Tea leaves

Fortunes are not made in general practice; fortunes are told. Fortunes are found in the reading of the tea leaves left in the teacups of lab tests, x-rays, and experience.

The term fortune brings to mind wealth but often for the general practitioner predicting the fortunes of others is a much less joyous affair.

The reality of illness – serious illness – for most people diverts attention away from fortunes and focuses on the values relating to survival itself. In severe illness, most often the anger of having one’s mortality horizon thrust close, melts away into the desperation to cling onto the last remaining time available. This then morphs into acceptance; this can be either a comfortable or an uncomfortable acceptance.

When one intellectualises the gift of life and perceives it as an unconscious consequence of DNA’s unquenchable desire to exist, one cannot be immune to the tragedies that are some poor folks’ lives.

Congenital illnesses and defects, and human-induced harm all too often populate our society, and hopefully, our civilised compassion supports them. For many families, the support is inadequate, leaving stress and sadness, the tea leaves falling in patterns where good fortune is lost and only distress remains.

As time rolls by and my tea leaves fall to the bottom of my own tightly held cup – and those leaves of labs, x-rays, and experience settle – I too, will realise my fortune.