralized and eliminated.
As physicians, we do not actually get humanity at its best. I contrast this with how Walt Disney must have felt. I’m sure he worked long hours (I suspect it was less than 90.) All he ever saw were smiling happy giggling and wonderfully elated people – families at their best enjoying what was an offspring of his work.
On this blog a frequent commentator and reader – Jesse, the PA who has frequent thoughtful comments – so I took the words at face value. He or she said that, in essence, whining does not suit me well. Now the original thought that popped into my mind is, “You do realize this is a blog?“ Realistically blogging is pretty much whining most of the time – so I was in fact whining but right now what I’m doing is trying to see the things that I cannot see.
There has been good done. I don’t see it and I do not feel it – which is where faith steps in.
So, walking by faith and not by sight, I will accentuate the positive. To my own family physician who takes care of me, the wonderful Dr. C. I would like to tell her something. Thank you for all you do for me. Today I did not have a stroke. Today I did not have a heart attack. My mood is lifted and better despite ongoing challenges to my mood. You make my life better. Thank you.
Close down your portal – they just encourage this type of abusive behavior.