50 Late reaction

The Cage-bird and the Bat: A caged singing bird used to sing at night and be silent during the day. A bat was curious to know why this happened and asked the singing bird. "When I was singing in the day, a bird-catcher set his nets and caught me. If only I had kept quiet then I would not be wasting my life in this cage. Since then I sing only at night.” The bat observed, "It is no use keeping quiet in the day now when you are already in the cage. You should have done it earlier and remained free."

Mr Prasad, a 60-year old man, met Noor Muhammad, his old friend in a park and exclaimed: "Hey, Noor! You have no cigarette in your hand. How come?" "I have given them up, Prasadji," replied Noor. Prasad tried to pull his leg, "For the umpteenth time and for 24-hours only." "No. This is for real. I cannot resume it.” Noor appeared sad but determined. "Why, what happened?", Prasad was concerned now. "My doctor says all the blood vessels of my legs are blocked. If I don't stop smoking, I will get gangrene of legs. Then they will have to chop off my legs. Better to knock off a bad habit than parts of your body - what do you say?” Noor ended with nervous laughter.

Prasad said, "My dear friend, you would not listen to me for the last 35 years. If only you had done so, your legs might have been free of disease now."

139

Comments

Late reaction to health hazards like smoking, drinking and promiscuous behaviour is common in the society. When I suggest risk reduction to my patients, they often say, "Doctor, even if I live a few years less, it is OK. I can't give it up."

What they do not realise is that it is not just "living a few years less.” More often, it is a question of quality of life. The smoker in the story gave up smoking when he could not walk ten metres without getting pain in the legs. I know many others who stopped smoking after getting a heart attack or more unfortunately, lung cancer.

There was an elderly diabetic who refused to take insulin injections and preferred 'to die early than take injections'. However, he had to change his mind when he lost power of the hip muscles - a well-known reversible complication called diabetic amyotrophy. I

140

told him, "Your choice is not between life and death. It is between walking and moving around on a wheelchair.” After two days, he hesitantly took his first shot of insulin injection. He walked home three weeks later and then took insulin for eight years more until his death.

I have treated an alcoholic who wanted to keep on drinking till he died, but changed his mind once he developed alcoholic neuropathy, and could no longer control his bladder and bowel. Fortunately, his problem resolved with treatment. Now he is a converted man.

Now-a-days, I tell similar patients that there is always a threshold for suffering when even the most committed addict will give up the habit. Sometimes they listen to the warning. Often they wait for their own 'suffering-threshold' to be revealed. Perhaps a late reaction is better than no reaction! It is infinitely better to be proactive by 'looking before a leap' and by learning from others' misfortunes.

141