A Visit to a Doctor

It is always very depressing to visit a doctor. The bliss of ignorance is shaken the moment the doctor pronounces a slew of probable problems you have and hands you over a big list of tests to be conducted. I detest anyone telling me that I am sick. Still the compulsions of family members forced me to visit the most detested person on the soil.

I had some rashes around my neck, which I was taking very lightly. I knew that whatever I was taking, ( with my experience and knowledge of drugs and having worked in this industry for over 3 decades ), will take about 2 weeks to restore normalcy and if I had gone to a doctor and spent over 2 hours and about 200 bucks ( that is what it takes now a days ) , to see him finally, he would give almost the same advise and medicines and you would almost take the same time to recover. So I avoided all these days. Unfortunately my family members and relatives thought otherwise and pushed me to a corner across the dinner table.

Finally I went to our regular doctor. I spent the time and money and came with a prescription that was verbatim same to what I was taking. But still it satisfied my family and relatives. I continued taking the medicine for a week and had almost the same rate of recovery. Still no one said a word about it, because I was under a doctor’s eye.

I visited him again on completion of the dosage. This time he was forthcoming and admitted that the recovery was not as per his expectations and so he referred me to a skin allergy specialist.

I did not waste a minute this time, as I was scared of the rebuttal in case I had procrastinated.  I spent almost 2hours again before I was finally called in. I saw only a small face with large spectacles above the table with his figure almost crouching under the table.

He looked through his huge glasses and asked in a very sad tone “ Yes, What’s the Problem ”. I was about to say “ I wish I knew ”, but refrained and told him what the issue that brought me to him was. He moved out slowly and got up from his chair. He took a magnifying glass in his hands because probably he thought that his huge spectacles did not have the requisite magnification. Now I could see the complete figure.  A frail body with very thin layer of flesh on the bones walked slowly and gingerly from his chair towards me. I could see excitement in his eyes and movements as he reached near me. He called up his assistant who was on an internship perhaps.

I removed my shirt on his instructions, which sounded more assertive now. He took my hand and moved his magnifying glass around the area of rashes on my hands , then around my neck and on back of my neck.

With a distinct firmness and tint of shrill of excitement he exclaimed “ SEE !! IT IS A CLASSIC CASE OF PHOTO SENSITIVE SKIN ALLERGY !! ” I could see Archimedes in him shouting “ EUREKA ”.

He then asked me what I wear normally. I told him about my liking for Jeans and T shirts. His eyes had a distinct spark and a smile of a winner as he looked towards his intern. He again said “ See !! It is confirmed ”. His magnifying glass still moved around the rash on my hands. Thank god, he did not expect me to say “ I move in BORN FREE attire ”.

Next he asked me when I noticed the first symptoms. I told him that it was some time after my trip to Kalpewadi, Nagaon near Alibag. Now suddenly I could see change in his ginger movements. All of a sudden I could see athleticism in him. He jumped 6 inches , which is all he could, with his fragile body, and said “ Affirmation !!  - This man must have moved on the beach and outside the resort on a sunny day ”. It was like we used to write Q E D after solving a theorem in our school days. I did not react and kept quiet, because I had started enjoying his act by now. He then asked me to roll up my pant, “ thank god again! ” and show him the legs. His magnifying glass shook vibrantly around my calves as the smile on his face broadened.

His next question to me was “ Do you move out like that always in broad day light? ”. I wanted to tell him that I was not a somnambulist, but controlled myself and told him, Yes, I did so for almost 4 decades during my service when I was in projects, but not any more after retirement. He had an answer to that too  -  Now your body and skin are no more accustomed  to the heat and sun and so the allergy on your body. It sounded realistic but funny.

I could relate this logic to the arms, the front of the neck and ears, but how on earth could Sun reach my covered legs and the back of my neck leaving my poor face which was so widely exposed to it.

“ Now, here are some medicines and an ointment and a sun cream.  The shirt you are wearing is of a thin cloth. You should not move out on a sunny day till this allergy goes. Still if at all you have to move out, wear something thicker.”

 I have not seen thicker full sleeve shirts in this part of the country. Still I maintained silence.  “ And yes, cover your ears and eyes, use a scarf if possible, apply sun cream 30 minutes before going out. It will have an effect for about 3 hours. In case you have to be out for a longer time, come in a shady area, apply the cream again, and again as required ”, he said with a confident voice.

This was all in the month of January and in Pune when it is under siege of a cold wave because of heavy snow fall in the northern part of the country. Imagine what would have been the prescription if I had suffered from this allergy sometime in April – July months?

In all probability he would have advised me to wear clothes suiting the people on NORTH POLE. Why?? Mind you all, It would have been only to save me from the effects of scorching heat outside, and save my soul, sorry, body from the ill effects of Photo Sensitive Skin Allergy.