I respect everyone’s right to #resist. Why? Because these days, agreements are being broken left and right, and rules aren’t followed. Gosh, I understand that a group of young guys who know a lot about computers, but maybe don’t understand anything about assessing data, are making decisions about discontinuing grants. Just the other day, I heard about the discontinuation of research that had to do with nerves in the inner ear. The only reason anyone could figure out, was that the word “diversity” was in the paper’s title, and the boys perhaps thought that it had to do with DEI. Does this sound like a good reason to cut someone’s grant?
One of my favorite pandemic "heroes" was our school principal, who shared with me that when she and her husband were told that only one of them could be at the side of their child with a brain tumor who was facing surgery, she told all comers "Go ahead, call the police then." (You may not be surprised to hear that was largely the end of it...)
But, of course, it should not be a grieving frightened parent who has to draw a reasonable line...
In February of 2020 I was at IU in Indy after undergoing an emergency craniotomy where they had just instituted a "no visitors under 18" policy. Not seeing my children for 2 weeks was an absolute misery for me, but I continue to be forever grateful that I recovered enough to be released before they eliminated any visitors at all (I was relearning to talk and without my husband and mother advocating for me daily may have spent much longer there).
I cannot imagine the pain of families just one month later suffering under nonsense policies/regulations that caused parents and siblings to be separated from each other, or caused birthing mothers to labor alone(!) or with minimal support. Even here in the Hoosier state we found just how thick in the bureaucratic bullshit our institutions are.
This made me have a Covid flashback: I had to sew up a 5 cm gash on the arm of an 86 yo who got injured climbing out the window of her assisted living so she could go to her great grandbaby”s birthday. She was a spunky one. Come to think of it, she snuck over to the clinic too too so she would not “get caught” with an injury by “those commie bastards” that kept her “in the hoosegow”.
The COVID years were… just ridiculous, I am glad many people in my area did rebel in their own wsys (13 stitches and all). She was my hero of the week😉
Vinay, a provocative posting as usual. I have two comments.
First, I committed myself to pediatrics in medical school and have never regretted it unlike you. Then I chose a niche in pediatric pulmonology where I would almost daily involved with children and families facing death and sadness. I found an ability to ally with them in a covenant relationship that involved cautious optimism and personal vulnerability. Almost always they responded positively and I enjoyed the benefits of a more intimate personal relationship with them than found in most of medicine. Those relationships tend to endure now decades later even though most of my patients died. My field was lung transplantation.
Second, I agree with you that most of our colleagues refused the opportunity to get involved in potential controversy during the COVID pandemic. I was so disappointed that pediatricians en masse never took a stand before, during, or after the imposition of school closures, which has had a large, measurable negative impact on the academic and psychological status of so many of our patients. Can we train physicians to be informed, involved physicians instead of hyper compliant, overly committed clinicians? I went to med school in the early 1970s, an era of political activism. The docility of our profession is shameful. Any ideas?
I don't mind your anti COVID vaccine stances, but it is your utter disdain for administrators that will limit your influence. It is no different from the random layperson who has no trust of doctors because he doesn't understand what they do.
My disillusionment with medicine... To the point that I'm in two minds whether I'll finish my hard fought for medical degree... Is crystallised in the insanity of COVID public health regulations. I have no respect for medicine after that. My uni lecturer had a sister in law who was our state's chief public health officer and leader of the human rights violations... Applauding her every step of the way. I'm not risk averse personally, so being in a risk averse profession is difficult, but the difference between now and twenty-five years ago... When at least in my country, there were no vaccine mandates for healthcare workers back then, for example... And truly, patients weren't dying like flies as a result... But yeah. Covid destroyed my faith in medicine.
I credit my time in PICU with my descent into alcoholism. I was never more upset and disturbed. We were all 7am drunks after a night shift of seeing way too much.
I am 10 years sober and an attorney for the past 20 years. I would never go back to PICU.
Waw, this looks interesting! I’m a student nurse at the moment, but also a mum of 3. Your doubst resonate deeply to the kind of nurse I want to become… Thank you for sharing this important research in this kind of very personal and vulnerable way…
I am not a doctor, but I am a RN. I have also witnessed how my severely disabled sister who is non verbal has been treated by some providers. She currently has advanced liver disease from autoimmune hepatitis. Not everyone has cared.
I often wondered how it was Dr. Prasad has not been fired, banned, had his speech stripped. I feel you were a bright light in the darkness. You spoke more and more vehemently. I appreciated the escalation in your words. The situation needed escalation. I think we need to decide the "what if" scenario. What if they say you can't enter? What if the limit 1 parent again? What if we can't be with our loved ones (for any goddamn reason we want, not only if they are ready to leave this Godly place)? We need a plan. I did read someone's suggestion of showing up with 50 or so people at once to usher you throw the doors. That seems smart. How could they arrest 50 people at once!
They stuck our loved ones in hospitals with NO ADVOCATE when they were at their weakest. And they wonder why we don't trust a damn thing they say now.
This is one of your best articles! Thank you for writing it.
