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Caring for Simona
Steven G. Hammer, MD
Arch Fam Med. 1996;5(6):327.
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| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings. |
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SIMONA CAME every week to visit. She liked the "gringo" doctor. She was taking her medications for tuberculosis—sometimes—perhaps most of the time. Did she ever sell them on the side? I would not have been angry with her if she did. Her husband earned about $20 a month as a bus driver's helper. Their rent was $12, leaving $8 for expenses.
Her tuberculosis was severe, and she needed to have a lung removed. Our mission clinic did not have the facilities to perform the surgery and she probably would not have survived. She also wanted surgery for her "matriz" (uterus), which had been completely prolapsed for 4 years. It was painful to her. I thought the prolapse may have been caused by so much coughing because of the tuberculosis. She asked me week after week when she could have her operation. I kept telling her I did not know because
. . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]
Author Affiliations
Waukesha Family Practice Residency Program Waukesha, Wis
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