Nyt's Neonatal Medicine
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Late Lesson in Sensitivity for Doctor - The New York Times
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Late Lesson in Sensitivity for Doctor
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By LAURA NOVAK Published: Tuesday, August 12, 2003
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The doctor possessed a fancy medical pedigree to complement his box-office looks. We met for the first time in a darkened ultrasound room, where he was to rule out the repairable cardiac anomalies that commonly accompany the birth defect already wreaking havoc on our fetus and my health.
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Fresh from residency, the young cardiologist invited an older one into our cave. They whispered earnestly, their voices further muffled by a blaring television set. The novice cardiologist had turned on the set before scanning my oversized belly. His superior scurried out of the room before the young man blandly broke the bad news. Our baby, if he made it to term and survived the surgeries to correct his primary malformation, would most certainly die from an unexpected and incurable heart defect that this confident young man had just discovered. I stifled a cry. Instead, I cussed and told him to kill the television set. He pulled out a primer on the infant heart, drew circles with a fancy pen and admonished me as I waddled to the wheelchair we had left outside the door. "Mrs. Novak," he said, "don't forget to lie on your side so that you don't compress the inferior vena cava and the baby gets enough oxygen. Mrs. Novak?" The defect could not be ruled out until birth. The prognosis threw the high-risk obstetricians and pediatric surgeons managing our case into a tizzy. The telephone calls flew. I pushed away the home nurses and curled into a ball wishing I would die before I had to watch my baby do the same. Many years and one sturdy child later, I sat in a rocker in the same neonatal intensive care unit where my son had lived for three months and where I now volunteer. The baby in my arms was so ethereal she reminded me of a fairy. Her limbs were soft and her facial features remarkably petite. The baby was unfettered by machinery. So I assumed that she was going home, healthy and cured. I felt thrilled for her parents, who must have skirted a more serious situation. Just then, a pair of blue scrubs came into view. I looked up to find the once youthful cardiologist staring at me, perplexed. Crow's feet decorated his eyes, and streaks of gray highlighted his bangs. "Mrs. Novak?" he squinted. I showed him my ID badge and described the catharsis of volunteering while Max was in school.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/health/policy/12CASE.html
Page 1 of 3
Late Lesson in Sensitivity for Doctor - The New York Times
12/8/09 1:09 PM
I could hear the bell ringing in his head. I could see our unfinished business percolating in the eyes I once found so cold. A second doctor approached, a geneticist who had also consulted on our case. After many years, we were finally out of the woods with Max, I told her. What a fun reunion, I might have joked, until the nurse informed us that the parents were scrubbing in. More specialists and nurses now crowded the angel in my arms. Their bodies blocked the natural light from the window above my head. I was in a cave once more, and the prognosis was grim.
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"It's confirmed on the 15th chromosome," the geneticist stated.
5. Personal Health: Shedding Light on a Tremor Disorder
"Clearly hypotonic," another doctor said while examining the baby girl. "The creases are carved in the palms."
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"And the heart?"
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"It's fine," the cardiologist said.
10. Well: How Safe Is Your Chicken Dinner?
"Is the social worker here yet?"
Go to Complete List »
"Tell her to remember the tissues." Someone leaned down and whispered to me with the tone that made my stomach lurch. The baby had Prader-Willi syndrome, an incurable genetic condition characterized by eventual uncontrolled eating, obesity, aggression and mental retardation. The innocent dad approached the group, jovially shaking hands. I felt creepy and voyeuristic knowing that his life was about to change irretrievably. Perhaps that is the miserable power an inexperienced doctor feels staring at a fetal echocardiogram, certain that death is staring back. The crowd surged forward to lead the mother toward the conference room. The cardiologist remained behind at the double sink. I tossed my gown into the soiled bin and pumped on the water with the foot pedal. "At least it's not me delivering the bad news this time," he laughed self-consciously.
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I felt he was rewinding his words, and their delivery, the only way he knew how. We had both come so far in seven years. It was now my choice how we moved forward. "So," I began. RELATED ADS
He turned to me, as if prepared. "What do I call you now?" I asked.
