Mother

Elderly woman of average built and height, slightly bent, appearing to be from middle or lower middle financial status and widow entered my room.  As she entered took out my prescription and put it on table.  I asked her to sit and looked into my prescription. She is Lakshmamma, 57 years old and that prescription was given to her a year and half ago for abdominal pain, backache and body aches.  There weren’t any serious complaints or symptoms and signs noted then.  She sat in a chair in front of me.

“What is your problem now, Lakshmamma? I enquired. She put forth list of general complaints she has – body aches, occasional abdominal pain and general weakness. 

“For all this you could have consulted a family physician or general physician”, I said.

“Last year I came and your medicines kept well till now. That’s why I have come to you again.  Examine me and write some good medicines, amma.”

I examined her.  I found her anemic; there was no other obvious problem on clinical examination. 

“You are weak and anemic.  You need to take rest.” I told her.

“How can I take rest amma?  I have to work all the day”, there was agony in her tone.

“You have children.  Don’t they take care of you? I wanted to know.

“I live with my son.  He has a kirana shop.  All day I have to clean the grains and pack them” she said as a matter of fact.

“You can take rest an hour in the afternoon and sleep early in the night.  So that your back ache will be less”, I advised her, afternoon nap can really help the elderly woman and keep her active rest of the day.

“That rascal won’t allow me to rest in the afternoon, amma.  He takes care of the sales and I have to do all this”, a bit of anger in her tone.

“Why don’t you ask your daughter-in-law to help you?”  I wanted to know what her daughter-in-law does and how she treats her.

“Poor lady, she has to take care of domestic chores and look after three kids.  She is ever busy with her work”, she appeared sympathetic to her daughter-in-law.

“Don’t you have daughter?  Why don’t you stay there for few days?”  I was inquisitive.

“My daughter is kind”, a streak of happiness and smile in her face, “but my son doesn’t allow me to stay there, amma.  If I go to my daughter and stay for more than two days he will come to take me.  Says don’t you feel ashamed to stay at daughter’s house, and brings me back home”, helplessness in her voice.

“If you are sick you should tell him and stay at home”, I advised her.

“No amma.  His survival is on the kirana shop only.  If I am not there who will clean and pack.  He won’t engage any worker.” She seems to have understood her fate.

“OK.  Then I will write that you are sick.  I will write some blood tests.  You are saying you are having frequent abdominal pain, you are post menopausal, better get abdominal scan done.  Though clinically you are ok I don’t want to miss any thing”.

“Please don’t write any tests amma.  Just write some good medicines”. She told me.

 “Show this to your son.  He will get these tests done”. I insisted.

“Why amma.  Just write some good medicines. Last time you wrote, for more than a year I had no problem.  My son is a poor man.  He has to bring up three children.  If there is any problem, I will come to you again.  Write some good medicine for good health”.  She requested me.

 I wrote medicines, gave few samples I had and also handed the list of basic investigation required for her.  Bowing to me she walked out.  She left the requisition written for investigations on my table.