My future as a doctor

What only a few people have ever mentioned to me is how difficult it is to be a physician in your own family. I've heard the stories of people asking for medical advice at cocktail parties or whatever, and I've heard from a couple of people that they do not diagnose family members' illnesses (obviously, you're not supposed to definitively treat your family; the chance to be biased against their normal amounts of complaining are very high), but I never really thought about what would happen when it happened to me. Well, now I'm in the middle of it.

My grandmother in Hong Kong had a stroke yesterday, and my cousin who is there and is becoming the primary contact point for everything has been trying to keep me up to speed via email. I know a fair amount about diagnosing and localizing brain events, since that's what I'm studying right now, but that sort of information isn't going to do anything except satisfy my curiosity. For instance, she is having trouble speaking, and I'm trying to figure out if it's dysarthria or aphasia, and if it's the latter, what kind. Are her cranial nerves intact? How is her memory? But clinically, these things don't change the picture. If she's had a stroke, she's had a stroke, and now we need to figure out what to do. I want my mom to go over there, and I want to go as well (but I probably can't), and take charge. Someone with some sense needs to be in charge of this situation, not a 22-year-old kid (he means well and cares, I know) with no medical knowledge (he's in banking/finance) or common sense in this area. But, those things will work themselves out, since they're pressing and everyone's trying to figure them out. What has really gotten to me is the sudden onslaught of advice about ridiculous things. I think my cousin is Googling to find out about stroke treatment, etc., and sending me articles to read for my opinion.

For example: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20060303/opinion02/603030369/1039/opinion

This is, clearly, an opinion piece published last week in the Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle, written by neurologists in Rochester in response to something published in February touting the benefit of acupuncture for stroke treatment and rehabilitation. The neurologists point out that the only proven therapy for stroke is t-PA ("clot-busters"), and further research needs to be conducted on other therapies before they can be recommended for use. They do not discount acupuncture, but they caution against trusting things before they have been tested. I CANNOT OFFER ANY FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS MATTER WITHOUT DOING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH MYSELF, WHICH I DO NOT HAVE THE TIME FOR. All I can say, and I have, is that acupuncture has not been proven for this, but it may be beneficial. I would suggest finding an acupuncturist experienced in stroke therapy, of which I'm sure there are plenty in Hong Kong (note: I believe acupuncture is therapeutic for a wide variety of illnesses; I just don't know anything about its use in stroke therapy).

Now, before you get all mad at me, I KNOW my family is turning to me because they see me as the closest thing they have to an expert. I KNOW it is a way for them to relieve their stress and seek comfort. But getting all of this off of my chest in this forum is how I am going to releve MY stress, so feel free to stop reading at any time.

The best thing for everyone to do right now is listen to what my grandmother's doctors are saying (I question the quality of the healthcare she is receiving, but nothing can be done about that now) and ask for my input, which I'm happy to provide, as well as everyone else's, when decisions need to be made. But there is no sense in digging around on the Internet for obscure treatments that claim to be able to cure her or that have not been tested rigorously, such as the WARP-10. Contrary to popular opinion, just because something won't help does NOT mean that it will not harm!

I have no idea how this particular situation is going to turn out, and I hope my grandmother will be OK, but it has become very clear to me that I am going to be put in situations like this for many years to come. Patients, I can handle. Family, I'm not so sure.