What are Related Ads?
» Born with Hole in Heart
Relief replaced surprise. Then he offered up his popular nickname.
» Nurses Uniform » Funny Gifts for Nurses
"All right," I accepted. "Then you must call me Laura."
» Doctor Gift Ideas
More Articles in Health > Ads by Google
» Allergy Doctor
what's this?
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http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/health/policy/12CASE.html
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Late Lesson in Sensitivity for Doctor - The New York Times
12/8/09 1:09 PM
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Welcome to TimesPeople
TimesPeople Lets You Share and Discover the Best of NYTimes.com Recommend1:09 PM
Get Started HOME PAGE
TODAY'S PAPER
VIDEO
MOST POPULAR
U.S.
N.Y. / REGION
My Account
TIMES TOPICS
BUSINESS
TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH
SCIENCE
HEALTH
FITNESS & NUTRITION
Welcome, hootsiemama
Log Out
Help
Search All NYTimes.com
Health
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 WORLD
12/8/09 1:09 PM
SPORTS
OPINION
MONEY & POLICY
VIEWS
ARTS
STYLE
TRAVEL
JOBS
REAL ESTATE
AUTOS
HEALTH GUIDE
Travel Deals E-mail newsletter
Late Lesson in Sensitivity for Doctor
Sign up for travel deals and discounts on airfare, hotels, transportation and more! See Sample
By LAURA NOVAK Published: Tuesday, August 12, 2003
[email protected] Change E-mail Address | Privacy Policy
The doctor possessed a fancy medical pedigree to complement his box-office looks. We met for the first time in a darkened ultrasound room, where he was to rule out the repairable cardiac anomalies that commonly accompany the birth defect already wreaking havoc on our fetus and my health.
SIGN IN TO RECOMMEND TWITTER E-MAIL REPRINTS SHARE
Fresh from residency, the young cardiologist invited an older one into our cave. They whispered earnestly, their voices further muffled by a blaring television set. The novice cardiologist had turned on the set before scanning my oversized belly. His superior scurried out of the room before the young man blandly broke the bad news. Our baby, if he made it to term and survived the surgeries to correct his primary malformation, would most certainly die from an unexpected and incurable heart defect that this confident young man had just discovered. I stifled a cry. Instead, I cussed and told him to kill the television set. He pulled out a primer on the infant heart, drew circles with a fancy pen and admonished me as I waddled to the wheelchair we had left outside the door. "Mrs. Novak," he said, "don't forget to lie on your side so that you don't compress the inferior vena cava and the baby gets enough oxygen. Mrs. Novak?" The defect could not be ruled out until birth. The prognosis threw the high-risk obstetricians and pediatric surgeons managing our case into a tizzy. The telephone calls flew. I pushed away the home nurses and curled into a ball wishing I would die before I had to watch my baby do the same. Many years and one sturdy child later, I sat in a rocker in the same neonatal intensive care unit where my son had lived for three months and where I now volunteer. The baby in my arms was so ethereal she reminded me of a fairy. Her limbs were soft and her facial features remarkably petite. The baby was unfettered by machinery. So I assumed that she was going home, healthy and cured. I felt thrilled for her parents, who must have skirted a more serious situation. Just then, a pair of blue scrubs came into view. I looked up to find the once youthful cardiologist staring at me, perplexed. Crow's feet decorated his eyes, and streaks of gray highlighted his bangs. "Mrs. Novak?" he squinted. I showed him my ID badge and described the catharsis of volunteering while Max was in school.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/health/policy/12CASE.html
Page 1 of 3
Late Lesson in Sensitivity for Doctor - The New York Times
12/8/09 1:09 PM
I could hear the bell ringing in his head. I could see our unfinished business percolating in the eyes I once found so cold. A second doctor approached, a geneticist who had also consulted on our case. After many years, we were finally out of the woods with Max, I told her. What a fun reunion, I might have joked, until the nurse informed us that the parents were scrubbing in. More specialists and nurses now crowded the angel in my arms. Their bodies blocked the natural light from the window above my head. I was in a cave once more, and the prognosis was grim.
