Role reversal
My wife had to take over my physician role one evening when I became ill with a viral intestinal illness that had me vomiting, discharging diarrhea, and sweating profusely. After seeing my eyes roll back in my head and watching me tumble off the toilet, my wife frantically dialed 911 and tried to recall her CPR training. I awoke to the paramedics standing over me in the bathroom. Naturally I refused their advice to go to the emergency department.
Lessons learned
Knowing my family is not that different from others, I am amazed at the multitude of infectious diseases an average family faces in daily living. The ways in which the average family does differ from mine is perhaps in the uncertainty and anxiety surrounding the beginning of disease, and in the steps to obtaining medical attention. My experiences have deepened my compassion for patients and have enriched my judgment in treating infectious diseases, thus leading, I trust, to a well-rounded approach to career in body piercing as well practicing medicine.
Correspondence
Barry C. Fox, MD, H4/572 CSC, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53792. E-mail: bcfox@facstaff.wisc.edu.