Silent Burdens and the Power of Listening
Today at the Katugastota Family Medicine Clinic was one of those whirlwind days—surgery lists, committee meetings, patients flowing in and out. Family Medicine is like that: one moment you’re removing a cyst or draining an abscess, the next you’re in a hospital boardroom.
Amidst this busyness, my medical attendant rushed in. “Doctor, there’s a patient for you.” I followed her to find an elderly gentleman seated quietly, his wife and niece by his side. His face carried the heaviness of unspoken pain.
As I asked how I could help, his wife answered instead—reeling off a list of complaints: body aches, chest pain, breathlessness. He was diabetic, asthmatic, and by all accounts, a man with multiple burdens. I suspected more than physical illness.
When I gently turned the focus to him, his composure broke. He cried, speaking of how he once lived a life full of activity and purpose, but now felt empty. Once employed in agriculture, he had been let go without a pension. His son had moved away. He felt reduced, invisible.
And then, in a moment of courage, he asked his wife to step outside. His voice dropped to a whisper.
“Doctor… I can’t have erections anymore.”
For six long years, he had carried this secret. He wanted intimacy with his wife but had been too ashamed to speak of it. “Those doctors were big people,” he said, “I couldn’t tell them. But with you… I can.”
It struck me how often patients suffer in silence—not from lack of treatment, but from lack of a safe space to speak.
I examined him, reassured him, and explained how diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol could all contribute. We spoke about options, and after ensuring safety, I prescribed a medication that could help.
He walked out of my room transformed—his sadness replaced by a quiet smile. His wife, puzzled at first, seemed to sense his relief.
For me, the moment was humbling. Medicine is not only about treating diseases; it is about listening deeply, creating trust, and addressing the unspoken. Sometimes, the most powerful healing begins when a patient feels safe enough to tell you what they’ve never told anyone else.
This is the heart of Family Medicine.
Lessons Learned 🩺
- Men’s health matters: Many men hesitate to share sexual health concerns—clinics must provide safe, non-judgmental spaces.
- Listening beyond symptoms: What begins as “aches and pains” may hide deeper emotional or relational struggles.
- The power of trust: Healing often starts not with a prescription, but with the courage of a patient to share their truth—and the willingness of a physician to listen.