MOST POPULAR - HEALTH E-MAILED
BLOGGED
1. Mind: Postpartum Depression Strikes Fathers, Too 2. Well: Firm Body, No Workout Required? 3. 18 and Under: Hard Questions to Ask After a Cry for Help 4. Patient Money: Knowing What’s Worth Paying For in Vitamins
"It's confirmed on the 15th chromosome," the geneticist stated.
5. Personal Health: Shedding Light on a Tremor Disorder
"Clearly hypotonic," another doctor said while examining the baby girl. "The creases are carved in the palms."
6. Recipes for Health: Breakfasts Rich With Grains 7. Recipes for Health: Steel-Cut Oatmeal With Fruit 8. Fitness: Becoming Your Own Massage Therapist
"And the heart?"
9. Well: 10 Video Games to Cross Off Your Child’s Gift List
"It's fine," the cardiologist said.
10. Well: How Safe Is Your Chicken Dinner?
"Is the social worker here yet?"
Go to Complete List »
"Tell her to remember the tissues." Someone leaned down and whispered to me with the tone that made my stomach lurch. The baby had Prader-Willi syndrome, an incurable genetic condition characterized by eventual uncontrolled eating, obesity, aggression and mental retardation. The innocent dad approached the group, jovially shaking hands. I felt creepy and voyeuristic knowing that his life was about to change irretrievably. Perhaps that is the miserable power an inexperienced doctor feels staring at a fetal echocardiogram, certain that death is staring back. The crowd surged forward to lead the mother toward the conference room. The cardiologist remained behind at the double sink. I tossed my gown into the soiled bin and pumped on the water with the foot pedal. "At least it's not me delivering the bad news this time," he laughed self-consciously.
Pogue & friends ALSO IN VIDEO »
Food gift guide Travel gift guide
I felt he was rewinding his words, and their delivery, the only way he knew how. We had both come so far in seven years. It was now my choice how we moved forward. "So," I began. RELATED ADS
He turned to me, as if prepared. "What do I call you now?" I asked.
What are Related Ads?
» Born with Hole in Heart
Relief replaced surprise. Then he offered up his popular nickname.
» Nurses Uniform » Funny Gifts for Nurses
"All right," I accepted. "Then you must call me Laura."
» Doctor Gift Ideas
More Articles in Health > Ads by Google
» Allergy Doctor
what's this?
SF New Condos For Sale Newest Boutique Condos in San Francisco. Become a VIP Today. www.OneHawthorne.com
USC's Online Courses Short Courses - Fast Track. 18 Online & Live Courses This Fall! www.marshall.usc.edu/execed
OA Knee Pain Treatment One Injection up to 6 Months Relief Get Your Free Knee Pain Relief Kit. Knee-Treatment-Options.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/health/policy/12CASE.html
Page 2 of 3
Late Lesson in Sensitivity for Doctor - The New York Times
12/8/09 1:09 PM
Knee-Treatment-Options.com
INSIDE NYTIMES.COM T MAGAZINE»
HEALTH »
OPINION »
SPORTS »
OPINION »
BOOKS »
Room for Debate: The Food Stamp Economy
See the New Look of T Magazine Home
World
U.S.
As more people receive aid, should the rules be aimed at promoting better nutrition?
Well: Firm Body, No Workout Required? N.Y. / Region
Business
Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Technology
Privacy Policy
Science Search
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/health/policy/12CASE.html
Health
Corrections
Still Counting the Ways to Infiltrate Daily Lives
For Volleyball Coach, the Streak Is Beside the Point Sports RSS
Opinion
Arts
First Look
Op-Ed: Coverage Without Borders Style
Help
Travel
Contact Us
Jobs
Ken Auletta depicts Google as a behemoth that can be both naïve and arrogant in its dealings with the world.
Real Estate
Work for Us
Autos
Advertise with Us
Back to Top Site Map
Page 3 of 3
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