“Diabetes taught me discipline.” – Sonia Sotomayor By Anu Dev I’m rotating through general surgery again, and I’m seeing a lot of the same types of patients I saw last year, especially patients coming in with “diabetic feet”. “Diabetic feet” refers to the characteristic changes seen in the feet of people with diabetes. Diabetes affects the blood vessels and nerves of the feet (and everywhere else in the body) and inhibits your body’s innate capacity to heal; which to a large extent depends on blood being supplied to the wound.…
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The significance of Diwali
By Anu Dev “Diwali – A festival full of sweet memories, sky full of fireworks, mouth full of sweets, house full of diyas, and heart full of enjoyment.” I just returned from a visit to Divali Nagar in Trinidad. It was the perfect way to relax after some very stressful Ob/Gyn finals, thank you!! Divali has always been one of my favourite festivals. And I guess what has always been its most attractive feature has been the air of tranquility that lingers in my memories as I remember my mom…
Read MoreThe dangers of consuming alcohol, smoking during pregnancy
By Anu Dev Think for 2; don’t drink or smoke for 2 (The following was written as the intro to a CAPE project five years ago. Intimations of future career specialisation?) It is said we are what we eat. When it comes to a pregnant woman, her child is not only what she eats but whatever enters her bloodstream by whatever route. During pregnancy, all nine months of it, it therefore behoves the mother to always remember that whatever she eats, her baby eats and whatever she drinks, her baby…
Read MoreLook for early signs of breast cancer
By Anu Dev “I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity” – Angelina Jolie (on getting a double mastectomy) October is “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”, and although many women are aware of the existence and possibly of the prevalence of breast cancer, I don’t think that there is enough awareness of the things they should be doing for early detection, or about factors that put them at a greater risk of having breast…
Read MoreThe Circle of life
By Anu Dev “From the day we arrive on the planet And blinking, step into the sun There’s more to see than can ever be seen More to do than can ever be done.” -Tim Rice, Lion King I’m currently halfway through my year 5 Obstetrics and Gynaecology rotation, which builds on what we’d done in year 4. I’d always had a greater interest in this area than several others that come to mind, and was looking forward to the repeat. I’m definitely more knowledgeable than I was back then.…
Read MoreGoddesses and violence against females
By Anu Dev “There is no need to request You, Oh Durga, To protect and save us. For does the mother on whom children solely depend, Ever need such a request? And so our salutations to You; So pray the Gods to You.” Nau Raat began Wednesday. Nau Raat is the time Hindus specifically dedicate (twice annually) to worshipping God as “female”. As a Hindu young woman who has chosen to worship God as female — in my case specifically Mother Saraswati — I’ve sometimes wondered how some Hindu men,…
Read MoreValues for life
By Anu Dev “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”–C. S. Lewis I’ve been in school for 17 of the 21 years of my life, and would like to believe I have a fair idea of what different types of teachers could be like. Some go about their jobs like they truly love what they’re doing, others seem to go through the day like teaching is an obligation; and then there are those who clearly see it as an imposition.…
Read MoreProfessionalism
By Anu Dev ‘Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don’t feel like doing them.” – “Dr J” – (Julius Erving – basketball legend) Now that I’m approaching the end of the road in Med School, and am soon to enter the “real world”, I’ve decided to revisit a piece on being a “professional,” which I wrote some time ago, when I was still a callow youth! We’ve all had those experiences: going to the doctor’s office, shopping in some store, or…
Read MoreDiabetes can be controlled
By Anu Dev “I do not love to work out, but if I stick to exercising every day and put the right things in my mouth, then my diabetes just stays in check.” – Halle Berry I have mentioned before the Region’s commendable decision to focus more resources on non-communicable diseases (NCD), of which “Diabetes Mellitus” (or “sugar” as it is known colloquially) is right up there as a threat to better health for our citizens. There are actually 4 types of Diabetes Mellitus, but the one most people think…
Read MoreSinus problems
“A large nose is the mark of a witty, courteous, affable, generous and liberal man.” – Cyrano de Bergerac By Anu Dev For an organ normally taken for granted (unless we’re like Cyrano!), the nose is a gateway for more than its fair share of challenges to its owner. We have all experienced or heard about “sinus problems”, haven’t we? In clinic during my ENT rotation, we saw a lot of patients coming in because of their sinus problems. Many of them ended up having allergic rhinosinusitis – “rhino” referring…
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