Evening star., 1961-07-03

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fish; one glass right after
another. His eyes get CLASSY
and his speech sickening. It
doesn't seem to bother him.
Our family, friends and in
innate relationships suffer. He
simply ignores his problem
and says the doctors all
wrong. Things are getting
worse. He's a good, intelli-
gent man on the surface.
How can he know what it's
like to go to bed with a
person whose emotions are
all mixed up from drinking?
I will never consider divorce
or separation, but my own
nerves and outlook on life
are being affected. I'm just
not happy.-Mrs. x
WHEN PEOPLE think of
chronic alcoholism they us
ually picture someone with
a glass of hard liquor in
hand. I suppose this is the
most common path to al
coholic perdition. But Mrs.
KS letter reminds us that
beer is not exactly as in
nocuous as a bottle of pop;
many chronic alcoholics are
first nursed on the foamy
stuff.
AS for your own problem,
Mrs. X, all I can say is that
you should take it up with
your family doctor, minister
or a marriage counselor. I
think your husband ought to
try AA. OF course, he must
generate his own motivation.
If he isn't interested in going
on the wagon, I'm afraid
that nothing will help. But
keep trying rather than just
go along saying you won't
divorce him no matter what
happens.
Is it true that the pesSi-
mistic patient is a poor surg
ical risk?-Mr. T., Washing
ton, D. C.
1 CAN'T GIVE YOU the
actual reactions of a surgeon
when his patient says: Doc
tor. I have a lot of confidence
in you. But I just know I'll
never come out of the anes-
thetic."
However, I can tell you
this: Many of my surgical
friends actually shudder
when they have to perform
major surgery on a patient
who "just knows he's going
to die" Call it being super
stitious or what you will, but
things have gone wrong too
often in such instances to
pass them off as coinci-
dences. Unlocked for compli-
cations and many fatalities
have followed in the wake of
such expressions of despair
and hopeleSSnesS.
Having treated thousands
of patients with pneumonia,
those suffering from coronary
attacks and other severe med
ical illnesses, I can vouch for
the fact that optimistic pa
tientS seemed to have the
better chance for recovery,
all other things being equal.
I can't give you a scientific
explanation. Perhaps fear
and anxiety produce some
vital changes in the adrenal,
pituitary and thyroid glands
which throw the body's re-
sistance out of gear. Perhaps
the patients anxiety is con-
tagious. His doctor becomes
unconsciously infected with
fear and lessened hope. What
ever the cause, we doctors
are heartened to have cheer
full and optimistic patients
as partners.
1 shall never forget the
story about the patient who
was to undergo surgery for
the removal of an entire lung
because of lung cancer. His
was to be the first such oper-
alton in the history of med
icine. He agreed.
The doctor gave him an
appointment for preliminary
study in a few days. But the
patient didn't keep it. After
an hour had passed the sur
geon could not help thinking:
"Io guess the poor fellow
thought it over and was too
scared to go through with it."
But 10, the patient ran in,
breathleSs. and said: so
sorry to be late. But I was
held UP at my dentists. I de-
cided to be fitted for some