A letter to the doctor

Dear DrＴan,
You have seen me once for a short time. Then, my mum and I went together to see you at the hospital, and you even took time out of practice hours to discuss with us my dad's health circumstances. I understand that at the time we compromised your professinal duties toward my dad, but I am very grateful you were able to reveal to me my dad's physical conditions. The care of you and other doctors in recent years have given I also cannot express fully how grateful my heart feels.

Due to the fact that I live abroad permenantly I have little opportunities to be in Taiwan. This year I happen to have a little more time, and it is also the retirement of my dad, so I can spend more time with him. Some years ago my dad left home and practically cut off all links with family. We all know he is very ill, but however it is asked, dad is never willing to talk or discuss his health. Hence the reason I visited you at the hospital then.

Though now dad has returned home, his complexion and energy seemed to worsen more and more. He still isolates himself, and does not talk abut his condition. Even wanting to understand , to support, to take care of dad more is rejected. It can be seen he is very frail, has poor quality of sleeping, his temper is irritable, but he still does not pay attention to his diet-- often when there is something he likes he eats it non-stop, regardless of whether it is greasy (like that time when he continually had diahroea for ten odd days), or whether it is sweet, or whether or not his liver can handle-- and he also smokes endlessly. No matter how we persuade dad he does not listen at all and even blames us for interfering with his life. As his child, it pains the heart to see him continually deteriorate, as his mind and body seem to be in pain, but he still does not coopearate with the advice of the doctors and others.

In a few days I will leave Taiwan and go abroad again. I could say that many family members and I have done the best we could. With your care and periodical physicals, one could only hope dad's health can maintain its current stable condition. But many things depend on dad himself, and he himself needs to change his life style and the way he tends to his body. I hope the doctor will have the chance to remind dad to pay attention to his diet, sleep, and not to smoke. Hopefully with professional persuasions, dad can change himself. We can only hope.

Here I would again like to express to you and other doctors the gratitude that I cannot fully express. And I hope too that you can continue to bring other people health and happiness. How hard you all work!

Sincerely,

KW Chen

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譚醫師:

您曾很短暫的見過我。那時我媽和我一起到醫院找您而您又利用門診時間抽空和我們談我爸陳嘉順的病情。我寮解當時很為難您身為醫師對我爸的專責任，但我非常感謝您能跟我透露我爸的身體狀況。幾年來您和其他醫師的照顧我也無法完全表達我的感激心。

我因為長期住國外很少有機會回台灣。今年剛好有多點時間在台灣也是我爸退休的時候所以我才能多和他相處。多年前我爸離開家裡而幾乎和家人斷絕聯絡。我們都知道他病的嚴重但爸爸不管怎麼問都不肯講或談他的健康。依此那時我才會主見去醫院找您。

現在雖然爸爸又回到家了但他氣色和體力幾乎越來越差。他還是把自己隔離起來，都不講他的狀況，連要去多寮解、多支持、多照顧爸爸都被拒絕。看的出他很虛弱、睡眠品質差、脾氣暴躁但他還是繼續沒好好注重飲食，時常愛吃的就不停吃，不管是油膩地 (像導致那次連續腹瀉幾十天)、很甜地或其他他肝無法負荷的食物，而又不停地抽煙。不管如何勸爸爸他都完全不聽或怪我們在干擾他生活。我身為孩子的看著他繼續惡化下去，每天心理和身體似乎很難過卻又不好好配合醫生或其他人的勸導，實在不忍心。

我再幾天就又要離開台灣出國去了。我想很多家人和我已經盡力了。有醫生您的照顧和定期檢查只能希望爸爸的身體能保持穩定狀況。但很多要靠爸爸自己，要他自己去改善他的生活習慣與身體保養。希望醫師有機會能多提醒爸爸要好好注重飲食、睡眠和不要抽煙。希望爸爸有專業的勸告能改變自己。
只能希望。

再此我又再次表達我向您和其他醫師無法完全表達我的感激心。
也希望你們能一直帶給其他人健康與快樂
辛苦了!

陳XX 敬上