Doctrani Sahiba

Everyone has a dream. I too had a beautiful dream, a dream to pursue a medical profession.

When I was in school, there was a lot of craze for doctors and engineers. Some things are just a part of the fascination you grew up with as a child. I was also fascinated by the medical profession.

 But I forgot, to achieve this dream, I need a lot of dedication and hard work. In my case, though I was intelligent, was not a genius and hardworking. As a result, I didn't get admission to medical college, however, my passion for the medical profession did not diminish. 

With time after graduation, I did post-graduation in library science and got selected for the job of librarian. 

I know it's funny, but after that, I started dreaming of marrying a doctor.

Since most doctors want to marry someone from the same profession, they believe only a doctor can understand the pulls, and stress associated with the medical profession. Being a non-medico and a school librarian, those days it seems to me, if not impossible, at least difficult to find a doctor as a life partner.

With the grace of God, at a quite young age of 22, I got married to a doctor, a handsome, good-looking, and tall boy.

I was very happy. A loving and caring husband and in-laws family were too good.

Being the wife of a doctor didn't know what consequences I was going to face. Gradually I understood it's not easy to be a doctor's wife.

To be called the wife of a doctor and to fulfil the duty of being a wife, are two completely different things.

Most of the time have to compromise on multiple issues like time, vacations, family functions, mood swings, etc etc.

In addition to graduation, doctors need to spend a couple of years specializing in a particular field. My husband got selected for MD medicine after one year of our marriage.

Studying in a specialized field means a full-time job that leaves very little time for going out or spending quality time with family.

During those three years, life was quite busy. Many times he had to leave the function in the middle of an emergency call from the hospital.

Many times standing non-stop for 8 hours, hasn’t had anything since morning, and had slept only 4 hours in the last 24 hours, he returned home fully exhausted.

Do not ever think that when a doctor is not able to save his patient, he does not feel sad.

I have often seen my husband depressed for days, whenever one of his patients dies.

Have seen him regretting. I wish the relatives of the patient at that time would have seen, that the doctors feel equally sad. (Exceptions are always)

On such days, we didn't talk a bit, just a mild smile, hug, and deep sleep.

Let me say one interesting thing about the wives of doctors. The moment you get married, without studying a little bit of medicine, you will get the title of,

"Doctrani Sahiba".

It's funny na. Because I am married to a doctor, you can ask me just about any medical question, and I should be able to help you.

But it happens most of the time. Sometimes I enjoy it, I love to pretend I know if not all but can suggest at least tests and precautions.

This is also true many times I helped my husband, by reading his medical textbooks out loud while he was tired or sick. While reading for him, he most of the time discussed the symptoms and other data about that particular disease. That way gradually I also got a little bit of knowledge about medicines.

One thing more I want to share, in the starting days of marriage it irritated me but with time I got used to it.

That is whenever I get myself injured or I'm sick, I have learned that I should expect no pity at all, rather I mostly ready myself to face his anger. Maybe it's because doctors are used to seeing all kinds of serious sickness and injuries, so my mild sickness or wounds does not affect him much.

Unless it is serious, then I get the best treatment, not from him, but from his doctor friend, or some other. Because the doctor can treat serious to serious patients, the moment the patient is his wife, kid, or any family member, he seems to forget everything and behaves just like a common man who starts running to get the best medical treatment for his loved ones.

A good doctor indeed has job security. Throughout his life, he can practice because mankind will always need doctors. But in my husband's case, once he took VRS, he never practised. If anybody wants consultation, without any charges he helps the needy. This thing invariably made me delighted about him.

At last, despite some favourable and unfavourable aspects, it's always a matter of pride for me to be called a doctor's wife. 

"A Doctrani Sahiba"