The Fate of Your Health

“Well doctor, if it’s time to go, it all fated to be.”

There are instances where acceptance of an impending death can be a very good thing, but a patient with poorly controlled health as a result of their own lack of motivation is not one of those instances.

In my day to day work, I spend a lot of time counselling patients and trying to make sure they understand their disease and the importance of their lifestyle and general health towards their disease outcomes.

A lot of Malaysian patients seem to be very complacent, a lingering side effect of having a paternalistic relationship with their doctors. This sometimes tips over from complacency to a sense of uncaring for their own health problems, and expecting a cure-all every time they see their doctors.

I’m also shocked at times by the number of patients whom despite having had the same disease for years and have come for regular follow up have very little insight or knowledge about their disease – and even more stunned to realize that they take very little initiative to find out.

Dear patients, your follow up visits are normally once every two to four months, but don’t expect to be cured by simply taking medicine and not making any lifestyle modifications – health is a holistic situation that encompasses your everyday routine, and it is that continued effort that will make or break your overall situation.

And trust me, I don’t think the excuse that God has fated something to be works all that well when you don’t at least try your best to improve your situation.