I respect everyone’s right to #resist. Why? Because these days, agreements are being broken left and right, and rules aren’t followed. Gosh, I understand that a group of young guys who know a lot about computers, but maybe don’t understand anything about assessing data, are making decisions about discontinuing grants. Just the other day, I heard about the discontinuation of research that had to do with nerves in the inner ear. The only reason anyone could figure out, was that the word “diversity” was in the paper’s title, and the boys perhaps thought that it had to do with DEI. Does this sound like a good reason to cut someone’s grant?
One of my favorite pandemic "heroes" was our school principal, who shared with me that when she and her husband were told that only one of them could be at the side of their child with a brain tumor who was facing surgery, she told all comers "Go ahead, call the police then." (You may not be surprised to hear that was largely the end of it...)
But, of course, it should not be a grieving frightened parent who has to draw a reasonable line...
In February of 2020 I was at IU in Indy after undergoing an emergency craniotomy where they had just instituted a "no visitors under 18" policy. Not seeing my children for 2 weeks was an absolute misery for me, but I continue to be forever grateful that I recovered enough to be released before they eliminated any visitors at all (I was relearning to talk and without my husband and mother advocating for me daily may have spent much longer there).
I cannot imagine the pain of families just one month later suffering under nonsense policies/regulations that caused parents and siblings to be separated from each other, or caused birthing mothers to labor alone(!) or with minimal support. Even here in the Hoosier state we found just how thick in the bureaucratic bullshit our institutions are.
This made me have a Covid flashback: I had to sew up a 5 cm gash on the arm of an 86 yo who got injured climbing out the window of her assisted living so she could go to her great grandbaby”s birthday. She was a spunky one. Come to think of it, she snuck over to the clinic too too so she would not “get caught” with an injury by “those commie bastards” that kept her “in the hoosegow”.
The COVID years were… just ridiculous, I am glad many people in my area did rebel in their own wsys (13 stitches and all). She was my hero of the week😉
Thank you so much. I really appreciate your caring.
Vinay, a provocative posting as usual. I have two comments.
First, I committed myself to pediatrics in medical school and have never regretted it unlike you. Then I chose a niche in pediatric pulmonology where I would almost daily involved with children and families facing death and sadness. I found an ability to ally with them in a covenant relationship that involved cautious optimism and personal vulnerability. Almost always they responded positively and I enjoyed the benefits of a more intimate personal relationship with them than found in most of medicine. Those relationships tend to endure now decades later even though most of my patients died. My field was lung transplantation.
Second, I agree with you that most of our colleagues refused the opportunity to get involved in potential controversy during the COVID pandemic. I was so disappointed that pediatricians en masse never took a stand before, during, or after the imposition of school closures, which has had a large, measurable negative impact on the academic and psychological status of so many of our patients. Can we train physicians to be informed, involved physicians instead of hyper compliant, overly committed clinicians? I went to med school in the early 1970s, an era of political activism. The docility of our profession is shameful. Any ideas?
I don't mind your anti COVID vaccine stances, but it is your utter disdain for administrators that will limit your influence. It is no different from the random layperson who has no trust of doctors because he doesn't understand what they do.
My disillusionment with medicine... To the point that I'm in two minds whether I'll finish my hard fought for medical degree... Is crystallised in the insanity of COVID public health regulations. I have no respect for medicine after that. My uni lecturer had a sister in law who was our state's chief public health officer and leader of the human rights violations... Applauding her every step of the way. I'm not risk averse personally, so being in a risk averse profession is difficult, but the difference between now and twenty-five years ago... When at least in my country, there were no vaccine mandates for healthcare workers back then, for example... And truly, patients weren't dying like flies as a result... But yeah. Covid destroyed my faith in medicine.
Powerful article.
I credit my time in PICU with my descent into alcoholism. I was never more upset and disturbed. We were all 7am drunks after a night shift of seeing way too much.
I am 10 years sober and an attorney for the past 20 years. I would never go back to PICU.
Waw, this looks interesting! I’m a student nurse at the moment, but also a mum of 3. Your doubst resonate deeply to the kind of nurse I want to become… Thank you for sharing this important research in this kind of very personal and vulnerable way…
I am not a doctor, but I am a RN. I have also witnessed how my severely disabled sister who is non verbal has been treated by some providers. She currently has advanced liver disease from autoimmune hepatitis. Not everyone has cared.
I am sorry. Prayers for your sister and your family.
I often wondered how it was Dr. Prasad has not been fired, banned, had his speech stripped. I feel you were a bright light in the darkness. You spoke more and more vehemently. I appreciated the escalation in your words. The situation needed escalation. I think we need to decide the "what if" scenario. What if they say you can't enter? What if the limit 1 parent again? What if we can't be with our loved ones (for any goddamn reason we want, not only if they are ready to leave this Godly place)? We need a plan. I did read someone's suggestion of showing up with 50 or so people at once to usher you throw the doors. That seems smart. How could they arrest 50 people at once!
I recall feeling relief that my mother passed away months before the pandemic. We did not have to deal with what some commenters describe.